www.vanityfair.com Open in urlscan Pro
151.101.64.239  Public Scan

Form analysis
1 forms found in the DOM

Name: newsletter — POST

<form class="form-with-validation NewsletterSubscribeFormValidation-drAFnZ irxneZ" id="newsletter" name="newsletter" novalidate="" method="POST"><span class="TextFieldWrapper-fzQmAh jSTJcj text-field" data-testid="TextFieldWrapper__email"><label
      class="BaseWrap-sc-TURhJ BaseText-fFzBQt TextFieldLabel-gPTGiA eTiIvU lcAuMt fjgPve text-field__label text-field__label--single-line" for="newsletter-text-field-email" data-testid="TextFieldLabel__email">
      <div class="TextFieldLabelText-iYwLHd guDqXo">Enter your e-mail address</div>
      <div class="TextFieldInputContainer-fva-dAv dqaKkd"><input aria-describedby="privacy-text" aria-invalid="false" id="newsletter-text-field-email" required="" name="email" placeholder="Your e-mail address"
          class="BaseInput-jNjmrm TextFieldControlInput-dlkCbz cfTVp kZyWcy text-field__control text-field__control--input" type="email" data-testid="TextFieldInput__email" value=""></div>
    </label><button class="BaseButton-aWfgy ButtonWrapper-dOcxiw dgnZSB kQvgGg button button--utility TextFieldButton-hEMtxo kclTsF" data-event-click="{&quot;element&quot;:&quot;Button&quot;}" data-testid="Button" type="submit"><span
        class="ButtonLabel-eBwykR kgbwGm button__label">Sign Up</span></button></span>
  <div id="privacy-text" tabindex="-1" class="NewsletterSubscribeFormDisclaimer-dgVOgx bxuLyZ"><span>
      <p>By signing up you agree to our <a href="https://www.condenast.com/user-agreement">User Agreement</a> and <a href="https://www.condenast.com/privacy-policy">Privacy Policy &amp; Cookie Statement</a>.</p>
    </span></div>
</form>

Text Content

Skip to main content

Open Navigation Menu
Menu
Story Saved

To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories.

Close Alert
Close

Story Saved

To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories.

Close Alert
Close
Sign In


Search
Search
 * Politics
 * Business
 * Hollywood
 * Style
 * Culture
 * Royals
 * Celebrity

 * Newsletter
 * Video
 * Archive
 * VF Store
 * VF London
 * Magazine



Cover Story
May 2022 Issue


HOW CAMILLA BECAME A QUEEN (CONSORT) FOR THE MODERN ERA

As the royal family struggles to control fractures while redefining itself for a
new era, perhaps no one has better footing—to everyone’s surprise—than the
Duchess of Cornwall.

By Katie Nicholl

April 19, 2022
 * Facebook
 * Twitter
 * Email
 * Save Story

   To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories.


CAMILLA’S MOMENT From blending Prince Charles’s family with her own—children Tom
and Laura from her first marriage, to Andrew Parker Bowles—to forming a lasting
personal bond with her mother-in-law, the queen, the duchess has secured a
beloved place in the bosom of the royal family.Illustration by DEWEY SAUNDERS.
 * Facebook
 * Twitter
 * Email
 * Save Story

   To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories.



There was a time not so long ago when the greatest threat to King Charles was
Camilla Parker Bowles.

Yet with Her Majesty’s blessing for Camilla to become queen consort when Charles
is crowned king, you could now say that the Duchess of Cornwall is one of the
monarchy’s greatest success stories—and a vital pillar of strength for its
future. The monarchy looks very different from how it did just 10 years ago at
the diamond jubilee. Following the death of Prince Philip, the Sussexes standing
down, and the spectacular fall of the Duke of York, the royal lineup is somewhat
depleted.

Yet here’s Camilla, whose metamorphosis from mistress to “my darling wife,” as
Charles calls her, has been remarkable—a triumph matched perhaps only by Queen
Victoria’s consort, Prince Albert, who transformed himself from mistrusted
German outsider to revered royal.

DYNASTY: An Inside Look at the Royal FamilyArrow

Today, Camilla is the second most senior woman in the royal family after the
queen, who once referred to Camilla as that “wicked woman.” Now the monarch
enjoys a warm and close relationship with her daughter-in-law and a bond forged
over their mutual love of dogs and horses. Her Majesty’s announcement that it
was her “sincere wish” for Camilla to become queen laid to rest years of endless
speculation about Camilla’s title when Charles accedes. It was the queen’s way
of not only securing a smooth transition for her son’s reign but of showing her
support for Camilla, who has been a devoted family member since her wedding to
the Prince of Wales in 2005.



Back then, the question of Camilla’s title was more inflammatory. Through
marriage she was technically the Princess of Wales, but amid fears of a public
backlash, Clarence House announced she would be known as the Duchess of Cornwall
and, once Charles became king, princess consort.



