As the future Queen, Princess Kate holds a very important place within the British Royal Family. And according to royal experts, another Royal Family member has grown "very close" to the Princess of Wales in recent months.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, royal author Andrew Lownie noted that Queen Camilla "is very close to Kate." The newspaper further explained, "Camilla has not just grown closer with Kate in recent years, but also appears to share a warm relationship with the princess's family—including her mother Carole Middleton."

Meanwhile, body language expert Judi James reflected on Princess Kate and Queen Camilla's interaction at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday in November 2025.

"There was an exchange of what looked like warm chat between the present and future queens here, with Camilla's rather playful smile and side-eye appearing to make Kate beam back down at her," James told the outlet.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's decision to move back to the U.K. from California is sure to impact both Princess Kate and Queen Camilla.

According to Lownie, "The King and the Prince of Wales have long been aware of the Sussexes's plan to return to Britain, but it has suited their purposes to distance themselves whilst public opinion is tested."

The royal author continued, "The Queen, who is very close to Kate, has been stiffening the resolve of The King to establish clear boundaries for [Harry and Meghan]."

Hopefully Harry and Meghan will be able to reintegrate into the Royal Family following their unexpected move. Having left Montecito in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, it seems as though the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are serious about building a new life in England.

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On Wednesday, August 26, The Queen’s Reading Room Charity posted a special tribute to Dolly Parton, who died at the age of 80 on August 25. And while Queen Camilla might not be the first person you think of when remembering the legacy of the late superstar, the two actually had much more in common than expected.

Parton was not only a country singer and humanitarian, but a worldwide champion for literacy—and encouraging people to read is one of The Queen’s biggest passions. Children around the world have received free books from birth through age five through Parton’s Imagination Library, an effort Camilla praised in her charity’s Instagram tribute.

“Today we remember and celebrate the unwavering advocate for the joy and importance of reading—the icon, Dolly Parton,” The Queen’s Reading Room posted on Instagram. “Dolly once said, ‘You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children’…but she gave it a pretty good go, donating more than 300 million books over 30+ years through her Imagination Library.”

“By putting so many books into the hands of so many children, she gave the most precious of gifts: the chance to millions of young minds of opening the door to imagination, possibility and a lifelong love of reading,” the post continued. “Thank you, Dolly!”

Sadly, Queen Camilla never got to meet Parton, but the country music icon did rub elbows with Queen Elizabeth in 1977 during the late monarch’s Silver Jubilee.

Parton once told the Glasgow Times that she had no idea she was performing for the late Queen until the last minute.

“When they told me on the plane I was appearing in front of The Queen, I just jumped up and down telling everyone," she shared. “When I was a little girl, I grew up in a world of kings and queens and princes and princesses in fairy tales. Now I’m going to meet one.”

After last week’s bombshell announcement that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are temporarily relocating to Britain, royal watchers have been wondering how this will change relations between the couple and the Royal Family, especially Prince William. But there’s another family member the Duke of Sussex has had a complicated relationship with over the years.

Queen Camilla has been married to King Charles since 2005, and although Harry publicly spoke out in support of their marriage at the time, he revealed his real feelings both in his 2023 memoir, Spare, and during a 60 Minutes interview with Anderson Cooper the same year.

In Spare, the Duke of Sussex wrote that Camilla “sacrificed” him “on her personal PR altar” in an attempt to improve her image with the British public, adding, “I even wanted Camilla to be happy. Maybe she'd be less dangerous if she was happy.”

When Cooper asked how Queen Camilla had been “dangerous” at the time, the Duke of Sussex explained it was “because of the connections that she was forging within the British press” as she tried to “rehabilitate her image.”

“And there was open willingness on both sides to trade information,” Prince Harry added, adding, “with a family built on hierarchy, and with her on the way to being queen consort, there was going to be people or bodies left in the street because of that.”

After Spare's release, The Queen was personally hurt, as one of her palace companions, Lady Lansdowne, told the Times.

“Of course it bothers her, of course it hurts,” Lady Lansdowne said. “But she doesn't let it get to her. Her philosophy is always, ‘Don't make a thing of it and it will settle down—least said, soonest mended.’”

It seems as if their relationship could be slowly on the way toward mending. Although The Queen wasn’t present when Prince Harry reunited with his father last fall, she took a major step by joining Harry, Meghan and their children at Highgrove House when the Sussexes visited the U.K. in July.

A source calls the meeting “polite with no recrimination,” per author Tom Bower in the Daily Mail, sharing that Queen Camilla allegedly offered Harry tea and that “the goodwill shown calmed the Sussexes' fear of returning.”

The public doesn’t often see members of the Royal Family eating, and since the most visible display of a palace dinner would be the sumptuous state banquets at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, it’s no wonder that visions of lavish ballrooms come to mind. But according to former royal chef Visen Anenden, typical royal meals are hardly extravagant.

“I think the biggest misconception is that when you work for the Royal Family, everything is grand, spectacular, and bling,” Anenden says, speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo Slots. “You think of money being thrown at everything.”

However, the former chef to King Charles at Highgrove House says that typical royal meals were much more down to earth than you’d expect. Discussing their summers at Balmoral, Anenden says the family would often take part in picnics and barbecues. “Prince Philip was renowned for his BBQs, and Charles and Camilla would go up there on Saturdays to join him,” he shares.

Everything was locally sourced, and Anenden shares that they’d eat grouse or venison from shoots on the estate. “You’d set up different picnics for them to take out on the hills, and it was all homemade,” he shares.

Keeping in The King’s sustainable mindset, Anenden says there was “no such thing” as being wasteful. “If there were things left over, they were turned into a canapé for the next day. Nothing would be thrown away. They were huge on that.”

He also shares that members of staff “were always provided for when it came to food.” When asked if the kitchen employees were given leftovers from royal meals, Anenden says, “There was no such thing as eating leftovers. He treats his staff really well, and so does Camilla.”

Summer weather might not be going anywhere in New York City, but Queen Camilla dressed for some fall-like temps in York, England, on August 19. The Queen braved the rain on the first day of the Ebor Festival at York Racecourse on Wednesday, turning to one of Princess Kate’s favorite accessories for her equestrian day out.

Queen Camilla, who serves as patron of York Racecourse, stayed dry in a classic tan trench coat over her collared blue dress, carrying one of Queen Elizabeth’s beloved clear birdcage umbrellas by Fulton.

The Queen once again chose her sparkling diamond and sapphire butterfly brooch— a piece that once belonged to Queen Elizabeth—but it was Camilla's hat that stole the show during the racing festival. Her feather-trimmed, cornflower blue style was a custom creation by milliner Philip Treacy, and it brings to mind several of the hats the Princess of Wales has worn in recent years.

No one loves a good feather-trimmed hat like Princess Kate, and she's experimented with both wide-brimmed styles and smaller, more classic fedoras by brands like Philip Treacy and Hicks & Brown.

Queen Camilla's hat featured an intricate fabric band with lace detail and a dramatic plume similar to the green Philip Treacy design the Princess of Wales wore for a Christmas morning service in 2022. Although The Queen's band wasn't created from feathers like the brown Philip Treacy design Kate wore for Christmas 2021, it gives off a similar style.

Camilla finished off her outfit with her ever-present blue agate Van Cleef & Arpels Vintage Alhambra bracelet, pearl drop earrings, nude heels and her go-to Lady Dior bag.

Although it might not be time to break out the "Balmoral Look" just yet, it's never too early to get some autumn hat inspiration with these picks below.

Queen Camilla has served as president of Maggie’s cancer centers since 2008, and on August 18, The Queen appeared in a deeply personal video to mark the 30th anniversary of the organization. Speaking to Maggie’s chief executive Dame Laura Lee, Camilla admitted that she struggled with keeping the news of King Charles’s own cancer diagnosis a secret when attending an event for the charity in 2024.

Maggie’s centers are located at NHS hospitals and support cancer patients and their families with everything from mental health counseling to financial advising, all free of charge. Queen Camilla recalls visiting one center in early 2024, just a week before the public became aware of The King’s cancer diagnosis.

“Nobody could say anything at the time, that was quite difficult,” Camilla shared, admitting that while speaking with patients and her families, she almost slipped. “I almost said something but, you know, I felt that it wasn’t the time to say.”

“I was just longing to let it out, but obviously I couldn’t,” Queen Camilla continued.

Lee praised The Queen for her “courage” in attending the event during what was a difficult time for the Royal Family, and also shared the direct impact The King has had on their charity. She shared that Maggie’s has seen more people—notably “a 12 percent increase in men” coming to their centers “because of The King being so open about his diagnosis and having a productive life.”

“Look at my husband. Nothing stopped him. He just said, ‘This is my way. I’m going to cope with it,’” she said.

She shared that walking through her husband’s illness with him gave her a new perspective when meeting families at Maggie’s. “Now I’m the one whose relation...whose got to help to look after my poor husband and try and understand it all,” she said.

While King Charles's cancer is not in remission like Princess Kate's, Buckingham Palace announced in December 2025 that his treatments would be “reduced” this year.

“His Majesty has responded exceptionally well to treatment, and his doctors advise that ongoing measures will now move into a precautionary phase,” a palace spokesperson said. “This position will be continuously monitored and reviewed to protect and prioritize his continued recovery.”

When it comes to changing the public’s views on the Royal Family, it’s often an uphill battle. The Team Meghan vs. Team Kate debate continues on social media (albeit slightly quieter than it used to), and there’s always going to be royal watchers who have strong feelings on various members of the family. But for Queen Camilla, the slow shift in public opinion about Her Majesty might just be the most successful royal PR coup yet.

In the latest episode of ITV’s “Talking Royals” podcast, royal editor Chris Ship and presenter Charlene White discussed the roles of the various wives of Windsor, and Ship noted that The Queen “has gone from being the most hated woman in Britain” to one of the most respected members of the Royal Family.

