Kate Middleton smoothed tensions between Prince William and Charles by making friends with Camilla

Catherine, the Princess of Wales helped smooth over the tense relationship between William and his father King Charles by cultivating a relationship with Camilla, according to royal author and commentator, Angela Levin

In her biography of Queen Camilla, which has recently been updated, Ms Levin says that the Princess of Wales made a  real effort to spend time with both William’s father and his stepmother.

And that these friendships have enabled Kate to become the family ‘peacemaker’.

It is thought that friction between William and his father intensified after he married Camilla in 2005 – and that there was tension with his new stepmother, also.

Friction supposedly arose between William and his father after he married Camilla in 2005, but Kate has used her love of the arts to bond with the couple, according to author Angela Levin

Prince William has now been seen supporting his stepmother during public royal appearances

But that Kate took matters into her own hands.

Ms Levin writes in her book that Kate used shared interests, such as a love of the arts, to bond with Charles and Camilla and organised private meetings with them  – without William in tow.

In Camilla: from Outcast to Queen Consort, Ms Levin writes: ‘Fortunately, time helped improve Camilla’s relationship with senior Royals, including Prince William, largely thanks to the Princess of Wales, who is a peacemaker.

‘Camilla is also a conciliator and doesn’t nurse grievances. They both believe that supporting their husbands is a priority,’ says Ms Levin, a journalist who has worked extensively for both The  Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday.

‘Catherine has a love of the arts, which William doesn’t particularly share, and she often goes both privately and publicly with the Queen Consort and King Charles to see exhibitions.’

In his memoir Spare released earlier this year, Prince Harry revealed how the brothers were reluctant to accept their father’s remarriage to Camilla, saying they ‘begged’ him not to remarry.

Charles had tried to win over his sons before asking the public to accept Camilla, the book claims. Harry then astonishingly says that meeting the future Queen Consort for the first time was like an ‘injection’.

He wrote: ‘I remember wondering…if she would be cruel to me; if she would be like all the wicked stepmothers in the stories.’

He later wrote that ultimately he and William approved of Camilla.

After it was announced last year that Camilla could use the title of Queen when Charles became King, one royal source described the tensions in the family saying: ‘There were huge family rows in the early stages of Charles and Camilla’s marriage as everyone found their feet. 

‘William didn’t have the best relationship with his father back then.

‘But he sees that Camilla had made his father happy and it is something he has come to terms with.

‘His relationship with the Prince of Wales is better than it ever has been. 

‘He is not particularly close to his stepmother but they get on perfectly well and are quite the blended family now.’

Prince William has been seen supporting his stepmother during public royal appearances, including assisting her during King Charles’ proclamation last year.

In a touching moment, Prince William offered his stepmother a guiding hand as she stepped up to sign her husband’s declaration.

As they walked into the hall where they were met by the Archbishop of Canterbury and several senior government officials, the Prince of Wales kindly put his arm out as he walked behind his stepmother, the Queen Consort.

The heartwarming gesture showed the pair moving into a new phase of their relationship after years of difficult familial issues.