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Over the years many have questioned what Prince William‘s relationship with his stepmother, Queen Camilla (formerly Camilla Parker Bowles), is really like. After all, William was old enough to understand what was going on when his parents separated. He also knew that Camilla was a big part of that as Princess Diana used to refer to her as “Charles’ lady” in front of her sons.

Their relationship was back in the headlines in early 2023 when Prince Harry released his memoir Spare. No matter what happened over the years though, the Prince of Wales and his father’s wife have put on a united front after Queen Elizabeth II’s death when Charles became the monarch. Now footage from the day William and Camilla were on hand when Charles was officially proclaimed king shows the prince’s gesture toward his stepmom when she appeared uneasy on her feet with many royal fans agreeing “Princess Diana raised him right.”

Prince William and Queen Camilla during the Accession Council ceremony at St. James's Palace
Prince William and Queen Camilla during the Accession Council ceremony at St. James’s Palace | Kirsty O’Connor – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Video of Prince William’s gesture to Camilla when she was unsteady goes viral

The video posted to TikTok in November shows Camilla walking up a couple of steps in front of William when she becomes unsteady on her feet for a moment. The prince is then seen extending his arms in an effort to help her in case she stumbles.

The 10-second clip has been viewed more than 180,000 times. It’s also garnered thousands of likes and hundreds of comments, many of which pointed out that William’s reaction is because he was “raised right” by his mother.

“He is a gentle man… a good man … his mother Diana raised him well,” one user wrote.

Another agreed posting: “His mother raised him well. Like a gentleman.”

A third chimed in: “He was raised by a legendary mom.”

And a fourth person said: “His mother raised him to be a true gentleman! No one will ever replace his mom in his heart, however, it speaks volumes of his character”.

Prince William and Queen Camilla arrive at the Throne Room during the Accession Council ceremony at St. James's Palace for the proclamation of King Charles III
Prince William and Queen Camilla arrive at the Throne Room during the Accession Council ceremony at St. James’s Palace for the proclamation of King Charles III | Kirsty O’Connor – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Experts disagree on the type of relationship Prince William has with Camilla

When it comes to whether Prince William and Camilla have a good relationship, it depends on who you ask.

Royal author Tina Brown wrote in The Palace Papers that William never really warmed up to his stepmom and simply just “tolerated” her.

Moreover, biographer Angela Levin, who authored the book Camilla: From Outcast to Queen Consort, claimed that “William has made it clear that Camilla is the wife of his father, but not a step-grandmother to his children.”

But royal expert Penny Junor disagrees and said although it hasn’t always been “the relationship between them is warm now.” Junor added: “To be fair to Camilla, she never tried to be mummy but she was the ‘other woman’ and she was there and taking daddy’s time.”