Camilla Parker-Bowles Put Prince Charles At Odds With Friends After Snubbing Duchess

Camilla Parker Bowles triggered Prince Charles’ conflict with old friends.

The Duchess of Cornwall had a hard time winning Queen Elizabeth II’s approval and the public’s support. It turned out that even some of the Prince of Wales’ friends didn’t like her.

According to Penny Junor in her 2017 book “The Duchess: The Untold Story,” Prince Charles found himself in a rift with the van Cutsems whom he’s been friends with for years due to his then-girlfriend.

“[There was] was a rift between the Prince of Wales and his oldest friends the van Cutsems, who thoroughly disapproved of (Press Secretary) Mark Bolland’s influence and were not enamoured by Camilla,” Junor wrote.

Prince Charles and the van Cutsems have shared great friendship as the heir leaned on them heavily when his marriage with Princess Diana was failing. They were also there for the future king after the Princess of Wales’ death. Their house became a second home for Prince William and Prince Harry who were like brothers to the van Cutsem’s four boys.

However, their influence on each other waned when Camilla became a permanent fixture in Prince Charles’ life. Camilla even put them on conflict due to what Junor said was a snub.

When Edward van Cutsem got married to Lady Tamara Grosvenor in 2004, Prince Charles, Camilla and Queen Elizabeth II were invited. However, since the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were not married at the time, both of the bride and groom’s families felt that they should be seated separately during the ceremony.

Junor said that if it was a formal occasion the decision would have been correct. However, it was not, so Prince Charles felt bad about their choice.

“The wedding though was a private occasion and the plan to seat Camilla several rows behind Charles was a snub,” Junor explained.

“She was also expected to arrive at the cathedral separately and travel in a separate car to the reception. The Prince was furious and boycotted the wedding entirely.”

Some of Camilla’s friends didn’t like Prince Charles, too. They were particularly angry when the heir admitted his affair with Camilla that prompted the public to bash her. Some of them even called the future king “absolute pig” for doing it.