After carrying on a longtime affair with King Charles (then Prince Charles), Camilla’s reputation couldn’t have been worse in the 1990s and early 2000s. Ship recalled Queen Camilla being regularly “driven out of her home in the back of a car hiding under a blanket” to escape the paparazzi, a time her son Tom Parker Bowles recently called “incredibly dangerous” in an interview with Hello! magazine.

Through decades of dedicated charity work—specifically raising awareness for domestic violence causes and literacy—and her quiet support for The King, Ship says Camilla has become “the linchpin holding the entire institution together.”

The Queen is often named as one of the favorite members of the Royal Family for many journalists and palace staffers, and when discussing her rise, White said, “I would say that it’s one of the greatest PR campaigns we’ve seen in recent history, because that turnaround in terms of how the public feel about her has been remarkable.”

Royal author Simon Vigar agreed that there’s been “a softening” in how people view Queen Camilla, even though the public “used to blame her for the whole mess” with Princess Diana and Prince Charles’s divorce.

“Time’s a great healer,” he added. Although Ship pointed out The Queen knows “she’s never going to be right at the very top” of the popularity polls, Vigar says that’s just fine with Camilla. “She’s completely relaxed with that,” he said.

As King Charles's long-time love interest, Queen Camilla's private life has been the subject of a plethora of negative news reports and tabloid stories. But according to one royal author, Charles's wife is very strong and knows exactly who she is as an individual.

Author Catherine Mayer—who recently released her latest book, Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles—spoke to Marie Claire in an exclusive interview.

Discussing Queen Camilla, Mayer explains, "She is extraordinarily certain of who she is and what is important to her: Charles and her family. That gives her a strength that can at times be ruthless but is always impressive."

Mayer continues, "Hers is not a story of change but of changing views of her. It is extraordinary. What other woman can you think of in public life who has managed to go from being classed as a public enemy to being a stalwart of the establishment?"

As Mayer notes, "The only ways [Camilla] has changed are in adapting, with ease, to the royal role. This is surprising only because she was not a woman who sought a career or prominence."

According to the royal author, Queen Camilla is "warm and funny and entertaining if you meet her," and she also "visibly lifts Charles," making her a crucial asset to the Royal Family.

Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles by Catherine Mayer is available now.

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As the former head chef to King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House, Visen Anenden knows the ins and outs of the Royal Family’s sometimes peculiar eating habits. Anenden, who worked for The King for just under a decade, says that while Charles is heavily into seasonal and organic foods, his wife is more willing to try new dishes than the rest of the family.

When asked who the most adventurous eater was out of the Royal Family, the former palace employee shares that “Charles is adventurous in terms of British, Italian and Spanish—all very European foods. But when it came to trying different things, I would say Camilla was more open minded.”

Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo Online, Anenden says that Queen Camilla “was quite open when it came to food,” especially when traveling abroad, but that The King also tried regional specialties. “On tour, they would be happy to try the local dishes that were cooked by a local chef, who was guided by us,” Anenden says.

Although he says that King Charles is “not at all” a fan of spicy food, and neither is Camilla, they both like kedgeree, a rice dish featuring fish, eggs and curry powder. “I used to make it how my gran used to make it for me,” Anenden shares.

Although King Charles doesn’t like spicy food, Anenden says the monarch was always courteous of local customs.

“I always remember when we went to India, and one of the chefs in the hotels wanted to cook for him,” he shares. “Charles was really open-minded about it and let him cook for them. He had Indian food there, tasted it, and thanked the chef. He was willing to accommodate, which is quite amazing.”

However, one thing both Charles and Camilla avoid is carbonated beverages. When asked if they ever indulge in fizzy drinks, Anenden says, “No, never! It was a no-go. Only the staff had fizzy drinks, but for them, no way.”

Visen Anenden served as head chef to King Charles for nearly a decade, and he said that during his “phenomenal” role, he learned “a good lesson” about sustainability and organic cooking. Anenden, who shared that The King is “extremely interested in what he eats,” revealed that for the royals, food was one area where they could always call the shots.

Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo Online, the former royal chef said that King Charles is “a real foodie.”

“He’s very seasonal, and everything comes from the estate,” Anenden continued, adding that The King “always wants to know where something has come from, so menus were very particular.” When the royals stay at Balmoral, for example, they would eat a different style of food than at Highgrove, where “it would be what you could source from the garden.”

“You really learn how the farm-to-fork aspect works, and it’s a phenomenal lesson for a chef,” Anenden added of The King’s penchant for fresh, local food.

The former royal chef revealed that despite having access to a bountiful supply of foods, The King and Queen Camilla both show restraint with their eating. “The thing with the royals is that they don’t eat a lot,” he shared. “It was always small portions. It’s never substantial, loaded plates at all, never.”

When asked why he thought that was the case, Anenden mused that it had to do with “control.”

“They’re very conscious of their diet,” he said. “It isn’t just them, but also lots of private households I’ve worked for—they all eat small portions. It can be to do with control. People like King Charles, because they have control over the food, that’s the only aspect of their life that they can control.”

Queen Camilla has been married to King Charles for 21 years, and one thing the couple makes sure to prioritize in their busy schedules is having alone time. The King prefers to spend weekends at his country retreat, Highgrove House, while The Queen heads to Ray Mill House, the Wiltshire mansion she owned before marrying into the Royal Family.

On the latest episode of the Daily Mail’s Palace Confidential show, fans asked about Their Majesties’ unusual weekend arrangement, with royal editor Rebecca English explaining that keeping a retreat of her own was something extremely important to Camilla.

The Queen bought Ray Mill House after she divorced her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, and the 19th-century property—which sits near the idyllic English village of Lacock—is a place where she can unwind with her children and grandchildren.

“There were questions about whether she would keep it on when they got married,” English said, explaining that the home needed security and would require “extra costs,” but emphasized that Queen Camilla “made very clear that she wanted to keep it.”

Although King Charles occasionally goes to Ray Mill, he mostly spends time at Highgrove, where he “potters around his gardens,” English says.

“They also live quite independent lives and I don't think it affects their relationship at all,” English said, adding that The King and Queen are “quite used to” living apart since they dated for years without living together.

“I can understand why it looks a little odd to people, but it actually works for them,” she added.

Following their lavish wedding at Westminster Abbey in 1981, Princess Diana and then-Prince Charles embarked on a 12-day cruise through the Mediterranean aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia. At the time, their honeymoon was described as “blissful.” However, that was far from the case as the princess was preoccupied over her husband’s parting gift to Camilla Parker Bowles.

In recordings obtained by People, Diana told biographer Andrew Morton she discovered a “goodbye” bracelet Charles meant to give to Camilla before the wedding. Although his gift did occupy her mind, it was the future queen’s present that caused more tension at sea.

After watching two photos of Camilla fall out of her husband’s diary, she noticed a pair of cufflinks on his sleeve, personalized to commemorate his past relationship with Camilla.

“Cufflinks arrive on his wrists — two ‘C’s entwined like the Chanel ‘C’s. Got it in one; knew exactly. ‘Camilla gave you those, didn’t she?’” Diana recalled. “He said, ‘Yes, so what’s wrong? They’re a present from a friend.’ And, boy, did we have a row.”

For the rest of their vacation, the late Princess of Wales found herself thinking of Camilla at night.

“At night, I dreamt of Camilla the whole time,” Diana admitted. “I was obsessed by Camilla totally.”

According to a letter Charles had written from the yacht, they remained separate for much of the vacation. The now-king said, “Diana dashes about chatting up all the sailors and the cooks in the galley etc. while I remain hermit-like on the veranda deck, sunk with pure joy into one of Laurens van der Post’s books.”

The then-Prince and Princess of Wales stayed together for 11 years before ultimately separating in 1992. It wasn’t until after Diana’s death in August 1997 that Charles and Camilla made their first official public appearance together at the Ritz Hotel in London.

Princess Diana's marriage to King Charles has been well-documented, as has the monarch's relationship with Queen Camilla. Early in Diana and Charles's romance, the princess was photographed spending time with Camilla, leading many to wonder why the pair had been communicating with one another. According to one royal biographer, the reason might be more straightforward than many initially believed.

In the new book Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles, author Catherine Mayer explores Diana and Camilla's unexpected meetings.

"Diana interpreted her rival's overtures of friendship towards her during this period as intelligence gathering," Mayer writes. However, the royal biographer is sure that there is much more to the story.

"Camilla seems unlikely to have taken on such a mission unilaterally," Mayer explains. "A more plausible theory, suggested by sources with some knowledge of these events, is that Charles saw Camilla as the person best placed to induct his fiancée into his life."

Considering the illicit nature of Charles and Camilla's relationship during certain periods of time, the suggestion that The King might have orchestrated the meetings might sound a little scandalous. However, there might have been some common sense behind the alleged idea.

As Mayer notes, "After all, [Camilla] knew [Charles] and his ways intimately. If accurate, this is the detail among all others that comes closest to crossing the line from the disordered impulses common to such situations to something colder."

Per the author, "Even if Charles, at this stage, lacked the emotional intelligence to grasp how misguided the idea was, you might have expected Camilla to demur."

Of course, it remains unclear whether Charles did, in fact, ask Camilla to befriend Diana and teach her how to navigate royal life. Either way, it seems that Camilla remained an integral part of Charles's life from the moment they met.

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Some members of the Royal Family live with the palace's strict rules their entire lives. However, many individuals who have married into the clan lived completely normal—and sometimes quite unexpected—lives beforehand.

In the new royal biography, Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles, royal author Catherine Mayer discusses a pretty surprising detail regarding Queen Camilla's life before marrying King Charles.

"As a debutante and young woman about town, she had managed to tread the fine reputational line between being considered fun or written off as a slapper," Mayer writes. "Even so, she racked up too many life experiences...to be considered an appropriate partner for Charles."

