King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla’s coronation is just months away. Not long ago, new details of what will happen during the three-day celebration were revealed, and one can safely surmise that it will be a party for the entire country.
The Royal Family has had a tough time since Queen Elizabeth’s passing, and Harry and Meghan’s Netflix series – swiftly followed by Harry’s memoir – haven’t made things easier.
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Now though, with the royals back to work, it seems like Camilla at least is in a good place. At least that’s what many royal fans are saying after the release of a new picture of the Queen Consort.
Charles and Camilla have become two very popular royals, but that was not always the case. When their affair became official, people despised Camilla – and it took years before things changed.
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Camilla had a hard time indeed being accepted by the Queen when she and Charles officially became a couple. Years prior, when the aforementioned affair came to light, the Queen Consort pretty much disappeared because of the way the public treated her.
Charles & Camilla
In 1994, in an interview with Jonathan Dimbelby, then-Prince Charles revealed that he had been unfaithful to Princess Diana. By that stage, Diana herself had spoken about it – but it was the first time Charles had confirmed the rumors.
At that point, the identity of Prince Charles’ mistress hadn’t been confirmed. Eventually, it became clear that it was Camilla when Dimbelby released the authorized biography about Charles, published in the Sunday Times later the same month.
“That they loved each other was not in any doubt. In Camilla Parker Bowles, the prince found the warmth, the understanding, and the steadiness for which he had always longed and had never been able to find with any other person,” Dimbelby wrote at the time.
Speaking with OK Magazine, royal expert Angela Levin, author of the 2022 book Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall: A Royal Survivor, Camilla had to endure “torrents” of mistreatment from the public after the affair was revealed. According to Levin, she was forced to spend most of her time at home to avoid backlash from the public.
Moreover, the expert claims Camilla was afraid to go shopping or visit stores. So, instead, she had to send her friends to do her errands.
“I don’t think Charles realized how awful”
“It was very difficult for her, as she was portrayed as the most wicked woman in the world. She was constantly called nasty names like ‘rottweiler,’ and it must have come as a huge shock that people were so vile about her,” Levin said.
It has been reported Charles himself paid for Camilla’s security, hiring two full-time protection officers. When they married in 2005, however, she qualified for publicly funded security, and so Charles no longer had to pay them out of his pocket.
Levin said: “I don’t think Charles realized how awful it was for her. He was often away on engagements and working hard for the country and Commonwealth, and at the time, Camilla didn’t have protection officers because she wasn’t part of the Royal Family. But when Charles finally realized, he did get protection for her, which he paid for himself.”
Camilla became increasingly popular among the public as the years went by. However, Angela Levin suspects she “must still bear the scars of it all.”
“She still gets nervous about things,” Levin said, adding that Camilla “probably be anxious” about Charles’ coronation.
“She can never be sure how people are going to react towards her,” the royal expert and author added. “There’s a small but very harsh group of people who still think she’s the wrong woman for him.”
On May 6, King Charles’ coronation is to be held, and with that also comes the moment when Camilla will be officially named Queen Consort. Interestingly, reports suggest that she might drop the “Consort” in her title before the coronation.
“Some papers refer to her as the Queen”
According to the Express Royal Correspondent and expert Richard Palmer, it’s likely that Camilla’s title will change before the coronation. Though he said, “no official word from the Palace on that,” he suggests that a change is coming.
“Some papers refer to her as the Queen. I think they will drop the Consort at some point. Every queen consort has just been known as The Queen,” Palmer said on the Express podcast Royal Round-Up.
Camilla has been accepted by the public and today is recognized as one of the most popular members of the Royal Family. Following the Queen’s passing, she was a symbol of strength and courage, and has continued to serve the Crown in a significant way.
“A case of putting some distance between her death and how Camilla is described,” Palmer added.
“By the Coronation they will just be calling her the Queen.”
Ever since the Queen’s death, rumors surrounding what Charles’ coronation will be like have surfaced. Just weeks ago, Buckingham Palace finally revealed the details of the first royal coronation in over 70 years – and it will be a big one.
On May 6, there will first be a “Coronation Big Lunch” and a “Coronation Concert” the day after. Moreover, Brits will get an extra bank holiday on the Monday and are invited to join “The Big Help Out,” which means volunteering in their communities.
King Charles & Camilla – coronation, date, time, details
“Across the Coronation Weekend, there will be further opportunities for people to come together in celebration of the historic occasion. On Sunday, May 7 2023, a special Coronation Concert will be staged and broadcast live at Windsor Castle by the BBC and BBC Studios, with several thousand pairs of tickets to be made available via public ballot,” Buckingham Palace wrote in a statement.