“There was no inevitability about the duchess becoming queen consort,” says
Patrick Harrison, who worked in the press office at Clarence House for 14 years
and coordinated media plans for Charles and Camilla’s wedding. “I’m personally
thrilled for her because she has worked so hard and really hasn’t put a foot
wrong. She would say, ‘I do it because I love the boss, it’s my job to be there
by his side,’ but she has done so much more than that. She is absolutely devoted
to the Prince of Wales and to the institution and takes her royal role and
duties incredibly seriously. She understands the benefits and the challenges
that go with that.”

Over the years there have been many challenges. Charles and Camilla’s love
affair—which Princess Diana blamed for the breakdown of her marriage—seemed
doomed. Despite a palace spin campaign to pave the way for Charles and Camilla,
there was resistance to their union, and the campaign took a long time to claim
success. To many Britons, Camilla would long be the “third person” in the
Waleses’ marriage, as Diana called her in the infamous BBC interview. Meanwhile,
Camilla was also a mother trying to shelter two teenage children from ruinous
tabloid headlines.

Her family is her nucleus—she is extremely close to her son, Tom, daughter,
Laura, and five grandchildren. She remains on good terms with her ex-husband,
Andrew Parker Bowles, and counts her sister, Annabel, as her best friend. “She
has a very close and supportive family and a close group of old friends,” says
her nephew Ben Elliot. “She adores her husband, children, and grandchildren.”



Her “family first” motto has rubbed off on Charles, who speaks to Prince William
almost every day on the phone and is closer than ever to his mother. Behind
palace doors, sources say, the duchess has also been instrumental in trying to
heal the fractured relationship between Charles and Prince Harry.

The Incredible Shrinking British Royal FamilyArrow

“The situation with Harry was upsetting for all the family, and we mustn’t
forget that they are a family,” says a friend. “I know that Camilla did her best
and was a tremendous sounding post and support for Charles, who was deeply
troubled.”



This friend points out what a difficult road Camilla has had with the press, and
how she was ostracized by the family. “She threw a hand of friendship out to
Harry and Meghan at various points. When Meghan was going through a difficult
time with her own father, Camilla helped navigate things. It was Camilla who
told Charles that walking Meghan up the aisle was the right thing to do. She’s a
very family-oriented woman, and she really wanted to help.”

Camilla’s close friend and Gloucestershire neighbor Jilly Cooper, an author,
says the duchess has an “incredible” capacity to take on duties. “She always did
a lot for charity, but now people are appreciating just how much she does. I
think Camilla has climbed Everest in the way she has turned things around.
People are now seeing her for who she is. A kind, caring, and fun person.”

And then there is the support of the queen. At the diamond jubilee celebrations
in 2012, the two women rode side by side in a royal carriage procession, which
reflected both Camilla’s seniority and her closeness to the monarch. The two
have only grown closer.

Most Popular

 * Susan Collins Says No to Democrats’ Abortion-Rights Bill Because It Contains
   Too Many Abortion Rights
   
   By Bess Levin

 * Met Gala 2022 Red Carpet: All the Fashion, Outfits & Looks
   
   By Maggie Coughlan, Kia D. Goosby, and Miles Pope

 * Ozark’s Ending, Explained: Exclusive Finale Conversation With the Cast and
   Showrunner
   
   By Julie Miller

 * 





“I think the queen has always been very fond of Camilla,” says Penny Junor,
author of The Duchess. “There was a great misconception before Charles and
Camilla married that the queen didn’t like her and wanted her out of sight and
out of the prince’s life. She did want Camilla out of the prince’s life—not
because she didn’t like her personally but because she could see huge damage
being done to the monarchy. But they have, on a personal level, always liked one
another and have a great deal in common. Now she sees that Camilla has been a
loyal and faithful support to Charles, and she’s very grateful to her for that.”

Publicly, the queen has bestowed every honor on Camilla, from the Royal Family
Order, given at the queen’s discretion as a reward for service, to the Dame
Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. The Duchess of Cornwall is also now a
member of the Privy Council, the Queen’s most senior advisory body and which
plays an important part in the accession ceremonies of a new sovereign. In 2021
it was announced that Camilla was to be invested into the Order of the Garter,
the greatest accolade of all. According to another friend of the duchess, the
garter was “the one thing she really wanted, because it is such an enormous
privilege. Camilla was absolutely thrilled about it.” Says historian Hugo
Vickers: “Everybody wants the garter. It was the Princess of Wales’s secret wish
too.”

According to her friend Jude Kelly, who founded the women empowerment
organization Women of the World, Camilla “is not someone trying to push herself
forward, but it has become clearer and clearer that because she sits in a place
of power where the limelight is on her, she is using that to speak about other
people’s situations.”

