The surprising royal role model Queen Camilla draws on for inspiration
King Charles's father is held up as a role model by Queen Camilla on how to approach royal life.
Queen Camilla may be a rock and comforting support system to her husband King Charles in his job as monarch.
But Camilla has her own inspiration for how to grapple with her huge role, which she has made look easy since the late Queen's death in September 2022.
The 77-year-old is thriving in her job with the King saying Camilla "does have a wonderful way with people."
And it seems that before she took on the role of Queen, she looked to another unassuming royal for inspiration especially when overcoming her nerves before big events, which she gets through by taking a deep breath and getting on with it.
Her good friend Gyles Brandeth says Her Majesty has told him who she looks up to help her navigate the important role she now holds.
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He revealed: “A couple of years ago, I hosted a lunch for Queen Camilla's 75th birthday.
"The Queen made a good speech about her role in the future and said she was going to use the late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, as her role model. She quoted his mantra, which was simply: 'Look up, look out, say less, do more, get on with the job.'"
Gyles quipped: "My wife said to me recently: 'You keep quoting this, Gyles, but you don't seem to be saying less at all – you seem to be saying more as the years go by.' But I am trying to do more and get on with the job."
Camilla and Gyles's have a shared passion with which they have bonded. The 76-year-old author shares the same passion for literature and reading as Camilla and is a founding trustee of the Queen's Reading Room.
"For the Queen, it's a passion project, and one of the reasons why she's proving so successful in her role is because everything she does is authentic," he said
"She's taking on things she genuinely cares about, whether that's a military thing – her father was in the army and a very important figure in her life – through to women's issues.
"She is passionate about literacy. Reading has made a big difference to her in her life. It's easy to talk about in theory, that reading is good for you, but how do you make that happen?"
Gyles as a result became a patron of the literacy charity Schoolreaders, which provides volunteers to primary schools to give one-to-one reading support, as well as help children develop their skills and confidence. Each week, 27,000 children receive free support from the volunteers.