Instead, Princess Diana was deemed as an "appropriate" bride for Charles, whom Mayer notes was viewed as "the 'sweet-charactered' virgin bride."

While both Camilla and Diana might have ridden horses, there's one hobby the latter likely didn't partake in, writes Mayer. Per the author, "[Diana] would not, however, roar around the United States on a [motorcycle], in leathers, as [Camilla] also chose to do."

Clearly, Queen Camilla lived quite a varied and dextrous life before she married into the Royal Family.

Since her leather-wearing biker days, Queen Camilla has carved out a role all of her own as a senior royal.

"Even intimate gatherings with [Queen] Elizabeth retained their protocols and formality," Mayers shares. "Camilla's is a more relaxed presence, warm, though she shivers in the frigid temperatures her husband maintains, rolling her eyes like a schoolgirl as he asks for another window to be opened and once confiding that she was wearing thermal underwear."

Queen Camilla might not have ridden on a motorcycle in quite some time, but it's fascinating to find out that she once embarked on a thrilling journey—kitted out in leather.

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Queen Camilla and King Charles's romance has spanned decades, with the pair finally tying the knot on April 9, 2005. But according to a new royal biography, Queen Camilla wasn't entirely joyous on her wedding day for an understandable reason.

In her new book, Divide and Rule: Royal Women and Their Battles, royal author Catherine Mayer discusses Camilla's royal wedding to Charles.

"When dawn finally broke on her happiest day, Camilla reportedly felt a little broken too, reluctant to emerge from under her duvet," Mayer explains. "When she did, it was to a service that joined her and Charles in the prayer of preparation, an admission of 'manifold sins and wickedness' written by Thomas Cranmer for Henry VIII."

The seeming insistence on pointing out the couple's former indiscretions on their wedding day can't have been easy. In spite of any difficulties Camilla faced on the day itself, she reportedly moved forward.

"Still, this daughter and ex-wife of military men has never allowed adversity to rain on her parade," Mayer says.

Mayer continues, "Photographers captured the couple laughing as they posed on the steps of the chapel after the blessing, while the wind tried to whip away the feathered confection Camilla had chosen in place of a more traditional tiara. It was a glimpse of a key dynamic between them."

Noting King Charles's alleged "discomfort" when pictured with Princess Diana, Mayer reflects on the marked change he seems to exhibit with Queen Camilla.

"He and Camilla, by contrast, tend to mirror each other, engaging with a sustaining intimacy that is instantly recognizable and impossible to counterfeit," Mayer writes.

Even if Camilla did feel "a little broken" on her wedding day to Charles, hopefully the ceremony itself—and their enduring marriage—more than made up for it.

Queen Camilla marked her 79th birthday with a new portrait on Friday, July 17, with the Royal Family sharing the image on social media along with a special announcement about her birthday gift to Britain’s children. The Queen will be giving every Year 6 and P6 child (10-11 years old) in the United Kingdom a copy of the book Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell this Christmas in conjunction with the National Literacy Trust, of which she serves as patron. But along with announcing her holiday gift, Camilla’s birthday post also solves a jewelry mystery.

The Queen has been wearing a diamond and sapphire butterfly brooch for the past two decades, but until now, its provenance was unknown. It was assumed by some royal watchers to have been a 2005 wedding gift from King Charles, and she’s worn it to everything from the Commonwealth Day service in 2006 to church at Sandringham on Christmas Day 2016.

More recently, Camilla wore the dazzling brooch during the Japanese state visit in 2024 and to a garden party at Hillsborough Castle this spring. But when the Royal Family released Friday’s birthday photo of The Queen, taken by Chris Jackson, Buckingham Palace confirmed the brooch she’s wearing in the picture was given to Queen Elizabeth at the Birmingham Spring Fair in February 1977.

Queen Elizabeth was never pictured wearing the brooch in public, which is understandable given the sheer volume of gifts she was given in her lifetime. But gifting the beautiful diamond design to Camilla so early on in their marriage indicates the late Queen’s feelings about her son’s wife. Butterflies are signs of renewal, transformation and hope, an especially fitting gift for a second wedding.

Body language expert Darren Stanton says that Queen Camilla’s “deep respect for royal protocol” helped cement her relationship with the late Queen.

“Her consistent deference and quiet loyalty ultimately earned the late Queen’s admiration—something that not only validated Camilla’s place, but also strengthened Charles’s’ own standing as future King,” Stanton says, speaking on behalf of Betfair Casino. “The warm, relaxed relationship between the two women helped solidify the stability Charles enjoys today.”

Wearing her late mother-in-law's butterfly brooch for her birthday portrait is a touching way for Camilla to keep Queen Elizabeth's spirit alive, and especially fitting when announcing a gift that will impact the lives of children across the United Kingdom.

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Fresh off a lighthearted visit to the famous Heywood Hill bookshop, Queen Camilla’s week took a more solemn turn on Wednesday, July 15 as she shared some rare comments about her personal grief. The Queen hosted a reception in the gardens of Clarence House to mark the 40th anniversary of her patronage the Royal Osteoporosis Society, and she opened up about the pain her family faced following her mother’s death.

Queen Camilla has been involved with the charity since 1994, telling the guests at Clarence House why the organization was so close to her heart. “That same year, my dear mother had died as a result of osteoporosis,” she said.

The disease results in weakened bones, making people highly susceptible to sudden, unexpected fractures. Queen Camilla's mother, Rosalind Shand, died from the disease at the age of 72, and The Queen's maternal grandmother also died from osteoporosis in 1986.

“In those bad old days, osteoporosis was seldom discussed, rarely diagnosed and usually attributed to old women with so-called ‘Dowagers’ humps,’” Camilla shared. The Queen admitted that she and her family “had little or no understanding of this devastating disease” at the time, and became “determined to discover more about it.”

As patron of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, Queen Camilla has raised awareness for the disease and celebrated its wins, but noted that there is still much work to be done. Today, “half of all women and one out of every five men over the age of 50 will suffer fractures as a result of osteoporosis,” as The Queen said in her speech.

Her Majesty shared how her family “failed to comprehend how our mother could suffer so much pain, lose inches in height and yet find no available treatment from the doctors,” but said that the National Osteoporosis Society, which later became the Royal Osteoporosis Society, made her family feel “far from alone.”

It's a disease Her Majesty referred to as “a silent thief hiding in plain sight,” noting that osteoporosis “wreaks its havoc deep inside our bodies until, too late, we realize that the damage has been done.”

However, there is hope. Although Queen Camilla admitted a cure isn't in sight just yet, she said “we are well on the way,” adding, “Together, we can— and we will—see the end of osteoporosis forever.”

Queen Camilla has been a champion of literacy-related causes for years, but when she visited London's legendary Heywood Hill bookshop to celebrate its 90th anniversary, The Queen admitted there’s one type of reading she just “can’t do.”

While paying a visit to the famed independent bookstore, which was granted royal warrants by both Queen Elizabeth and Queen Camilla, Her Majesty was asked about her reading preferences. Camilla, who launched her own online book club and associated charity, The Queen's Reading Room, shared she reads about 80 percent fiction, except for one particular genre.

“I hate sci-fi,” she shared with a laugh. “That, I'm afraid, is not my favorite.” Queen Camilla diplomatically added, “I'm sure a lot of people love it.”

When it comes to science fiction books, The Queen's opinion seemingly can't be changed. “No, I can't do that, you have to have some things you love and some things you really don't love, and that really is one I don't love,” she shared.

Heywood Hill specializes in setting up personalized reading sessions where customers are matched with a year-long subscription that fits their tastes. Camilla took part in one with the store's manger, during which she revealed her anti-science fiction stance.

As for what she does enjoy reading, Queen Camilla said her “absolute favorite” series is the Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard, and she also told manager Harriet Bibby that she's a huge fan of The Count of Monte Cristo. The Queen has previously shared her love of the late Jilly Cooper's steamy novels, including Rivals, which inspired the hit TV series.

The Heywood Hill bookshop has a touching family tie for Queen Camilla, whose late father, Bruce Shand, was a frequent customer. “I'm sure I did come here when I was much, much smaller,” she told the shop’s chief executive, Nicky Dunne.

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The U.K. is facing another heat wave this week, and when you're taking in the tennis action at Wimbledon on a 90-degree day, there's only one accessory that's absolutely essential. Peter Phillips and his new wife, Harriet Sperling, made their first Wimbledon appearance as a married couple on Wednesday, July 8, with Harriet fanning herself with an old-school paper fan. But Queen Camilla took the cooling action up a notch as she was pictured using a battery-operated plastic fan— and it turns out her purse-sized device was a bargain buy from Amazon.

Wearing a long-sleeved turquoise Anna Valentine dress and a sentimental pair of turquoise drop earrings, Queen Camilla looked fresh and summery—if not slightly overheated—as she enjoyed a day of tennis in the royal box. Although she was pictured using her paper fan at one point, it didn't seem to be doing the trick, and she clutched her white fan throughout the afternoon as the temperatures soared.

The Queen's fan, designed by Tecknet, retails for under $20 on Amazon U.K. and features multiple speeds, and it seems like she might have been using the highest one based on a hilarious meme shared on Instagram by the Archbishop of Banterbury.

As for her other accessories, Camilla wore the turquoise drop earrings that King Charles gifted her ahead of their 2005 wedding, with jewelry expert Oliver Hobart, creative director of 925E, commenting that the jewels "a beautiful example of late Victorian and Edwardian craftsmanship."

"Turquoise also carries a rich symbolism," Hobart adds. "Historically, it has been associated with protection, prosperity and enduring love, making it an especially meaningful choice for a gift between the then Prince Charles and Camilla before their marriage in 2005."

Sperling also wore some dazzling jewels to Wimbledon, choosing a pair of green amethyst drops by royal favorite jeweler Kiki McDonough that coordinated with her lime green Emilia Wickstead dress.

