This week marked a momentous occasion for The Duchess of Cornwall – the future queen embarked on her first solo overseas tour, a two-day trip to Paris. In a year in which Prince Charles and Camilla have begun to take on more duties with his mother, (the royal couple accompanied Her Majesty to State Opening of Parliament in May) the royal world watched closely as the eight year royal stepped out on her own. The verdict? Two thumbs up.
Traveling by Eurostar, Camilla’s time in “The City of Light” included a reception, a speech – in French, a visit to fashion House Dior and a private viewing of the Mona Lisa (the Louvre is closed to the public on Tuesdays).
Rebecca English, Royal Correspondent for The Daily Mail, summed up what appear to be the feelings of most who traveled with her:
She then elaborated to me that, “Most remark on how surprisingly approachable she is. There is a warmth they don’t expect…”
Combating previously negative sentiments from both the people and the press, Camilla has begun to come into her own as of late, clearly a rock for Prince Charles and lending support to the newest member of The Firm, The Duchess of Cambridge. This tour was yet another step to solidifying her place in people’s hearts, as put by Sky News Royal Correspondent Paul Harrison, it was, “A move many would have deemed unimaginable a few years ago, Camilla mixed with the Parisian elite at a reception in front of the cameras, once territory reserved for Diana, Princess of Wales..”
In what may be one of the most on-point and interesting take on the landmark visit, CNN’s Max Foster shed light on what most people may have had in the back of their minds – the comparison to the late Princess Diana. Foster truly summarized it perfectly when he said, “We’re being given in a sense Camilla, queen-in-waiting, not just Prince Charles’s wife.”
I, for one, cannot wait to see more from The Duchess of Cornwall.
Keep Calm and Harry On 