Bryce Maloney ‘26
Opinions Editor
Since Christmas, the British public has been in almost complete radio silence with some of its most important members. Flash forward three months, and it has now been revealed to the world that both His Majesty King Charles III and Her Royal Highness Catherine, Princess of Wales, are undergoing treatment for undisclosed types of cancer. This news has both greatly shocked the United Kingdom and the world, who have in recent weeks waited rather impatiently for news about the condition and recovery of these central figures within Britain’s royal family. However, above the fray of media frenzy and speculation, there is one unlikely figure who has emerged as a pillar of stability and the quiet dignity which has come to define the House of Windsor: Queen Camilla. The wife of King Charles III, many know the current Queen of the United Kingdom as the longtime mistress of the then-heir to the throne—whose promiscuity and home-wrecking mentality led to the destruction of the marriage of Charles and his now late ex-wife, Diana, Princess of Wales. After Diana’s death in 1997, Charles and Camilla began to see one another publically and officially tied the knot in 2005. The love life of the King of the United Kingdom, including his whirlwind romance, fairytale marriage, and ultimately his divorce and remarriage have been topics of great controversy for the last thirty years, much to the somewhat unfair disadvantage of Camilla, who has borne the brunt of the ferocious attacks by both the media and the public. The press frenzy surrounding her personal and private life has caused her to become one of the most vilified women in the world, with many people viewing her as an embodiment of the loss of one of the most beloved figures in 20th century British life. However, I think that this is rather unfair. Modern understandings of marriage and families allow more than half of all marriages to end in divorce, meaning that if you haven’t gone through it yourself, you surely know somebody who has. Many of us have witnessed rather messy divorces, and public ones at that. Yet, we are all so reviled by the set of conditions allowing for the divorces and remarriages of Charles and Camilla that we neglect to see their realities through the lens of our own lives. It is easy to take sides in the black and white world presented to viewing audiences by the hounding narrative of the gossip columnist, but is rather less easy to understand when taking into account the idea of how we are to view divorced persons in our own society. In the modern world, the word divorce rarely causes anyone to bat an eye. It is a common (yet unfortunate) part of life that is understood by most people to be difficult and deeply challenging for all parties involved. We accept divorced people into our lives and communities without a second thought, as we ought to. However, for some reason, there is one couple who cannot seem to find the ability to move beyond the circumstances surrounding their divorce and subsequent remarriage, and I think that is exceedingly hypocritical. In a society that constantly refreshes its views on long-held social beliefs and standards, and in a world where calls for representation of people from all walks of life has been paramount in political discussion, Queen Camilla stands as a forceful example of how far away we are from achieving those goals. While modern Britain has become a place of diverse and multifaceted world perspectives, the head of the British state and his consort have for some reason been so unfairly vilified. I, for one, think that having the image of a Royal Family which has experienced divorce and understands ideas like co-parenting, step-children, and combined families looks and feels more authentically like Britain than it has in some time. Camilla has also used her time in the spotlight to create support for issues that she is passionate about, oftentimes with a much smaller amount of media coverage than her husband’s first wife, Princess Diana. Her advocacy for issues also goes further beyond those which may be attention grabbing or media savvy, delving into issues that many people may find hard to speak about publicly. Camilla’s work in helping to end domestic violence and talk about issues surrounding mental health awareness is dignified and humble in a way that the charitable work of the late Princess Diana was never able to be. Much of her work is quieter with much less frill than what we had been used to during the glamorous days of the late Princess of Wales. Fast forward to the modern world, and we see Camilla shining once again as the Royal Family weathers the current health crises which have engulfed the House of Windsor in recent months. With much less positive media coverage and without the spotlight of stardom, Camilla has become one of the Royal Family’s most important members, taking on a plethora of duties she had never expected to before in order to pick up slack for her ailing husband and step-daughter-in-law. Furthermore, I also think that anyone who has seen the effects of cancer upclose on the loved-ones of patients showcases Camilla’s deep courage and sense of duty. She has taken on the workload of two people and continues to showcase herself as calm and collected despite the fact that her partner is seriously ill. Many of us can relate to Camilla’s emotion and need to continue working despite world shattering events in her personal life. In short, it has been said many times before that difficult moments can come to define a person, and if the resilience of Queen Camilla in challenging times is not enough to earn your love and admiration, it certainly should be enough to earn your respect.
Featured Image Courtesy of Cosmopolitan
Copy Edited by Lauren Backstrom
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