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Some unexpected drama quietly unfolded at the recent coronation of King Charles III. Amid all the pomp and circumstance at Westminster Abbey, whispers about a not-so-subtle standoff between Kate Middleton and Camilla Parker Bowles were making the rounds. 

Surprisingly, Kate decided to create a no-curtsy zone around Camilla, which quickly sparked rumors of an impending royal feud. This incident occurred in the midst of reports that Princess Anne had confronted Camilla regarding her title change.

Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales arrives at Westminster Abbey in central London on May 6, 2023, ahead of the coronations of Britain's King Charles III and Britain's Camilla, Queen Consort
Kate Middleton | Odd Anderson/AFP via Getty Images

Kate Middleton displayed tension with Camilla Parker Bowles at King Charles III’s coronation

Charles’ coronation reportedly brought some serious tension between Kate and Camilla. As a royal expert pointed out, the Princess of Wales seemed visibly upset with Camilla and opted not to curtsy her at the ceremony. 

Author Tom Bower told Dan Wootton that Kate’s choice not to curtsy could be seen as a sign of tension between the two royals. It’s worth noting that the Princess of Wales was among the more than 2,000 guests who attended the coronation at Westminster Abbey.

“If you look at the Coronation footage, as the King and Queen leave the thrones and head for the exit of Westminster Abbey, you’ll see that everyone bows and curtsies to the King and no one moves a limb, a muscle, when Camilla passes,” Bower explained. “And that’s because they were angry with her. No one moves.”

Bower stated that Kate wasn’t the only one unhappy with Camilla. Prince William was also reportedly angry at his stepmother-in-law.

As the ceremony approached, Buckingham Palace officially announced that Camilla would relinquish her title of Queen Consort for the occasion. Instead, she would be bestowed with the title of Queen. However, this decision evidently caused unease among the other members of the royal family.

This might be the reason Kate Middleton was unhappy at Charles’ ceremony

The change in title certainly was a factor in Kate’s interaction with Camilla. But that wasn’t the only thing that reportedly made the Princess of Wales unhappy.

As Bower noted, Kate was also displeased with how her family was featured at the coronation. While only four members of the Middleton family were at the event, Camilla incorporated over twenty members of her family at the ceremony.

Bower also noted how William did not mention Camilla at the coronation concert the next day. For Bower, the omission was a clear indication that tensions were present between the families.

The royal author added that the drama put Charles in a tricky situation, especially considering Anne’s confrontation with Camilla at the dinner. 

Princess Anne reportedly confronted Camilla Parker Bowles at the coronation dinner

Kate’s drama aside, reports suggest that Camilla and Anne had a major disagreement at the coronation dinner. Following the highly anticipated ceremony, Anne apparently confronted Camilla about her recent transition in her title.

Prior to the coronation, Buckingham Palace made an official announcement regarding Camilla’s title change from Queen Consort to Queen. This decision received mixed reactions from observers, and it appears that Anne expressed her own disapproval of the changes during the dinner.

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King Charles III’s Coronation Is a ‘Victory Lap’ for Camilla Parker Bowles — ‘Charles Always Wanted Her to Be Queen’

David Emanuel, the renowned designer of Princess Diana’s wedding gown in 1981, claims that Camilla’s title alteration has sparked a charged atmosphere. Per Emanuel, many were surprised when Camilla discarded the Queen Consort title.

According to Express, an insider told Emanuel about Anne and Camilla’s explosive confrontation at the dinner. The sources say that Anne informed Camilla that she would always call her Queen Consort, despite the change in title. 

“I heard that there was a Coronation dinner with which obviously the King and Camila were there, and apparently the Princess Royal said, ‘You’re not Queen, you’re the Queen’s Consort’,” Emanuel stated.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were crowned on May 6 at Westminster Abbey.