Queen Camilla Reveals Her Protection Officer Has a Royal Tattoo

Queen Camilla looking at a man's tattoos in a crowd with a shocked expression

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 23 July 2025

Princess Eugenie made headlines when she revealed a tiny tattoo behind her ear during Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee, and while several European royals have their own ink, the British Royal Family has mostly steered away from body art. Their royal protection officers, however, are another story, as Queen Camilla shared when she visited the Sandringham Flower Show with King Charles on Wednesday, July 23.

According to the Mirror, The Queen was greeting members of the public at the flower show when Phil Smith, a fan from Northampton, England, showed Camilla his royal-themed tattoos. Smith, 61, has Queen Elizabeth's royal cipher on his ankle, with the ciphers of King Charles and Queen Camilla just above. He then hiked up his shorts to reveal the couple's joint cipher, a new addition to his tattoo collection.

Queen Camilla gasped as viewed his designs, then said to one of her protection officers, "Look, he’s got one too." Smith confirmed that the royal bodyguard had the same cipher, telling reporters, "I waited to see her to show her my latest [tattoo] and she laughed. She said one of her security men has also had it done too."

A man showing his leg covered in royal tattoos featuring Queen Camilla, King Charles and Queen Elizabeth's ciphers — Royal fan Phil Smith showed off his tattoos to Queen Camilla at the Sandringham Flower Show.

Queen Camilla and King Charles riding in a carriage waving and smiling — The King and Queen arrived to the flower show by horse-drawn carriage.

Smith is a longtime royal fan and said he's been writing letters to Camilla since before she married Charles in 2005. "Honestly, she’s just great," he said. "We exchange letters. She knew who I was. She asked how long it took and I told her about two and a half hours. But I told her this one bloody hurt. She just finds it hilarious. She pulled her police officer’s sleeve and said ‘look, it’s catching on!’"

"I just think she’s fabulous and have got to know her a bit," he continued. "We just hit it off. I love the Royal Family and she in particular has got a good sense of humor. She frequently responds."

Along with tattoo talk, Camilla opened up about her new rescue puppy, Moley, during the Sandringham Flower Show. When asked about her recent visit to the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, she said, "I’m sorry we couldn’t bring Moley to the engagement last week," saying that although the weather was too hot, the mixed-breed dog is also "very naughty."

"I think I only have one shoe left," she admitted.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.