Today, Camilla Parker Bowles, 75, officially became the new 'Queen' of the United Kingdom. Now that King Charles has finally been coronated, she has – against all odds – totally secured the bag.
Charles and Camilla have known each other for more than 50 years, eventually marrying in 2005. Camilla was first married to Andrew Parker Bowles from 1973 to 1995 and the pair have two children, Tom, 48 and Laura, 45, together. King Charles was, of course, married to the late Princess Diana from 1981 to 1996, though they had been separated since 1992, and shared two sons, Prince William, 40, and Prince Harry, 38.
Before Queen Elizabeth died, she gave her blessing for Camilla to be crowned the next Queen – and every Queen needs their very own ladies-in-waiting, apparently. Camilla's ladies in waiting, or 'ladies in white', as the internet has dubbed them, have gone totally viral during the Coronation— mainly for bizarrely having exactly the same haircut as Camilla herself.
So, in case you're curious about the Camilla clones, here's everything you need to know about the ladies in white, aka Camilla's ladies in waiting:
What are ladies-in-waiting?
Essentially, ladies-in-waiting are the inner circle of their serving royal. Put simply, they're a group of friends whose job is to hang out with the Queen.
They each have their own duties, from helping to dress and wash the royal of choice to styling and accompanying them to social events. It's a life-long appointment - you can’t quit or retire from being a lady-in-waiting - and the role is unpaid.
Will Camilla have ladies-in-waiting?
Ladies-in-waiting have been a long-standing tradition in the royal household. The last Queen Elizabeth had a whole gang of ladies-in-waiting throughout her 60 year reign. But when it comes to Camilla, she's switching this up.
According to reports, Camilla is ditching the tradition and instead opting for six assistants who will be known as 'queen's companions' - modernising the role of women in the royal fold.
What's the difference between companions and ladies-in-waiting?
These ladies are more like 'friends' (as we commoners like to call them), so Camilla has done away with the term 'ladies-in-waiting' and affectionately refers to them as her 'head girls' or 'queen's companions' instead. They might not go to the pub together, and it's highly unlikely they've ever shared an Uber to bottomless brunch, but Camilla has named six women as her official companions.
The serve her out of loyalty as per the unpaid position, but luckily for these ladies they are all filthy rich anyway!
So, who are the Camilla's closest friends and ladies-in-waiting?
Here's a full run-down of Camilla's best friends or 'head girls'...
Sarah Troughton
Lady number one is Sarah Troughton, 'Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire', 70, who's previously said 'I defy anybody not to be charmed by a smile from the Duchess' when she appeared on Good Morning Britain. She has known the royal family for nearly 40 years and is a close friend of Camilla. Sarah also happens to be King Charles III's second cousin and she was a lady-in-waiting to Katherine, Duchess of Kent for ten years.
In 1977 she married Peter Troughton, a member of HM Diplomatic Service, and the eldest son of Sir Charles Troughton, chairman of W H Smith. Perhaps she can hook Charles up with a new fountain pen!
Sarah and Peter have a son and two daughters. Her husband was later a director of the Lowland Investment Company PLC in the City of London, a trustee of the Royal Collection and Pro-Chancellor of the University of Bath. He is now a trustee of the Rothschild Foundation and a member of the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Finance.
Fiona, the Marchioness of Lansdowne
Pronounced 'marsh-on-ess', Fiona Petty-Fitzmaurice, 68, is a British peeress and interior designer. In 1987, she became the second wife of Charles Petty-Fitzmaurice, Earl of Shelburne, later the 9th Marquess of Landsdowne. She held the courtesy title Countess of Shelburne from her marriage until the death of her father-in-law in 1999, when she then became The Marchioness of Lansdowne.
The family are close friends of King Charles and Camilla and they live in Bowood House in Wiltshire – a modest Grade 1 listed 2,000-acre stately home.
Lady Katharine Brooke
Coming in at number three is Lady Katherine, the daughter of Lady Susan Hussey who was lady-in-waiting to the Queen for more than 60 years but was shrouded in controversy last November for racist comments towards Ngozi Fulani, the founder of Sistah Space charity, by repeatedly asking her where she's 'really from'. She later offered a public apology and remains close to the royal family.
Her daughter Katherine is said to live in Buckingham Palace with Lady Susan, who serves as Lady of the Household.
Baroness Carlyn Chisholm
Caroline Elizabeth Chisholm, Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen, 71, is a British life peeress and member of the House of Lords, where she currently sits as a Crossbencher. She resigned the Conservative Whip when she took on the role of the Queen's companion.
She married Colin Chisholm, son of Archibald Chisholm in 1976. They have two sons and one daughter.
She was made a life peer on 16 September 2014 as Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen, of Owlpen in the County of Gloucestershire. She sat in the House of Lords as a Conservative Party peer. Baroness Chisholm has been a baroness-in-waiting (a type of government whip) from 2015 to 2022. She was a Lords spokesperson for the Cabinet Office in 2016.
Lady Sarah Kewick
One of Camilla's oldest friends, Sarah Kewick is said to have known King Charles and Camilla since the first time they dated in the 1970s. She also shares Camilla's 'passion for horses' and the pair are said to have owned a racehorse together.
Sarah is the daughter of the 16th Earl of Dalhousie and is married to Sir John Keswick (also known as 'chips') who is the former chairman of Hambros bank and former director of Arsenal football club. She's often seen publicly with Camilla and has sat with her in the Wimbledon royal box a number of times.
Jane von Westenholz
Jane Leveson was born on 15 May 1953. She is the daughter of Arthur Edmund Leveson and Margaret Ruth Maude. She married Frederick Patrick Piers Baron von Westenholz, son of Henry Frederick Everhard Baron von Westenholz and Marguerite Gordon Ness, in 1979. From 1979, her married name became von Westenholz.
Jane is also the mother of the lady who introduced Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Violet von Westenholz. We hope that's not awks at any family BBQs!