Queen Camilla has taken on massive responsibility as her husband, King Charles, is undergoing treatment for his cancer. The couple just celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary, and hopefully, they have many years left together.
The former Parker-Bowles has had a very bumpy ride within the royal sphere. From being the “mistress” of the future king and despised by large parts of the royal fanbase, today, Camilla has become a popular royal family member, taking her duties to the Crown very seriously.
While King Charles has had some health scares through the years, not much is known about Queen Camilla’s dito. While she got Covid twice and reportedly had a broken toe when Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest, she has been at the hospital many times in her life. Once, she fell into a hole in Scotland and was discovered by locals.
Camilla’s path to becoming Queen Camilla has been challenging. Her connection – and foremost love story – with King Charles began when he was still married to Princess Diana.
Queen Camilla
Charles and Diana formally separated in December of 1992. Just months later, the press published a full transcript of a telephone call between the then-future King and Camilla, revealing how they’d had a relatively intimate and sexual connection even before the now-king and Diana separated.
The recording became news worldwide – but according to The Diana Chronicles, the person who recorded it had kept it for himself for years.
The public reaction wasn’t positive. Firstly, Princess Diana was a national icon and loved by all, and the idea of Charles going behind her back and causing her harm didn’t sit well with anyone.
The scandal involved the future king – just hearing him say things like “live inside her trousers” was wholly unexpected and considered inappropriate.
While Charles was getting a lot of criticism, Camilla wasn’t spared. The public, as well as royal family members, as per reports, criticized her actions. Not least because of how she somewhat became “the one who destroyed Charles and Diana’s marriage.”
The phone call that took place in 1989 more than confirmed that Charles had engaged in an affair with Camilla while still married to Diana. Meanwhile, it also proved that Camilla had cheated on her husband, Andrew Parker Bowles.
In the beginning, Camilla was, unsurprisingly, not particularly popular among the public, nor was she a favorite of Queen Elizabeth.
Camilla had to endure “torrents” of mistreatment from the public
In 2018, investigative author and journalist Tom Bower claimed that, at first, Queen Elizabeth II didn’t want any interaction with Camilla. King Charles is said to have confronted his mother, telling her to “soften her antagonism” so he could live freely with Camilla. That, however, didn’t sit well with the queen, who reportedly lashed out at Charles.
Camilla was having a hard time being accepted by Queen Elizabeth when she and Charles officially became a couple. However, years before, when the affair was revealed, Camilla pretty much disappeared because of the way the public treated her.
Speaking with OK Magazine, royal expert Angela Levin, author of the 2022 book Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall: A Royal Survivor, Camilla had to endure “torrents” of mistreatment from the public as the affair was revealed. According to Levin, she was forced to spend most of her time at home to avoid backlash from the public.
Moreover, the expert claimed Camilla was afraid of going out shopping or visiting stores. Instead, she had to send her friends to do her errands.
“It was very difficult for her, as she was portrayed as the most wicked woman in the world. She was constantly called nasty names like ‘rottweiler,’ and it must have come as a huge shock that people were so vile about her,” Levin said at the time.
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“I don’t think Charles realised how awful it was for her. He was often away on engagements and working hard for the country and Commonwealth, and at the time, Camilla didn’t have protection officers because she wasn’t part of the Royal Family. But when Charles finally realised, he did get protection for her, which he paid for himself.”
Camilla became increasingly popular among the public as the years went by. Even so, Angela Levin suspected she “must still bear the scars of it all.”
Queen Camilla – health issues
While she might bear the “scars,” Queen Camilla has proven herself right today. As King Charles is receiving treatment for his cancer, the former Parker-Bowles has taken on a tremendous amount of responsibility in her husband’s absence.
Although Queen Camilla has been a tremendous asset to the royal family, she has had some health issues, just like most of us. Looking back on her life, it is safe to say that she has had her fair share of ups and downs.
Considering she’s 76 years of age, as well as her hectic schedule, it’s not strange that she has had some health issues. Meanwhile, she has reportedly experienced some alarming symptoms while on royal duty, and some have worried about her.
For years, Camilla has been raising awareness about osteoporosis. She first became the president of the Royal Osteoporosis Society in 2001. The queen made her first donation to it in 1997, and the reason why she is very dedicated to osteoporosis has to do with her family history.
As the Mayo Clinic describes, osteoporosis “causes bones to become weak and brittle — so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses such as bending over or coughing can cause a break.” Moreover, the site describes that osteoporosis-related breaks “most commonly occur in the hip, wrist, or spine.”
“Bone is living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone doesn’t keep up with the loss of old bone,” it says.
Is Queen Camilla at risk of getting osteoporosis?
In 1994, Queen Camilla’s mother tragically died from complications of osteoporosis. Meanwhile, her grandmother also died from the disease. Five years ago, in 2019, Camilla held a speech at the Royal Osteoporosis Society, speaking about it.
