A Hesitant Queen

Shes trying to settle into her new role and the many duties that come with it but it seems Camilla isnt enjoying it much

- By Nicide Wet

IN MANY ways hers sounds like a dream role – she has all the money she’ll ever need, a host of staff at her beck and call and none of the mundanities of life the rest of us mortals have to deal with, like standing in supermarket queues and paying our own taxes.

But for Camilla, the job comes with its own challenges. In the year she’s been queen she’s worn the crowns and the gowns, said the right things and been a pillar of support for her husband.

Yet there are signs the 76-year-old grandmother is struggling to come to terms with the expectations on her.

A life in the spotlight is not something she ever wanted – Camilla is a down-to-earth, no-fuss woman who’d far rather be spending time in her garden with her dogs.

But being queen means you need to rise to the occasion and while she might be fine with the many meet-and-greets on her calendar, there’s more at stake than shaking a hand and making small talk.

Take the recent state opening of parliament in London. Charles was to deliver his first king’s speech to mark the occasion and it was a seriously big deal.

The hallowed House of Lords was packed with VIPs and politicians – including prime minister Rishi Sunak – and all eyes were on him.

But it was his wife who seemed more nervous. She was seen clasping and unclasping her hands, a sure sign of anxiety, according to body language expert Judi James.

“It seems to be a self-comforting ritual she repeats when under the pressure of public scrutiny. Her nervousness tends to emerge in shaky hands and the hand clasping may be a bid to prevent that."