From Royal Mistress to Queen Consort: Camilla’s Journey to Trust with the Late Queen Elizabeth II

Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, has written a new book titled “My Mother and I” about King Charles III’s relationship with his late mother Queen Elizabeth II. The book explores how Camilla Parker Bowles earned the trust of the queen after being vilified as Royal Mistress when her affair with Prince Charles torpedoed his marriage to Princess Diana, known as ‘the People’s Princess’. Seward revealed that while many in Britain were slow to forgive Camilla for her role in breaking up a royal marriage, she worked hard at looking after Charles and took on the burden of royal duties once married. “Imagine going to a very grand wedding every single day and having to get up dressed up,” said Seward, who interviewed King Charles III recently at his Highgrove estate. The author explained that it was exhausting for Camilla, an army housewife used to ‘slopping around in her jeans’, gardening and doing a little bit of painting and cooking every single day until suddenly thrown into that world [of royal duties]’. According to Seward, Queen Elizabeth II became suspicious initially when she realised the hard work and efforts by Camilla but soon came to understand her warm side through personal interaction with Camilla while serving husband Prince Philip’s ailing years. “She was wonderful with Prince Philip in his ailing years,” said Seward about how Queen Elizabeth II saw the warmth that Camilla had towards her son Charles, which she never managed herself. The queen’s statement to mark 70th anniversary of her rule announcing that Camilla will be known as Queen Consort when King Charles III becomes king sealed the deal for many royal watchers who believe that both women bonded over their mutual love of horses and dogs besides sharing a different way of looking at life. Seward, however, was not surprised by this announcement because “they were pretty close”.