In a 2019 speech for the Royal Osteoporosis Society, Camilla revealed, “It was 25 years ago that my mother died as a result of osteoporosis. In fact, she was exactly the same age that I am now. Then it was never discussed, rarely diagnosed, and always attributed to old people.”
While Queen Camilla is dedicated to finding a cure, the alarming fact is that she most likely could be having it – or is at the risk of having it – herself.
According to the Mayo Clinic, having a parent or other close relative with the condition increases the risk of having it yourself. In an interview with Express, David Wiener, a training and nutrition specialist at the AI-based fitness and lifestyle coaching app Freeletics, says Camilla is practicing both yoga and pilates, which are recommended exercises for her age group to avoid ‘muscular pain.’
“Camilla actually admitted how much of a big fan she is of Yoga and Pilates, which is what I would recommend people of that age to do,” Wiener said.
“As you get older, it comes to no surprise you should be doing less strenuous exercise as it could cause muscular pain and your bones become much more fragile.”
“Furthermore, Camilla and Charles are known to love to spend their time walking the dogs or walking in the countryside. Walking is one of the best exercises you can do, not only does it get your body moving but it also is gentle on your body,” he added.
“Outdoor walking is amazing for improving your fitness levels, burning fat, improving mental health, aiding sleep and getting your much-needed nature fix.”
“I think it’s very important as you get older to take exercise and stretch”
In 2017, Camilla spoke about her workout routine during a Singapore visit.
“It’s very good for you yoga, isn’t it? It’s very good for you as you get older, it makes you less stiff – good for your muscles,” she said. “It makes you much more supple. I think it’s very important as you get older to take exercise and stretch. I do a bit of yoga. A bit of yoga and a bit of Pilates.”
While Camilla could be at risk of getting osteoporosis, she has reportedly dealt with other health issues.
Reports suggest that Camila has had problems with recurring sinusitis for many years. In 2021, as per Express, a royal fan appeared to discover it during the annual Armistice Day festivities.
In 2012, she had to cancel several royal engagements due to sinusitis.
“The Duchess of Cornwall has developed sinusitis and a severe middle ear infection over the last few days, which means she will not be able to carry out her engagements in London this evening and tomorrow,” a spokesperson said.
While sinusitis might not mean you must visit the hospital, Camilla has not been spared from hospital visits.
For example, in 2007, she had a hysterectomy. But it was nothing compared to what she had to endure in 2010.
In April 2010, Camilla had to be taken to the hospital in Aberdeen after she fractured her leg while out walking near the Balmoral. As per the Guardian, the then-duchess “took a tumble.”
Queen Camilla fell into hole in Scotland – saved by locals
“She was walking in slippery conditions in Scotland, and took a tumble and hurt her leg,” Camilla’s official spokesperson said.
“Today, following doctor’s advice, Her Royal Highness had an x-ray which showed a twisted fracture of the fibula. Consequently, Her Royal Highness is wearing a plaster cast and will be for six weeks. She has been advised not to put weight on her leg. Her Royal Highness has every intention of carrying out all planned engagements.”
The then-duchess had to use a wheelchair when attending royal engagements for weeks afterward. But what really happened?
Later the same year, writer Bob Colacello wrote a piece in Vanity Fair, revealing that Camilla had been rescued by two women alone on the trail.
“When … asked her about breaking a leg in Scotland last fall, [Camilla] explained that she had fallen in a hole while walking the moors and was rescued by two very nice ladies.”
Camilla reportedly said, “They were so kind. They took me to a hospital and stayed with me the whole time — and not one word to the press! I was so grateful I sent each of them a case of champagne.”
The royal family has been having some very tough months to begin 2024. It’s soon been two years since Queen Elizabeth died, and the longtime monarch was mourned worldwide.
In Camilla’s case, she did not only go through an adamant time mentally as the queen died. Also, it was revealed that she went through a painful time physically.
Before Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, Charles and Camilla visited Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland on their UK tour.
As reported by The Telegraph, Camilla was said to have suffered from a broken toe, and after the tour in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, she retreated to her Wiltshire home of Raymill.
Camilla broke her toe and was in “quite a lot of pain”
The queen suffered from a broken toe before Queen Elizabeth’s passing – but according to the newspaper, she stayed strong and performed her duties despite being in pain.
“She is in quite a lot of pain but she is just getting on with it. It is unfortunate timing to say the least but she’s been an absolute trouper,” a source told The Telegraph.
A spokesman for the King said: “we won’t comment on medical conditions:”
If the duties were mostly about sitting down, maybe one wouldn’t be that impressed that Camilla continued her duties. However, her responsibilities included standing for long periods.
The intense period included Camilla standing in all official ceremonies and meeting people who gathered outside the palace. She did it all while dealing with injury – as she surely should be applauded for.
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