Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Rachel Pugh & Sophie McCabe

Camilla set to ditch age-old tradition loved by the Queen to 'modernise royals'

After the Queen's death, King Charles' wife Camilla became Queen consort. While she's not technically the Queen in its official sense, she will still be expected to carry out some of the duties we saw Elizabeth II doing.

But while Camilla will maintain some of the late Queen's longstanding traditions, she's expected to ditch something that was particularly close to Elizabeth II's heart. It could cause controversy amongst some of the more traditional royalists in the UK.

As part of a move to modernise the monarchy following the accession of King Charles III, Camilla has decided to put some changes into place. One predicted change could be the scrapping of ladies-in-waiting, who have traditionally worked as unpaid personal assistants to the Queen.

READ MORE: B&M shoppers rush to buy £12 item that slashes heating costs after Martin Lewis advice

Elizabeth II's loyal ladies-in-waiting, who were seen in black frocks and hats paying their final respects during the funeral procession, were not just royal staff but some of her closest companions and friends, having been by her side for decades.

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."

Camilla's former secretary, Angela MacManus, filled the role of lady-in-waiting but wasn't officially named. Both Camilla and Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, were given the choice to appoint ladies-in-waiting when they married into the Royal Family, but neither did.

Queen Elizabeth, however, appointed nine ladies-in-waiting from 1953 to 2017, who were mostly "women from aristocratic families". The tight-knit team were personally chosen by the late Queen to assist her with day to day tasks, from picking outfits and helping her bathe and dress, to putting together her diary of engagements and arranging private family events, according to The Mirror.

A couple of the women are expected to soon retire following Her Majesty's death, as they are aged in their 80s but wanted to stay serving the Queen until the end. The ladies-in-waiting would also send notes of thanks to the public from the Queen, but Marlene expects that will no longer be the case.

Meanwhile, King Charles is thought to be "slimming down" the monarchy and even considering whether Balmoral should be opened up to the public in the future. The castle where his beloved mother died could be turned into a museum, dedicated to her.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.