The Queen Consort is about to dispense with the centuries-old custom of getting ladies-in-waiting as a part of her retinue.
Camilla, 75, thinks having a smaller variety of employees is ‘extra with the occasions’ — and her strategy matches in higher with the King’s imaginative and prescient for a leaner monarchy.
As a substitute, her current employees will tackle the normal duties of the monarch’s official companions in what has been light-heartedly described as a ‘two for the value of 1’ deal, the Each day Mail can reveal.
The late Queen had round seven devoted ladies-in-waiting – affectionately dubbed the top women – on the time of her dying, a few of whom had been by her facet for greater than 60 years.
They handled every part from public and private correspondence and organising the royal diary to accompanying the monarch on engagements, gathering flowers and arranging personal household occasions.
They had been additionally loyal companions to the monarch and operated as her eyes and ears within the Palace.
The roles had been unpaid and holders had been nearly all the time picked from the higher echelons of the aristocracy as there are few rich sufficient to have the ability to afford to tackle such a demanding place merely out of loyalty to the Crown.
However with a lot of the current holders of the roles because of retire, Camilla has determined to organise issues ‘just a little otherwise’.
One supply defined: ‘When she received married and arrange her personal workplace for the primary time she received two good personal secretaries, Amanda Macmanus and Pleasure Camm.
However they had been very a lot “two for the value of 1”.
Not solely did they organize all her engagements and tasks, however in addition they acted as ladies-in ready if wanted, accompanying her on official duties, gathering bouquets of flowers and the like.
‘Nobody stands on ceremony in her workplace, everybody mucks in.
‘The sensation is that though issues have modified dramatically in lots of respects, she received’t tackle an official line-up of ladies-in-waiting.
’Camilla presently has two loyaland extraordinarily succesful feminine personal secretaries, Sophie Densham, and her deputy, Belinda Kim.
In addition to organising Camilla’s diary and public engagements, they already accompany her on official visits and can proceed to do the identical at Buckingham Palace, sources say. Camilla is a prolific author – personally penning extra than2,000 letters final 12 months alone.
She could tackle some extra employees to cope with the inevitable rise in correspondence she is more likely to get.
However in any other case, she’s going to depend on her current employees and infrequently rope in pals resembling Jane Westenholz – a baroness and former mannequin whom the Queen Consort apparently calls ‘Lofty’– to assist out the place crucial.
The supply defined: ‘The Queen Consort will do issues just a little otherwise.
She presently has two personal secretaries who do a few of these conventional duties anyway.
‘And she or he has numerous good and first rate pals round her whom she will name on, as and when is important, to assist her. I think she’ll dip into her shut circle of pals, perhaps geographically.
‘She has quite a lot of friends in London and Scotland, in addition to within the nation too. She thinks it’s extra with the occasions.’Traditionally, a lady-in-waiting was a feminine ‘private assistant’ at court docket, usually taken from the the Aristocracy, to serve a senior royal girl.
The women’ duties right now are primarily administrative however, with out a shadow of a doubt, they’re important a number of the most trusted, discreet and highly effective figures at court docket – though they don’t have essentially the most prestigious job title, or earn a wage.
These days they’re pretty modest in quantity however this was not all the time the case – Queen Elizabeth I had no fewer than 30 ladies-in-waiting. Queen Elizabeth II’s ladies-in ready had been led by Girl Susan Hussey, dubbed ‘primary head woman’.
Girl Susan, 83, took cost on a day-to-day foundation because the Lady of the Mattress chamber and had been with the Queen since 1960, the 12 months of Prince Andrew’s start.Others included The Honourable Mary Morrison, 85, who had a ardour for horse racing, and the Duchess of Grafton.
All the ladies-in-waiting had been finely tuned to the Queen’s wants and moods.Though aged themselves,many had devotedly remained in submit as they needed to remain by the Queen till she handed
