Prince William and Prince Harry Were Reportedly "Blindsided" By Camilla's Future Title

Earlier this year, Queen Elizabeth shocked many royal fans when she announced that Camilla, the current Duchess of Cornwall, would have the title queen consort when Prince Charles ascends to the throne. And while royal experts say that the decision is a huge deal for the queen and not just a formality, author Christopher Andersen says that the move is causing a rift in the royal family and that Prince William and Prince Harry weren't expecting it at all.

Anderson, who recently published Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan, explained that the princes have a "bad feeling" about the situation.

"It's just whether or not they can get over this bad feeling. Then, of course, [the] queen's health and these other considerations are there," he said. "I don't think it helped with the Queen announcing that Duchess Camilla will be queen consort, and that's another issue."

He adds William and Harry were surprised by Camilla's future title and that it's "driving a wedge" between the royals.

"I can tell you right now that the boys were completely blindsided by this," Anderson added.

It's not surprising that the princes are hesitant to have Camilla be queen consort. Charles had an affair with Camilla in the 1980s and 1990s, when he was still married to William and Harry's mother, Princess Diana, and Anderson says that he pushed the queen to have Camilla take the new title, something he manages to do over and over again.

Anderson adds that even Charles's wedding to Camilla took some convincing. "She was begrudgingly letting him do this and one of the key elements was he promised Camilla would never be called queen consort," Anderson said of Charles's second marriage.

Camilla becoming a more public-facing figure of the family during the COVID-19 pandemic wasn't an accident, either. Charles reportedly urged her to show that she was dedicated and loyal to the family.

"I also think that since the death of Prince Philip, Charles has stepped up his effort to make it clear to the queen that he too needs [a partner]," Anderson finished. "If he's going to reign, he's going to need the support, the kind of support that she got from [her husband]."