The King and Queen Consort beamed as they arrived at Crathie Kirk Church in Balmoral this morning for Sunday service after a week of turmoil for the royal family following explosive allegations from Prince Harry at the release of his bombastic memoir Spare.
The royals, wrapped up for the cold winter weather behind the wheel of the car, put on a smile as they were spotted together in public for the first time since Prince Harry, 38, called his stepmother a “bad guy”. and accused her of leaking stories to the press about private conversations with Prince William.
The Duke of Sussex accused the Queen Consort of “sharing information” with the press to create more positive stories about themselves, while claiming his wife Meghan Markle had not felt welcome in the family and demanding an apology from them.
However, Camilla, 75, put on a brave face as she attended church today, although royal sources reportedly claimed she was “stunned” by her stepson’s allegations.
King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla arrived at Crathie Kirk’s church for their first public appearance since Prince Harry demanded they apologize to Meghan
Vanity Fair reported that the royals were shocked by Harry’s allegations, with a source saying: “He’s on the road to self-destruct. There is so much revenge. The late Queen would have been absolutely devastated.’
Elsewhere, insiders described how the Duke “doesn’t see the irony in his behavior” and accused him of being the one leaking private conversations to the media.
Yesterday, Harry told the Telegraph he wanted his family to apologize to Meghan, sending them the message: “You know what you did.”
The king looked a little serious for a moment as he drove his car to the church this morning
Camilla, 75, was wrapped up for the cold weather when she arrived at church with the king at the wheel
Harry has discussed his relationship with Camilla extensively both in his book and on his promotional tour to promote it.
Harry told journalist Anderson Cooper in a CBS interview that the Queen Consort was content with dead bodies – including his own – being “left on the street” as she tried to rehabilitate her image after her long affair with King Charles while he was married to Princess Diana.
Referring to a 1995 interview in which his mother, Princess Diana, famously referred to Camilla as the “third person in their marriage,” Harry said that admission turned today’s Queen Consort into a “bad guy,” adding, ” She had to rehabilitate her image.’
Harry’s memoir makes even more accusations against Camilla, including claims that she “overheard” a conversation between Meghan Markle, 41, and King Charles, 74.
After Camilla and Meghan bonded over their shared love of animals over afternoon tea at Clarence House in 2016, the Duke said his father and girlfriend struck up a “quiet conversation,” which intrigued his stepmother.
Describing how Camilla “got stuck” with him, Harry recalled how she seemed to “eavesdrop more obsessively” on Meghan and Charles’ discussions.
Harry says the couple then ended the engagement by discussing Meghan’s career.
The Duke also claimed that in November 2017 his stepmother had suggested he take on a royal role that would take him away from London as Governor-General of Bermuda.
Harry claimed the then-Duchess of Cornwall made the proposal as it would take the Sussexes out of the “red-hot center of the maelstrom” as they battled for the limelight.
However, he pointed out that this would conveniently “take her out of the picture” as well.
After telling Anderson Cooper that Camilla was a “bad guy” who needed to “rehabilitate her public image,” the Duke clarified in a later interview that he didn’t see her as his “bad stepmother.”
Speaking to Good Morning America on Monday morning, he said: “I have a lot of sympathy for her, you know, she’s the third person in my parents’ marriage. She had a reputation or an image to rehabilitate.
“Whatever conversations were had, whatever deals or deals were made right at the beginning, she was made to believe that this would be the best way to do it.”