During the visit, the Queen was photographed laughing with President Donald Trump, 80, and First Lady Melania Trump, 56, at the White House and mingling with Anna Wintour and Sarah Jessica Parker at the New York Public Library.
One royal source told us: “Camilla returned from America with a renewed sense of confidence about her standing, both within the monarchy and with the public.
“For a long time, she has been acutely aware that Kate attracts a level of excitement and affection that can overshadow almost everyone else in the family. But the reception Camilla received in the US has changed her outlook considerably.
“She felt people were genuinely interested in her, rather than simply viewing her as the King’s wife, and she saw firsthand that she could generate headlines and goodwill in her own right. After years of worrying that she could never compete with Kate’s popularity, Camilla now believes she has established her own place in the public’s affections and effectively won her popularity battle with Kate.
“She has come away feeling that the enormous gap she once perceived between them has narrowed dramatically – and, privately, there’s a sense that she finally feels she’s won that particular fight.”
The successful US trip came three years after Camilla was crowned alongside Charles following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Camilla faced the formidable challenge of establishing herself after Elizabeth’s 70-year reign while Catherine, Princess of Wales, 44, enjoyed enormous public popularity.