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As Queen Camilla turns 77, how stepping up during King Charles's cancer battle has finally secured her position as a respected consort and comforting 'grandmother of the nation'
She was once considered to be one of the most unpopular women in Britain, but this year has seen Queen Camilla's warmth, humour and strong sense of duty largely win over any remaining critics.
Amid the King's cancer battle, Her Majesty, who turns 77 today, kept the Royal Family united and stepped up her duties, standing in for her husband as he underwent treatment.
Such is her warmth and unquestionable dedication to her duties, she's been nicknamed 'the nation's grandmother', winning praise from well-wishers and members of the Firm alike for her steadfast presence amid a turbulent time.
Even as recently as yesterday, Camilla was once again showing her commitment to her role as the King's consort as she arrived in Guernsey sporting a bandaged ankle after suffering a 'slight sprain'.
But she refused to let the injury stop her from joining Charles, 75, on the second day of their two-day tour of the Channel Islands.
Camilla was once again showing her commitment to her role as the King's consort as she arrived in Guernsey sporting a bandaged ankle after suffering a 'slight sprain'
It's not the first time the Queen's determination to play her part has been on full display - with this year completing Camilla's remarkable transformation from understudy to centre-stage star.
No one in her orbit – let alone the lady herself – dreamed that she would one day be crowned at her husband’s side (with the blessing and approval of Queen Elizabeth, no less), let alone stand in for His Majesty at prestigious events.
But these past months have seen her prove her place in the Royal Family, after she found herself, to all intents and purposes, the King's front of house.
Buckingham Palace announced in February that the monarch had been diagnosed with cancer and would be taking a break from his public-facing duties as he began treatment.
Straight away, Camilla, who has been credited with keeping the 'royal show on the road', was on duty almost every day, combining back to back engagements with supporting her husband.
She led the Firm at the service of thanksgiving for the late King Constantine of Greece in February, stood in for the King at the annual Royal Maundy service in March and also met the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, at Clarence House.
She also undertook a solo two-day visit to Belfast in Northern Ireland in March for a series of engagements that had been arranged before the King was diagnosed with cancer.
It was previously reported that Camilla was 'proud' to take on more duties amid Charles and the Princess of Wales receiving their treatment for cancer.
The Queen further won over the hearts of the nation this year with her emotional display at commemorative events for the 80th anniversary of D-Day (pictured)
Queen Camilla stood in for the King at the annual Royal Maundy service in March (pictured afterwards)
The Queen led the Firm at the service of thanksgiving for the late King Constantine of Greece in February (pictured)
The Queen is 'resilient' and will do anything that is asked of her to help the Royal Family, aides reportedly told The Telegraph - despite Her Majesty in past describing royal duties as being 'tiring' to carry out.
'Very tiring,' she admitted during an audience with the Sultan of Brunei's wife, Queen Saleha, six years ago. 'Every day, we're non-stop. It's more tiring as you get older. I keep trying to tell everybody that I'm not as young as I used to be, and have to slow down.'
But she has been the 'steady hand on the tiller' amid the King's cancer diagnosis, a former royal butler said.
Speaking to GB News earlier in the year, Paul Burrell remarked that the monarch's wife is the 'guiding force' for the family, as well as being the one behind Charles's openness regarding his health.
'I think she is the stabiliser,' he told the outlet. 'I think she has that touch. I think she's able to reach people in a way the King can't and I think she's taught him a lot in the last few years about monarchy and how to be King.
'Isn't that odd really, that she should come up through the ranks and be so supportive and such a stabilising influence in our modern-day Royal Family.'
Meanwhile, it's not the first time Camilla has been praised for her ability to step up to the task when times get tough.
Her straight-talking sister-in-law Princess Anne said Camilla is 'not a natural' at the role - but she 'does it really well' and 'provides that change of speed and tone, that's equally important'.
Queen Camilla met the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, at Clarence House in February
Queen Camilla meets well-wishers after visiting Knotts bakery on March 21, 2024 in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Queen Camilla meeting members of the public ahead of attending a Service of Celebration at Bath Abbey on February 1, 2024
Queen Camilla meets members of the public during a visit to Douglas Borough Council on the Isle of Man on Wednesday March 20, 2024
It's a stark contrast to how Camilla was viewed in the early years of her and Charles's relationship - with even the late Queen initially 'wanting nothing to do with her'.
Just 12 months after the crash in Paris in which Princess Diana was killed, Charles went to see his mother, looking for approval and support for his relationship with Camilla, then Mrs Parker Bowles.
It was not a happy meeting. As a highly placed royal confidante told The Daily Mail then: ‘The Queen told her son she never wanted to talk about that wicked woman, and wanted nothing to do with her.’
However, the late monarch personally endorsed 'Queen Camilla' in the end, accepting Charles's former mistress as a respected member of the Firm.
Royal expert Joe Little, of Majesty Magazine, previously remarked: 'I think only now are people appreciating the true worth of Queen Camilla.'
Meanwhile, one royal retainer, who has witnessed many of the family’s twists and turns over the years, told The Daily Mail's Royal Editor Rebecca English earlier this year that they are genuinely glad to see Camilla’s diligence and sense of duty recognised at long last.
‘She’s been an absolute trooper, really she has,’ they said. ‘She just gets up and goes out there, doing exactly what’s asked of her with a smile on her face.
‘I always think you see the best of people at the worst of times, and I really hope people realise how true that is here.’
Queen Camilla gets a hug from Rebecca Tessinari, 3, during a visit to the newly opened Meadows Community Centre in Cambridge on February 2, 2024
A schoolboy bows to Queen Camilla as she arrives at Bath Abbey to celebrate the 850th Anniversary of St John's Foundation in February
Another member of their circle said: ‘She’s absolutely out there leading from the front.’
Dame Joanna Lumley couldn't have agreed more; the national treasure was one of many queuing up to sing Her Majesty’s praises at a Clarence House reception to mark three years of Camilla’s phenomenally successful book club, The Queen’s Reading Room, in March.
‘They [the Royal Family] are all extremely dutiful. It’s like the theatre – if someone is ill, someone steps into their place, the understudy keeps the show going,’ she said.
‘She is the epitome of professionalism and public service. Everyone thinks she should be blubbing in a corner, but this is not what these people are made of. And it’s something we should aspire to.
‘If you sit alone feeling sorry for yourself you will feel sad and tragic. But if you get up and do something with a smile, then you feel better. ‘
Best-selling thriller writer, Harlan Coben, agreed. ‘She’s a keeper, as we say in America,’ he enthused.
The famous image of Prince Charles talking to Camilla Parker-Bowles at a polo match in 1975, she had married Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973
Meanwhile, the Queen further won over the hearts of the nation this year with her emotional display at commemorative events for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Camilla did not shy away from showing emotion as she joined Charles (who has returned to public duties), the Prince of Wales, UK politicians and veterans at major events in Portsmouth and Ver-sur-Mer in June.
The occasion was inevitably sombre, as shown by Her Majesty shedding a tear when listening to a veteran recount the horror of losing his best friend on the beaches in Normandy 80 years ago.
But amid the heavy and deeply moving testimonials, Camilla also shared heartfelt moments with multiple former soldiers, who smiled and enjoyed light conversation with the Queen.
So, from her displays of warmth and emotion, to her loyalty to her husband and sense of duty, Camilla's year as the Royal Family's leading lady has no doubt secured her position as a respected consort and comforting 'grandmother figure' to the nation.