Prince Charles Became ‘Shadow King-In-Waiting’ Due To Queen, Prince William, Kate Middleton

Prince Charles was recently dubbed as a “shadow king-in-waiting” because of how the other members of the royal family eclipsed him.

In the book “Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of An Improbable Life,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith said that the heir to the throne only managed to be in the spotlight for a short period of time.

“For a few hours in a ballroom in steamy Sri Lanka, Charles was the center of attention, and he clearly savored the spotlight,” Smith said.

But back at the palace, Prince Charles never received the same attention from his relatives. Since he still isn’t the King, the Queen has put him in shade time and time again. Prince William and Middleton have also done the same thing.

And to make things worse, the arrival of Prince William and Middleton’s children eclipsed Prince Charles even more. “Closer to his destiny than ever, Charles had become a shadow king-in-waiting,” Smith said.

Luckily for the dad of two, his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, doesn’t mind not being at the center of attention. In fact, she has pulled away from the spotlight time and time again.

Meanwhile, Camilla has always been supportive of Prince Charles. In “Game of Crowns: Elizabeth, Camilla, Kate and the Throne,” royal author Christopher Anderson said that Camilla stood by Prince Charles’ side throughout the years.

“Biding her time and tending carefully to her image, she gradually salvaged enough of her reputation to secure a place at her prince’s side – and her future as the next Queen,” he said.

Prince Charles and Camilla tied the knot in 2005 in a civil ceremony. But prior to this, the couple had already been dating for over a decade. In fact, they started rekindling their romance while Prince Charles was still married to Princess Diana. The Duke and the Duchess of York’s affair rocked the entire world.