In Camilla we trust...

Queen's duty to husband & nation. From pariah to beacon of stability

- MATT ROPER

FOR years, she has been her husband's calming influence, preparing for the day she would support him as King.

She has stepped out of Charles's shadow, taking on an unprecedented number of engagements, shining as a beacon of stability as other royals have taken time off.

But as she began her second year as Queen, Camilla would never have imagined the responsibility she was about to shoulder.

Or how the public, who once saw her as a pariah and even a threat to the very existence of the monarchy, would soon be looking to her for reassurance and to provide that stability.

Now, as the King battles his cancer, those who know Camilla are confident she will step up and thrive.

"The Queen has been remarkable, a source close to the Royal Family said. 

While her husband has been in hospital, she was by his side and also  making sure she didn't neglect her own duties.

"She doesn't want to let anyone down.

"She is 76 and one of the hardest-working members of the family. She never complains, she just gets on with it." Before yesterday's bombshell news about Charles, the Queen was the only one of the four senior royals still working, with Princess Kate recovering from abdominal surgery and Prince William taking a break to support her and care for their children.

On Tuesday, the day after Charles was discharged from hospital following prostate surgery most likely already knowing he faced a worrying wait for biopsy results Camilla hosted a reception at Windsor Castle for authors and illustrators.