AsQueen Elizabethmarked the70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, she poignantly noted that her late husband,Prince Philip, was “a partner willing to carry out the role of consort and unselfishly make the sacrifices that go with it.”
It’s a role thatPrince Charles' wifeCamilla, Duchess of Cornwallknows well.
“She is a huge support” for Charles, a royal insider tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue, adding that the future King can be prone to “Eeyore moments” and Camilla “jollies him up.”
The question of whether Camilla, 74, would be given the title of Queen Consort has swirled since she andPrince Charles, 73, wed in 2005. Attuned to negative public sentiment stemming from Camilla’s role in Charles’s doomed marriage to Princess Diana, the royal family long skirted the title issue.
Prince Charles and Camilla.Rob Jefferies/Getty
“There will always be some backlash but you can’t please everybody all the time,” the royal insider adds. “There will be people from certain constituencies who might complain.”
Princess Diana and Prince Charles.Georges De Keerle/Getty
Those who know of Camilla’s work behind the scenes say she has done “an exemplary job since she married"Prince Charles, the royal insider says. They point to her as a huge supporter “for women’s rights and those fighting domestic abuse. She has plowed her own field in terms of her duties and been well-liked.”
Prince Charles and Camilla.Chris Jackson-WPA Pool/Getty
The Queen, 95, knows the importance of a supportive spouse, and in her message on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee, she praised Camilla’s “loyal service.”
“When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service,” she said.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty
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Royal historian Robert Lacey tells PEOPLE, “As she thought about her father George VI, she would have also thought about her mother and the importance she played as a partner to him. And then, of course, with the passing ofPrince Philip, she is considering the sacrifices and difficulties of being a consort.”
source: people.com