Camilla's handheld fan isn't available to ship to U.S. addresses, but fortunately, there are plenty of similar options for those of us about to face our next heatwave here in the States.

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Royal nicknames are an endless source of fascination, with everyone from Queen Elizabeth (a.k.a. Lilibet) to Prince George (PG Tips) going by some adorable aliases. But when it comes to Queen Camilla, she has a rather unexpected nickname, according to royal author Gyles Brandreth.

Writing in his biography of the late Queen, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, Brandreth shares that King Charles “sometimes calls” his wife Camilla “Mehbooba,” noting the nickname is “Urdu for ‘my beloved.’”

Urdu is the official language of Pakistan and is also commonly spoken in India, a country Charles has a deep affinity for and has visited 10 times since 1975.

The King has even called Queen Camilla by her Urdu pet name during public speeches, like when he attended an event for the British Asian Trust in 2022.

“I cannot quite believe it is almost two years to the day that both my mehbooba and myself were able to be with all of you,” he told the crowd at the time.

Although King Charles doesn't speak fluent Urdu, he's proficient in French and can speak conversational German and Welsh, along with having knowledge of the Scottish Gaelic and Greek languages.

As for Queen Camilla's nickname, she also has another unusual one, although King Charles reportedly didn't care for it. According to royal biographer Robert Hardman (via the Daily Mail), some friends and family started calling her “Lorraine,” a play on the French word for Queen, “la reine,” when it seemed she'd never become Queen. “She always saw the funny side of that—even if Prince Charles did not,” a friend said.

Queen Camilla has been a longstanding champion of reading and a supporter of literacy-related charities, often meeting with authors and visiting schools to read to children. But on Tuesday, June 30, the Royal Family received a barrage of negative comments after sharing a photo of The Queen with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

Rowling has made repeated anti-trans comments over the years, and with their meeting taking place on the last day of Pride month, The Queen's meeting with the author was criticized by many social media users.

“With a shared passion for books and a deep commitment to children reading for pleasure, The Queen and author J.K. Rowling have met at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh,” the Instagram post read.

According to Buckingham Palace, "Her Majesty and Ms Rowling discussed the importance of ensuring that young people have access to books and the vital part reading plays in opening doors for future generations.”

Rowling has become a divisive figure for her social media posts about the transgender community, and the Royal Family's comment sections on both Instagram and X were filled with fans expressing their disappointment over Queen Camilla's meeting.

“As an admirer of the Queen and her Reading Room I’m deeply disappointed in her giving a platform to JKR, any month but especially during Pride Month,” one Instagram user wrote. “There are many other admirable individuals to spotlight who champion reading for children and young people.”

Another comment read, "there's a lot of other children's authors (who have published kids books more recently than 20 years ago) that you could have worked with on this," adding several emojis of the transgender pride flag.

The Queen's meeting with Rowling took place in Edinburgh, where the author wrote the majority of her Harry Potter books, and kicked off Royal Week in Scotland for King Charles and Queen Camilla.

The Royal Family released its annual Sovereign Grant Report on June 25, and along with releasing The King’s tax bills for the first time in history, the palace confirmed that Buckingham Palace will no longer be used as a royal residence.

King Charles and Queen Camilla currently split their time between Clarence House and their respective country homes, Highgrove House and Ray Mill House, opting not to move into Buckingham Palace since their 2023 coronation. Prince William has also made it clear that his Windsor home, Forest Lodge, will be his “forever home” and he has no plans to move back to London when he’s King.

Instead of making Buckingham Palace his royal home, King Charles has chosen to “widen” access to the historic building, which has only been open to tourists on limited dates in the past. “His Majesty retains huge affection for Buckingham Palace and a deep respect for its role in royal and public life,” the report stated.

“It will remain a working home but we are seeking to widen public access precisely to maximise the national benefit of a publicly-funded building,” Buckingham Palace continued, adding that The King and Queen want to ensure there are “increased opportunities” for visitors to tour the building on a more regular basis to lessen the taxpayer burden.

The decision makes King Charles the first monarch not to live at the palace since Queen Victoria moved into the building in 1837. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told GB News that “the optics are likely to raise eyebrows” with the public, especially given the $487 million renovation plan that has been in process at Buckingham Palace since 2017.

However, he added, “I don’t think it will change Buckingham Palace's importance if they don’t live there. It will still be 'Monarchy HQ'; it is an iconic building known throughout the world, and there will be much more public access.”

Queen Camilla doesn’t appear to be making room in her calendar for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s upcoming visit to the U.K. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are crossing the pond next month to begin the one-year countdown until the 2027 Invictus Games. King Charles might be meeting with his son but it’s unlikely he’ll be accompanied by The Queen.

Camilla is “steering well clear” of the couple during the visit. According to the Daily Express, she is “not going to be around when they arrive.”

The Queen and Harry were never believed to be close. However, they remained civil when she married into the Royal Family in 2005. The tone publicly shifted after Prince Harry bared his true feelings on paper. In his 2023 memoir Spare, he opened about their complicated relationship, even revealing he and Prince William initially begged their father not to marry her.

According to The Times, Camilla still holds animosity for his public revelations. The Queen is “deliberately avoiding them” and has reportedly made plans to stay at her Ray Mill house in Gloucestershire during their time in the country. She is “unlikely to get involved” in any meetings with the couple, according to a source.

Queen Camilla doesn’t appear to be the only one keeping a distance from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their return to the U.K. Prince William and Princess Kate are also “incredibly unlikely” to meet with Harry.

King Charles seems to be the only working royal open to the idea of a reunion. Dan Wakeford, the founder of Celebrity Intelligence, told Fox News, "The King is the door that might open.”

Prince Harry has expressed a desire for reconciliation. The expert said, “Harry reportedly wants Charles to spend time with Archie and Lilibet, and he's been pushing for that. And I think that will likely happen from talking to folks in and around this."

Like her late mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth, Queen Camilla has always been a horse girl. Royal Ascot is a highlight on Camilla's calendar every June, and she joins The King and other members of the Royal Family on each day of the races. This year, The Queen looked elegant in shades of cream and blue—along with a parade of designer bags—but on June 20, she was snapped in one moment that any racegoer can relate to.

Dressed in a bold royal blue dress by Fiona Clare and a matching Philip Treacy hat, Queen Camilla fumbles with her Lady Dior bag, a pair of gloves and a £20 bill in a photo captured on the balcony of the Royal Box. It felt refreshingly down-to-earth to know that even The Queen carries some betting money to the racecourse, and the folded bank note displayed a photo of Queen Elizabeth instead of the updated King Charles bills.

Former royal butler Grant Harrold previously told Marie Claire (via Spin Genie) that members of the Royal Family are indeed "allowed to bet on horses," and Queen Elizabeth "was famously known for betting" at the races.

Harrold shared "there's a clip of her winning a whole entire £20, which she was really excited about," adding that the royals "don't bet silly; they just bet what anyone else would put on...They like putting something on; it would be wrong not to."

But even if the late Queen did bet at Ascot, she wasn't known to carry cash in her purse—with one exception. Per the Telegraph, Queen Elizabeth always brought one "precisely folded" five-pound bill to put in the donation plate at church on Sundays.

As for Queen Camilla, Harrold says she's the one to go to for betting advice. "If you're going to be taking advice on which horses, I would look at Camilla for a good tip," he shared.

One of the most exciting parts of a day at Royal Ascot is the Royal Procession, a parade of carriages and horses arriving at the famed race course and coming into the parade ring. Usually the carriages are reserved for actual royalty, but Hollywood royalty made an appearance on Day 3 of Royal Ascot 2026 as Stanley Tucci and his wife, Felicity Blunt, joined Lord and Lady Cavendish in the fourth carriage.

With the King and Queen leading the parade in the first carriage, Princess Anne, Duchess Sophie, and Zara Tindall were among the other royal members of the Royal Procession. Stanley Tucci may come as a surprise to join the royals and aristocrats usually riding in the carriage, but the actor most affectionately remembered as Nigel from The Devil Wears Prada is reportedly a very good friend of King Charles and Queen Camilla.

King Charles first crossed paths with Stanley Tucci during several events in support of The Prince’s Trust—now known as The King’s Trust. Their friendship became even more apparent in February 2025, when Tucci was tasked with creating and co-hosting a special Anglo-Italian "Slow Food and Fashion” dinner at Highgrove House. The event lead up to King Charles and Queen Camilla’s official visit to Italy, and celebrated the unique relationship between Italy and the United Kingdom.

Stanley Tucci and his wife, Felicity, looked right at home in the Royal Box at Ascot, alongside close friends and family of The King and Queen. While Stanley has a friendly relationship with King Charles, the invitation may have actually come from Queen Camilla for Felicity Blunt, Tucci’s wife.

Blunt acted as agent for Queen Camilla’s dear friend, Jilly Cooper, and is an executive producer on Rivals, a show close to Queen Camilla’s heart (for many reasons). Dominic Treadwell-Collins, the leading writer and producer on Rivals, was also in attendance, leading us to believe this was Queen Camilla’s doing—perhaps she is also dying to know what happens between Taggie and Rupert during the rest of Season 2.

Despite suffering from mobility issues, Queen Elizabeth carried out her duties to the very end, meeting with the incoming Prime Minister, Liz Truss, just two days before her 2022 death at the age of 96. The late Queen turned to members of her family for support at times, but as Queen Camilla told author Gyles Brandreth, it wasn’t always “necessary.”

In the months following Prince Philip’s 2021 death, those around the late Queen worried about her mental state. Brandreth, a longtime friend of the Royal Family, noted in his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait that Queen Elizabeth had a “different” approach to mourning than her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.

“There is no magic formula that will transform sorrow into happiness,” she said, “but being busy helps.” Part of keeping busy meant attending to royal duties, when possible, since Philip's death happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant attending the October 2021 openings of Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Senedd, and King Charles and Queen Camilla came along for both trips.

