British Queen Consort Camilla has broken with royal tradition and appointed a number of more informal attendants in place of ladies-in-waiting. The six “Queen’s Companions” – i.e. companions of the king’s wife – are longtime confidants of the 75-year-old.
According to Buckingham Palace, these include interior designer Marchioness of Lansdowne and Carlyn Chisholm, who sits in the British House of Lords.
The women should take turns accompanying Camilla to public appointments, but unlike ladies-in-waiting, be at her side less regularly and not bother about her correspondence or scheduling. According to the BBC, they do not receive a salary but are reimbursed for expenses. In addition, Camilla (75) has hired a new full-time personal assistant named Ollie Plunket.
However, the former ladies-in-waiting of Queen Elizabeth II, whose original designation was “Ladies-in-waiting”, may continue to work for the palace: as “Ladies of the Household”, they will become King Charles III. assist on formal occasions at Buckingham Palace.
According to the BBC, the era of “ladies-in-waiting” ends a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages. The court ladies themselves often came from aristocratic families.
BBC report
