Camilla & Charles: What Is Your Opinion Now?

[Saragli]

It has been eight months since the Royal Wedding. In those eight months the Camilla ordinary people never knew finally came out. We saw a side of Charles that we havent seen in a while. What is your opinion know on them, mainly Camilla. Now that you have seen a part of who she really is. Do you like her, or do you still dislike her? Why do you like her now and have you always liked her? Why do you still disliker her or dislike her more? Please, only use references to Camilla. Not what others may have said during a heated time were many irrational things went on. Basing on what you have seen on Camilla why do you like her and why do you dislike her. Has Charles become more appealing or do you still dislike him?

P.S. I changed this from the original thread. Maybe this is more appropriate. Please only valid, thorough, and rational responses. I do not want to see a "I cant stand them" post with no reasoning behind it.

 

[Smilla]

This is definitely a good idea for a thread. There has been so much outrage about the "Why you dislike Diana" thread that it's only fair to have one about Charles and Camilla. I don't disklie them at all, BTW.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Why do I like her?

She makes my future king happy. This year he seems happier than I have seen him for more than a decade - he is more relaxed and smiles more in my opinion.


Have I always liked her?

Really never thought much about her prior to this year other than to think that she would have made a better wife for Charles due to having more in common with him. She is closer in age, enjoys the country life and understands him.

 

[love_cc]

I like Charles and Camilla. They are a great team. I like to see them in retaining a traditonal style of royalty rather than being celebraties. I am really happy to see a happier Prince Charles after his marriage with Camilla. That has proved that Camilla will be good for him and the monarchy in a long term period.

I admire Prince Charles for his achievements and I likes Camilla because of her constant support and encouragement behind Prince Charles during the past 34 years. Commiting adultery is morally wrong and both Charles and Camilla are blamed for that; but fundamentally Charles and Camilla are cross star lovers because of some absurd traditions about marrying a virgin. Luckily their love survives after so many difficulties and proves as an extradiordinary love affair between two extradiordiary people.

 

[Genevieve]

I like Charles and Camilla together and since the wedding, my impression of this couple has only improved.

While cheating on their spouses was not right, looking beyond that it is clear that these are two people who are meant to be together and are a committed couple deeply devoted and supportive of each other.

When the engagement was announced I was surprised but pleasantly so. I think Charles was unhappy for so long, first as a child with parents who weren't very demonstrative in their affection for him then in a loveless marriage, that he really deserves some happiness even if it comes 30/40 years later.

Camilla may not be the most beautiful woman in the world but I do think she's attractive in her own earthy manner. Aside from physical appearances, which aren't everything, she has done an excellent job as a member of the royal family. I cannot think of an incident in her 8 months as the Duchess of Cornwall in which she has misstepped publicly or caused embarassment to Charles, the Queen or the rest of the royal family.

I think the royal family seems to appreciate Camilla's efforts too. Since becoming an official member of the royal family we have seen Sophie doing fewer royal duties and Camilla taking on a greater role, which is surely a sign of the royal family's faith and confidence in Camilla.

Long live Camilla!

 

[michelleq]

I did not think much of Camilla because of the continuing affair she had with Prince Charles. I believe that Charles tried with Diana, yet when a bump came into the road, he went back to Camilla, I fault them both for that. But Diana thought that she was the heir to the throne towards the mid to late 80's and she, even though she did alot of good, should had been put in her correct place.
My opinion of Camilla began to soften after their marriage. I even found myself liking Camilla for her help to Charles. As I posted in another thread, I don't condone what they did, but God knows my heart, I wish them happiness for their remaining time here on this earth. She is a great Duchess of Cornwall/Princess of Wales. She doesn't outshine her husband, but is a true helpmate to him. And to see the love that they have, and have had for over 35 years, and the happinesss that they exude make me like her even more.
The only thing that I regret is that they didn't marry in the beginning. She completes him. Then, no one would have any bitter feelings for her.

 

[Royal Fan]

I Love the fact they are Married now ive gotten so used to Camilla

 

[Little_star]

I've never actively liked Camilla, primarily as she has been so heavily involved in the most high-profile Royal scandal over the lasat 50 years.

However, she's shown herself to be a strong, courageous woman who is determined to "stand by her man" and battle whatever mud has been slung at her. Good luck to the Happy Couple and best wishes to them both.

