Camilla 'has outsold Charles' with Country Life project says Myers

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This year has seen an important milestone for Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as she celebrated her 75th birthday. Camilla marked the event last month by guest-editing a special edition of Country Life, featuring in a rare documentary. She carried out a week of commemorative engagements. But, this year has also been important for another reason; the Duchess of Cornwall has been pushed forward as a more prominent member of the Royal Family since Queen Elizabeth II expressed her “sincere wish” for her daughter-in-law to be named Queen Consort once Prince Charles takes the throne. 

In her Accession Day message in February, the Queen said: “I would like to express my thanks to you all for your support.  

“I remain eternally grateful for, and humbled by, the loyalty and affection that you continue to give me.  

“And when, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”

Her declaration put to bed years of speculation over whether Camilla would ever be named Queen. 

On her and Charles’ wedding day, it was decided that she would take on her secondary title — the Duchess of Cornwall — rather than be named Princess of Wales, and she would be called Princess Consort upon Charles’ accession rather than Queen Consort. 

It is believed these decisions were prompted out of respect for the prince’s first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, who died tragically in a car crash in August 1997. 

Camilla has come a long way since she was dubbed the “most hated woman in Britain” and blamed for the dissolution of the Prince and Princess of Wales’ relationship. 

The Queen’s message propelled the Duchess into a much more prominent and visible position, giving the public an idea of what the future holds for the monarchy. 

However, one expert has claimed that the monarch had to “push” Camilla into the spotlight, as the Duchess would have been perfectly happy to “stay in the background”.

Ingrid Seward, author of ‘My Husband and I’ and ‘The Queen and Di’, appeared on this week’s episode of the Pod Save The Queen podcast.

She told host Zoe Forsey: “She has a lot of fears and I know that she finds it difficult to be pushed forward.

“In a way, she really quite wanted to stay in the background. 

“But, because of the fact that the Queen announced that Camilla would indeed be Queen Consort herself when the Queen was no longer with us, that has really pushed her into the foreground.

“I think Camilla’s found that a little bit difficult to deal with.”

The editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine continued: “I know she has got a huge amount of support from her husband and those around her, but she was always very happy to be there, supporting him, rather than pushing herself forward and being in magazines — certainly on the cover of magazines. 

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“I think it has been a lot for her to deal with because she is not one of those pushy people at all.”

As well as guest-editing the special edition of Country Life, Camilla appeared on the cover and penned her own contributing articles. 

A corresponding documentary, which gave a rare insight into the Duchess’ public and private life, aired on ITV in the same week.

It followed the royal as she guest-edited the issue of Country Life to mark her 75th birthday on Sunday and the 125th anniversary of the magazine.

Cameras also filmed Camilla as she went to an exhibition in Manchester which showed photos of domestic abuse survivors, visited the Grand National, toured her grandparents’ former Hampshire manor and attended the Royal Cornwall Show. 

During the one-hour special, the Duchess was asked what guidance she would offer her younger self. In response, she said: “’Well, I think I’d remember what my parents, the advice they gave me, which is try and be considerate of others.

“I think that’s a very important thing to learn in life… and I think, you know, I’d give the same advice to my children and my grandchildren.”

The documentary garnered a mixed response from viewers, with some insisting that she would make an “amazing” Queen Consort, and others branding the Duchess a “hypocrite” over her comments and referred to her affair with the Prince of Wales when he was still married to Diana. 

One person wrote on Twitter: “If this is PR from [Buckingham Palace] to try and get people to like her, I don’t think it’s going well. So full of herself.”

Another said: “The hypocrisy of Camilla on Camilla’s Country Life. ‘Do unto others’ and ‘Try and be considerate of others’. Yeah, just like you and [Prince Charles] when you conducted your affair while both married to other people.”

However, other Twitter users praised the programme and applauded Camilla’s work.

One person said: “What a lovely programme. Showing us a caring, emphatic Duchess. She will be a great Queen Consort.”

Another wrote: “What a wonderful lady, so down to earth. She will make an amazing Queen Consort. The countryside needs champions like her.”

While plans for Charles and Camilla’s coronation remain unknown, it has been said that the pair will be crowned side-by-side in a small-scale ceremony. 

It will likely contrast with the 1952 coronation of the Queen, which saw the 25-year-old monarch crowned in front of over 8,000 people. 

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