This has been a busy moment for the royals, and as Camilla has stepped up to support the queen and the Prince of Wales, the public have seen her in a new light. Once dubbed “the most hated woman in Britain” as one of the “three people” in Charles and Diana’s marriage, Camilla has over the past two decades become not only one of the most important senior royals (she is a future queen after all) but also one of the most popular.
As one Twitter user commented online about Camilla’s radio debut, “I know she was a much disliked person during the Di years but I think she is probably one of my favourite RF members now.”
She enjoys a warm and close relationship with the queen—they share a passion for horse racing and all things equestrian—and is close to William and Harry as well. She is also very popular with courtiers, who describe her as loyal, hardworking, and fun. “She has a real sense of humor,” said one long-standing palace official, pointing out that the lockdown has been a chance for the public to get a glimpse of the real Camilla through social media.
During the lockdown, Charles and Camilla made a point of thanking the nation, carers, and teachers as well as raising awareness for the causes they support. For the duchess, who is a patron of the charity SafeLives, it involved filming a video about how people at risk of domestic violence can seek help during the pandemic.
“It’s been such a taboo subject for so long; it’s gone on forever but nobody wants to address it. It’s not a nice issue to talk about but it has to be talked about,” she said on Five Live. “What some of these women go through beggars belief. It is a question of seeing is believing. You’ve got to go and talk to them and realize just what they’ve put up with all those years. There is so much help out there. Things are moving forward.”
There have been lighter moments too, with the duchess sharing a favorite cake recipe (chocolate biscuit cake) for the Big Virtual Lunch and sharing her favorite books in the hope that she might encourage others to escape by reading.
Having admitted that she once hated the internet, Camilla quickly learned to embrace it, not only coming up with ideas for social media posts but filming online videos from the comfort of her home. For many, it was the first time they had really heard Camilla speak. Naturally camera shy and not wanting to eclipse her husband, the duchess has always been cautious about occupying the spotlight, but during the lockdown, her warm personality and down-to-earth nature has shone through.