Camilla, Queen Consort's Close Friend Revealed She's 'Really Funny' And Other Details About Her

Dec 16, 2022 by apost team

Camilla, Queen Consort of the United Kingdom, is one of the most controversial figures to join the British royal family. Before marrying King Charles III on April 9, 2005, Camilla first met him in 1970 at a polo match. According to Britannica, many people in their friend group assumed that Charles would propose to Camilla. But in 1973, the then-25-year-old Camilla wed British Army officer Andrew Parker Bowles.

The couple had two children together but eventually divorced in 1995. Throughout the course of their first marriages, King Charles III and Camilla continued their romantic connection. 

According to NBC News, in the '90s, the public blamed Camilla for the devastating end of Princess Diana and King Charles’ marriage. The British tabloids often referred to Camilla as the "third person" in the royal couple’s marriage. She was even regarded as the "most hated woman in Britain."

Because of this notion, the image of Camilla toward the public was initially construed as someone who broke the marriage. It took decades, but Camilla changed how the public viewed her by using her platform to delve into humanitarianism. According to Princesofwhales.gov, the Queen Consort is the patron or president of over 100 charities. 

Very recently, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, released their highly-anticipated documentary “Harry & Meghan,” which chronicled the start of their romance and delved into their relationships with members of the royal family, and the impact and strains the institution has put on their life together.

Among the many claims mentioned in the documentary is Meghan’s comment on hugging members of the British royal family — a thing that people close to the senior royals have debunked. Specifically, television personality Paul O'Grady cleared the air about the issue, pointing out that Camilla is actually the other way around. 

Camilla has been a loyal partner to Charles and has taken on her royal duties with grace and enthusiasm. Despite the controversy surrounding Camilla and Charles's marriage, both have nothing to offer to each other but love. Their pairing has been quite atypical of the royal family, and their penchant for departing from tradition and norms appears to be continuing.

It is easy to point the finger at Camilla for Charles and the late Princess Diana’s marriage falling apart; however, as Prince Harry reasoned in the book "Harry: The Biography of a Prince," written by Angela Levin:

"To be honest, she’s always been very close to me and William. She’s not a wicked stepmother. Look at the position she’s coming into.” He also added: “Don’t feel sorry for me and William, feel sorry for her.”

At the time the “Harry & Meghan” documentary was released, an Us Weekly source said that King Charles was “concerned” about the “damage” the documentary would cost their relationship with the British royal family.

Aside from the documentary, Charles was also worried about the revelations in Prince Harry’s upcoming memoir “Spare.” The Daily Beast sources even pointed out that if Harry spoke ill about Camilla in the book, he might not be invited to Charles’ coronation. 

"He is incredibly protective of her, and he couldn't do it without her. Even the queen finally accepted that. It is one thing for Harry to attack Charles, he can take it on the chin, but if Harry forces him to choose by laying into Camilla in his book, I have no doubt he will choose Camilla."

“Spare” will not be released until 2023. However, amid comments that Meghan gave about members of the British royal family, a close friend of Camilla's came to her rescue. 

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On the second episode of “Harry & Meghan,” Meghan recalled her dinner with Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2017. 

"Even when Will and Kate came over and I'd met her for the first time, they came over for dinner," Meghan said. “I was a hugger. I didn't realize that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.”

But later on, Meghan realized that she was glad that she did not know how formal the British royal family was behind closed doors because she could be herself “without so much preparedness.”

"I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside," she continued. "But that formality carries over on both sides, and that was surprising to me.” 

Days after the documentary started streaming on Netflix, comedian O’Grady was quick to defend the royal family over Meghan’s “jarring” comment. 

“Camilla's a really funny woman — you can have a great laugh with her, and you don't feel like you're on ceremony,” O’Grady told The Daily Mail Online. “I always get a big hug and kiss from her, too, which always shocks everybody.” 

Camilla and O'Grady have a beautiful friendship with each other. In the past, the two have bonded over their love for animals. In particular, the queen consort and the TV personality have an affinity for dogs. 

Of her over one hundred charities, Camilla was actually a patron of the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. O’Grady was known to be the host of “Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs,” a British reality documentary television series. In its upcoming season, Camilla is set to appear in the Christmas edition of the show: “Paul O'Grady: For the Love of Dogs — A Royal Special,” affirming her love for the four-legged mammal. 

Have you watched “Harry & Meghan” already? What do you think about Meghan’s comment about hugging? Do you prefer to hug or not when meeting someone? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends and other royal family fans!