The Duchess of Cornwall has appeared ‘more relatable than ever’ during the coronavirus pandemic and shown the public ‘the real Camilla’, sources have revealed.
Camilla, 72, spent the first few months of lockdown at her Aberdeenshire home of Birkhall and conducted engagements virtually alongside Prince Charles before returning to Clarence House in June.
Insiders have now spoken about how the Duchess has ‘seized the moment’ of the global crisis in order to connect with the public.
Speaking to Vanity Fair’s Katie Nicholl, they revealed: ‘It’s the duchess we all know and love, but the public doesn’t often get to see. She has come across brilliantly and the public is finally getting to see a bit of the real Camilla.’
The Duchess of Cornwall, 72, has revealed ‘the real Camilla’ during the coronavirus pandemic, sources told Vanity Fair’s Katie Nicholl
Insiders revealed how the lockdown had given the public the chance to see the royal in a ‘much more informal setting’ and allowed them to get to know her a little better.
And despite being separated during the pandemic, the royal reporter explained how the Duchess enjoys a ‘close relationship’ with the Queen and Prince William, as well as Prince Harry.
Another source added that virtual engagements and video messages had offered people a different side to Camilla.
One insider said she has a ‘real sense of humor’, while another explained: ‘Spend just a few minutes in her company, and you quickly realize she has a great sense of humor.
Sources said the royal had embraced virtual engagements during the lockdown and revealed her ‘zest for life’ in the clips
‘There’s a twinkle in her eye and she has a zest for life. I think a lot of that side to her has come across in recent weeks.’
The comments come after the Duchess took part in a candid radio interview about her life with Prince Charles.
Speaking from Clarence House last week, Camilla covered a wide range of topics as she undertook her first-ever radio guest edit on BBC Radio 5 Live’s The Emma Barnett Show.
The duchess discussed how her husband, the Prince of Wales, remains in good shape despite suffering from Covid-19 earlier this year.
The Duchess spent much of lockdown at her Aberdeenshire home of Birkhall along with Prince Charles, 71
The Duchess discussed Prince Charles’ fitness during an interview with Emma Barnett for Radio 5 last week
In a pre-recorded segment of the show, Camilla said: ‘He is probably the fittest man of his age I know. He’ll walk and walk and walk. He’s like a mountain goat, he leaves everybody miles behind.’
The duchess also spoke about missing her grandchildren during lockdown and how she ‘shall look forward to the day’ she can hug them.
Said said:’You’re so excited because you haven’t seen them for three-and-a-half months … Your first reaction is to run up and hug them, and you have to sort of put up your hands. It’s a very odd feeling.’
On the topic of the coronavirus lockdown, Camilla spoke about her love of jeans and how she has familiarised herself with online video conference calling.
The Duchess of Cornwall called Prince Charles the ‘fittest man she knows of his age’ after the royal battled coronavirus in March of this year (pictured, the couple isolating at their Aberdeenshire home of Birkhall)
She added: ‘I’m ashamed to say that I really hated the internet. I didn’t understand it and I thought, “What’s the point of this?”.
‘Since lockdown, it’s been so brilliant because I’ve been able to communicate with family, my children, my friends.
‘But it’s also taught children … otherwise children who aren’t at school what would they have done without it?’
Her radio feature also covered domestic violence, her passion to raise awareness about the issue and her involvement with the charity SafeLives.
The royal also opened up about missing her grandchildren and said she is ‘looking forward’ to the day she can hug them again in the new interview
Speaking about how she became involved with the domestic abuse charity, Camilla recalled hearing a story about a man who used a hammer to kill his wife.
‘I don’t think any of us could believe what we were hearing. I could feel the tears starting to drip down my face,’ the duchess says.
‘It was so moving and so horrific that afterwards, I met her mother, a grandmother who had taken charge of the children.
‘I just remember saying to her that ‘I don’t know what I can do, but if there’s anything, I promise you, I’ll try and find a way’. That’s really how it began.’