But Camilla, then known as the Duchess of Cornwall, told Brandreth that their presence really wasn’t “required” due to the formidable Queen.

“‘We weren’t required,’” the Duchess said to me soon afterwards, laughing,” Brandreth wrote. “‘We were there to help out if necessary. It wasn’t necessary. The Queen did it all. She wanted to.” Camilla added, “She’s unstoppable.”

Queen Elizabeth put so much energy into staying busy after her husband's death that Brandreth said she pushed it a bit too far. “In that period of six months, the late Queen “did so much, so purposefully and with such a determination to not give way to any form of self-pity (which, she said, ‘My husband would certainly have not approved of’), that she probably did too much.”

However, no could have accused of her of wallowing. “Life goes on,” she said. “It has to.”

For Trooping the Colour 2026, Queen Camilla repeated a recognizable coat dress from Fiona Clare. The military-inspired design was a departure from the pastel coats and dresses usually worn by members of the Royal Family, but Queen Camilla’s confidence shined through as she coordinated next to her husband, King Charles.

Queen Camilla is acting Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, which is where she found inspiration for the bespoke coat from her preferred designer, Fiona Clare. The red wool base with black and gold trim and gold military-inspired buttons creates a feminine rendition of the Grenadier Guards uniform, and is notably similar to King Charles’s own military coat. The similar designs create a unified image of The King and Queen, representing their country on the most important royal occasion of the year.

Queen Camilla first wore the coat dress in 2023, paired with a Philip Treacy hat inspired by the Grenadier Guards bearskins. This year, she wore a new black beret, also designed by Philip Treacy, which featured a unique white plume and gold detail. The gold design is a reimagination of the cap badge of the Grenadier Guards, which features a “flaming grenade,” the same cap badge worn by King Charles.

While we initially thought King Charles and Queen Camilla were sporting matching gold pineapples on their hats, the flaming grenade has an interesting history. It is one of the oldest military symbols in military history, used by different regiments and military groups throughout the world. Queen Camilla’s white plume—officially known as a heckle—has historical meaning as well, signifying her role as colonel.

The departure from feminine coats and hats to a bold military-inspired look, matching King Charles’s regal uniform, demonstrates Queen Camilla’s role as The King’s modern "strength and stay." The two look unified in their commitment to the United Kingdom, representing Britain in a modern world.

Queen Camilla has an enviable handbag collection, ranging from Dior to Bottega Veneta to Chanel. Anyone would be tempted to swipe a classic top handle bag or an evening clutch from her closet. At a recent royal engagement, Queen Camilla gave us a peek at what she keeps inside her handbags that has made us all love her even more. It isn’t a Clarins Lip Perfector or a silk handkerchief, but something much more relatable.

On a visit to St. Mungo’s, a homelessness support charity in London, Queen Camilla revealed that she almost always has a book in her handbag. Speaking to morning talk show broadcaster Lorraine Kelly, Kelly told the Queen “I’ve always got a book in my bag,” to which Queen Camilla enthusiastically replied, “so have I.”

For the special visit, which focused on the connection between literacy and homelessness support, Queen Camilla donated 20 books to the facility from her own bookshelf of favorites. The books included popular titles such as Wuthering Heights (is Queen Camilla Team a fan of Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights, one wonders?), War Horse, A Gentleman in Moscow and Black Beauty. “Books do so much for people,” the Queen said during the visit. “It is a wonderful way of escapism and taking them out of their life and into another one.”

Queen Camilla has been a passionate advocate for literacy and the power of a book. Through The Queen’s Reading Room, Queen Camilla has connected many charities and organizations through the impact and benefits of reading “With their extraordinary power to educate and inspire, books have enriched my life since I was a child,” Queen Camilla shared on The Queen’s Reading Room website. “I hope that we, together with our partners, can foster in adults and children alike a lifelong love of literature and connect more people with that special magic that can only be found in the leaves of a book.”

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When it was announced that King Charles and Queen Camilla were confirmed to attend the Epsom Derby on the same day as his nephew Peter Phillips’s wedding, some royal watchers wondered if he’d be skipping the nuptials. But true to form, the smiling King and Queen arrived at the church in Kemble, England on Saturday before dashing off to the derby. It’s an approach The King’s former butler, Grant Harrold, says is markedly different from the late Queen.

Speaking on behalf of CasinoHawks, Harrold says King Charles has always “adored his nephew,” describing them as “very close.” He adds that even though it was a tight timeline, The King made sure that being at Peter's wedding was a top priority, despite his scheduled royal duties.

“It would have been a logistical nightmare to make it work, but the King and his team would have gone to extreme lengths to ensure he could be there for the ceremony,” Harrold shares.

Queen Elizabeth was known for her incredible dedication to Crown and country, but at times, that came at the expense of her family, as Harrold points out. He calls The King attending Peter and Harriet’s wedding “interesting because it shows how different the King is to his mother.”

“The late Queen was always about duty first, family after,” he shares. “She missed many family occasions as she didn’t want to let people down at official engagements. However, The King is a bit more relaxed on this, and wants to make sure he’s there for the big moments in his family’s life.” Harrold describes his former boss as trying to keep “all the plates spinning.”

“Where The Queen was Crown first, family second, the King works really hard to keep them equal,” he adds.

Although the King and Queen weren’t able to be there for Peter and Harriet’s wedding reception at Princess Anne’s home, Gatcombe Park, the bride and groom certainly would have understood.

“Many people took this as rude or a snub, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Harrold says of Their Majesties leaving early. “The King was due to present a trophy at the races, which is a huge engagement in the royal diary. And while for us, we wouldn’t feel bad about cancelling a work event for a close family member’s wedding, it’s of course very, very different from the royals.”

Queen Camilla brought back a familiar favorite pink coat to attend the Founder’s Day ceremony at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on June 4—but it was her new floral bag that stole the show. Queen Elizabeth’s favorite handbag brand, Launer, recently launched a new collection with fellow royal warrant holder Sanderson, and Camilla was among the first to get in on the floral-filled action.

The late Queen carried Launer’s top-handled bags on repeat—most often in black—but she occasionally reached for the British brand’s clutches for formal events. Queen Camilla also chose a Launer clutch for her visit to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, carrying an $1,885 Bella bag covered in Sanderson’s historic rose and peony print which dates back to 1914.

The clutch also pays tribute to Queen Elizabeth in a more direct way, with proceeds from the Launer x Sanderson collaboration benefiting The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST). The charity supports talented and aspiring artisans by funding education and training, with QEST dedicated to strengthening the future of the U.K.’s craft sector.

Queen Camilla paired her flowery clutch with the same candy pink coat dress she wore to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's May 2018 royal wedding. The Anna Valentine design is trimmed with fringe detail at the seams, and she pinned Queen Elizabeth's favorite diamond starburst brooch to her jacket.

Instead of the fanciful feather-trimmed hat she wore to the wedding, Camilla chose a summery beige hat she's had in her closet for a number of years.

The Royal Hospital Chelsea is the home of the Chelsea Pensioners, who are retired members of the British Army. During its Founder's Day event, Queen Camilla paid tribute to the facility and it staff, saying, “You offer care, camaraderie and community to those men and women who have served our nation, whilst upholding the highest standards.”

However, she threw in some of her signature humor to the speech, adding, “At the same time, I gather from some ‘off-the-record’ conversations with pensioners, that it is also a place of secretive gin bars, port associations and the feeding of foxes, done at night to dodge the quartermaster.”

Ever since Prince Albert bought the Balmoral estate in 1852, it’s been a cherished retreat for members of the Royal Family. The 50,000-acre estate includes multiple private residences as well as Balmoral Castle, and is the traditional summer home of the British royals. King Charles and Queen Camilla invite family, friends and politicians to Balmoral every year, and former royal butler Grant Harrold is sharing what it’s really like behind the scenes at the Scottish retreat.

Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo, Harrold—who served King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House for nearly a decade—says visiting Balmoral is “lovely but it’s quite full on and regimented.” Guests receive “a full information pack” before their arrival, and members of staff will take their bags away (and unpack them) once they get to the property.

Apparently, this part of the trip is what Harrold and other staff members sometimes struggled with when welcoming new guests. “The only issue we ran into was guests not knowing where their clothes were!” he reveals. “So we’d leave drawers slightly open and wardrobes ajar so they could spot their things. We’d unzip toiletries too, but never unpack them. We’d just leave them sitting by the wash basin.”

Describing the guest rooms at the castle, Harrold says they’re “more like an exclusive hotel” and are “private, elegant and a little grand with Victorian furniture.” Visitors and royals alike have often shared that they were overwhelmed with the rules at Balmoral, and Harrold admitted that “you can't really say no to anything.”

“Guests know what they’re doing at all times,” he said, explaining that a schedule is given that tells visitors where to be and when. However, the activities are planned with guests in mind.

“The Prime Minister would normally go up for a long weekend, but it will be the same treatment as any other visitors,” Harrold shares. “He'll be given an idea what to do and he'll get the itinerary. The itineraries are tailored to accommodate each guest. If he likes fishing, maybe they go fishing. If he likes walking, they'll go walking. He’ll also have meetings with the King and they can use the time to catch up.”

Once upon a time, guests would even expect to see a bit of royal dish washing. The late Queen’s former press secretary, Dickie Arbiter recalled a visit to Balmoral when he got to work cleaning up after a picnic with Her Majesty.

“No sooner had I started than I heard footsteps and, thinking it was the lady-in-waiting coming to give me a hand, I casually said over my shoulder, 'okay, I’ll wash you dry,' but it was not the lady-in-waiting,” he wrote in Woman & Home. “The Queen washed up and I dried, and no, she did not wear rubber gloves to protect her hands.”

