Vivat Regina Camilla!

It's time to move on and recognise Camilla as Queen

“I despise her”, “home wrecker”, and “trash”. Three comments which, after a quick rummage on Reddit, formulate the stock cube of persisting public perceptions of Queen Camilla. My personal favourite comment was, however: “Camilla is a heavy smoker, two packs a day I read.” After 30 years of vitriol, negative public opinions of HM still rankle, morphing from the standard to the bizarre. Smoke away, Camilla!

A recent YouGov poll highlighted that while half of the British public has a positive view of Camilla, a considerable four in ten (38 per cent) still see Camilla in a negative light. While most of the country has moved on, for the 38 per cent, rotten tomatoes remain in hand. 

Since the ‘90s, Camilla has dwelled in a cesspit of vilification, year by year trying to shake off the token: “Britain's Most Hated Woman.” Lady Di’s infamous one-liner, “there were three of us in this marriage” from her infamous 1996 BBC Panorama interview has been a quote that Charles and Camilla have both desperately tried to shake off. Yet Camilla’s status as ‘the other woman’ has forced her to bear the brunt of the highly publicised affair, continually trailing behind husband Charles in popularity rankings. Exacerbated by the British press, which craves two royal women in opposition, the public continues to pit Camilla and Diana against each other. Mrs Parker Bowles, of course, will never be “ar Di.” 

Don’t get me wrong, I love Diana. It’s true. On my fridge, my flatmates and I have a memorial magnet of the princess, and strewn across my desk, I have Charles and Diana thimbles from my late grandma — which I suppose doesn't aid my point here. Nevertheless, as I myself can attest, you can appreciate both. Society’s endless idealisation of Diana and corresponding vilification of Camilla is inherently archaic and to put it lightly, tiresome. Fellow Britons, we must move on.

Indeed, the highly publicised affair was catastrophic to the princess, and of course, her death was and continues to be a tragedy which Britons perpetually mourn. I’m certainly not denying that; however, after 30 years, is it really worth directing a barrage of hatred at a woman who has actively sought to better her public image and who dedicates herself to her country? 

Amidst public hatred, Camilla has given her unwavering support to countless charitable organisations. A key focus for the Queen has been raising awareness for victims of domestic violence, alongside highlighting organisations that support victims of rape and sexual assault. In 2013, she started The Wash Bags project which provided survivors of sexual assault with toiletries to use following a forensic examination, relaunching the project in 2024. 

In 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic, she launched the Queen’s Reading Room, a charity with the objective of celebrating and promoting the power of reading amongst children and adults. In 2023, she attended a modest 101 public engagements. In 2024, she continues to support her husband as he undergoes cancer treatment. After gradually quelling negative public perceptions, Camilla has proven herself to be a stalwart figure within the British Royal Family.

I’m not saying that you have to smash all your 1981 Royal Wedding commemorative mugs or refrain from weeping at Elton John’s ‘Candle In The Wind (1997 version)’ but rather appreciate that, after decades of vitriol, Queen Camilla is deserving of recognition. 

Vivat Regina Camilla!

Illustration by Sandra Palazuelos Garcia