Royals Treading Carefully Now That Queen Camilla Has Gained a ‘Huge Amount of Respect,’ According to King’s Former Assistant
King Charles experienced a major change in his life when he transitioned to the monarch after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died. Another person who went through a transition as well is Queen Camilla (formerly Camilla Parker Bowles). While the king had prepared most of his life for his role, the role queen isn’t one Camilla was born into.
She willingly accepted that but it was anyone’s guess if the general public would ever accept her. Here’s what someone who used to work for Charles and Camilla says he’s noticed since their coronation.
Former royal aide got feedback from people ‘who don’t like’ or ‘haven’t liked’ Camilla
Grant Harrold was King Charles’ butler from 2004 to 2011. During his time working for the monarch his duties included that of valet, house manager, and driver as well. He also got to know and looked after Camilla.
Speaking on behalf of Fruity Slots, Harrold explained: “Everybody is warming to Camilla and has done so over the years. The feedback I’m receiving that even those that don’t like her or haven’t liked her, they have a huge amount of respect for her for the way she has stepped up recently to take on more in her royal role. After all, she is the wife of the king. She is a queen but she was never born to be a queen. She had to step into this role willingly.
“She has her own family, her own things she likes doing but she’s had to put that all aside for the love of a man, the man that she loves, and put him first in order to support him. If that means carrying out duties on his behalf, including her own, then so be it — many people have said to me that she is an inspiration and has been amazing, adding that Camilla and Charles are a great couple. I’ve always said that. They do make a great team. As queen, she is picking up all the pieces and putting them back together.”
What the former staffer thinks King Charles’ biggest challenge is now
Harrold believes that now the king’s biggest challenge is living up to his late mother’s name.
The former royal butler opined: “Aside from his health, the biggest challenge Charles has probably faced as king is trying to live up to his mother’s name. Obviously, [Queen] Elizabeth, as I’ve said before, she was a one-off. She had many years to do the job and become the queen that we all knew and loved. For Charles to take that on, starting at such an old age and at the very beginning, that’s his biggest challenge — winning people over and getting them to see that he is a good king. I think it’s safe to say that he has done that.
“There are definitely elements of similarities between Charles and the late queen. While there’s been a lot of changes, for instance Balmoral opening up again — that’s something the late Queen would never have done, that’s definitely very different — Charles has taken on a lot of the late queen’s charities and that’s very much him wanting to focus on his mother’s work. He’s not going to rush into his reign as king like a bull in a china shop. He’s going to take things very slowly and very carefully, making subtle changes as he goes.”
