Camilla Tried to Break up William’s Relationship with ‘Pretty’ Yet ‘Dim’ & ‘Too Lowly’ Kate, Book Claimed

A book has revealed that Prince Charles's wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, played a role in Prince Williams' split from Kate Middleton as she was not quite smitten by her initially.

Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton have been married for over ten years and remain strong in their relationship. They are also parents to three children. While the royal couple's marriage is strong now, they faced challenges a few years before tying the knot.

A book has revealed that Camilla Parker Bowles, the wife of Prince Charles, Prince William's father, played a major role in William and Kate's initial breakup. Find all the details here.

KATE BEFORE MEETING PRINCE CHARMING

Before becoming a part of British royalty, Kate was a working-class girl. After graduating from the University of St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, she worked as an accessory buyer with British retailer Jigsaw.

In late 2007, Kate left her role at Jigsaw to work as a photographer, website designer, and marketing officer at her parents' event planning company, Party Pieces.

In 2008, she began First Birthdays, a junior brand to Party Pieces, and continued working with her parents until January 2011.

Before becoming entangled in royal family duties, Kate was just like any other young woman trying to find her feet after leaving college. She socialized with friends and attended several events. She was also an entrepreneur.

However, she also dealt with constant media attention due to her relationship with William. It got so bad that the prince expressed his desire for the paparazzi to stop harassing his girlfriend.

William and Kate met at St. Andrews, where they studied Art History (William later switched to Geography). While it is a fact that they met in the prestigious institution, there are conflicting stories about how it happened.

Whichever way it happened, Kate revealed during her and William's engagement interview that she went bright red when she met the prince and sort of scuttled off feeling very shy about meeting him.

She also revealed that William was not always present initially. Thus, it took some time for them to get to know each other. But, eventually, they did and became very close friends from quite early on.

CAMILLA'S ROLE IN KATE AND WILLIAM'S SPLIT

After William and Kate's relationship became public knowledge, the world seemed to be smitten by Kate and was waiting on word about their engagement.

However, while the world was going crazy about the lovebirds, there was reportedly a member of the royal family who was against the relationship. William's stepmom, Camilla, tied the knot with his dad in 2005.

Christopher Anderson revealed in his book "Game of Crowns: Elizabeth, Camilla, Kate, and the Throne" that Camilla believed Kate was "pretty, but rather dim" and "too lowly" for the royal family.

Anderson also claimed in the book that Camilla was jealous of Kate's public popularity as the latter captured the world's imagination despite lacking Camilla's pedigree and experience.

Camilla reportedly told Prince Charles to convince his son to end his relationship with Kate. Anderson further claimed Camilla feared Kate and Williams as a couple was eclipsing her and Charles.

Williams and Kate briefly split in 2007, and Anderson claimed in his book that Camilla described their separation as "wise."

The couple reportedly grew apart and spent less time together, which worsened after William joined the Army. Also, he was reportedly spending time with several women at nightclubs.

Royal photographer Arthur Edwards recalled asking William why he split from Kate. The Duke of Cambridge reportedly replied that he wanted to be sure she was the right woman for him because he wanted a marriage that would last forever.

Kate and William spoke about their painful split during their engagement interview. William said they were both very young, at university, and finding themselves and different characters.

He explained that they were both trying to find their own way with some space and were growing up. He added that the split worked out for the better. During the interview, Kate also revealed how she felt about the split. She said:

"I think I at the time wasn't very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person."

Kate added that the split helped her discover things she didn't realize about herself and said one might get consumed by a relationship at a younger age. She concluded by saying she valued the time the split afforded her though she did not think about it that way back then.

KATE AND WILLIAM GET BACK AGAIN

Kate and William's split barely lasted. Ten weeks after their breakup, they attended a themed party at the future king's barracks and were back together for good when the night ended.

Three years after getting back together, William proposed to Kate during a trip to Kenya, which he felt was the perfect place for such an occasion because of his love for Africa. They announced their engagement in November 2010 during their engagement interview.

Harry surprised the British monarchy last year when he announced he had signed a book deal to share his story.

They revealed they had been discussing the engagement for a while during the interview. However, when the moment arrived, Kate was still surprised.

She said it was a total shock when it came. However, she also said the proposal was romantic and described her husband as a true romantic. William added that every guy agrees that it takes a certain amount of motivation to get oneself going.

He revealed he was planning the proposal, and it just felt really right to do it in Africa. He described the proposal as beautiful.

William proposed to Kate with his late mom Princess Diana's 18-carat sapphire ring. However, he said his mom would not be part of the fun and excitement. Hence, the ring was his way of keeping her close to it all.

William and Kate tied the knot on April 29, 2011. The duchess looked radiantly beautiful in her Alexander McQueen gown. She also looked queenly in the Cartier Halo tiara she wore, borrowed from the Queen.

Millions of people worldwide watched the memorable and romantic wedding and joined the couple to celebrate their joy.

CAMILLA AND KATE'S RELATIONSHIP NOW

If Anderson's claims in his book are to be believed, then one must wonder the nature of Camilla and Kate's relationship now. The pair have looked warm and sweet to each other during their public outings, which could mean they have an amicable relationship.

According to sources, when Kate's relationship with William became more serious, Camilla seemingly brushed aside any hard feelings for the Duchess of Cambridge.

Also, she reportedly advised Kate on how to hold onto herself amid the pressures that come with being a royal and performing duties.

Camilla reportedly told Kate to be patient and fit her timetable around William's. Camilla also helped Kate with her wedding plans and gave her a gift on her wedding day.

Both women also publicly support each other though there are suggestions of tensions between them over who the next Queen is. Their relationship might also have become closer following Harry and Meghan's exit from the royal family.

Meanwhile, Kate's children do not call Camilla grandma. Instead, they use the sweet nickname "GaGa." Also, Prince William does not consider Camilla, the grandma of his two children.

During the "Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy," William opened up about how he talked to his kids about Diana and emphasized that they have two grandmothers, his late mom and Kate's mom, Carole Middleton.

However, despite the omission, William and Harry have expressed their love for Camilla in the past.

HARRY'S IMMINENT BOOK AND CHARLES'S FEARS

While the relationship between Kate and Camilla seems good, there are several reports concerning how Prince Charles influences William and Harry's relationship with Camilla.

Reportedly, it is expected that Camilla will become Princess consort and not Queen whenever Prince Charles ascends to the throne.

However, several rumors claim Charles wants his wife to become Queen consort instead, but his sons are tired of him campaigning for their stepmom to have a higher honor.

Another issue is Prince Harry's imminent memoir, which Charles reportedly fears would be an excoriating takedown of Camilla, particularly in the early years of their romance.

Hence, Charles reportedly wants William to stand up for Camilla ahead of the book's release by saying something to sway public opinion.

However, The Sun reported that William wants to remain neutral in a feud between his dad and brother and steer clear of any drama despite his deep love for his father.

Harry surprised the British monarchy last year when he announced he had signed a book deal to share his story. No one knows what the book will contain or to what extent it would damage Camilla. One can only wait until the book is released to find out.