And according to Rebel Prince: The Power, Passion and Defiance of Prince Charles by Tom Bower, the Queen had some very choice words for Camilla when Charles first plucked up the courage to ask her to accept his then-mistress into the royal family, following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Encouraged by royal rebel Princess Margaret, a nervous Charles approached his mother in her sitting room at Balmoral. According to the book, he’d expected her to be probably disapproving, but believed she would ultimately give in and let him live his life openly with Camilla.
However, the usually mild-mannered monarch ‘vented her anger’ about the relationship after having a few martinis, and even reportedly described Camilla as ‘that wicked woman’, adding, ‘I want nothing to do with her.’
The book describes Charles as being stung by the comment, as well as the following hostile silence, before he fled the room.
Insiders say that the Queen not only objected to Camilla on moral grounds as a perceived home wrecker, but she also apparently saw her as a worryingly ‘shrewd’ character.
History shows that Her Majesty eventually succumbed to Charles’ demands that the family accepted Camilla, and the couple married – reportedly despite the Queen’s distinct lack of enthusiasm.
