The British royal family has weathered its share of storms in recent years—from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s royal exit to Kate Middleton‘s health challenges. But perhaps the most persistent narrative has been the supposed rivalry between the two duchesses. While their relationship has been portrayed as naturally contentious, some royal insiders now suggest a more calculated force may have been operating behind the scenes: Queen Camilla.
King Charles’ now-wife faced intense public scrutiny during the 1990s as her relationship with him overshadowed his marriage to Princess Diana. Since then, she’s majorly transformed her image in the public eye. This transformation, however, may have come at a steep price paid by other family members—particularly Kate and Meghan, at least according to some palace observers.
“Camilla is always looking out for herself first,” an insider reportedly told InTouch. “Kate and Meghan made good targets. Quite simply, if the princesses were constantly at war, then anything negative out there about her and Charles would be of limited interest.”
The alleged strategy seemed to manifest in November 2018 when The Sun splashed “Meghan Made Kate Cry” across its front page. In his memoir Spare, Prince Harry recounted a crisis meeting where Kate immediately acknowledged “the stories in the papers about Meg making her cry were totally false.” Interestingly, Harry wrote that William eventually “conceded” the story leaked after “he and Kate had gone to dinner with Pa and Camilla”—though whether this was intentional remains open to interpretation.
Prince Harry also didn’t hold back when discussing his stepmother on 60 Minutes in 2023. “She was the villain,” he stated, describing her as “dangerous” because she “needed to revamp her image.” His allegations that Camilla orchestrated a “campaign aimed at marriage, and eventually the Crown” while “sacrificing” him on her “personal PR altar” suggest some calculated image management, though palace sources have consistently denied such characterizations.
Royal expert Tom Quinn noted in the documentary The Middletons: Modern Royal In-Laws that “Camilla wasn’t very keen on Catherine” from the beginning. It seems both couples reportedly faced similar challenges, as they were seen as “stealing the limelight” from the now-King and Queen, according to Harry during an ITV interview in 2023.
“They definitely had their issues, but the animosity snowballed because of all the negative stories,” an insider told InTouch. “Harry started accusing William of leaking things as well.”
While the brothers’ relationship deteriorated and the duchesses drifted apart, Camilla achieved what once seemed impossible—coronation and public acceptance. “She finally achieved her goal,” adds the source.
A new glimmer of hope emerged during Kate’s cancer battle when Meghan sent well-wishes. The women now exchange gifts for their children, according to InTouch’s sources, suggesting the possibility of reconciliation. Kate is reportedly “full of gratitude” after her health struggle and believes “no one should waste time holding grudges.”
While the brothers remain estranged, some palace insiders believe Kate and Meghan hold the key to healing the royal rift. “The only way William and Harry will ever reconcile is if both Meghan and Kate want it to happen,” InTouch reports—suggesting that the women once portrayed as enemies might ultimately be the ones to bring peace to the royal family.
Whether Camilla truly orchestrated the feud or simply benefited from it remains a matter of speculation. As with most royal narratives, the full truth lies somewhere beyond the headlines.
