Crowds gathered at Buckingham Palace to praise Camilla for being ‘down-to earth’ as she supported King Charles in their first public appearance after the Queen’s passing on Thursday.
Following the historic announcement that the Queen had died at the age of 96, King Charles III ascended to the throne with immediate effect, with the former Duchess of Cornwall taking the role of Queen Consort, which the late Queen gave her official backing to during a historic Platinum Jubilee statement earlier this year.
The Queen Consort, 75 years old, was sitting in the front seat of an Audi-driven Audi.
Camilla, wearing a black suit and a simple string of pearls with matching earrings, looked straight ahead as the new King and Queen Consort began their journey back to London on the first day of mourning.
Upon arrival, the couple received a warm reception from the crowd gathered outside Buckingham Palace, many of whom said they were ‘happy’ Camilla had become Queen.
At one stage, King Charles and Camilla appeared emotional, with the new monarch placing a reassuring hand on the Queen Consort’s back as they took in the floral tributes left outside the gates.
Yesterday’s public support for King Charles, Camilla’s first appearance since her death was celebrated by the crowds outside Buckingham Palace.
Camilla, wearing mourning black, joined the King and looked at the floral tributes made at Buckingham Palace.
The couple was warmly received by Buckingham Palace’s crowd, who were many of those who expressed their happiness at Camilla’s new title.
‘She seems very down to earth whenever I have seen her on the television and is obviously good for Charles,’ said Julie Williams,44, from Bournemouth.
‘I am quite happy to have her as our Queen. I know there are people who are not big fans because of what happened with Diana but that is all in the past.’
Adam Ellenden said: ‘ We are now in a new reign, and she will be by King Charles side and I am quite happy about that.
‘I think everyone loved Diana but that is all in the past, and you can’t dwell in the past.’
Camilla, in mourning dark, followed Charles a few steps behind him as he made well-wishers.
Many people who stood behind black-colored barriers were just as eager to talk with the King as those standing in front of them.
New dawn: A empathetic-looking Camilla is now Queen’s consort following Thursday’s Queen’s Death at Balmoral. She was pictured departing the Scottish royal residence yesterday
They are united in their grief. The Queen Consort and the new King of Scotland is seen getting emotional on the way from her Scottish home to fly back to London.
The Queen Consort (75), sat in front of her Audi in Balmoral after yesterday’s Queen’s death.
After leaving Balmoral Estate, Queen Consort Camilla was driven through Ballater to get to the airport.
As he sat in the back seat of the royal vehicle that left Balmoral, the new King appeared solemn. This was just hours after Thursday’s announcement of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Grief
As part of Friday’s motorcade from Balmoral, Queen Consort was photographed in a chauffeur-driven automobile with King Charles in the back.
It’s thought the 75-year-old royal will look to the role the late Duke of Edinburgh played in public life as a blueprint for her new title; the late Prince offered constant support to Her Majesty while never taking the limelight from her.
The Queen made a surprising announcement on February 20, 2022, after years of confusion, even decades, about Camilla’s title when Charles took over the throne.
This is an extraordinary transformation for Camilla who, once called the “third person” in Charles’ disastrous marriage to Diana, received only a warm reception from the royals when the Prince declared his intent to make Camilla the Duchess.
Camilla is now a more senior royal, and Camilla was able to live a full life. Before the Coronation, Camilla will be an important supporter of King Charles, in times of sorrow and much-anticipated change.
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the life of the ex-Duchess has been transformed in a matter hours. She is now promoted to an important new role.
Camilla watched as the Queen Consort and King began to return home to London after the first day.
It followed the roads that the Royal Family has driven for many decades. But no other such trip will be as poignant and beautiful as this one.
She is approaching her seventies and she is now the Queen Consort. This marks a significant shift in royal and public perceptions from her first love affair with Charles in her twenties.
Famous photo of the Queen Consort, a man who slanders marriages. The couple was pictured before Charles got married. In 1975 they were able to see each other. Diana would later accuse Camilla in Panorama with Martin Bashir 1995 that she had been the “third person” in their marriage.
A support from the Monarch of the past: Camilla became Queen Consort after the official recommendation was made by the Queen. This publication appeared in February 2022.
The couple ‘came out’ in 1999 with renewed love at the Ritz in London. In 2005, they were blessed by the royal family and married.
Camilla, Charles and the late Queen approved for Camilla’s official title before Charles’ death in September 8. (pictured here together at 2022 Jubilee).
On Thursday, the Queen, seen leaving Windsor Castle, July 2007, died at Balmoral in Scotland.
