Queen Camilla once hated the idea of becoming queen, according to a new book about the royal family.
An excerpt from Tom Quinn’s upcoming book, Yes Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants, was published in The Times of London on Thursday, February 6.
In the book, which will be published in the U.S. on February 25, Quinn writes that Camilla, 77, complained to her husband, King Charles III, 76, about royal protocol before she became queen.
“One member of staff told me that at one point, Camilla hated the idea of being queen and would regularly say to Charles, ‘Can’t we get away from all this protocol? It’s all bollocks,’” Quinn wrote.
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“Charles, who hates swearing, would demurely reply, ‘You’re doing it [becoming queen] for me, darling,’” he added.
According to Quinn, “protocol means suits must be pressed and laid out after a period of consultation the night before.”
It also means that “shoes must be polished, ties chosen,” while baths should “be run at precisely the same time each day,” Quinn wrote. He added that Charles and Prince William, 42, are “prone to tantrums if things are not done to their liking.”
“They both get irritated very quickly,” one former staffer told Quinn. “They are very picky. It comes naturally to them.”
Quinn interviewed royal insiders and former staffers of Charles and Camilla, Princess Kate Middleton and William, as well as others who worked with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry before they relocated to the U.S.
One unnamed source told Quinn that Kate often treats William as “her fourth child” because he apparently struggles to do things for himself.
Related: Looking Back at King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s Wedding 19 Years Later
King Charles III and Queen Camilla officially tied the knot on April 9, 2005 — but their nuptials were full of drama behind-the-scenes. Instead of the traditional royal wedding full of public fanfare and crowds around Buckingham Palace, the couple kept their wedding low-key with only 28 people in attendance — including their respective children. […]
“I don’t know where William would be without Kate — she hasn’t had everything done for her throughout her life, so she calms him down when he gets a bit fractious.,” the source said. “She said he sometimes has to be treated as her fourth child.”
Charles and Camilla, who were famously involved before and during Charles’ first marriage to the late Princess Diana, have been married since April 2005. They are set to celebrate their 20th anniversary during a visit to Italy later this year.
Camilla became queen consort following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022. Her title was changed to Queen Camilla for Charles’ coronation in May 2023.
However, the royal’s title was originally supposed to be Princess Consort, according to a statement issued upon the couple’s engagement in 2005.
“It is intended that Mrs Parker Bowles should use the title HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales accedes to The Throne,” reads the statement issued by Charles’ press office at the time.
Buckingham Palace did not respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment.
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