Could Kate Middleton's Close Relationship With The Queen Bother Camilla?

Ever since Kate Middleton became a member of the royal family after her wedding to Prince William in 2011, she has remained by Queen Elizabeth II's side during engagements without much fanfare — or controversy, for that matter. In fact, the two reportedly have a strong and caring relationship. In the 2016 documentary, "Our Queen at 90," the Duchess of Cambridge opened up about a different side to the Queen that people often don't hear about: her love for her family. Kate shared how the queen reacted when the family welcomed Princess Charlotte, saying, "The Queen, she was really thrilled that it was a little girl, and I think as soon as we came back here to Kensington, she was one of our first visitors here." Kate added, "She always leaves a little gift or something in their room. That just shows, I think, her love for her family." 

Kate has also managed to stay in the queen's good graces by never going on television to speak out or take a swipe at the monarchy in the same way Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did during their sit down with Oprah Winfrey. Simply put, she's proven her alliance to Elizabeth and the crown. With that said, there's speculation that Kate's bond with the Queen is supposedly becoming strained thanks to another person in the royal family: Prince Charles' wife, Camilla Parker Bowles. Here's why.

For years it's been suggested that Britons would like to see Prince William take the throne next, despite the fact that his father Prince Charles has been waiting for the job his entire life, per Newsweek. That would be highly unlikely, though, as the royal line of succession is firm. That hasn't stopped royal fans from speculating and even preferring to see William and Kate Middleton take over the royal spotlight from the Prince of Wales and his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles. 

To add a little fuel to the succession fire, Us Weekly suggests that Queen Elizabeth's close bond with the Duchess of Cambridge is supposedly rubbing Camilla the wrong way. "Over time, Kate has proved to Elizabeth that she can be trusted and they've developed a great relationship. Elizabeth feels confident that Kate will make a great queen," one source told the site, adding that Kate has become "fearless" over the years and "knows [the protocols] like the back of her hand." Could the queen's high regard for Kate spell trouble for Camilla's prospects as queen consort?

Of course, Camilla hasn't made any public comments about the matter, but perhaps there's a reason why the Duchess of Cornwall doesn't need as much training in the future queen department as Kate does. After all, Camilla's been around much longer than anyone else, including her husband's ex-wife, the late Princess Diana. While it's unlikely that Charles wouldn't be the next king, it's also unlikely that Camilla is losing any sleep over it.