Once a vilified figure Camilla has become an accepted senior royal. Her friends say her crowning will be a moment she never thought would happen.
Friends from her childhood say that much of her character derives from a very secure family background.Journalist and historian William Shawcross was a near-neighbour. He remembers Camilla and her sister Annabelle as very independent: "The girls used to be allowed to go out with their ponies on to the Downs on their own and spend the night sleeping… with a sandwich and sleeping bag or rug.
There was fresh embarrassment when Princess Diana told the BBC that "there were three of us in this marriage". For his part, Charles said that his romance with Camilla only started after his marriage had "irretrievably" broken down. In his memoir, Spare, her stepson Prince Harry was critical of what he saw as a campaign to shift public opinion on Camilla.
What happened a long time ago remains part of the Queen Consort's story and why her friends believe she is now so well equipped to take on her role as Queen. Her life has been imperfect, filled with challenge and controversy. The title of Queen brings a mass of responsibilities at the age of 75, when most people have already retired. Craig Revel Horwood is optimistic that this won't be a problem for her: "OK, she's just had her 75th birthday, but you know, she's 25 at heart. She still wants to get up and dance and she still wants to support all of her charities.
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