How Queen Camilla skillfully controlled Prince William

King Charles and his relationship with his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, have been under scrutiny for decades now. With Princess Diana’s death, royal rifts making headlines, and Harry’s memoir all adding a layer of mystery to the monarch’s generally private life, royal insiders are saying that one man has surprisingly managed to keep things smooth between father and son—at least for Harry and Charles. Queen Camilla is said to have controlled William with subtle reminders, author Robert Jobson writes in his new book, Catherine, Princess of Wales: Biography, Mirror Reportedly, when King Charles was still Prince Charles, William sometimes wore Saville Row tailored trousers that were a little loose.

One incident Jobson recalled involved William and his wife, Catherine Middleton, asking to join Charles and Camilla’s security convoy as they left Windsor Castle. However, they kept the elder royals waiting and, in what Jobson called a “stab” at William, Camilla told Charles to leave the Cambridges behind.

“When Charles had to wait a few minutes for the couple, Camilla insisted they go without them,” Jobson wrote. “When William and Catherine emerged, all they could see were the flashing blue lights of motorbikes disappearing into the distance.”

Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond noted that in recent months, Camilla and William have become “much closer”.

“They were left, literally, to look after the crown while the king and princess recovered,” she said. ALRIGHT!As they both take on heavy workloads while King Charles and Kate recuperate and rest, they have been spending more time together and sharing royal appointments on their schedules.

“Tough times often bring people together. With all the advances in cancer treatment, it’s still a scary thing,” Bond adds. “And while Camilla and William put on a brave face for the world (and certainly for their spouses), there may be times when they confide in each other about how they’re coping with it all.”

She went on to say that William and Camilla have been through many family milestones together, including the deaths of his grandparents, which she stressed could bring people closer together than anything else.

“When the late Queen died, William spoke about [Camilla] “She was with him in the ‘happiest moments’ and ‘saddest days of his life,'” Bond finished. “Now Camilla is sharing some of those times with him and that will certainly strengthen their relationship.”