Queen Camilla is not the only woman offering unstinting support to the King as he begins his reign. There are three other royal women who are very much “Team Charles” and are likely to be towers of strength for the Monarch in years to come.
Catherine, Princess of Wales
Charles has always been fond of daughter-in-law Kate, appreciating her beauty, poise, charm and wit, along with her strength of character.
The pair have a genuinely close relationship, which was evident when Kate, 41, put a comforting arm around Charles at the funeral of his father, Prince Philip, last year.
The King showed his appreciation for Kate by giving her her first army role as Colonel of the Irish Guards shortly after he became monarch.
Charles is grateful to Kate for being such a huge asset to the royal family, says royal biographer Tom Bower. As well as being a great support to him now, “she has shown all the qualities needed to be a great queen in the future – tough, considerate, intelligent and thoughtful”.
Anne, princess royal
Charles and his younger sister Anne are like chalk and cheese in many respects – he’s always been sensitive and introspective, while Anne’s more outgoing and determined – but they share a dedication to duty.
Anne, 72, has understood her role right from the start, says royal correspondent Valentine Low, and is an invaluable member of the family firm. “Anne has no ego. She recognises that this is a job and you just get on with it.”
Anne herself has said she has always known that her life revolves around service. “The idea of opting out is a non-starter,” she once said.
The King appreciates how hard his sister works. She’s frequently named as the member of the royal family who carries out the most official engagements.
But while she’s not afraid of hard work, Anne’s not quite on board with the King’s plan to have only a handful of royal family members carrying out official duties.
In an interview days before the coronation, she said she wished that idea had been suggested “when there were a few more people around”. She added that they would have to “change the way we support” the new Monarch.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh
The King’s decision to give the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh titles to his brother Edward and sister-in-law Sophie was met with much approval when it was announced in March. The couple work tirelessly – last year, they were respectively third and fourth on the list of hardest working royals, with Edward, 59, carrying out 143 engagements and Sophie doing 138.
The King is particularly pleased with the way Sophie, 58, has become a model working royal, knowing “he does not have to worry about Sophie”, says royal historian Marlene Koenig. “There are no scandals and she is happy to pick up new patronages.
Charles likes her because she is down to earth and she is dependable.”
The late Queen was very fond of Sophie because of her “quiet sense of duty, strong work ethic and the way she balanced her public and private lives”.
