Here’s what Queen Camilla will have instead of ‘ladies-in-waiting’
Camilla will have six Queen’s companions, whose role will be to support her in some of her key official and state duties
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The women who will support the Queen Consort as she carries out her key official and state duties have been announced by Buckingham Palace.
Camilla, 75, is to have six Queen’s companions, not traditional ladies-in-waiting, in addition to her private secretary and deputy private secretary, Buckingham Palace said.
They are Camilla’s trusted friends Sarah Troughton, Jane von Westenholz and Fiona, the Marchioness of Lansdowne, who is a professional interior designer, Lady Katharine Brooke and Baroness Carlyn Chisholm, who is now a non-affiliated peer.
The sixth is Camilla’s close friend Lady Sarah Keswick, whose husband, Sir Chips Keswick, retired as Arsenal chairman in 2020 after spending 15 years on the board at the north London football club, according to Tatler.
Major Ollie Plunket, of The Rifles, has been appointed Camilla’s equerry. It is believed his role is to look after her diary and accompany her at official events.
Some of the Queen’s companions will appear publicly with her for the first time at a Violence Against Women and Girls reception at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
It is believed the work of the Queen’s companions will be similar to, but not as extensive as, that carried out by the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting.
It is thought they are likely to be in attendance less regularly than the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting were and, on certain occasions, may attend an engagement instead of a private secretary or a deputy private secretary.
There is still a role for the ladies-in-waiting who worked for the Queen.
Lady Susan Hussey, Mary Morrison and Dame Annabel Whitehead will now be known as ladies of the household.
They continue to assist the King in hosting formal occasions at Buckingham Palace, as they have done recently.
Camilla carried out several engagements last week as Queen Consort, including her first state banquet in her new role. She and the Princess of Wales paid tribute to the late Queen when they joined the King and the Prince of Wales at a white tie event in honour of the South African president.
She wore the former monarch’s diamond and sapphire tiara, while Kate wore a pearl bracelet belonging to the late Queen, as well as the late Diana’s earrings.
On Friday (25 November), Camilla also delivered more than 1,000 Paddington bear toys that were left in tribute to her late mother-in-law to a nursery in east London.
The stuffed bears will get new homes with children cared for by Barnardo’s charity, of which Camilla is a patron. She said is was a “pleasure” to distribute the toys and held a picnic complete with Paddington’s signature marmalade sandwiches.