Queen Camilla’s deep passion for horses gave her an advantage over other royal wives who struggled to embrace the Windsor family’s favourite pastime, according to veteran broadcaster Simon Vigar.
Speaking exclusively to GB News ahead of the publication of his new book, The Four Wives of Windsor: The Inside Story of the Power Behind the Crown, the Channel 5 royal correspondent revealed that the Princess of Wales was once warned she was joining the wrong family due to her lack of equestrian interest.
Mr Vigar, who has covered the British monarchy for nearly three decades, addressed a specific passage in his upcoming biography regarding the Queen’s smooth integration into the royal fold.
In the text, he writes: “Camilla is keener on horses, which is an advantage when hanging out with the Windsors.”
Expanding on this dynamic, Mr Vigar detailed how the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Sussex, and Diana, Princess of Wales, all failed to share the firm’s well-documented obsession with the sport.
The late Queen Elizabeth II was a renowned breeder who began riding at just two years old, while Princess Anne competed as an equestrian in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.
“[Meghan and Catherine] have married into the wrong family,” Mr Vigar exclusively told GB News.
“I forgot to put this anecdote in, but early on somebody at a polo match found Catherine all on her own in a marquee somewhere, or hiding around the back, and she said that she wasn’t that into horses.”
The Princess of Wales was once warned she was joining the wrong family due to her lack of equestrian interest
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The incident occurred during the early years of Prince William and Catherine’s courtship, following their time together as students at the University of St Andrews.
While the Princess of Wales occasionally attends major equestrian events in a working capacity, she does not actively ride.
“The person said, ‘Boy, are you marrying into the wrong family?’” Mr Vigar revealed.
“That would have been the time we’re talking about after university, early 2000s or mid-noughties.”
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Queen Camilla’s deep passion for horses gave her an advantage over other royal wives who struggled to embrace the Windsor family’s favourite pastime, according to veteran broadcaster Simon Vigar
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Mr Vigar noted that a general disinterest in equestrian pursuits is a common thread among the women who married King Charles and his sons, with Queen Camilla standing as the sole exception.
“I don’t think Diana was into horses that much, and I’m pretty sure Meghan isn’t,” he said.
“So yeah, Camilla’s the only one who got that right!”
The Princess of Wales watching William play in the Chakravarty Cup Polo Match in 2010
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The royal correspondent also highlighted the late Duke of Edinburgh’s characteristically blunt assessment of the family’s overriding passion for the animal.
Prince Philip frequently joked about the intense royal preoccupation with equestrianism, having joked in 1970 about Princess Anne: “If it doesn’t fart or eat hay, she isn’t interested.”