'Carole Over Camilla Any Day': Prince William Shares 'Close Bond With Princess Kate's Mom Over 'Chilly' Exchanges With His Stepmother

Prince William is reportedly sharing a "close bond" with his mother-in-law, Carole Middleton, as his wife and her daughter, Kate, Princess of Wales, receive treatments for cancer. The Middleton family matriarch has been labeled as a "pillar of support" for her daughter, who will one day become queen, and her son-in-law and future sovereign, according to royal author Christopher Andersen.

"She has always been there for him as much as he has for Kate," he added. "On the other hand, the relationship between William and his actual stepmother, Queen Camilla, has always been chilly. William can count on Camilla to focus on the king and her own grandchildren, and that’s about it."

He continued: "In many ways, he is closer to [Kate’s father, Michael], and Carole Middleton than he ever was with his own father."

This insight follows a report that suggested the Queen and future king chose to adopt a "completely professional" relationship with one another during King Charles and the Princess of Wales' illnesses. Queen Camilla, who also served as Princess of Wales (Duchess of Cornwall in title only) for over 17 years after marrying the King in 2005, is currently the top-leading royal in terms of protocol, with Prince William falling right behind her.

Some analysts view their dynamic as "unique" but "loving in its own way."

"William, I believe, has seen the value of Queen Camilla, especially at a time like this when she has been stalwart in supporting King Charles not only at home but also dramatically increasing the public engagements she has attended," royal expert Ian Pelham Turner shared.

The Prince of Wales' new workload also led royal commentator Richard Kay to state: "All those close to Prince William acknowledge [that] he has never ducked a challenge, nor failed to face adversity as he so memorably demonstrated as a 15-year-old boy when the gaze of the world descended on him after the death of his mother, Princess Diana."

"But the health crisis afflicting his wife is as great a trial as the loss of his mother, possibly greater," he added. "For William, the father, his first instincts will be for the welfare of his three children, with whom he and Kate have had to share the devastating news."

Kay described what is currently being seen with the Crown as the "gravest crisis it has faced since the abdication" of King Edward VIII in 1936. "For the simple fact, the absence of both the Princess of Wales and the King represents a supercharged shock to the royal system. Charles and Kate are, by some distance, the most charismatic members of the family — the King in his genial reliability, Kate in her beauty and compassion."

The New York Post reported on Andersen's remarks.