The Duchess of Cornwall’s 75th birthday isn’t until July 17th, but clearly, Camilla is committed to celebrating the landmark birthday all month, especially in the media. On Tuesday, Camilla attended a birthday party called The Oldie lunch, which was sponsored by The Oldie magazine. Many of Camilla’s friends were there, the people she’s known for decades. Her son Tom was there too, as was her granddaughter Lola. There was a dark chocolate truffle cake and Earl Grey tea. The cake seemed way too small for that gathering too – what if Camilla wanted to take a few pieces of cake home, damn! The cake was decorated with Camilla’s coat of arms, her Jack Russell terriers and her racing colors. She made a speech and continued to lean into this idea that she and the Duke of Edinburgh were a lot alike, and she will be a similar kind of consort:
The Duchess of Cornwall has vowed to emulate the Duke of Edinburgh as her royal role model, saying she intends to follow his motto to “look up and look out, say less, do more”. The Duchess, who will one day be known as Queen Consort on the expressed wishes of Her Majesty, paid a touching tribute to the Queen and her late husband during a lunch to celebrate her 75th birthday.
Addressing a room of celebrities and “national treasures” of a certain age, invited to lunch hosted by The Oldie magazine, the Duchess called her parents-in-law “two of the most remarkable people in our country’s history”.
“The Duke of Edinburgh’s philosophy was clear: ‘Look up and look out, say less, do more – and get on with the job’ – and that is just what I intend to do,” she said. “Both he and Her Majesty have always been the very touchstone of what it truly means to ‘get on with the job’, and an inspiration to each one of us here to do the same, whatever our age.”
Perhaps channelling the humour of the late Prince Philip, the Duchess introduced her speech with what appeared to be a gentle poke at modern sensibilities, telling her amused audience: “Ladies and gentlemen, if I’m allowed to call you that, good afternoon.” Clarence House said it was up to others to interpret her remark but aides suggested it was in keeping with the “irreverent spirit” of the lunch, hosted by her friend Gyles Brandreth.
At the National Liberal Club in London, she was feted by actors, artists, writers and celebrities all in their seventies, eighties, and nineties, with 84-year-old Roger McGough reading a poem, The Living Proof, he had written for the Duchess’s birthday.
“Ladies and gentlemen, if I’m allowed to call you that” – what IS that comment? I don’t get it. Anyway, as I keep saying, Camilla’s birthday keenery has bummed me out. That’s not her intention, and it’s obvious that everyone in Clarence House had a very clear plan for how the birthday keenery was supposed to go and how Camilla will be launched as presumptive Queen Consort. But whenever Camilla speaks, I’m just reminded of how lacking she is compared to other royals. Usually, I end up thinking about Diana and how sad it is that Diana isn’t here. Now, after reading Camilla’s comments, I’m thinking about how Prince Philip really was an iconoclast and a broad-minded thinker… and none of the Windsors really share that trait, especially Camilla. Besides that, I find it really tacky that Camilla keeps name-checking a dead man for her own royal clout.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 12: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall during The Oldie Luncheon, in celebration of her 75th Birthday at National Liberal Club on July 12, 2022 in London, England.,Image: 706844548, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson / Avalon
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- LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 12: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall during The Oldie Luncheon, in celebration of her 75th Birthday at National Liberal Club on July 12, 2022 in London, England.,Image: 706844647, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson / Avalon
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- Camilla Duchess of Cornwall with Gyles Brandreth during The Oldie Luncheon, in celebration of her 75th Birthday at National Liberal Club. Featuring: Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, Gyles Brandreth Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 12 Jul 2022 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
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- Camilla Duchess of Cornwall at The Oldie Luncheon, in celebration of her 75th Birthday at National Liberal Club. Featuring: Camilla Duchess of Cornwall Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 12 Jul 2022 Credit: Chris Jackson/PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
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- Camilla Duchess of Cornwall at The Oldie Luncheon, in celebration of her 75th Birthday at National Liberal Club. Featuring: General View (Birthday Cake For Camilla Duchess of Cornwall) Where: London, England, United Kingdom When: 12 Jul 2022 Credit: Chris Jackson/PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
Blechhhh
she doesn’t need to be pushed down peoples throat that won’t change how they feel. as for me sometimes I hardly remembers if she exist I don’t hate her neither do I love her
she would be better off keeping a low profile. And the overpraise of her is appallingly bad. Her smug expressions are annoying.
Interestingly, there was an article in the Fail written by a “close friend” of Camilla’s extolling her sense of humour and other such stuff. I took one for the team and, bracing myself, read the comments section. Was STUNNED at the vitriol aimed at Camilla! Although the press try to big her up it’s very clear that even the readers of the Fail utterly loathe her. Time and again commentators brought up how she’d treated Diana, how she’d manipulated a weak Charles, how lazy she is, how two-faced etc etc. Shocking awareness from Fail followers.
