As Camilla gets comfortable with the role of Queen Consort, it is expected that she will be doing things differently than her mother-in-law. On one hand, King Charles is keen on slimming down the monarchy, while on the other Queen Camilla wants to modernise the monarchy in her bid.
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No ladies will be in waiting anymore
According to Marlene Koenig, a historian who has studied the Royal Family for years, the new line of Royal women – especially Queen Camilla – could get rid of the traditional ladies-in-waiting. Queen Elizabeth II picked her tight-knit team of loyal ladies-in-waiting, who helped her in her day-to-day tasks and were also close friends and confidants, confirms Mirror.
However, Koenig believes that these positions will no longer be filled. She told Express.co.uk:
There are some positions that may no longer be filled.
You wonder if the women, especially Queen Camilla, will use ladies-in-waiting as the Queen did. She's never had, even as the Duchess of Cornwall, an official lady-in-waiting.
Angela MacManus, who was once her secretary, did that [role of a lady-in-waiting] but was not officially named. There have been no officially named ladies-in-waiting.
Claiming that the tradition of ladies-in-waiting has been around for some 400-600 years, but they don't hold the same value anymore.
Is it needed anymore if you're modernising the monarchy? Some of these historic roles have been around for 400-600 years, so is the purpose just symbolic?
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Koenig also pointed out that even Her Majesty, the late Queen Elizabeth II inched away from these traditional roles a little. Angela Kelly – the late monarch’s personal dressmaker – held the title of ‘Personal Assistant, Adviser, and Curator to Her Majesty (Jewellery, Insignias, and Wardrobe).’
Even the Queen inched away from these traditional roles with Angela Kelly and she got closer to the clothes and jewels than the ladies-in-waiting.
A secretary or assistant would probably be a better fit for the responsibilities of ladies-in-waiting. Koenig added:
I think in the correspondence office, it's just going to be people signing the letters. In this day in age, they will have people who do it, but I don't expect they'll have the formal title.
Both Queen Camilla and Princess of Wales – Kate were given an option to appoint ladies-in-waiting but neither chose to go with it.
Sources Used
Mirror: Camilla 'expected to scrap major royal tradition' that was close to Queen's heart
Express.Co.uk: Camilla could do away with major royal tradition that Queen upheld for almost 70 years
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