Former Prime Minister David Cameron told a similar story to author Gyles Brandreth, who included the tidbit in his biography Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait. “I'm not making this up, you sat down and Prince Philip and Her Majesty The Queen served your dinner and cleared it away and washed it up while you sat talking with the other guests,” Cameron told the author .

Harriet Sperling will marry Peter Phillips on Saturday, June 6, and the question on everyone’s lips is whether she’ll wear a tiara. It will be a second marriage for both NHS nurse Harriet and Princess Anne’s only son, and ahead of their wedding, jewelry expert Nilesh Rakholia says that the newest member of the Royal Family could look to Queen Camilla for inspiration.

“Historically, second royal weddings tend to lean much more understated in their jewelry language, with less emphasis on overt bridal grandeur,” Rakholia says. He points to The King and Queen’s 2005 wedding, when Camilla wore a feathered Philip Treacy headpiece instead of a tiara.

“Camilla notably chose not to wear a tiara for her civil wedding or subsequent blessing at Windsor,” Rakholia notes, adding that her hat gave “a more relaxed and modern bridal aesthetic compared to traditional royal bridal dressing.”

After marrying King Charles on July 29, 1981, Princess Diana became a member of the British Royal Family. As a result, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip became her in-laws. After Charles and Diana separated, Elizabeth and Philip reportedly weighed in on the couple's issues, and some of their comments allegedly made the former Princess of Wales's "blood boil."

In the book A Royal Duty, former butler Paul Burrell recalled Princess Diana's reaction to some of Prince Philip's accusations about her marriage.

"But what stunned the princess was when Prince Philip raised the thorny issue of her husband’s mistress," Burrell shared in his book. "He wrote that she should have been grateful that her husband had, initially, cut himself off from Camilla Parker Bowles. Prince Charles felt he had made 'a considerable sacrifice' in cutting ties with her and that the princess had 'not appreciated what he had done.'"

According to Burrell, Prince Philip seemingly delivered a "knock-out blow that had left the princess sobbing."

In a letter to Princess Diana, the former Duke of Edinburgh reportedly wrote, "Can you honestly look into your heart and say that Charles's relationship with Camilla had nothing to do with your behavior towards him in your marriage?"

As noted by the former royal butler, "The princess was being accused of driving Prince Charles into the arms of the one woman she had tried to keep him away from. Even a year on, the idea made her blood boil."

Per Burrell, the accusation caused Princess Diana to rant, "They are all the bloody same—looking after one another!"

Royal Ascot isn’t Royal Ascot without the “royal” part—that is, the presence of royalty in the Royal Enclosure and the iconic royal procession of carriages arriving at the famed race course. Queen Elizabeth II, as a passionate horsewoman, attended almost every year, and King Charles III has taken up the reins as he attends the annual Royal Ascot races as often as he can.

The British do pomp and ceremony better than anyone else, and Royal Ascot is a great example of that. “That is the history we are trying to continue,” Mike Tindall, former rugby player and husband to King Charles’s niece, Zara Tindall, said on The Luxury Dispatch. “That royal procession down the course, it's still a standalone feature of what happens at Royal Ascot.”

Mike Tindall has sat in the royal carriage procession next to his wife, a well respected and former Olympic equestrian, many times, and revealed a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the events of the day. “You jump in cars, the fleet of cars that they use are old, historical, good old fashioned state cars and they take you to the edge of [Windsor] Great Park.”

From Windsor Great Park, the royals climb into historic wicker landau carriages that process through Windsor and onto the race course. “It’s about a 20 minute carriage ride from start to finish,” Tindall said, sharing the overwhelming experience of the entire procession. “The horses, the green coats, when you set off you go past schools, it seems to be a load of schools, and they always let the children out and wave the British flags, and I’m thinking that’s great.”

With Royal Ascot running in mid-June, there is a risk of the weather being too good. “If it’s too hot, it’s a bit of a nightmare,” Tindall admitted. Royal Ascot’s Royal Enclosure dress code requires full tails and a top hat for men, which can be oppressive if the temperatures are sweltering. “If you take the hat off, a pool of water drops out” Mike Tindall joked, referring to pools of sweat on a sweltering day.

The iconic image of the carriages processing through the Royal Ascot racecourse are a British classic. “You turn on to the track down the middle of the course, and when you turn into the stadium,” Tindall reflected on previous years at Royal Ascot. In carriages carrying the King and Queen and other senior members of the Royal Family, it’s hard to miss the significance of this carriage procession. “The anthem starts, and it’s quite special.”

The end of May marks a holiday weekend in both the United States and the U.K., but according to former royal butler Grant Harrold, King Charles and the rest of the royals don’t get up to any exciting plans. Instead, they’re focused on business as usual, and when they do go away, Harrold says it’s “a bit boring.”

Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo Online, Harrold—who served King Charles as a butler at Highgrove House between 2004 and 2011—says members of the Royal Family are “normally working” over a long weekend. “The royals have very boring bank holiday weekends,” he shares. “Sometimes they will have friends come over for dinner, but overall it would still be a working day for them. They’re creatures of habit, they don't change.”

Workaholic King Charles, in particular, likes to keep the same schedule. “The King’s routine is the same every day. His mother was the same, so I think it’s just how he’s been brought up,” Harrold added. “Even if they’re away for a bank holiday weekend, they still do their same routines. They’re a bit boring really.”

Like the late Queen, The King and Queen Camilla like to spend their time on the Balmoral estate in Scotland, but before she married into the Royal Family, she preferred warmer spots. “Camilla likes the sun, I think she likes the Mediterranean,” Harrold says. “Before she went to Balmoral, she used to go on yacht holidays.”

He adds that Prince William and Princess Kate—who are big fans of the French Alps as well as beach vacations— also “seem to like their yachting holidays.” As for Princess Anne, she’s more like her mother and eldest brother.

“I'm not aware of Princess Anne going overseas like that,” Harrold shares. “I think she tends to do the traditional Scotland when she goes up there for her breaks.”

Although he’s a Balmoral enthusiast, King Charles does occasionally travel elsewhere, with Harrold noting that when The King goes on an overseas tour, he “sometimes ties in other trips.” The former butler continues that King Charles has “a house in Romania, which he will add onto a tour. But normally for holidays it’s Scotland. He’s more of a traditionalist.”

It’s been a busy May for the Royal Family filled with overseas trips, garden parties and birthday celebrations, and despite the shadow of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s scandals, it seems like it’s back to business for the monarchy. After receiving a rock star reception in Italy, Princess Kate is generating quite the buzz about taking on more trips abroad, with multiple royal experts pointing out that the future of the monarchy is riding on Prince William and Princess Kate’s shoulders.

Reflecting on Kate’s first solo trip overseas since her 2024 cancer diagnosis, Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary Ailsa Anderson told People that it was integral for the future Queen to be out there in the public.

“As Queen Elizabeth used to say, you have to be seen to be believed,” Anderson said. The former palace employee continued that the Princess of Wales is “glamorous” and “beautiful,” as well as “warm and approachable.”

“On the back of The King’s successful visit to the States, William and Kate are upping their game,” she added.

With The King, Queen and Princess Anne all well into their seventies and Prince Edward and Duchess Sophie in their sixties, it’s become more important than ever for the Prince and Princess of Wales to carry more of the burden of royal work.

“Princess Anne and the other senior working royals are all stretched thin — and none of them are young,” author Catherine Mayer told People. “William and Catherine carry the whole thing.”

After years of being called “work shy,” Prince William and Princess Kate are now amping up their royal projects—on their own terms. The Princess of Wales, who announced she was in remission from cancer in January 2025, has been clear that family is her first priority. But as seen from the tremendous response to her Italy trip, she’s also needed as a worldwide ambassador for the Royal Family.

Mayer says that Prince William and Princess Kate’s star power is helping restore confidence in the monarchy after former Prince Andrew’s arrest and involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.

“For the moment, after that period of unprecedented turbulence, they are doing a very good job of making it look like the ship is steady,” said Mayer. “That is why Kate is so important.”

Queen Camilla has been quietly putting her own stamp on Queen Elizabeth’s fashion legacy, and she showed she’s on top of her style game while joining King Charles for a three-day visit to Northern Ireland.

The King and Queen arrived in Belfast on Tuesday, May 19, and Camilla put a French girl spin on some classic British brands as they met organizers and performers involved in an upcoming Irish festival. The weather didn’t quite cooperate for their visit, but Queen Camilla was prepared with one of the late Queen’s favorite accessories, a clear Fulton birdcage umbrella.

Queen Elizabeth owned the British brand’s bubble umbrellas in a huge variety of colors, but Camilla favors classic black. And while The Queen has long been a fan of her late mother-in-law’s beloved Launer bags, she carried a Princess Diana-approved style for her trip to Belfast, choosing a beige Lady Dior bag.

The Lady Dior bag is one of Camilla's favorite styles, and she's been spotted carrying the quilted style in black and white versions over the years, along with her biscuit-hued colorway.

She kept the French theme going with cap-toed Chanel heels and a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet, but added a tribute to the Emerald Isles with her brooch. Queen Camilla wore one of Queen Elizabeth's wedding gifts pinned to her lapel, choosing the late monarch's turquoise and diamond shamrock brooch.

As for the rest of her outfit, Queen Camilla wore a baby blue wrap coat by one of her go-to designers, Anna Valentine, pairing it with a cheerful white floral-print dress by British designer Fiona Clare.

On May 20, The Queen had another shamrock moment, pinning the same brooch to a navy coat by The Fold before changing into a brighter blue coat dress and hat for a garden party at Hillsborough Castle. This time, she swapped her shamrock for a diamond and sapphire butterfly brooch that she's owned for a number of years—the perfect pin for a day in the garden.

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.

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.

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."

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

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.

King Charles and Queen Camilla pulled out all the British pomp and ceremony to attend the State Opening of Parliament. In the Irish State Coach, The King and Queen made a fairytale trip from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster in full pageantry: an ermin-trimmed cape, a white satin gown, diamonds, with the state diadems travelling in another regal carriage—for safety, naturally.

