Inside Prince Charles' Bond With His Stepchildren

Remember the big uproar when Prince Charles finally married Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005? After Princess Diana revealed how she confronted her husband's mistress and how everything went down after that, the public chose to back Dynasty Di, even after the infamous Squidgygate. Some vehemently declared that the Duchess of Cornwall would never be their queen. Hey, Diana was a tough act to follow, but Milla decided to give it a go. Luckily, the Brits have gradually warmed up to her, in large part because she seems to make Charles happy.

And behind the scenes, a similar situation was playing out. The kids weren't going to play together nicely just because their parents were besotted with each other. Camilla's two, Tom Parker-Bowles and Laura Lopes (née Parker-Bowles), and Prince Charles' sons weren't about to roll over and capitulate. According to Express, Prince William and Laura were at each other's throats. And while a lot has been said about Charles' (seemingly tepid) affection for his own flesh and blood, how did he fare with his stepchildren? 

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall wed, sans Queen Elizabeth's presence, in 2005. According to Town & Country, they had been having an affair since 1986. Katie Nicholl, in her biography Harry and William (via Express), wrote that as children, Prince William and Laura in particular, were at each other's throats. The heir blamed Camilla for hurting his mother, while Laura felt that Charles "ruined" her life. They reportedly had "terrible fights." Yikes — no wonder Camilla and Charles waited until their kids were grown before tying the knot. Years later, Laura's daughter, Eliza, was one of the flower girls in William and Kate Middleton's wedding party, per The Sun. They seem to have kissed and made up.

Tom Parker-Bowles dished on what his stepfather is like at home. Apparently, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall value relationships. "Even now, we all drive down to be together," he told Town & Country. "My mother's up with my stepfather, and she comes down on Christmas Day straight after the Queen's speech. So it's very much a family time," Tom divulged. The well-known food critic, who recently lost his girlfriend to cancer, has also waxed lyrical about Prince Charles in the past. In an interview with 9 News Australia (via The Crown Chronicles), Tom gushed, "I've always adored my stepfather; he's always been a kind and good and lovely man," he shared. "He is a man of warmth, intelligence and humanity," Prince Charles' stepson raved.