Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Lived-in Handbags
    • Life in Plastic
    • Eyepatch-Gate
    • Brown Denim
    • Taylor Swift's VMAs Evolution
    1. Celebrity
    2. Royals

    Queen Camilla Has a "Secret Steely Nature" Behind Her "Sweet Smile," Says Royal Expert

    "There's a ruthless streak to Camilla which she takes care to keep hidden from view."

    Amy Mackelden's avatar
    By Amy Mackelden
    Published 17 May 2026 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Queen Camilla wears a beige coat with a brooch
    (Image credit: Getty Images/Chris Jackson)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Queen Camilla has been in the public eye for decades. After her husband, King Charles, acceded the throne, Camilla took on an even bigger role within the Royal Family. And according to one royal author, The Queen contains multitudes.

    Speaking to the Daily Mail, royal author Christopher Wilson explained, "She's every bit as convincing as the old Queen Mother was when it comes to putting on a sweet smile and saying just the right thing to put people at their ease."

    Wilson also suggested that there's much more to The Queen than meets the eye. "But—again like the Queen Mom—there's a ruthless streak to Camilla which she takes care to keep hidden from view," the author noted.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    As for why Queen Camilla might keep some of her cards close to her chest, Wilson shared that she takes her role as King Charles's wife very seriously.

    "Her job, as she sees it, is to support and protect her man," Wilson claimed.

    You may like
    • Queen Camilla and King Charles laughing as they pull pints at a pub Queen Camilla’s “Cautious Approach” Helped Win Over the Public
    • Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony One Royal Is "Extraordinarily Certain of Who" They Are
    • Queen Camilla turned to the side wearing a green dress Queen Camilla's Friend Shares Her Philosophy on Prince Harry Relationship

    HMThe King accompanied by HM The Queen reads the Kings Speech at the 2026 State Opening of Parliament Westminster

    "Her job, as she sees it, is to support and protect her man," Wilson claimed.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    While Queen Camilla didn't join the Royal Family until 2005, when she married King Charles, she allegedly knows just how important the institution is.

    "Monarchy is about survival, and Camilla understands that," Wilson told the outlet. "She's read the history books and knows how, when the House of Windsor was brought to its knees in 1936 with the abdication of King Edward VIII, [the Queen Mother] put fire in the belly of her reluctant husband, turning him into a successful wartime monarch who did a great double act with Prime Minister Winston Churchill."

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Per Wilson, "King George needed her ironclad courage, just as King Charles needs Camilla's today."

    Queen Camilla cinderella moment

    "There's a ruthless streak to Camilla which she takes care to keep hidden from view."

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Basically, Queen Camilla is a great source of strength to King Charles and she's apparently just as focused on protecting the Royal Family's future.

    Explore More
    Queen Camilla King Charles
    Amy Mackelden
    Amy Mackelden
    Social Links Navigation
    Weekend Editor

    Amy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.

    Read more
    Queen Camilla visits Speke Hall in Liverpool as Patron of the National Literacy Trust on September 04, 2026
    Royals Why Queen Camilla Says She's "A Little Creaky"
    By Amy Mackelden
    Queen Camilla and Princess Kate attend the Order of the Garter in 2019
    Royals Camilla Had to "Step In" When Kate Got "Distracted"
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    British Royal Family stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony, which is lined with celebratory red decorative fabric
    Royals One Royal Relative Is a "Huge Asset" to King Charles
    By Amy Mackelden
    King Charles wears a red military uniform and looks concerned while standing on Buckingham Palace balcony with Queen Elizabeth II, who wears a baby blue outfit
    Royals King Charles Has One "Desperate Desire," Per Author
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Latest in Royals
    Duchess Sophie wearing a blue top and looking to the left
    Royals Duchess Sophie Admits She's Made This Royal Faux Pas More Than Once
    Meghan Markle smiling and waving
    Royals Meghan Markle Is Reportedly Taking on One Hobby in England
     
     
    Prince William and Prince Charles standing on a rocky beach
    Royals Prince William Refuses to Take Part in One Tradition King Charles Loves
    Prince William inner strength
    Royals Prince William’s “Perspective and Inner Strength” Comes From This Family “Policy”
     
     
    Latest in News
    Rihanna attends Matières Fécales's Spring/Summer 2027 show at Paris Fashion Week, wearing a glittery orange matching set and a peekaboo bra
    Celebrity Style Rihanna Is the Next VIP to Board the Matières Fécales Bandwagon After Zendaya
    Duchess Sophie wearing a blue top and looking to the left
    Royals Duchess Sophie Admits She's Made This Royal Faux Pas More Than Once
     
     
    Meghan Markle smiling and waving
    Royals Meghan Markle Is Reportedly Taking on One Hobby in England
    Prince William and Prince Charles standing on a rocky beach
    Royals Prince William Refuses to Take Part in One Tradition King Charles Loves
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.