 

[cde]

I am ignoring your one request. This Philip Treacy story sums it up best for me. Camilla was waiting in his shop when he arrived and he saw that his dog, Mr. Pig liked Camilla. Mr. Pig was a great judge of people. Treacy said "I don't even know her and I already like her."
There was something about her that I liked immediately when I saw her on TV.then I learned about her. Chares is right she is a lovely woman. Funny goodnatured, easygoing, her self deprecating sense of humor, down to earth and they just look so happy since they got married.
It is a pity though the situation with Diana (overall) but also in the sense that Camilla would been adored immedaitely by the public without the Diana baggage.

 

[Avalon]

I always loved Prince Charles very much, and regardless of everything, I always liked Camilla even during the toughest times. Now I absolutely adore both of them. I have really never ever been anyone's fan (hate that word) but I am now a great supporter of HRH Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla. I am very grateful to Camilla for making Prince Charles happy. And I just like her as a personality.

 

[Leelot]

I am now a big Camilla fan and look forward to hearing news of what she is doing. I think she carries herself with tremendous poise. I am also impressed at how lovely she looks. I am glad I found this forum as I really want to keep up with her activities.

 

[lady_windsor]

I wasnt always a big fan of camilla but now what can i really do to keep her away from charles? If she makes him happy then im Happy..I think he deserves happiness very much. And also im sure prince william and harry would like to see their father very happy. She is going to be queen one day so the sooner we start liking and accepting her the better

 

[Paula**]

Well, I never had a sympathy for Camilla but now I'm starting to like her
She is such a good duchess and makes the future king of England happy
so I can't see a reason to dislike her anymore
Go Camilla!

 

[magnik]

Still the same - dislike She can't (many times) keep in front of cameras. It seems like she's searching them or testing if they're watching for her.

 

[Will's princess]

I have never personally had any problem with Camilla and still don't. She seems not to mind taking a back seat to Charles and he seems all the more happier for it. In my opinion she has allowed Charles to be himself plainly by being herself - by supporting him, understanding him and loving him.

 

[Elspeth]

I think the statement made by the Countess of Airlie about George VI, at the time he was proposing to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and being rejected by her, is being very well demonstrated in his grandson; she said that George VI (or the Duke of York, as he then was) was someone who would be made or marred by his wife.

Prince Charles and his first wife unfortunately just damaged each other; he's almost a different person these days, now he has a wife who bolsters his self-confidence.

 

[Saragli]

Still the same - dislike She can't (many times) keep in front of cameras. It seems like she's searching them or testing if they're watching for her.

Shes the future queen of england. Of coarse there are going to be cameras almost everywhere she goes. Just like there were cameras everywhere Diana went and where many other european crown princess go. There are going to be a lot of pictures of her.

 

[Alexandria]

Still the same - dislike She can't (many times) keep in front of cameras. It seems like she's searching them or testing if they're watching for her.

As princejohnny has said, there will always be cameras watching Camilla. Even if she and Charles had never married but she had remained his companion there would be public interest in her. Now that they are married and she carries a title and is the future Queen of England, there will most certainly be interest in her.

Unlike some of the other European Crown Princesses, I think Camilla is less comfortable in front of the cameras. I think Maxima of the Netherlands is very comfortable in front of the cameras. Not that she seeks them out, but that she radiates and has an ever-ready smile for the cameras when she is out and about. While Camilla smiles, I think the camera's presence in her life still surprises her somewhat and she is not as natural as Maxima is.

If it appears as if she's "searching" for the cameras, I think it's so she knows from what angle she is being watched so that she can be the utmost professional, rather than so she can assure that her best side if captured or whatever.

 

[magnik]

Shes the future queen of england. Of coarse there are going to be cameras almost everywhere she goes. Just like there were cameras everywhere Diana went and where many other european crown princess go. There are going to be a lot of pictures of her.

I know that. But sometimes it looks stupid when everyone around her keep seriousness or doesn't pay attentiont on cameras and she don't. Some smilies or nods maybe few words and the end, it is ok. But not that what she is doing when she saw cameras -searching cameras and smile, smile, smile... All right she is happy that she take all attention, that everything is new for her on her new life. As a future queen or not she should know how to behave.

