Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, continue to have a good relationship.
Prince William and Kate Middleton weren't always the iconic and stable couple that they are now. Towards the beginning of their relationship, they had their fair share of troubles and Middleton had to make more changes to adapt to William's lifestyle. The Duchess of Cambridge wasn't born a royal and didn't understand the pressures of life within the monarchy.
At the beginning of her relationship, she would have required advice from within the royal household and Camilla Mountbatten-Windsor, who married Prince Charles in 2005, came to her aid. She too wasn't born in the royal family and had to learn about that life during her decades-long relationship, starting in the 1980s, with Prince Charles.
Middleton and William met in school in Scotland and were dating each other during most of their time there. While they were away at university, they were safe from the prying eyes of the public but after their graduation, the couple had become fair game for paparazzi. And, that had taken a toll on them. Middleton had to learn the ways of the royal family quickly while pursuing a career and without the surety that William would propose.
During that time, Camilla reached out to her future daughter-in-law with some relationship advice, according to Mirror UK. In Battle of Brothers, biographer Robert Lacey wrote, "Camilla had confided to Kate the secret of hanging on to a busy prince: fit your timetable - well, basically your whole life - around his." The biographer further said that William's schedule wasn't something Middleton could have fitted into as he moved to Sandhurst and joined the Royal Military Academy. He also had numerous royal duties, including his first solo royal tour when he flew to New Zealand at the age of 23.
The younger future king had a rigorous life to fit into the mould of the future of the monarchy. He was in New Zealand for 10 days and Middleton was able to follow him through the newspapers and TV only. Meanwhile, she started working as an accessory buyer with British retailer Jigsaw, according to PopSugar. In November 2007, she left the company to work as a photographer, website designer, and marketing officer for her parents' event planning company, Party Pieces. She still photographs her children from time-to-time.
They broke up in 2007 when Prince William wanted to end things. He reportedly called her at work and told her, "I can't... It just isn't going to work. It isn't fair to you." In his book William and Kate: A Royal Love Story, Christopher Andersen said that William was having doubts about their relationship, according to Harper's Bazaar. He had discussed the matter with his father, Prince Charles, and the Queen.
"William had been having second thoughts and sat down with his father and his grandmother to have a frank discussion about his future with Kate," Katie Nicholl wrote in Vanity Fair. "Both advised him not to hurry into anything."
In 2008, Middleton launched a junior brand to her parents' firm called First Birthdays and continued to work until months before her wedding to Prince William.
Camilla and Middleton were seen lunching together before the latter's wedding and they continue to have a good relationship. After all, both of them are non-royals married to men who will become kings. "Camilla presented Kate with a gold link charm bracelet that featured a disc engraved with both of their monograms — on one side, a ‘C’ for Catherine and a coronet, and on the other, a ‘C’ for Camilla and a crown," journalist Ainhoa Barcelona wrote in Hello! Magazine.
William and Middleton got engaged in November 2010 and Prince William told ITV News, "It was very much trying to find our own way and we were growing up so it was just a bit of space, and it worked out for the better."
References:
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/camillas-telling-dating-advice-kate-22908841
https://www.popsugar.com/celebrity/What-Did-Kate-Middleton-Do-Before-She-Got-Married-43393783
https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a23309005/kate-middleton-prince-william-breakup/
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/12/william-and-kate-201012
https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2018091262236/duchess-of-cornwall-barcelet-kate-middleton/
