Loveless for a long time, Camilla, the second wife of Prince Charles, becomes queen consort with her husband’s accession to the throne, a consecration desired by Queen Elizabeth, but that will have taken more than 20 years.
For a long time, she was considered a homewrecker by the British, as she was Charles’ mistress when he was married to Princess Diana. And her future title had been the subject of innumerable debates, before Elizabeth II decided on it in February 2022 on the occasion of her 70-year reign, expressing “the sincere desire” that Camilla be known “as queen consort” when Carlos arrived to the throne throne.
For years, Camilla, 75, has worked tirelessly for the British crown, with dozens of commitments a year, to the point of having become a fundamental piece of it.
“The Rottweiler”
In January 2022, the queen had appointed her “Dame of the Order of the Garter”, the most prestigious of the British chivalry.
But it took time for the one who has been known as the Duchess of Cornwall since her marriage to Charles in 2005 to get there.
The reluctant queen had not attended her civil wedding in Windsor.
Princess Diana, who very soon realized that Camilla was the great love of Charles’s life, had nicknamed her “Rottweiler”, a nickname that would accompany her for years.
Divorced, mother of two adult children and grandmother of five young teenagers, Camila, gray hair and benevolent relaxation, gradually imposed herself. Patron of dozens of associations, she has invested in issues as dear to her as reading or violence against women: she tries to visit shelters as often as possible during her trips abroad, she recently told the magazine. fashion.
During Covid, he also launched a book club on Instagram, where he offers recommendations and engages authors.
positive impact
She is also interested in health, animals, she also willingly talks about gardening.
His sense of duty, his simplicity, and his humor eventually slowly overcame some of the reluctance.
His popularity has risen, but he remains one of the least-liked members of the royal family, with only 40% favorable reviews, according to a 2022 YouGov survey.
Less than half of Britons last year wanted her to become queen. Many, however, acknowledge the positive impact she had on her husband.
“People realize that Camilla is ideal for Charles and that they work wonderfully well as a team,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told AFP.
A “Welsh War”
Being in the media eye all the time “isn’t easy,” she also confided during this rare interview with Vogue last July. “Nobody likes to be looked at and criticized all the time… but I think I got over it in the end… You have to keep living.”
Despite their busy schedules, she tries to share a moment with her husband every day, if only to read a separate book in the same room. “She’s very relaxing,” she says, “because you know you don’t have to make small talk.”
Coming from the upper middle class, the eldest daughter of a former officer converted to the wine trade, Camilla Shand grew up in Sussex, before attending the best private establishments in London, then Switzerland, before studying French literature in Paris for six months. . She met the prince in 1971, not belonging to the great nobility, then sailed in the same circles as Carlos. She is passionate about horse riding, a common trait with the Queen.
It even has some ties to the royal family. She great-granddaughter of Alice Keppel, one of the mistresses of King Edward VII, great-great-grandfather of Charles.
brief affair
They have a brief affair, but the prince enlists in the Royal Navy and Camilla marries one of his admirers, Commander Andrew Parker Bowles.
A few years later, she encouraged the still-bachelor Prince of Wales to marry Diana in 1981. While the two were still married, they resumed their relationship. The tabloid press will publish some of his intimate telephone conversations, in a “Welsh war” as ruthless as it is humiliating.
With Charles and Diana’s divorce in 1996, Camilla may start appearing alongside Charles. But the death of the princess, in August 1997, returns her to the shadows. Prince Charles then launched a real campaign of seduction to be accepted: the appearances of Camilla, who had always rejected the title of Princess of Wales, too closely linked to Diana, were carefully calibrated. Being accepted by the royal family and by Charles’ children, Princes William and Harry, has not been easy.
When others her age would aspire to a well-deserved retirement, she is determined to continue her philanthropic work “as long as possible.” “You can’t give up when you’re in the middle of something,” she says.
Source: BFM TV