 

[Saragli]

Im a bit confused. First, do you dislike her for being a camera hog as you claim or for another reason. Please elaborate. Second, Maxima is always smiling in the camera and so is Mary and other royals. How does looking happy and answering the presses questions misbehaving. People like Camilla cause she always seems happy and down to earth. Not stuffy like the rest of the royal family is portrayed. She still seems nervous in front of the cameras. She still has that shaky wave and is a bit unsure of herself in the cameras. Its a bit obvious. She always tries to keep the attention on Charles. She rarely leaves his side and any pics of her almost always include Charles in the background her something. Its not her fault the photographers put extra attention on her.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Im a bit confused. First, do you dislike her for being a camera hog as you claim or for another reason. Please elaborate. Second, Maxima is always smiling in the camera and so is Mary and other royals. How does looking happy and answering the presses questions misbehaving. People like Camilla cause she always seems happy and down to earth. Not stuffy like the rest of the royal family is portrayed. She still seems nervous in front of the cameras. She still has that shaky wave and is a bit unsure of herself in the cameras. Its a bit obvious. She always tries to keep the attention on Charles. She rarely leaves his side and any pics of her almost always include Charles in the background her something. Its not her fault the photographers put extra attention on her.

Well put princejohnny.

 

[selrahc4]

I was well and truly stunned last February when their engagement was announced. I had never expected them to marry. As the day wore on and I got used to the idea, I started to feel a sort of smug glow of happiness for them and all the royal family. Though I had always like The Prince of Wales and felt sympathy for his predicament, I rarely thought about Camilla at all. I didn't dislike her, just didn't have a reason to think about her much.

I immediately scheduled a day off work so I could watch the wedding day broadcasts (turns out I didn't have to when it was moved to Saturday). The service at St. George's Chapel was lovely. It was so nice see the whole family there. The music was superb. The shot of them leaving, walking toward the doors, her dress billowing lightly in the breeze, was breath-taking. I was so pleased for them that it had gone well after the "problems" leading up to the day.

I've been impressed by the way she has taken on her new responsibilities with warmth and grace. I have a great deal of sympathy for her situation, in that there must be so much pressure not to make a mistake. Still, she has managed to do well by just being herself.

 

[magnik]

I try explain. (That's my point of view.)

I don't wrote that I dislike Camilla for being a camera hog. I don't even thought that she is a camera hog! Maybe sometimes it looks like that. I agree, that's normal that the photographers put and will put special attention on her. (It would be strange if they wouldn't do that.)
Sorry but for me, in comparison with other royals - Maxima, Mary (they aren't stuffy) or other Camilla's behaviour when she see the cameras is unnatural. I wrote that it seems like she's searching where are the cameras or testing if the photographers watching or not on her during her engagements. Her reaction is smile, smile... Sometimes it looks not like smile but simper to the cameras. That's no matter what is the event, Camilla always searching the cameras and smile. Like she doesn't know what she should do/how to behave. Her behaviour than reminds me a child in the candyshop. Maybe that's her nerves or maybe not, I don't know.
Oh, I don't say that looking happy, answering the press questions misbehaving!

 

[Alexandria]

Sorry but for me, in comparison with other royals - Maxima, Mary (they aren't stuffy) or other Camilla's behaviour when she see the cameras is unnatural. I wrote that it seems like she's searching where are the cameras or testing if the photographers watching or not on her during her engagements. Her reaction is smile, smile... Sometimes it looks not like smile but simper to the cameras. That's no matter what is the event, Camilla always searching the cameras and smile. Like she doesn't know what she should do/how to behave. Her behaviour than reminds me a child in the candyshop. Maybe that's her nerves or maybe not, I don't know.

I think that is what princejohnny is trying to say -- that Camilla is, even more than 30 years of being in the public eye (sort of) and nearly a year as Prince Charles' fiancee then his wife, Camilla is still very nervous in front of the cameras.

Maybe Maxima less so as she seems to have endless confidence, but certainly Mary in the beginning was shy and nervous in front of the cameras. But more than two years in front of the public eye, first as a fiancee then as the Crown Princess of Denmark, has really blossomed from her initial months. Mary is quite natural in front of the cameras now and rarely shows an ounce of nerves, rather exudes confidence. It took Mary some time, and it will take Camilla some time to feel that comfortable, too.

I think the European princesses such as Maxima and Mary have it easier than Camilla however.

Firstly, the British media is a lot more ruthless than the Danish or Dutch media in their coverage of their royals.

Secondly, Camilla became a princess and the wife of the future King with a lot more controversy, baggage and history surrounding her than Mary or even Maxima with her father's terrible past. I think even Letizia's divorce was less of an issue than the Charles/Camilla/Diana triangle.

Thirdly, Camilla also married a divorced man, a man whose former wife was very loved and very celebrated, and whose wife died very tragically. For all their previous girlfriends, Willem, Frederik and the other Crown Princes never had a former girlfriend who was as loved as Diana.

