At the time of their mother’s death, Prince William and Prince Harry were still very young. Charles felt it would be more considerate to wait until they reached adulthood before marrying Camilla.

Reports from the final years of Princess Diana’s life suggested that Charles’s connection with Camilla deeply affected her. In a 1995 interview, Diana even mentioned the affair to a young Prince William. Considering both princes have remained closely tied to their mother’s legacy, it’s clear that this situation required a sensitive approach.

Because of the emotional weight surrounding their mother’s memory, Charles and Camilla were cautious. Royal biographer Penny Junor shed light on the matter in her 2005 book The Firm.

“A not insignificant part of the reason why they had waited until 2005 to announce their engagement was a sensitivity towards the boys,” Junor explained, according to Express. “The princes were 15 and 12 years old respectively when their mother died.” She added, “They didn’t want to foist a stepmother on William and Harry before they had fully grown up.”