While this royal event is a regular exercise, King Charles was feeling the stress of an upheaved parliament as Britain’s government faces some unrest. Luckily, Queen Camilla was there to provide reassurance and an image of continuity for both her husband and the nation.

“Camilla is really his rock, her more relaxed and light movements and expressions balance Charles’ intense focus,” body language expert Darren Stanton told Betfair Casino. “You could see him looking to her for reassurance frequently as they entered parliament.” While King Charles was serious and stern, Queen Camilla’s relaxed mood offset The King’s unease.

“Queen Elizabeth left such a glorious legacy and he had a lot to live up to after his mother’s tremendous reign, so he works incredibly hard to perform at his best during these ceremonies,” Stanton said, explaining The King’s pressure to perform at the State Opening of Parliament. Queen Camilla’s ‘Cinderella moment’ as she takes off down the staircase ahead of him is the perfect depiction of today’s event—The Queen is ready to carry on with her day, while King Charles still feels the weight of the occasion.

While her mood may have been relaxed, Queen Camilla’s attire was entirely formal with George IV State Diadem stealing the show. “What stood out was the sense of continuity rather than spectacle,” jewellery expert Nilesh Rakholia, Founder of Abelini, explained to Marie Claire. The state diadem is an iconic piece in the British crown jewels, but Rakholia explains that the diadem wasn’t chosen for the wow-factor. “It was chosen to reinforce stability, heritage, and ceremonial permanence, which is exactly the role these pieces are meant to perform.”

“Royal jewellery at occasions like the State Opening operates almost like visual diplomacy,” Rakholia said. “These pieces carry memory, symbolism, and institutional identity. Queen Camilla’s approach respected that tradition while still allowing moments of softness and individuality to come through.”

Although King Charles and other members of the Royal Family have chauffeurs to take them to royal engagements, they do drive themselves places, too. Prince William and Princess Kate in particular love to drive their kids to school themselves, and The King has owned a convertible Aston Martin since his 21st birthday. Former royal butler Grant Harrold has opened up about the Royal Family’s driving habits, including the opposing theories King Charles and Queen Camilla have about their car organization.

Speaking to Select Car Leasing, Harrold said that for the Royal Family, driving is “a bit of normality and freedom for them.” He added that King Charles “would often prefer to drive himself than using a chauffeur,” unless it was to an official royal engagement.

As for what the royals keep in their cars when heading to events, the former butler, who served The King and Queen Camilla between 2004 and 2011, said Charles “always had a cushion on his seat to support his back, we always had to make sure there was one in there for him.” Bottles of water and mints were also musts for members of the Royal Family, but Harrold said that snacks were a pass for The King.

“He was always working away, especially if it was a long drive,” Harrold said of King Charles. “But the King never had snacks in the car as he really doesn’t like mess.”

Queen Camilla, however, is known to have a messier backseat. “Queen Camilla in particular was known to always have her dogs in the car,” Harrold said. These days, Jack Russell terrier Bluebell and mixed-breed rescue dog Moley are part of The King and Queen's crew, along with his truffle hunting dog, Snuff.

“Her car always had loads of hair in the backseat where they sat,” Harrold added. Sounds like corgi enthusiast Queen Elizabeth would approve.

It may come as a surprise to learn that Queen Camilla—King Charles's wife, the Queen of England, the 78-year-old consort, that Queen Camilla—has a bit of a racy side. A fan of the sexy TV series Rivals and occasionally raunchy chick lit, The Queen doesn’t shy away from a bit of spice in her life. She’s known for being a little bit cheeky and up for a good flirty joke—after all, her iconic condolences for Dame Jilly Cooper wished the late author a hereafter “filled with impossibly handsome men and devoted dogs."

Queen Camilla shared a potentially very sexy beauty secret with human rights attorney Amal Clooney earlier this week. At the 50th anniversary celebration of The King’s Trust, Queen Camilla met Amal and her husband, George. Amal Clooney complimented The Queen, saying, “you smell very good—amazing.” Queen Camilla quickly replied, “it’s a Charlotte Tilbury scent.” Queen Camilla expanded on her perfume of choice, too quietly for the audio to pick up, but a slightly shocked Amal Clooney replies, “ooh, I see, so it’s a signature."

Charlotte Tilbury has several perfumes that “enhance feelings of love, happiness, seduction and confidence,” according to the brand. The six perfumes all feature a “magic scent trail that lasts up to 18 hours” and “emotion-boosting molecules to boost your chosen mood.” While the aromatic emotions include calm, joy, power, confidence, and love, Amal Clooney’s reaction and Queen Camilla’s hesitance to share the scent on the red carpet made us curious. The Queen’s penchant for cheeky jokes and a bit of spice in her life have Marie Claire editors suspecting she wears the brand’s More Sex fragrance.

Charlotte Tilbury's More Sex scent is described by the brand as “a rush of passion through your body,” with scent notes “that always leave you wanting more.” More Sex is sultry and deep, with notes of black pepper, musk, sandalwood, and leather accord, which “is the perfect scent for an alluring aura of attraction.” I recently attended a Charlotte Tilbury event, and it was truthfully the best scent in the whole collection—warm, sensual, and the kind of perfume you compliment another woman on when you catch the scent it.

Shop The Scent

Like her late mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth, Queen Camilla is also a huge dog lover, so it’s fitting she's served as patron of the charity Medical Detection Dogs since 2014. Princess Kate’s brother, James Middleton, has made dogs his life’s work, and the duo caught up at a Clarence House reception—along with some four-legged friends.

Dog breeder James, who founded premium pet food company James & Ella, is also working with Medical Detection Dogs, and The Queen greeted him with a hug and kiss at the event.

“It’s lovely that you are supporting them, you are doing some feed for them, aren’t you?” Queen Camilla said, per the Daily Mail. Middleton replied, “Yes, treats,” adding he felt “really fortunate to be involved.”

The Queen, James and other guests witnessed demonstrations of the “incredible” work the medical detection dogs do, such as spotting when people are in distress or even sniffing out specific conditions like bowel cancer.

“I’m mind-blown by what they do,” Middleton told Queen Camilla. “It’s incredible. We can learn from dogs as much as they learn from us.”

While James breeds cocker spaniels, Queen Camilla is a fan of Jack Russell terriers and also has a mixed-breed rescue dog, Moley. The tiny dog even starred in a 100th birthday video for Sir David Attenborough last week along with a cast of wild animals.

At the reception, one woman named Lucy told Queen Camilla about the impact her own medical detection dog has had, with The Queen replying, “They are extraordinary the way they change your life.”

At 78, Queen Camilla might not be the first person you’d think of as a royal beauty influencer. But during her recent visit to the United States, her gorgeous appearance “impressed” one British Airways employee so much that the woman drilled a royal journalist for information on The Queen’s beauty routine.

Speaking on the Daily Mail’s “Palace Confidential” podcast, royal editor Rebecca English said that one airport staff member struck up a conversation with her in Washington, D.C. after the state visit. English noted that although King Charles left Washington for Bermuda, Queen Camilla flew back to London commercially.

“The next day I was flying back from Washington myself and when I got to the BA check in desk, the very friendly lady said, 'What have you been here doing? Work? Pleasure?'” English said. “I was telling her I was covering the royal trip and she went 'Ah! We saw Queen Camilla as she walked in yesterday'.”

The woman “desperately wanted to chat” and said that the employees “couldn't quite believe it” when Camilla showed up, noting “she's got really good skin.” The BA employee then began asking more detailed questions to English, like “Has she had anything done? What's her health regime? What's her skin care regime like?”

“She really wanted to chat about it because she was really, really impressed," the royal editor added.

While The Queen isn't exactly doing GRWM videos, we do know some of her favorite beauty products. Camilla recently visited The Couture Brow, a specialist based at The Lanesborough Club & Spa in London, for their bespoke eyebrow design services. And she's such an enthusiast of bee venom facialist Deborah Mitchell that she awarded Mitchell with a coveted royal warrant.

“One day, I decided to surprise her, and I used some of her own honey to make her Bee Venom products and gave it back to her!” the facialist told People in 2025. Perhaps she can make a quick delivery to the Dulles airport, too.

The Royal Family’s love of animals has been well documented throughout the years, and on Friday, May 8, Queen Camilla’s newest rescue dog, Moley, and a group of wild animals were enlisted to pull off an adorable surprise for Sir David Attenborough. Prince William joined the famed naturalist and broadcaster for an event marking his 100th birthday on Friday night, and little Moley made a special appearance in a video shown at the celebration.

In a clip shown at the Royal Albert Hall gala, King Charles sits at his desk at Balmoral Castle to write a letter to Attenborough—who has known The King since he was a child—and sweetly includes Moley in the activity. Queen Camilla adopted the mixed-breed dog after her Jack Russell terrier, Beth, died in 2024, and Moley lets out tiny barks as she runs behind The King in the video.

Once settled in his office, the dog relaxes on a cushion as King Charles writes out his “warmest congratulations” to Sir David. “It is amazing to think that you and I have known each other for more than 60 years,” The King narrated in the video. “Indeed, I believe we first met in 1958, almost a decade before color television.”

After thanking Attenborough for protecting the planet and wildlife, The King watches out the window as Moley follows a footman carrying the card on a silver tray. It then takes a journey in a Land Rover before a sheepdog named Flynn takes the card in his mouth, passing it off to an eagle before a wide array of animals take the card from Scotland all the way to London.

A hedgehog, deer, fox, swan and many more creatures take the letter on its journey before an owl dropped it through Sir David’s mail slot in a very Harry Potter-esque scene from the video. Finally, it reached the Royal Albert Hall—and Sir David was pictured standing up with the mud-stained envelope as Prince William beamed next to him.

Unfortunately, Moley wasn’t there for the special birthday party, but the Prince of Wales did make a touching speech.

