An insider says Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla are locked in a “food war” over their clashing tastes. However, their varying tastes are only part of deeper tensions in the royal family, as a power struggle is growing behind palace doors.
Queen Camilla, 78, the wife of King Charles, 77, has recently revealed that she avoids spicier ingredients that Kate loves, including chili, peppers and garlic. During a lighthearted interview with Camilla’s son and food writer, Tom Parker Bowles, their widely different tastes could be seen as a broader divide between the Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales, as Kate and Prince William, 43, take on increasingly influential roles in the British royal family.
Meanwhile, insiders say there are definitely “behind the scenes wars” when Camilla and Kate attend banquets and state occasions together. It is difficult to get them to agree on the menus and the ingredients on offer.
When it comes to Camilla, she has straightforward and typically British tastes, with favorites such as baked beans on toast and fish and chips. Speaking to her son, she listed foods that she refuses to eat, saying, “I can’t bear peppers, raw or cooked. I’m not a fan of offal either, aside from very good liver.”
“And I avoid chili and garlic too, unlike my son,” she added.
However, when it comes to Kate, she is known for her love of spice and has often spoken of her love of Indian food and cooking curries at home. When attending a reception at the Aga Khan Centre in London ahead of an official visit to Pakistan in October 2019, Kate opened up about her spicy tastes.
However, she noted that she has to adapt the spice levels for her family when cooking at home.
“It’s so hard cooking curry with the family though. The children have a portion with no spice, yours is medium,” she said to William. “And I quite like it hot.” She then said that Princess Charlotte, now 10, was already good with hot and spicy food, just like her mother, Kate Middleton.
Meanwhile, a palace insider has said that the contrast in tastes is well known. “On the surface, this sounds trivial, but food is just another way Kate and Camilla’s massive differences are playing out,” they said. “Camilla prides herself on simplicity and tradition, while Kate is much more experimental and outward-looking, and that reflects how they each see the future of the monarchy.”
On palace insider said, “Camilla feels that William and Kate already wield far too much influence over Charles and the direction of the monarchy, even though they haven’t taken the throne yet.”
Moreover, a palace aide added that Camilla feels she is being sidelined by Kate Middleton, saying, “She’s Queen now and thinks her authority is being quietly undermined by a younger generation that’s acting like the future has already arrived.”
However, according to OK Magazine, another source at the heart of the family said that Kate’s confidence is also unsettling Camilla.
“Kate is comfortable, popular, and increasingly decisive,” the insider said. “Camilla sees that and worries she’s being overshadowed, not just in public but in private conversations with the King.”
While neither Camilla nor Kate Middleton have openly address rumors of a feud between them, insiders say the contrast between Camilla’s plain (and exceedingly British) tastes has fueled rumors of a feud between the pair. Camilla’s plain tastes and Kate’s love of spicy food has become shorthand of a broader cultural divide within the royal household.
“It’s not really about chili or garlic,” the insider added. “It’s about control, influence, and who gets to shape what the monarchy looks like next.”
It will be interesting to follow the royals as they try to keep a balance between King and Queen, and Prince and Princess in the future.
