To say it’s been a challenging fortnight for the King is an understatement. In the wake of Earl Spencer releasing his controversial memoir, the monarch has been accused of seeming “giddily elated” at Princess Diana’s death, dismissing his ex-wife’s legacy and acting insensitively towards his grieving sons.
It would be fair to assume that Charles’ nearest and dearest would close ranks in a bid to protect the 77-year-old, especially given he’s still undergoing cancer treatment.
However, behind palace doors, Woman’s Day has learnt that the Queen has been pushed to the edge by this latest drama – and she wants out!
“There’s a lot of talk that she and Charles are at their breaking point,” a royal insider reveals.
“This is affecting the marriage in a very significant way. “The growing consensus is that this Earl Spencer book is well and truly the last straw.”
Charles is furious
Making matters worse, instead of shrugging off the claims his former brother-in-law, 62, makes in Swan Song, Charles is raging with fury about how he’s been wronged.
“All the King can talk about right now is this book and everything it’s dredged up,” continues our source.
“He’s enraged and can’t believe that there was nothing that could be done to stop this.”
With Charles now reportedly obsessing about what calamity might face the royal family next, he’s been left on edge.
“He can’t sleep, he’s hardly eating and he’s short-tempered, which makes him very hard to live with,” we’re told.
“Camilla is trying to be sympathetic, but she doesn’t have a whole lot of patience because she feels attacked too. The whole atmosphere is very toxic.”
Camilla retreats
Unsurprisingly, Camilla, 79, has decided to retreat to her bolthole, Wiltshire cottage Ray Mill House, which she purchased after her divorce from Andrew Parker Bowles.
The Queen retains it as a private getaway from official royal duties – and to escape from Charles – and the pair reportedly has a “secret divorce deal” that’ll see her move there full-time should they split.
“Camilla is finding the overall atmosphere at Clarence House too much to bear at present,” notes our insider, adding the royals routinely sleep in separate beds.
“It’s no secret that she and the King aren’t in a good place.”
More drama ahead
Camilla is still reeling at Prince Harry’s surprise return to the UK and is bracing for more drama from her stepson, while Charles is also dealing with the mess surrounding his eldest brother, former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and rumours his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson is publishing a tell-all book of her own.
“It’s no wonder they’re at their wits’ end,” says our source.
“Camilla was hoping the next few years would be calm, but instead the royal family is now constantly putting out fires. “However, the Queen is nothing if not resilient. She hopes a bit of space will put her and Charles back on track. After all, they’ve been through harder times than this over the years!”
