Will 'The Rottweiler' Be a Step-Monster?
April 8, 2005 — -- As any tyke who knows the Cinderella story will tell you, when there are princes involved, stepmothers can be problematic.
Britain's Prince William and Prince Harry have said they are "delighted" by their father's plans to marry Camilla Parker Bowles. Privately, Harry is said to be a little less than enthusiastic. But given the depth of their mother's dislike of "The Rottweiler," as Princess Diana was wont to call her archrival, they'd be less than human if they didn't feel a twinge or two when their father says "I do" to his longtime mistress.
Camilla has been a fixture at Clarence House since Charles took over the palace following his grandmother's death, and thus far she's shown no inclination to meddle in the young princes' lives. In fact, over the years, Mrs. Parker Bowles has demonstrated a commendable ability to keep her mouth shut and ride out the storm.
She also comes with two ready-made stepsiblings for Wills and Harry -- Tom and Laura Parker Bowles. But don't expect a "Brady Bunch"-style blended family, with kids fighting over the bathroom and who made off with Kitty Karry-All.
Tom made headlines in the past due to alleged drug dabbling, and Prince Charles -- who is his godfather as well as his future stepfather -- reportedly banned young Parker Bowles from hanging out with Prince William for a while.
Now 30, Tom seems to have gotten his act together. He has published a cookbook, "E Is for Eating: An Alphabet of Greed," and plans to walk down the aisle in September with his long-term girlfriend, Sara Buys.
Laura Parker Bowles, 26, has always kept a low profile. She works for a London art gallery and is in a long-term relationship with Harry Lopes, a former Calvin Klein model with an aristocratic background
So cheer up, Wills and Harry -- when it comes to royal stepmums, you're really not getting a bad deal in the Rottweiler. It could be far worse -- as your mother, for one, could have told you.
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