“Like millions across the world, my children have grown up with your incredible storytelling—a window into the wonders of nature that shaped their understanding of our planet, and their belief that it is something worth fighting for,” William said.

“And for me personally, your friendship has been profound,” the future King continued. “You have strengthened my own determination to act. To work with those who are raising awareness of the challenges and building the solutions that drive meaningful change. Through your support in establishing The Earthshot Prize, we are now striving to turn your inspiration into action, to champion those solutions that are creating a more sustainable future for us all.”

King Charles waited more than 70 years to become King, and since he’s taken the throne, the monarch seems to have a new energy. Despite his cancer treatments, The King keeps up with a busy program of local royal engagements and overseas trips, and one royal biographer wrote that much has changed since Queen Elizabeth died in 2022.

In his biography of the late Queen, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, Gyles Brandreth writes that King Charles “is a good man with a good heart” and praised his abilities to be a “fine King.” However, the author noted that when he was the Prince of Wales, Charles might’ve been more of an Eeyore than a Tigger.

“Sometimes in the past, he seemed to walk about with an invisible rain cloud hovering over his head," Brandreth, who has been close with the Royal Family for decades, wrote. “Not so now.”

“He is equal to this moment and you can see it straight away—in his bearing, in his tone of voice, his turn of phrase,” Brandreth continued.

Fellow royal biographer Robert Hardman agreed with the sentiment in a recent interview with Marie Claire. “I think he really enjoys being The King,” Hardman, who has been covering Charles for more than 30 years, said. “He is, I would say, as happy as I’ve ever seen him.”

Hardman added that like Queen Elizabeth, “when the buck stops with you” it can feel “quite lonely at the top,” but King Charles seems to feel “a genuine sort of purpose and an energy” now that he’s King.

The author and royal journalist continued that King Charles has managed to maintain a positive attitude despite his health or the many issues plaguing world politics. “Despite everything that's going on, despite the cancer diagnosis, despite the estrangement from his son [Prince Harry], despite the fact that the country is in a dreadful state and the whole world's falling apart…he's a happy monarch,” he said.

Queen Elizabeth’s style is being explored in a blockbuster exhibition at Buckingham Palace this year, and although the late monarch is no longer with us, touches of her iconic wardrobe are still seen in the Royal Family. Queen Camilla, for one, showed similarities to her late mother-in-law at the first Buckingham Palace garden party of the year on May 6.

The Queen had a Cinderella moment on her coronation anniversary, repeating a beautifully embroidered Fiona Clare coat dress with a matching Philip Treacy hat—but it was the rest of her accessories that brought Queen Elizabeth to mind.

Camilla carried an ivory clutch by British brand Launer, and the designer's distinctive bags were perhaps the most recognizable part of Queen Elizabeth's royal wardrobe. Queen Camilla is also an admirer of the luxury label and has been seen with their bags over the past 20 years, even carrying a Launer clutch to her 2005 civil wedding to King Charles.

Although Queen Elizabeth exclusively carried Launer bags for decades—with the exception of a few rare, custom-made designs—Camilla is often seen with purses from other brands. She's especially fond of the Lady Dior bag, ironically named after Princess Diana, and also favors Demellier, Moynat and Anya Hindmarch, which she recently granted with a royal warrant.

Camilla also channeled the late Queen at the garden party by carrying a clear umbrella by royal-favorite brand Fulton. It's a style the late Queen couldn't get enough of, and she owned the bubble umbrella in a rainbow of colors to match her outfits.

Ever-practical Camilla, however, didn't coordinate her coat to her umbrella like the late Queen, whose enormous Fulton collection ranged from baby pink to bright green and everything in between. Instead, Queen Camilla carried a go-with-everything black-trimmed design rather than a pastel blue umbrella.

King Charles kicked off garden party season at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, May 6, celebrating the third anniversary of his coronation with members of the Royal Family and hundreds of guests. Royal garden parties honor members of the British public who serve their communities, and during the first party of 2026, The King, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne received an extra-warm greeting from one special guest.

In footage shared on Instagram, The King takes time greeting attendees as he walks down a line of people, stopping to pay extra attention to a service dog named Vegas. The monarch bent over to pet the sweet brown cocker spaniel from the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People charity as he chatted with the dog’s owner, Kate Wilson. “They do hearing dogs too, now? Marvellous," he said, per GB News.

Vegas jumped up enthusiastically on The King’s legs, and he seemed so enamored with the dog that one impatient garden party guest exclaimed, “Your Majesty, we’re waiting over here!”

Vegas also met with Queen Camilla as well as Princess Anne, who serves as patron of the hearing dogs charity. The Princess Royal asked if Vegas took such a liking to “everyone or is it just me?” as she gave lots of attention to the dog.

Speaking of Princess Anne, Vegas's owner, Kate Wilson said, “She’s a wonderful lady with all the work she does. I'm a teacher and having Vegas has changed everything for me.”

Wilson said that Vegas “can alert me to things that are going on or alarms going off. And it means my son can leave me alone without worrying. It’s been life-changing.”

“She does jump up a little but everyone took it in their stride,” Wilson said, and it seems like dog lovers Anne, Charles and Camilla certainly did.

Queen Camilla is said to have given King Charles a new confidence as he takes on his role as monarch, and according to biographer Gyles Brandreth, their relationship brings to mind another successful royal couple. In his book Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, the author wrote that observing Camilla has convinced him that she’ll be “the co-author” of The King’s success, just like Prince Philip was for Queen Elizabeth.

Brandreth worked alongside the late Duke of Edinburgh with the National Playing Fields Association, now known as Fields Trust, beginning in the 1970s, and wrote that he “liked his style.”

Much like Queen Camilla with her royal work, Prince Philip “wanted to make a difference where others, often, only make a noise,” Brandreth wrote. “He wasn’t one for honeyed words and empty gestures.”

When discussing Prince Philip, Brandreth—who was writing the section of his book shortly after Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022—added, “Until this week I thought he was irreplaceable. I was wrong.”

While watching Queen Camilla interact with the public alongside King Charles in the days following the late Queen's passing, Brandreth mused that he saw his “old boss (and hero) reborn—in Camilla.”

He wrote that while Prince Philip was Queen Elizabeth's “strength and stay,” Queen Camilla provides that same role for King Charles. “She is fundamental to the architecture of his life,” the biographer wrote, calling The Queen King Charles’s “good companion and best friend.”

The late duke “always knew he was the support act,” Brandreth wrote, noting that Queen Camilla takes on the same role. “Like Prince Philip, Camilla has accepted her destiny,” Brandreth continued. “She did not seek it.”

Reflecting on The Queen's 75th birthday lunch in 2022, which Brandreth hosted alongside Dame Joanna Lumley, the author shared that Camilla made a touching reference to her late father-in-law in a speech.

“The Duke of Edinburgh’s philosophy was clear,” she told the guests, quoting Prince Philip by saying, “Look up and look out, say less, do more—and get on with the job.” Poignantly, she added, “And that is just what I intend to do.”

Royal biographer Robert Hardman was granted a special audience with Donald Trump during this week’s U.K. state visit to the White House, and during his private meeting with the president, the author gained insight on the success of The King and Queen's trip.

Hardman previously met President Trump at Mar-a-Lago while he was researching his new book Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. Her Story, and was invited to present the president with a finished copy. Writing for the Daily Mail, the royal author said that he met with Trump the evening before The King and Queen departed, and the president had nothing but positive things to say about Their Majesties.

“We've done a good job with the King, right?” President Trump told Hardman, who replied “that the British team seem overjoyed by the success of this trip.”

The president then summed up the state visit in three words, stating, “It's been unbelievable.”

“He's a great guy, he really is,” Trump said of King Charles, with Hardman adding that the president also gave “warm tributes to the Prince and Princess of Wales.”

According to the outlet, Prince William and Princess Kate have been extended an invitation to the White House this summer, and Trump told Hardman, “William, he'll be a good King, won't he? He's very nice. A great guy. I like him.” Trump was also full of praise for Princess Kate, asking the author, “How's she doing? She's so great. She was sick, people said crazy things about her and she was so brave.”

In his book, Hardman shares details on Trump's first state visit to the U.K. with Queen Elizabeth, and the author shared that section with the U.S. president during his visit this week.

“I pointed out that she had found him, according to those close to her, 'charming, tall, tanned, big, courteous, mid-century' and also 'amusing,'” Hardman said. As for the president, he replied, “'I've had better,” adding, “and I've certainly had worse.”

King Charles and Queen Camilla have finished their historic visit to the United States to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday, and First Lady Melania Trump made sure to let Prince William and Princess Kate know she was thinking of them, too.

President Trump and the First Lady paid a formal farewell to The King and Queen on April 30, with the two couples sharing warm wishes before Charles headed on to Bermuda and Camilla returned to the U.K.

“Good luck with everything, and enjoy yourself,” the First Lady said, as lip reader Nicola Hickling told the Sun. “Send my love to Catherine and William and their children.”

Melania has a particular fondness for the Princess of Wales, who she attended a U.K. scouting event with last September during the U.S. state visit to Britain. And according to the Daily Mail's Richard Eden, President Trump and the First Lady have invited Prince William and Princess Kate to visit the United States this summer.

“Melania wants Catherine, in particular, to come,” a U.S. source told the columnist. ”She admires her greatly and would love her to visit.”

Hickling said that the president was eager to see Their Majesties again, asking King Charles if he was coming to Turnberry, Trump’s golf resort in Scotland. Although The King said no, President Trump said to The Queen, “It’s been very good to have you here. Have a safe flight. I’d like to see you again when we come over.”

Another lip reader, Jeremy Freeman, claimed President Trump told The King that their visit “was fantastic” and sent his best wishes to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

“I look forward to seeing you again. Thank you for making it a success. Love to the grandchildren,” the president reportedly said.