Queen Camilla

Camilla, Queen of the United Kingdom, while known as the Duchess of Cornwall: "I’ve never given an interview. I always said it’s better to be quiet"

Queen Camilla (Camilla Rosemary; née Shand, previously Parker Bowles; born 17 July 1947) is the second wife of Charles III (who succeeded his mother, Elizabeth II, as monarch on 8 September 2022) and queen consort of the United Kingdom. She was formerly known as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

Quotes

• Oh, it's quite all right, we curse quite a lot around here.
  • To Sharon Osbourne, after rocker Ozzy's wife caused a stir when she told Camilla "I think you're fucking great" at Queen's Golden Jubilee Concert, Buckingham Palace, June 2002. Davies, Hugh: Four letters from Ozzy's wife fail to rock Palace- The Daily Telegraph (13 July 2002)

• English students don't spend much time on their studies. They're more interested in partying and having fun.
  • The Duchess of Cornwall compares hardworking Pakistani students to the National Union of Students (October 2006).
  • The Guardian (5 November 2006)

• What I have learned from my travels is that by listening at least as much as we speak, and by trying to understand before we act, we perhaps stand a better chance of coming up with the right answers…
  • The Duchess of Cornwall speaking in 2007
  • Unsourced

• My grandfather, P Morton Shand, […] declared that ‘A woman who cannot make soup should not be allowed to marry’. You might not agree with his rants, but there was no doubting his passion for proper food
  • The Duchess of Cornwall during a speech for the launch of British Food Fortnight in London
  • A speech by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall to mark the launch of British Food Fortnight, Westminster Cathedral, London (22 April 2010)

• Reading is exciting. Reading is fun. Reading is cool. There is nothing quite like the thrill of opening a book and being drawn into another world to meet new people and to discover their stories - it’s like making new friends
  • The Duchess of Cornwall to children
  • Reading is cool so please find the time, Camilla tells children Evening Standard (1 March 2012)

• Being a friendly neighbour has always been the keystone of community life and just saying “hello” can sometimes make a huge difference
  • The Duchess of Cornwall meet Big Lunchers from across Scotland
  • Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall, meets Big Lunchers from across Scotland (11 May 2012)

• Oh, oh, very badly. I would love to start again but maybe I’m too old
  • Asked about playing tennis at Wimbledon
  • Daily Express (28 June 2013)

• In a world where so many things have changed for the better, there are –sadly - still many vulnerable, forgotten and neglected children. Each one of them has a unique story
  • During a speech
  • A speech by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall (25 February 2014)

• There are lots of things I do feel strongly about, but if I speak about them I will be on my best behaviour.
  • During a tour at BBC radio
  • Charles and Camilla tour bbc radio MSN (2 February 2014)

• As a half-resident of Wiltshire I feel very loyal to the county.
  • About Wiltshire during a visit to County Hall in Trowbridge .
  • HRH The Duchess of Cornwall opens County Hall Wiltshire.gov (26 June 2014)

• Poetry is like time travel, and poems take us to the heart of the matter
  • About poems that moves her to tears
  • First World War centenary: the war poem that moves the Duchess of Cornwall to tears The Daily Telegraph (28 June 2014)

Quotes about Queen Camilla

• Bashir: Around 1986, again according to the biography written by Jonathan Dimbleby about your husband, he says that your husband renewed his relationship with Mrs Camilla Parker-Bowles. Were you aware of that?

Diana: Yes I was, but I wasn't in a position to do anything about it. [...]

Bashir: What effect did that have on you?

Diana: Pretty devastating. Rampant bulimia, if you can have rampant bulimia, and just a feeling of being no good at anything and being useless and hopeless and failed in every direction. [...]

Bashir: Do you think Mrs Parker-Bowles was a factor in the breakdown of your marriage?

Diana: Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.

• • Diana, Princess of Wales, interviewed by Martin Bashir in 1995 ('Diana's 1995 BBC interview', PBS)