Kate Middleton and Camilla Parker Bowles: Their Relationship in Photos
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and her mother-in-law, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall have officially been family since Catherine’s 2011 royal wedding to Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. However, because the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met as college students and dated for years before getting married, Catherine had plenty of time to get to know Camilla before walking down the aisle.
They’d been seen at events for years ahead of the royal wedding
More than four years before the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were even engaged, Catherine attended the wedding of Camilla’s daughter, Laura Lopes, in May 2006. Unfortunately, there aren’t any photos of Catherine and Camilla together at the wedding but they probably spent some time mingling.
And in 2008, she and the Duchess of Cornwall were spotted at the Order of the Garter service.
Per Express, royal expert Katie Nicholl shared in the documentary Charles & Camilla: King and Queen in Waiting, that Camilla met with Catherine before her and William’s royal wedding to calm her nerves and offer words of wisdom.
“In the run-up to the Royal Wedding, she took Kate out for lunch just to sort of settle nerves and give some good, step-motherly advice,” Nicholl said before adding, “She has been there for the Duchess of Cambridge.
After Catherine joined the British royal family, she and Camilla started spending more time together simply because they attended official royal engagements alongside their husbands, William, and Charles, Prince of Wales. If they weren’t close before the 2011 royal wedding, they’ve certainly gotten to know a lot more about each other in the years since.
Not only have they forged a close relationship simply because see each other more often, but they also have a number of things in common. Both the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Cornwall will one day be queen consorts giving them something to bond over plus they both were considered commoners before they became royals so they know what’s it like to have to adjust to life as a royal and follow royal etiquette and protocol.
They have fun together
Whether they are at an event as working royals or simply having fun on a day off of royal duties, Camilla and Catherine have a good time. According to Express, royal author Marcia Moody wrote in her 2013 book, Kate: A Biography, that “Camilla would make Kate cry with laughter.”
And when they had lunch in February 2011 with Catherine’s younger sister, Pippa Middleton, and Camilla’s daughter, Laura, they spent three hours “laughing and joking and talking at the same time.”
And that certainly seems to still be the case. On many occasions, they’ve been photographed smiling and laughing with each other. Marking Garter Day in 2011 with a service and a ceremony, the Duchess of Cambridge and her mother-in-law chatted.
When Queen Elizabeth II marked her Diamond Jubilee i.e., her 60-year reign in 2012 with a massive celebration, the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Cornwall were there with smiles on their faces.
In 2016, when they attended the Royal Ascot with other members of the royal family, Camilla and Catherine could be seen laughing.
And on a less formal occasion, Camilla and Catherine had an outing at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
No matter where they are — a sporting event or a royal engagement — Camilla and Catherine have a good time together. Here they are grinning at each other during an official visit to a store with the queen.
Now, the duo may be on their way to forming an even stronger bond. Despite being considered by some to be a potential PR nightmare, Camilla and Charles along with Catherine and William have been dubbed the new “Fab Four.”
The two couples stepped out together in 2020 after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were stepping back as senior royals. As we’ve seen time and time again, Camilla and Catherine were having fun in each other’s company.
Here’s hoping we see more from Catherine and Camilla in the future!