And some of the comments try to gaslight Diana to “defend” Camilla and those get downvoted by Mail commentators. Interesting.
He was also a curmudgeon, a reckless driver and a racist, so at least we have that to look forward to from her.
Don’t forget cheater. So maybe he is the perfect person for Camilla to emulate.
She’s already most of the way there anyway. The only thing she won’t emulate is any of his work. She’ll just keep doing bread and butter blandness. Occasionally doing something about domestic violence and ignore the fact that she is one of the most famous abusers of Diana.
@goofpuff Considering how sensitive Chuckles is about being overshadowed, Camilla doesn’t dare do anything apart from ‘bread and butter’ type engagements. He was so jealous of Diana’s popularity & Camilla is canny enough not to go there.
All the lols to that! I read the article and thought, “Well at least she has the racism part down”.
But I do agree he was much more outward looking and concerned about how monarchy needed to survive than royals before him which obviously came from his own fraught family history. Now, it seems like the royals have no understanding of public perception and the only ones who had an understanding of how that works have left.
Lol to the continued Camilla embiggening. The public doesn’t have to love her nor will they ever. I wish Charles would chill with all this. He already got what he wanted. Let him have a seat.
@ sunny, it’s long past due for Charles to have a seat and stop, just stop!! Putting lipstick on a pig doesn’t change the fact that it is fact, still just a pig.
Yes, I think starting her speech with a transphobic comment shows she intends to emulate much of his hateful douchebaggery, as well.
I didn’t read the entire post (I’m “working”), but I’m just going to assume it means she’s going to be outwardly racist and acquire a long-term mistress.
Part of what I just put below. That was what I immediately thought also.
I love how we’re all on the same wave length.
HAHAAAAAAAAAA! Perfectly stated!
“two of the most remarkable people in our country’s history”? For what? In a country with plenty of inspiring military leaders, inventors, scientists, writers… how exactly are QE and Phil so remarkable? If only Phil did “say less” instead of making so many racist and insensitive remarks. Is that her plan to make inappropriate remarks and have lots of “companions” while PC is busy?
This. This. This.
Yes!!!! I think her puffing up by Charles has literally gone to her head. 🙄
Ughhhhhhh.
Be racist and say inappropriate things, even though he should have known better? K.
When does the wisedom that is supposed to come with age kick in? Camilia Be who you be, not everyone is going to like and accept you and that is fine and you should be okay with that.
She’s going to get a side piece?!
wow the transphobia jumped OUT there
Yeah, I’m thinking that was a transphobic joke too.
Yes it did.
Yup, that’s my take. This ‘Oldie’ can eat rocks. My grandma is the same age as the Queen and honours my kids non-binary identity, so if anyone tries to say “different generation!!!!11!!”, they can eat rocks, too.
@ Laura-Lee MacDonald, as we see your grandmother is perfectly capable of keeping up with the times as well as her understanding as to how important it is to understand and create a welcoming atmosphere with your children.
Which brings us to Cowmilla, and her like, refusing to identify the degree to which transgender people are consistently fighting for their rights as well as their lives. The ongoing battles that the LBGTQ+ experience on a daily basis should invoke change and protection.
That was my initial reaction, but I think she might have been saying that the people there aren’t actually very proper,, so they’re not ladies and gentlemen? IDK, but whoever wrote the speech for her should have done better, because it does seem very transphobic to me. Like if it wasn’t meant to be transphobic, it still tells me that there is a lack of…..care? thoughtfulness? awareness?….around her that she didn’t think the joke would be taken by many as transphobic.
Tin Foil Tiara Theory: She may have just been trying to say something that sounded like something Prince Philip would have said.
This line says it all: “the Duchess introduced her speech with what appeared to be a gentle poke at modern sensibilities”.
jumped out effortlessly.
Right?? What a horrible woman.
It absolutely and definitely was a transphobic “joke” and I am so not here for it.
God, these people.
Abolish the monarchy.
Yes. She’s signaling that she’s not “woke”.
So she’s going to have affairs and say racist stuff ? Interesting choice.
Transphobia and the moral panic around trans issues are rife in the UK press and right wing politics. Camilla was alluding to the right wing beliefs that people can’t be referred to as men and women anymore and that everything has to be gender neutral. Her comment exposed that she’s a Tory, a right winger and possibly transphobic. As for vowing to be like Philip, if she is and advocate for domestic violence she can’t talk less. She has to use her voice.
Possibly? People who aren’t transphobic don’t makes transphobic jokes. She’s so gross.
Racist and philandering. Seems right on brand.
How will they ever modernize the monarchy if they keep emulating their dead relatives?
Well they haven’t got an original idea between them so all they can do is look to the past and their ‘glory days’ (ah when we had an empire… sigh… etc.).
If the Duke of Edinburgh supported the idea of her becoming Queen Consort, then they might have announced it while he was still alive, instead of seemingly waiting for him to die first.
