Charles and Queen had ‘unspoken understanding’ over Camilla’s title

According to royal author Christopher Anderson, King Charles III had an ‘unspoken understanding’ with the late Queen Elizabeth II regarding the future title of his wife, the then-Duchess of Cornwall. The biographer, whose upcoming book, The King: The Life of Charles III, will be the first biography of Charles since he inherited the throne. Mr Anderson spoke to royal commentator Kinsey Schofield when he appeared on last week’s episode of her To Di For Daily podcast. He said: ‘It took him eight years after Diana’s death for Charles to convince the Queen to allow him to marry Camilla. [During] the ceremony they had to really prostrate themselves, had to get down on their knees and pray to the Archbishop of Canterbury and ask for forgiveness for their ‘manifold sins and wickedness’. He also had to promise that she’d only be Princess Consort.’But then, for 17 years, he lobbied to get the Queen to back Camilla as future Queen. And it wasn’t until earlier this year when Prince Andrew – the Queen’s favourite son – needed $14million (£12million) to pay off his sexual abuse case.’In February, the Duke of York reached a settlement with Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who had brought a civil suit against the Prince. The out-of-court settlement in the US civil case, which Andrew’s lawyers say is not an admission of guilt, put an end to the saga which saw Ms Giuffre claim that he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17 – allegations he categorically denies.The biographer went on to say Charles was ‘very, very angry’ about the Queen ‘footing the bill’ for Andrew’s civil case, saying the then-Prince of Wales ‘was going to speak up in opposition to her using money to pay his settlement’. READ MORE: Charles’ biographer details King’s harrowing and ‘sadistic’ school bullying Charles and the Queen had an ‘unspoken understanding’ over Camilla’s title (Image: Getty Images) It has long been said that Andrew was the Queen’s ‘favourite son’ (Image: Getty) The Queen publicly endorsed Camilla in February (Image: Getty)Five years ago, in the run-up to the 20th anniversary of Diana, Princess of Wales’ death, a poll for the Press Association found only 14 percent of the public wanted Camilla to be Queen.Even in May this year, a regular YouGov tracker found that just 20 percent thought the former Duchess should be Queen – even despite her receiving the Queen’s endorsement, which triggered a spike in support from the public. Now, as Charles and Camilla approach their first 70 days in their new roles, the Queen Consort looks as though she has won the seal of approval from the public along with the King. According to OnePoll survey this month, 44 percent of the public believe both Charles and Camilla are doing a good job, with only 11 percent opposed. A further 45 percent think it is too early to say.Margaret Holder, author of Queen Camilla: Diana’s Successor? and Prince Charles at 50: Heir to Sadness, claimed the improvement largely rests on the late Queen’s accession day statement. DON’T MISS Experts expose ‘another one of these little holes’ in Sussexes claims [INSIGHT]Prince Harry ‘not pleased’ with Meghan’s ‘clingy’ behaviour [REPORT]Meghan admits she must ‘rethink parenting style’ in latest podcast [ANALYSIS] The Queen and Camilla’s relationship warmed over the years (Image: Getty)Writing for Express.co.uk, she said: ‘A few years ago, people wondered if the day would ever come when Camilla might attain a reasonable degree of popularity. It seems that day is now when a new poll suggests 44 percent of the public consider her either an excellent or good Queen Consort.’It’s an improvement on the past for Camilla but much rests on the big boost she gained when the late Queen announced in her Accession Day message in February…’However, the author did go on to praise the Queen Consort for her efforts, saying: ‘Camilla has been victorious through a relentless public relations drive to gain acceptance. Since their first orchestrated appearance in 1999, wave after wave of image – updating and rehabilitation of both Charles and Camilla – has resulted in the poll figures we see now. No one can possibly disagree with the importance of the work she has undertaken.’Camilla has become a champion of literacy through her Instagram Reading Room; she has raised awareness and funds for the National Osteoporosis Society to highlight a disease suffered by her late mother; she has given hope to women sufferers of the “terrible hidden secret” of domestic abuse; she has spoken out against sexual violence and provided personally chosen washbags for rape victims. Charles and Camilla’s popularity has increased in recent months (Image: Getty)’Camilla is increasingly seen as a solid, reliable support for Charles, a mature woman with a down-to-earth personality who likes to get away from court life to her private home, Ray Mill House, a few days a week.’Both authors’ comments come as Charles celebrates his 74th birthday. To mark the occasion, Buckingham Palace released a new picture of King Charles – the first since he acceded to the throne in September.In the snap by photographer Chris Jackson, the monarch can be seen resting with his back on an ancient oak tree at Windsor Great Park. The Palace also announced Charles has today officially become the Ranger of The Great Park, a role his father Prince Philip was appointed to 70 years ago. Duties include overseeing and guiding the Deputy Ranger and his team in the day-to-day stewardship of the park and the surrounding estate. The roots of the role can be traced back to 1559, when Queen Elizabeth I appointed to the post Sir Henry Neville. Preorder The King: The Life of Charles III by Christopher Anderson here