“She’s great at putting people at ease, particularly when they think, Well, who
am I to meet HRH? They’re the people she seeks out and asks them about
themselves,” says Kelly. “She’s very inclusive in that way. Of course, she’s not
an ‘ordinary’ woman, in the sense that she is going to be the queen consort, but
she is totally in touch with the ordinary.”

Charles and Camilla may not represent YOUTH and GLAMOUR like the Cambridges, but
together with William and Kate, they’ve formed a NEW SORT OF FAB FOUR.

Amid the dire straits of the pandemic, some of Camilla’s most important work
came to light, including her commitment to improving literacy and helping the
elderly through her work with the charity Silver Stories. She also put the
spotlight on domestic violence as patron of the charity SafeLives, which
supports women who have been abused. Elisabeth Carney-Haworth, cofounder of
Silver Stories and Operation Encompass, which advocates for children who
experience domestic abuse, says the future queen consort has made sure not to be
silent around the stigma.



“I can only imagine that being asked to stay there could feel very isolating and
frightening for you and your family. It may mean spending more time with the
person who is harming you,” Camilla wrote in one Instagram message that shared
resources and a help line for victims. “If this is your situation, or you are
worried about someone else, I want you to know that you are not alone.”

She also shared reading lists with the nation (The Remains of the Day and A
Gentleman in Moscow ranked) and set up a book club on Instagram called the
Reading Room. Camilla wanted to actually help people. “She knew that people
living with cancer were really being affected during that first lockdown. She
wanted to understand how we were able to help them and how we as a charity were
coping,” says Dame Laura Lee, chief executive of the cancer charity Maggie’s, of
which Camilla is patron.

Since COVID restrictions were lifted, the duchess has been keen to resume royal
duties. She and Charles were the first senior royals to go overseas, on an
official tour to Jordan and Egypt. Hairdresser Geraldine Mancini gave the
duchess a feathery new cut, and alongside the Queen of Jordan, she dazzled in
pretty day dresses and tailored coats.

“The duchess has really found her style,” says Fiona Clare, Camilla’s dresser,
who has been designing for her nearly 10 years. “I wouldn’t say she is into
clothes, but she has found her niche. She is very elegant and she knows what
works. Her staples are dresses, frock coats, and great hats. She’s got a
wonderful core team around her with people she trusts and knows will make her
look good.”

Most Popular

 * Susan Collins Says No to Democrats’ Abortion-Rights Bill Because It Contains
   Too Many Abortion Rights
   
   By Bess Levin

 * Met Gala 2022 Red Carpet: All the Fashion, Outfits & Looks
   
   By Maggie Coughlan, Kia D. Goosby, and Miles Pope

 * Ozark’s Ending, Explained: Exclusive Finale Conversation With the Cast and
   Showrunner
   
   By Julie Miller

 * 





While she makes the job look fun and breezy, Camilla finds the overseas travel
hard work. She is low-maintenance, traveling with a small entourage that
includes a private secretary, personal assistant, dresser, and hairdresser. She
often does her own makeup and travels lighter than her husband, but she doesn’t
enjoy flying and can’t bear the heat. She sometimes struggles to keep up with
the workaholic prince, who doesn’t break for lunch.

“From very early on she clearly said, ‘I am not going to go at the same pace as
the boss,’ ” says Harrison. “ ‘I’m not going to do five engagements a day
without any lunch and then do two engagements in the evening. It’s just…you
know, the boss can do that. I can’t.’ ”

Charles is keen to make sure that his wife doesn’t burn out. Their marriage is
very much an equal partnership founded on a deep love and a mutual
understanding. “They love and respect each other and laugh at the same things,”
says Elliot. “She will always see the absurd in many things and does not take
herself too seriously and is very witty.” As she approaches her 75th birthday
and ever more responsibility, the future surely seems daunting.

Princess Diana’s Dance With the MediaArrow

Camilla has decided she will keep Ray Mill, her Wiltshire home, when she is
queen, so that she has a bolt-hole to escape the rigidity and scrutiny of palace
life. At her home she can potter around in a dressing gown, cook for her family,
and relax. She makes a point of factoring in time for herself in order to
maintain a healthy work-life balance—walking, reading, holidaying in Scotland,
and being with her family. She loves swimming, especially in the sea in
Cornwall, where she and Charles vacation. And she loves to cook and makes a mean
roast chicken, according to Tom.

A 70-something queen consort talking about difficult issues like domestic
violence, rape, and female genital mutilation is, some might say, a queen for
the modern world. And while Charles and Camilla may not represent youth and
glamour like the Cambridges, together with William and Kate, they’ve formed a
new sort of Fab Four. At an age where retirement should be on the horizon,
Camilla is in for the long haul, something her family say she is fully willing
to embrace. “She is very strong, resilient, and patient,” says Elliot. “She is
also very committed to supporting her husband in all he does and very forthright
in supporting the causes she believes in.”



