Touching portrait of just how far Prince William and Camilla’s relationship has come: Charming moment Wills and the Queen share carriage at Ascot as royals gather without King and Kate
At one point, Prince William‘s relationship with his stepmother was so bad that he allegedly ‘begged’ his father not to marry her.
Prince Harry famously claimed in his bombshell memoir Spare that he and William pleaded with King Charles not to tie the knot with ‘wicked stepmother’ Camilla.
But today, in touching images, the Prince of Wales and the Queen showed how far they have come in their relationship as they arrived at Royal Ascot together in what was a rare joint outing at a social occasion.
With beaming smiles, the pair looked at ease as they sat with the Earl and Countess of Halifax during the traditional royal carriage procession.
It was the first time that Camilla and William have teamed up since they led senior royals at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March.
But whilst that was an official engagement, Ascot is not on the roster of duties and so will be seen by royal watchers as a sign of how well William and the Queen now get on.
They were joined by royals including Zara and Mike Tindall and Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, who are today celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.
And Michael and Carole Middleton attended in what was their first public appearance since their daughter the Princess of Wales was diagnosed with cancer.
The Duchess of York and her daughters Eugenie and Beatrice, along with Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, also delighted crowds.
King Charles – who is continuing his own cancer treatment – did not repeat yesterday’s appearance and instead focused on holding audiences at Buckingham Palace.
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Prince William was accompanied by Queen Camilla in the traditional carriage procession at Royal Ascot today in what was a rare joint appearance by the pair
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The Prince of Wales, who once had a deeply strained relationship with his stepmother, looked at ease as he sat with her and the Earl and Countess of Halifax in front of adoring crowds
Prince William accompanies Queen Camilla in the Royal Procession
William’s relationship with Camilla stretches back to the trauma of his childhood.
King Charles embarked on an affair with her in the late 1980s, when he was still married to Princess Diana.
The couple’s romance remained low-key until after Diana’s death in a car crash in Paris in 1997 – the year after she and Charles had divorced.
Camilla had been seeing Charles when she was still married to first husband Andrew Parker Bowles. They divorced in 1995.
In Spare, Harry likened Camilla to a ‘wicked stepmother’ and even accused her of leaking stories about him through a palace spin doctor.
However, when Charles and Camilla did get married in April 2005, both William and Harry were present at the ceremony.
In march, William and Camilla shared a giggle when they were joined by Princess Anne and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh for Commonwealth Day.
It was a far cry from their strained appearances in previous years.
At Ascot today, Carole and Michael Middleton beamed as they arrived side-by-side for the prestigious event at the Berkshire racecourse.
Kate, who is continuing her cancer treatment, was not present despite making a welcome appearance at Trooping the Colour at the weekend.
She revealed in a statement on Friday she is making ‘good progress’ in her treatment but candidly said she has ‘good days and bad days’ and although there has been some limited working from home, she stressed ‘I am not out of the woods yet’.
Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank were in another carriage, and when the procession reached the parade ring, Zara was waiting to greet them all.
Other guests included Andrew Lloyd Webber who was made a Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter during a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Monday, attended by the King and Queen and other senior royals.
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Queen Camilla attends day two of Royal Ascot 2024 at Ascot Racecourse on June 19, 2024
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Queen Camilla is seen sitting opposite Prince William at Royal Ascot today
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Prince William sits next to the Earl of Halifax and opposite Queen Camilla at Royal Ascot
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Prince William is seen sitting opposite a beaming Queen Camilla and the Countess of Halifax