Princess Diana's Fixation On Camilla Started During Wedding To Prince Charles, Royal Expert Claims

Princess Diana was already concerned about Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla's bond when she was about to wed the Prince of Wales, a royal commentator has claimed.

Royal commentator Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke, claimed to Us Weekly that Princess Diana may have had a "fixation" on Duchess Camilla that started when she tied the knot with the Prince of Wales on July 29, 1981.

"I think the fixation was always there in the back of her mind, but of course, I suspect it really started on the wedding day itself," she said Tuesday while promoting her appearance in CNN's "Diana" series.

"The fixation started on the wedding day because we know that Diana looked out at the enormous congregation with thousands of people. … And she saw [Camilla], she looked for her and in one sense, it was looking at her saying, 'Right, he's mine. I've got him," added Montagu, who was BBC's on-site commentator during Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding in 2018.

According to Montagu, Princess Diana trying to find Duchess Camilla in the crowd as she walked down the aisle was a power move.

The royal commentator suggested that the late princess wanted to make sure that she could see Duchess Camilla in the crowd so she "could feel comforted by the fact that she's at the vicar and Camilla's in a pew."

However, following the former couple's royal wedding, Camilla remained a constant presence in their lives during their marriage because they had the same circle of friends.

"Camilla was always in that circle at the same parties from the very, very beginning of their marriage until obviously till the demise of their marriage," Montagu continued. "So she was always there."

Princess Diana and Prince Charles separated in 1992 after rumors of marital issues, and their divorce was announced four years later.

Two years before she died in a car crash in 1997, Princess Diana hinted at Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla's alleged affair in her infamous Panorama interview when she said that "there were three of us in this marriage so it was a bit crowded."

Montagu said she believes that Princess Diana was "absolutely devastated" when she learned that Prince Charles and Camilla started each other following the former couple's separation at the time.

"She has put her whole life into this marriage, and she’s also given up her whole life for this marriage. She has given up so much, she has done what she has been asked to do, and then to find out that this affair has been going on for years behind her back would have been absolutely heartbreaking, devastating, and traumatizing," Montagu added. "I’m sure it would have been devastating for her, but maybe not quite as hard-hitting into the guts as knowing that it was Camilla."

Seven years after Princess Diana's passing, Prince Charles tied the knot with Camilla, who was previously married to Andrew Parker Bowles, and they celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary this year.

Some royal fans have started to embrace Prince Charles and Camilla's marriage over the years, including Princess Diana's fans. Many praised their tandem and called them the "dynamic duo."

"I love this more than I expected. As a Diana fan, I was reluctant, but I adore both of you," one fan commented on an Instagram post last year showing the highlights of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall's decade.

"Diana," a six-part series, airs on CNN Sundays at 9 p.m. EDT.