When I meet the duchess at a busy reception at Clarence House on International
Women’s Day, she is in sparkling form in an emerald Bruce Oldfield coatdress and
sensible black suede boots.

“She’s practical and very determined,” says Kelly. “I think as queen that will
be very important. And she’s clearly a great supporter of Charles. They are a
great couple, and I think together they will build a platform for getting
society to care about vulnerability.”

Perhaps Camilla’s greatest success is that she has never tried to upstage
Charles, nor has she tried to shape the role to her advantage. “I think that she
proves the power of silence,” says Clare. “She’s found her place, and I think
that’s partly down to knowing she has been accepted. It’s like a ship sailing
across the ocean, she’s finally got to her destination.”

Most Popular

 * Susan Collins Says No to Democrats’ Abortion-Rights Bill Because It Contains
   Too Many Abortion Rights
   
   By Bess Levin

 * Met Gala 2022 Red Carpet: All the Fashion, Outfits & Looks
   
   By Maggie Coughlan, Kia D. Goosby, and Miles Pope

 * Ozark’s Ending, Explained: Exclusive Finale Conversation With the Cast and
   Showrunner
   
   By Julie Miller

 * 





Katie Nicholl is the author of the forthcoming book The New Royals. 

CONTENT

To honor your privacy preferences, this content can only be viewed on the site
it originates from.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CREDITS FOR LEDE ILLUSTRATION: QUEEN ELIZABETH II AND CAMILLA, DUCHESS OF
CORNWALL: PAUL ELLIS. CAMILLA, TOM, AND LAURA PARKER BOWLES: TIM GRAHAM PHOTO
LIBRARY. CAMILLA WITH ANDREW PARKER BOWLES: FRANK BARRATT/KEYSTONE. PRINCE
CHARLES AND CAMILLA: PETER NICHOLLS. CHARLES AND CAMILLA IN CARRIAGE: DANIEL
BEREHULAK. YOUNG CHARLES AND CAMILLA: TIM GRAHAM. CHARLES AND CAMILLA AT
HIGHLAND GAMES: JULIAN PARKER/UK PRESS. CHARLES AND CAMILLA WITH BOUQUET: HUGO
BURNAND. CAMILLA IN TIARA: DAN KITWOOD. ALL FROM GETTY IMAGES. PRINCESS DIANA
AND CAMILLA: EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS/ARCHIVE PHOTOS.

More Great Stories From Vanity Fair 

— Prince Andrew Really Just Cannot Seem to Stop Himself
— How Princess Diana’s Dance With the Media Impacted William and Harry
— Prince Charles Commemorates the First Anniversary of Prince Philip’s Death
— Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Visit With Wounded Service Members From Ukraine
— From the 1985 Archive: Princess Diana, the Mouse That Roared
— DYNASTY: The Year That Changed the Monarchy




Katie Nicholl is Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent.




ROYAL WATCH

Get the latest chatter, from Kensington Palace and beyond, straight to your
inbox.
Enter your e-mail address

Sign Up

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie
Statement.




Read More
From the Magazine
How Princess Diana’s Dance With the Media Impacted William and Harry
Tina Brown examines the legacy of the Princess of Wales’s press strategy for her
sons, in this exclusive excerpt from The Palace Papers.

By Tina Brown

Royals
As the Queen Prepares for Transition, Camilla Steps Into the Spotlight
According to palace sources, Charles and Camilla will take on a key role in the
upcoming Jubilee celebrations.

By Katie Nicholl





 * Facebook
 * Twitter
 * Instagram
 * Pinterest
 * YouTube

More from Vanity Fair

 * Newsletter
 * Subscribe
 * Digital Edition
 * Inside the Issue

Contact

 * Contact VF
 * Customer Service
 * Advertising
 * Careers

 * Condé Nast Store
 * VF Media Kit
 * Sitemap
 * Accessibility Help
 * Condé Nast Spotlight
 * Manage Preferences

© 2022 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance
of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your
California Privacy Rights. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products
that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with
retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed,
transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission
of Condé Nast. Ad Choices

CN Entertainment

Select international siteUnited StatesLargeChevron
 * U.K.
 * Italy
 * Spain
 * France






WE CARE ABOUT YOUR PRIVACY

We and our partners store and/or access information on a device, such as unique
IDs in cookies to process personal data. You may accept or manage your choices
by clicking below or at any time in the privacy policy page. These choices will
be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data.


WE AND OUR PARTNERS PROCESS DATA TO PROVIDE:

Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for
identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised ads
and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product
development. List of Partners (vendors)

I Accept
Show Purposes