Camilla, using people (dead or alive) to advance her agenda.
@ fani, I never thought of that but you make an excellent point. Wonder what his true feelings were now.
There is that famous letter to Diana that became public, where he wrote how he did not understand how Charles could prefer Camilla to her.
LOL—right!
Of course, she wants to emulate Prince Philip. Even when dead for a year he’s still 4th Most Popular Royal, while she’s down in 8th place.
I mean, she’s already got “adulterer” down, so…
I hope the internet is tearing her up for that “Ladies and Gentlemen..” comment.
Camilla should just keep quiet with the self praise (or what she considers praise). It will just bring negativity to her. She’s talking too much and she believes the PR machine that Charles created for her.
Emulating him by being old?
(Also, her shirt makes no sense. The only place a ring-tailed lemur and a toucan would be in the same vicinity is a zoo.)
😉 Love your attention to detail!
So she’s planning to have many side pieces in compensation for sacrificing her all for the monarchy?
I’m no huge Camilla fan but how is she “lacking” “compared with other royals? Aside from Charles and Ann she’s on par with the rest. (yes I’m looking at you Lazy Bill and Cathy)
When it comes to Camilla, Charles should take the general indifference and be grateful. She’ll never be loved by the masses.
Nor will he.
Camilla comparing herself to Philip is really interesting to me. That, plus Clarence House hiring a former DM guy, plus the more negative press towards the Cambridges, plus the stories about Camilla cultivating relationships with the press, *plus* the “Kate & Camilla are super close, you guys!” stories (presumably from the Middleton camp) seem suspiciously timed. I think “the Rottweiler” has been put in charge of keeping the family in check, which was Philip’s role. Charles was never up to that task, plus he’s prepping to be King, so Camilla is stepping forward as the family enforcer with the media as her powerful backers.
It won’t endear her to the public–that ship has sailed–but I wonder if it won’t spook the Cambridges & the Middletons.
It’s amusing that she backed herself into this corner where she has to be an elderly working royal. She’d be totally content to stick with her previous life of dogs, horses, and country homes. But nope-she’s got to dress up, and get out there. And continuously battle negative public perception. Can you imagine having to sit through actual meetings where they dissect what the masses hate about you, and what can be done to counter it?
Her nickname suits her (Diana gave it to her BTW). The Rottweiler’s role is just that, to be the family’s guard dog because Charles is too weak to do it. She showed her true self when she cultivated a friendship with Diana, then turned on her when she and Charles restarted their affair. She’s a nasty old harpy and once she becomes QC she’s going to wield a lot more power behind the scenes. The Cambs and Wessexes better watch out.
She’s more vicious and tenacious than any Rottweiler that ever lived. Trust.
So she is going to have constant side pieces?? Don’t think Chuck would like that….
Opening with a transphobic ‘joke’? Totally on brand for Phillip so she’s off to a great start in her emulation. I wonder when she’ll start saying the racism out loud too.
A bit off topic but I commented on the last What Kate Wore post about Kate needing a fashion intervention with her polka dot Alessandra Rich obsession and my comment hit a nerve with some of the commenters lol. Never been more proud of myself.
As for Kate and Camilla being two peas in a pod, I remember reading articles years ago that suggested they were actually quite close and “Camilla taking Kate under her wing” but I also have read the opposite. They always seem to get along at engagements though I really can’t recall ever seeing them interact a ton. If they were truly that close why not do more engagements together? Kate is lazy, yeah I know. I do find it interesting she had Kate photograph her but she is an old hat at manipulating the press by now–she knew her choice would be widely covered and give her more attention for her birthday briefings.
I’m sure Elizabeth didn’t like the side pieces very much, but she accepted them. So should Charles.
I can see her carriage racing and having a special friend or two.
The kind of special friend who feeds her carrots?
If only Philip had said less … I mean, the guy didn’t have the sense to shut up and keep his racist comments to himself.
Camilla’s transphobic comment made me sick. And so did Philip’s racist comments. So yeah, he’s a perfect role model. (I do object to her being called Cowmilla — cows are beautiful and productive; she is neither.)
Team Diana/Harry/Meghan forever.
That’s why I call her Cruella
Yes, Christina, that’s what I’m saying.
“Say less” – she should have taken that by heart.
What a cute cake! That’s all I feel commenting about.
It’s suppose to be a witty remark – ” If I may call..” To lighten up the mood and point out that she wants to be humble while receiving this since she is a aware people still oppose her being with Phillip.
But the overcaution with Camilla ends up hurting her more in the long run. Because of her meek response it’s like she wants to be in Diana’s shadow forever.
Diana is way more memorable because she made the role hers and was not eaten by her role. Her personality came through while Camile struggles with this.
People hardly remember her in terms of what she does, etc. She is not very memorable. It’s like the institution wants her to be an invisible throphy wife.
Camila might have gotten C but she is did not win the people’s heart.