'Anxious' Queen Camilla's six-word response to meeting Prince William for first time
An author claims Queen Camilla was "anxious" when she was preparing to meet the young Prince William for the first time after he decided to return from school.
An anxious Queen Camilla had a seven-word response when she met Prince William for the first time.
William, who was studying away at Eton at the time of the encounter, had reportedly told his father he would be returning home to York House in London for the weekend. According to royal author Penny Junor, the decision caught his father "on the hop".
With neither Prince Harry or William set to return home, Junor says Camilla – who celebrates her 77th birthday today (July 17) –was staying with King Charles at the time. In her book Queen Consort: The Life of Queen Camilla, the author details how Camilla had told the-then Prince Charles she would leave for William's return.
Charles however is said to have urged her to stay, branding the decision to leave "ridiculous". Instead, Junor claims he phoned William and informed him Camilla would be at the house upon his return.
With William set to return home at 7pm, Junor says Camilla was "decidedly anxious" ahead of the encounter. A feeling that was heigtened when the young prince returned home four hours early.
Junor claims Charles approached Camilla and said "he's here" adding "let's just get one with it". Camilla and William were then said to have been left alone for half an hour to get acquainted.
After the encounter, Junor claims Camilla had a seven-word response. She said: "I need a gin and tonic."
Camilla was of course, Junor says, joking, and the encounter with the young William went well. He was said to be "friendly" with Camilla willing to take things at his own pace.
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The author claims Camilla knew it would take some time for both Harry and William to adjust to their father's new relationship. First meeting William for lunch, and then occasionally stopping at York House when he was present.
She says the fact the boys had moved to York House with Charles in 1997 meant there were "no memories for them of their mother," having relocated from Highgrove House where the family lived with Princess Diana.
PR guru Mark Bolland told Junor the next step was for the princes to be seen in public with Camilla. Although he says it was "something awkward" at first.
He said: "It was difficult for them; it was a natural thing. You want your mum, you don't want her, and she had her own family. To be fair to Camilla, she never tried to be mummy, be she was the "other woman" and she was there taking daddy's time."
