After years of waiting and relentless attacks from the palace and the British press, the common mortal, though of noble birth, Camilla Parker Bowles she married the prince then Charles on 8 April 2005. Queen Elizabeth had given the much-coveted permission although when she met Camilla as Charles’ official partner – as she moved into the palace – Elizabeth reportedly told her eldest son: “I want nothing to do with her”.

Camilla knew very well what it meant to be a “newcomer” in the royal family and she made sure to help, when the time came, another common mortal who was preparing to have a royal wedding: Kate Middleton.

He also understood Kate’s predicament and the attacks launched against her by the British tabloid press when she was called Waity Katie.

According to the Daily Mail, in 2011 when the Princess of Wales was preparing to marry Prince William, Camilla (now the Duchess of Cornwall) took young Kate under her wing and taught her how to be a “blue blood of the first line”.

Camilla was alone with the future princess and gave her advice on how a member of the British royal family should behave.

He also helped her a lot with the wedding preparations – he even advised her to hire her own beauticians for the big day – while warning her that she would need her own staff, namely a butler, driver and housekeeper.

Camilla and Kate developed a close relationship and became friends as they were equals against the… “brand”, as the British royal family is called.

Camila Keet

“Katy didn’t know how to be a member of the royal family. She was a stranger to it. She was being hounded by the press and Camilla knew how she felt,” Vanity Fair royal editor Kate Nicole told Channel 5.

Britain’s current queen also helped the then-young princess learn how to deal with more “stressful” family members, such as Princess Anne, and taught her, for example, to focus on cameramen’s faces she recognized to make her look more comfortable in photos.

Camila Keet

Over the years, Kate’s friendship with Camilla has grown stronger and people have come to recognize her and come to like the Duchess of Cornwall a little more.

Also, along the way, the queen’s attitude towards her bride also changed.

Elizabeth and some members of the royal family, who were clearly against her, accepted Camilla and this was helped by the good relationship she created with Princess Catherine and the future Queen of Britain.