Camilla, Britain’s queen consort, will be crowned alongside her husband next week. Marking the completion of a stunning – and painstakingly slow – makeover of a figure. Widely vilified as the other woman and regarded as a huge liability to the British monarchy over five decades.
With King Charles III‘s coronation just days away and his first seven months on the throne behind him. Many Britons have come to accept Camilla. Though some experts and watchers believe she will always be haunted by her past.
“Without really trying too hard, but just by giving it time and going gently. Gently, she has managed to show people the real person that she is — that she’s not this villainess. And that she’s there to do the hard work,” said Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine. “But the most important thing about Camilla is the way she appears to support her husband and back him up.”
Camilla, 75, was viciously dissected by tabloids for years. Seward claimed she won respect by putting her head down and focusing on her work. She’s won over a large portion of the British public with her down-to-earth demeanour and philanthropic efforts. Particularly against domestic violence, rape, and sexual abuse – subjects she vows to champion as queen.
People still carries Diana with them
Some believe she will never be able to shed her status as the third person in Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage.
“I would actually argue that she is still the other woman. And probably will remain the other woman,” said Arianne Chernock. A Boston University professor specialising in modern British history. “Diana will have a strong presence in the room at Westminster Abbey on May 6. It’s difficult not to see her when you look at Charles and Camilla.”
“And the challenge remains even going forward, even as Queen Camilla, which was once unthinkable.”
Camilla Rosemary Shand, born on July 17, 1947, to a family with historic ties to the British royal family. Supposedly met Charles for the first time at a polo match in 1970, when she was 23. The couple rapidly got close, but their relationship was cut short when Charles was called up for navy duty.