“The Coronation Big Lunch, at which neighbors and communities are invited to share food and fun together, will take place across the country on the same date.”
The coronation will be at Westminister Abbey, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
It will be “a solemn religious service, as well as an occasion for celebration and pageantry.” As the Palace describe, it will “reflect the Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.”
As reported by CNN, the line above has been interpreted by experts in different ways. Some argue it’s a hint that Charles’ coronation will be very much different from the one Queen Elizabeth had. That includes a shorter ceremony than the one for Her Majesty, which lasted for about three hours.
So what will Charles and Camilla do on the big day, May 6?
First, they will arrive at Westminster from Buckingham Palace, a journey known as “The King’s procession”.
Charles & Camilla will be anointed with holy oil
Royals and other prominent guests will be waiting at Westminster – the subsequent ceremony consists of several parts.
First comes the Recognition, where King Charles – standing beside the Coronation Chair – will be presented to the people gathered at the Abbey by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
“God Save The King” will be shouted – and trumpet sounds will fill the historical church.
Then it will be time for Charles to take the oath. Now, there isn’t one strict format or wording to the oath; it has varied over the centuries. Queen Elizabeth II, for example, swore to rule according to law, exercise justice with mercy, and maintain the Church of England. It’s been assumed, however, that Charles’ will be similar to his mother’s.
Next, the ceremony moves on with the Anointing. At that point, the King’s ceremonial robe will be removed, and he will take his place in the Coronation Chair. A golden cloth is held over the chair to conceal Charles from the guests and television camera’s in the Abbey.
Then, the Archbishop of Canterbury anoints the King’s head, breast, and hands with holy oil. The recipe for the oil is still a secret, but according to the BBC, it contains ambergris, orange flowers, roses, jasmine, and cinnamon.
Once the King has been anointed, he will be presented with several items, including the Royal Orb – which represents moral and religious authority – the Sceptre – representing power – and the Sovereign’s Sceptre, which is a symbol of justice and mercy.
Harry and Meghan’s presence would “help Charles a lot”
Lastly, Charles will be presented with St Edward’s Crown, which the Archbishop will place on his head.
King Charles will then stand up, leave the Coronation Chair, and move to his throne. Peers then kneel before him to pay homage.
The ceremony will then continue, with Camilla being anointed and crowned. She will be the first queen consort crowned in nearly 90 years.
Together, King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will return to Buckingham Palace in a ceremonial procession known as “The Coronation Procession.”
Other members of the Royal Family will join in the procession. Many still wonder if Harry and Meghan will be there to celebrate the king and queen consort, but the Palace is yet to comment on the matter.
“It would help Charles a lot in terms of his image if Harry and Meghan were there,” royal historian Kate Williams previously told CNN.
“It’s particularly going to look bad for him if his son is not there because, of course, Harry still is very high in line to the throne, as are his children.”
Together with their family, the king and queen consort will then appear on the legendary balcony of Buckingham Palace, which will conclude the May 6 coronation.
Leading up to the coronation, King Charles and Camilla have plenty of things to do. Royal life can naturally be stressful as they have duties and engagements to attend to each day.
Royal fans all say the same thing about new Camilla photo
Even so – and despite Harry’s revelations about both Charles and Camilla – they seem very happy about what they do each day. That’s also something several royal fans have noticed, and many have commented on a new picture of Camilla in particular.
On Wednesday, Charles and Camilla hosted a reception celebrating British East and South-East Asian communities at Buckingham Palace.
Princess Anne and Prince Edward were also in attendance, and pictures from the event were posted on the Royal Family’s Instagram account.
“Guests at the Reception encompassed a plethora of fields, including the Armed Forces, the Arts, Media, Fashion, Business, Government, Finance, Healthcare, Faith organizations, charities, and more,” the caption read.
“It was also wonderful to see some familiar faces from Their Majesties’ visit to Chinatown last year!”
“Happy and radiant”
Royal fans quickly took notice of Camilla’s happiness. In the comment section, it seemed as though everyone was saying the same thing.
Pictures from the reception showed Camilla looking positively delighted. She was, as first reported by Hello, “beaming from ear to ear,” and appeared very excited about the event. The Queen Consort wore a black velvet dress for the occasion.
“Queen Camilla looks so happy and radiant,” one royal fan wrote.
“I love seeing the King and Queen with their family,” a second person stated.
“Love their smiles!” a third said. A fourth added: “Queen Consort looked lovely!”
