(London) Long unloved, Camilla, the second wife of Prince Charles, becomes queen consort with the accession of her husband to the throne, a consecration desired by Queen Elizabeth, but which will have taken more than 20 years.
Posted at 9:16 p.m.
For a long time, the British considered her a homewrecker, having been Charles’ mistress when he was married to Princess Diana. And her future title had been the subject of countless debates, before Elizabeth II decided in February 2022 on the occasion of her 70-year reign, expressing “the sincere wish” that Camilla be known “as queen consort” when Charles would come to the throne.
For years, Camilla, 75, has worked tirelessly for the British crown, with dozens of engagements a year, to the point of having become an essential cog in it.
In January 2022 the queen had made her “Lady of the Order of the Garter”, the most prestigious of 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 come to their civil wedding in Windsor.
Princess Diana, who very quickly realized that Camilla was the great love of Charles’s life, had nicknamed her the “Rottweiler”, a nickname that would follow her for years.
Divorced, mother of two adult children and grandmother of five young teenagers, Camilla, helmet of white hair and benevolent relaxation, slowly imposed herself. Sponsor of dozens of associations, she has invested in subjects that are dear to her such as reading, or violence against women: she tries to visit reception centers as often as possible during her trips to the stranger, she recently told the magazine vogue.
During COVID-19, she also started an Instagram book club, where she offers recommendations and engages authors.
She is also interested in health, animals, also willingly talks about gardening.
His sense of duty, his simplicity and his humor finally slowly got the better of some of the reluctance.
Her popularity has picked up, but she remains one of the least liked members of the royal family, at just 40% favorable opinions, according to a 2022 YouGov poll.
Less than half of Britons last year wanted her to become queen.
Many, however, recognize 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 “Wales War”
Being in the eye of the media all the time “isn’t easy,” she also confided in this rare interview with Vogue last July. “No one likes to be watched and criticized all the time… but I think in the end I got over it […] We must continue to live”.
Despite their busy schedules, she tries to share a moment with her husband every day, if only to read a book separately in the same room. “It’s very relaxing,” she says, “because you know you don’t have to make small talk.”
Coming from the upper middle class, eldest daughter of a former officer converted into the wine trade, Camilla Shand grew up in Sussex, before attending the best private establishments in London, then in Switzerland, before studying French literature in Paris. during six months. She met the prince in 1971, without belonging to the great nobility, she then sailed in the same circles as Charles. She is passionate about horse riding, a common trait with the Queen.
She even has some ties to the royal family. Great-granddaughter of Alice Keppel, one of King Edward VII’s mistresses, Charles’s great-great-grandfather.
They have a brief affair but the prince enlists in the Royal Navy and Camilla marries one of his admirers, Major Andrew Parker Bowles.
A few years later, she encouraged the still single Prince of Wales to marry Diana in 1981.
While both are still married, they resume their affair. The tabloid press will publish some of their intimate telephone conversations, in a “Wales war” as ruthless as it is humiliating.
With the divorce of Charles and Diana in 1996, Camilla can begin to appear alongside Charles. But the death of the princess, in August 1997, sends her back into the shadows.
Prince Charles then launched a veritable campaign of seduction to have her accepted: the appearances of Camilla, who had always refused the title of Princess of Wales, too closely linked to Diana, were carefully calibrated.
Getting accepted by the royal family, and by Charles’s sons, Princes William and Harry, has not been easy.
When others at her age would aim for a 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.