I think Camilla had a lot of bricks stacked up against her and has had to work a lot harder to earn the people's respect. By nature, I think she is also a very private, a very shy individual who has had (is having) a very difficult time adjusting to life under the media scrutiny, no matter how much she loves Charles.

 

[maryshawn]

I agree with you, Alexandria. I think it must be difficult to have the cameras trained on you when you're used to being a very private person. In addition, I attribute some of her early "tentative-ness" (if such a word exists) to nerves about the whole Charles/Camilla/Diana triangle and how people would react to her (don't forget; at one point she was pelted with rolls by fellow shoppers). There were even polls going in the US before their visit about if people would turn out to see her and/or like her. Talk about pressure! I never cared for her when the triangle drama was being played out but I've since come to like her a great deal. Her comments to journalists "behind the scenes" are witty and self-depracating......She's natural--and I think we'll see more of that in front of the cameras as she grows in confidence! Most importantly, I think she and Charles bring out the best in one another so I'm very happy for both of them!

 

[love_cc]

Just hope that the photographers would give Camilla a break and not chase her too much. She seems to be a shy and private person by her nature and I doubt that she would ever change that. She is not interested in the limelight but she will try to cope with it Charles. It takes time for her to be used to it. Marrying Charles means many pressures and many duties. Just hope that Charles knows how to protect his wife and smooth her pressures by this time. It is lucky that Camilla is a matured person and a patient person.

 

[Gladys]

Before April 2005 I didn't care much about the British Royal Family. I knew who was who and knew the commonly known "facts" about the Charles/Camilla/Diana triangle. Every now and then there were some headlines in the newspapers saying that Charles and most of all Camilla were the ones to blame for all the mess and what an ugly and bad dressed person Camilla is in comparison with the beautiful and fashionable Diana. I always felt a bit sorry for Camilla because I thought it was so unfair to judge her by her looks.
I took the announcement of the engagement with a sigh of relief: finally they came to a decision!! Then I happened to watch the wedding on TV an I was very pleased that all went well after all these difficulties. Watching Camilla at St. Georges Chapel I thought the picture that was drawn of her by the tabloids simply wasn't the truth. To me she seemed to be a very nice woman.
Since then I'm curious how the story will continue and I think it's amazing how Camilla now copes with beeing a member of the Royal Family. It's almost like she's ever been publicly at Charles' side.

 

[BeatrixFan]

The Camera Business. When Charles announced that he was going to marry Camilla, the Press panicked because they didn't have any photographs of Camilla apart from the odd few of her hunting and kissing Charles. They suddenly needed thousands in their stocks to make sure they could trump every other newspaper. So the media interest is huge because there's money in photographs. Camilla is the most senior female royal after the Queen and so they have to make sure they can do a decent report with pics immediately. Camilla is very good with the press. She gives them their picture and then moves on.

Camilla has really proved herself this year. She has shown that she is capable of being a loving and caring wife as well as dutiful and much-loved Princess. Long may it continue!

 

[HRH Kerry]

Even though Prince Charles had been publicly seeing Camilla for years, I suddenly got pissed off when the engagement was announced. Why? Well, after all that has happened (separation, divorce, and death of Diana) not only will he get his cake and it too but he'll be able to go for seconds! I don't believe Prince Charles was ever happy with Diana nor did he try. No matter what Camilla was always there whether publicly, privately, or in his heart. I don't think the marriage ever had a chance and that is truly sad since we all wanted it to work out for them. In America, we were all rooting for them to give us our fairy tale ending. That's why it hurt us so much. However, I want the prince to be happy and it seems that the duchess is doing her part in ensuring that. I had to remind myself that Princess Di had finally found happiness before her tragic death, so why not give Prince Charles the same chance? I even got a liitle upset when the media slammed her choice of dress at Ground Zero on their recent visit to NYC. In my opinion, the American people was just grateful for the visit and couldn't care less about the color of her dress.

 

[ysbel]

Welcome to the Royal Forums kerry. Yes, I would say most people in the U.S. (and especially in NYC where I live) were grateful for the respect they paid at Ground Zero.

While no one likes a marriage to break down, some Americans are just plain cynical about royals and they didn't care who Charles married whether it was Diana or Camilla - it was all just a bunch of fluff to them. There are some people who didn't followed royals until they were first captivated by Diana and they wanted the fairytale to have a happy ending. And lastly, there were old royal watchers like me who followed the royals from the 70s, before Diana, who had grave reservations about the marriage from the start just because of the age difference and figure that while a divorced Prince of Wales marrying another divorcee in a second marriage is not ideal at least the second marriage has a better chance of surviving. So American opinion runs the gamut.