Charles succeeds her as treasured Monarch. The Monarch made it clear that Charles was her sincere desire.
The statement dispelled speculations that Monarch, then 95 years old, might abdicate. She reiterated her Coronation promise.
She told her subjects ‘my life will always be devoted to your service’ – and that she would continue to honour that ‘with all my heart’.
After a tentative start to royal life, Camilla has excelled in recent years regularly standing in for the late Queen when she could no longer entertain due to failing health and stamina (The couple at a gala dinner in 2000 for the Princes Foundation)
She has become a senior royal since her initial reaction to Prince Charles’s news that he would marry Camilla was not warm. (pictured below, left with Prince Charles in 2007 and right together in 2010).
Camilla has taken the royal family on a journey from a down-to-earth Sussex girl, to a royal mistress and now Queen consort.
The former royal mistress is now the Duchess Cornwall, who will stand shoulder-to shoulder with King Charles as Queen Consort.
After being cast initially as Diana, Princess of Wales’ third person, Camilla has seen her public image change dramatically. She then became a candidate for the monarchy and was ready to serve the country.
She was the Sussex girl, down to earth and a lover of horses who fell in love with a prince.
Two years prior to his marriage to Princess Diana, Charles and Camilla were pictured together.
Camilla and Charles have been married almost two decades. Camilla is confident in her position and is now a trusted royal host for Clarence House. Camilla also represents the Queen well when she’s invited to other lands.
She has been a supporter or patron to a lot of literacy charities.
Her most important role was supporting Charles, and providing comfort at home. This has allowed him to assume the role of heir the throne and is now King.
It was amazing how different everything was that Thursday night in 1999, more than twenty years ago at The Ritz. Charles and Camilla were making a rare, but highly choreographed public appearance to the international press.
Charles and Camilla divorced in 1996. Diana was also killed. The duchess of Cambridge’s emergence as Prince Charles’ long-term girlfriend was part a meticulously planned PR campaign that Mark Bolland, the spin doctor and heir to the throne, managed.
In 1999, they made their first public appearance together outside London’s Ritz hotel. This was called Operation Ritz and the masses of photographers who waited had been tipped off.
This was the end of the romance. The long-time friends were married at Windsor Guildhall in a civil ceremony on April 9, 2005.
Charles seems more relaxed with Camilla at his side. Camilla has often encouraged Charles, many times during royal events, to do something different or just have some fun.
Camilla has been awarded the crowning glory by the Queen in her memory, as a tribute to Charles’s service and support for the monarchy.
When the late Queen announced the news that Camilla would become the future Queen Consort in 2022, a Clarence House spokesperson said Charles and Camilla were ‘touched and honoured’ by the gesture, which ended years of uncertainty over the Duchess of Cornwall’s role in the future of the monarchy
The Queen, who died in 1999, wrote: ‘When Charles, my son, becomes King, I know that you will provide him and Camilla with the same support as you gave me. It is my sincere desire that Camilla, once that happens, will be called Queen Consort and continue her loyalty service.
Clarence House declared that Charles and Camilla were touched and honoured by the gesture of the Queen when Clarence House made the public statement.
The public acceptance of this marriage, which had its first sparks of lust as youth, was confirmed at a night out at The Ritz 1999 by Prince Charles and Camilla Bowles in middle age.
Camilla seemed a bit nervous when the cameras flashed, signalling that their relationship would be headline news on the morning of the first day. However, over the many decades, Camilla proved to be a steady support for the new King and won respect from the whole royal family, which includes the Queen.
Example: Queen Consort will likely look back at the support the Queen received from the Duke of Edinburgh during his long reign. (Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as well as Prince Charles, Prince Charles, and the Duchess Cornwall, Commonwealth Day 2017 at Westminster Abbey).
They have become closer as they confront the largest roles in their lives. (Photographed April 2019, 2019).
Queen Camilla is a master at navigating the pomp and circumstance of official engagements. (Photo taken during an international trip to Egypt).
An example of consort life: Prince Philip and Camilla celebrated the Queen’s 90th Birthday celebrations in 2016.
Increasingly confident, Camilla has become an assured royal host when staging events at Clarence House and confidently represented the late Queen when invited to foreign lands in recent decades.
As she nears the end of her Seventies, she will most likely remember the Duke’s support for Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince Philip was a model for consort life. He taught the Queen how to support her without taking away the spotlight. This is something that the new Queen Consort should look at.
Camilla, who is becoming more confident, has been Prince Charles’ confidante (left and right at Birkhall, in 2020 and 2021).
Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess and Camilla of Cornwall visited Cornwall during their first-ever South West visit in July 2022.