After the departure of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to America in 2020, the rest of the senior royals have been doing their best to Keep Calm and Carry On as they complete each of their royal duties. But while they’re supposed to be putting on a united front, palace insiders now reveal that King Charles III and Queen Camilla are at loggerheads with his eldest son Prince William, 41, and their daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, also 41.

The country was thrilled when Charles, 74, and William shared several tender moments over the coronation weekend in May. After pledging his loyalty to his father during the actual ceremony on May 7, there was a touching moment between the pair when he kissed Charles on the cheek and the King was seen to say a few words to his elder son. Then in a speech at the coronation concert the day after, William said that he thought his grandmother would be “a very proud mother” of her son, listed his many achievements and added, “And perhaps, most importantly, of all, my father has always understood that people of all faiths, all backgrounds, all communities deserve to be celebrated and supported. Pa, we are all so proud of you.”

But family dramas are sometimes inevitable, and this particular one is said to have started when Wills put his father’s holiday home for holiday lets. The King bought the Welsh cottage – situated in Llwynywermod, on the outskirts of the Brecon Beacons National Park – for £1.2 million in 2007 through the Duchy of Cornwall, which William took over following the late Queen’s death last year. And despite spending a week or two there each summer, William has not renewed his father’s lease. After September, it will be available for hire as a holiday home – which means Charles must move his belongings and personal effects out.

And now an insider reveals to heat, “Camilla thinks William has a bloody cheek not abiding by his father’s wishes and keeping the property maintained how he would have wanted it – and the notion that a serving Sovereign should have to pay rent or remove his belongings is utterly absurd. She blames Kate for stirring up drama and filling William’s head with nonsense and thinks it could be to do with getting the Walses more in favour with the public. Kate’s head is spinning: she’s sick of Camilla’s barbs and bitchy put-downs; but at the same time, she’s more than capable of standing firm and telling her to back off and get a grip.”

Charles had the Welsh property lovingly restored. The three-bedroom house includes a barn attached to the main house, which was renovated using traditional techniques, and is set in 192 acres of rolling countryside. Interiors were done by the Queen’s sister, Annabel Elliot; and in the renovated barn – which now serves as a dining room for up to 16 guests – a huge new east window was designed by the architect Craig Hamilton. There is even attention to detail on the floor, with custom-made carpets based on an 18th Century Welsh blanket design. But while he doesn’t want to fall out with his father – especially as there is already such a huge hole left in the family left by Prince Harry, 38 – Wills is determined to have his own way on the situation as he makes his mark as Prince of Wales.

“William isn’t looking to upset anyone, least of all his father and stepmother, but he’s adamant that rules are rules and he can’t go out dishing preferential treatment to anyone under any circumstance,” the insider continues. “It’s not something Charles can really challenge and nor is he trying to put his foot down and out-muscle William on this decision in any way. But it doesn’t take away from the fact he’s taken aback and been caught off guard by this turn of events to put it mildly. He was the one who found, purchased and maintained this property after all, it still holds a lot of sentimental attachment to him, as well as Camilla. But William has acted decisively and made a decision that he considers is in keeping with the new path of a slimmed-down monarchy, essentially doing it on behalf of his father without really involving him in the consulting process. That’s what irks Charles the most – it’s like his own son has come in and bulldozed him, which is both hurtful and undermining.”

Of course, Wills’ wife Kate Middleton – aka the Princess of Wales – is firmly in her husband’s corner on the matter – much to the annoyance of her mother-in-law, Queen Camilla, 76. But as with most matters within the family, Kate – who shares children Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, eight, and five-year-old Prince Louis with William – is letting it slide off her, like water off a duck’s back.

“Kate agrees with William that this decision is for the best and whilst it’s regrettable that Charles is miffed, there’s not much if anything to apologise for here,” adds the insider. “ For now Kate’s just letting Camilla say her thing and blow off steam without responding to it. All in all, she and William have an exceptionally close relationship with the King and Queen – they do respect their authority and it’s by no means anything sneaky they’ve done here. People forget just how busy Kate and William are themselves, they’re making big decisions like this all the time and it would be impossible to run every single one past Charles and Camilla. If this means the occasional ruffled feather, then of course that’s unfortunate, but so be it – in the big picture, their conscience is clear.”