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Edinburgh Live
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Nia Dalton & Katie Williams

Camilla 'expected to scrap major royal tradition' close to Queen's heart

In the wake of Her Majesty's passing, members of the Royal Family are adjusting to their news roles as promotions came with immediate effect.

Camilla Parker-Bowles has taken on the title of Queen Consort and royal experts are suspecting she will do things differently to her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty's former ladies-in-waiting are expected to retire as they are well into their 80s but wanted to stay by the Queen's side until the end.

However, even as Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla did not use a lady-in-waiting and in a bid to modernise the monarchy, is expected to scrap the role. While Camilla's secretary, Angela MacManus, filled the role of lady-in-waiting, she wasn't officially named.

READ MORE - Queen's favourite alcoholic drink sells out at supermarkets as millions watch funeral

Marlene Koenig, a historian who has studied the Royal Family for several years, told the Express : "There are some positions that may no longer be filled.

"You wonder if the women, especially Queen Camilla, will use ladies-in-waiting as the Queen did. She's never had, even as the Duchess of Cornwall, an official lady-in-waiting."

Previously, between 1953 to 2017, Queen Elizabeth appointed in ladies-in-waiting, who were mostly "women from aristocratic families".

Historically, ladies-in-waiting did not get paid and were unable to quit or retire from the position, therefore committing to serve the Queen for her lifetime. It was suggested that the tradition was coming to an end when the Mistress of the Robes, Fortune FitzRoy, Dowager Duchess of Grafton, died, and Her Majesty never replaced her.

One of the jobs entitled to the ladies-in-waiting is that of correspondence. They would send notes of thanks to the public from the Queen. However, Ms Koenig predicts this will be coming to an end with the reign of King Charles III and Queen Consort.

"I think in the correspondence office, it's just going to be people signing the letters. In this day in age, they will have people who do it, but I don't expect they'll have the formal title," she explained.

Upon marrying into the Royal family, both Camilla and Kate, Princess of Wales, were given the choice to appoint ladies-in-waiting, but neither of them did.This is of stark contrast to the royal women who all used ladies-in-waiting before them, such as Diana, Princess of Wales, Princess Alexandra and the Duchess of Gloucester.

Ms Koenig predicts there will be a shift moving forward, as royal women now "have someone who assists them" instead of waiting on them - a role now seemingly outdated.

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