the duchess proves she is the royal secret weapon

the duchess proves she is the royal secret weapon

Times are tough for the royal family, with You-Know-Who and That-Couple-Over-There. thank god for the Duchess of Cornwallwhich turned out to be the Company’s secret weapon. Camilla’s Country Life (ITV) was a portrait of the Duchess in public and private. She came across as a fun-loving decent person with a mischievous sense of fun, and someone who is as normal as it gets to get her status.

The hook for the movie was the Duchess guest-editing Country Life† In her official role, she champions charities close to her heart, including a charity that helps victims of domestic violence and a downtown equestrian center that changes the lives of young people from disadvantaged communities. She carefully included these in her issue of the magazine, as well as an interview with Harry Parker, an artist who lost his legs while serving in the military in Afghanistan, and whose work has attracted much attention.

We also got access to the Duchess’s home dressed in jeans to walk the dogs. She spoke warmly about her love of swimming (not calling it “wild swimming”) and her respect for the countryside. Eager to show that life in the countryside “isn’t all roses and roses,” she chose Jeremy Clarkson as one of her country champions. They bonded, he said, when they had “a cunning fag around the back” at functions. “She is very good with people. She has an amazing twinkle in her eye,” he added.

The program gave us a glimpse into the Duchess’ childhood as she visited her grandparents’ former home in the company of her sister, Annabel Elliot. A young Camilla once buried Elliot’s teddy bear in the garden. “It still gnaws at this day,” Elliot joked.

Every now and then the program makers got a little carried away by the access they were given and the informal nature of their dealings with the future Queen Consort. “Cheeky Question: Does the Duchess Get Any Kind of Discount?” they asked Philip Treacy, who made the hat for her wedding to the Prince of Wales. “I’m not going to answer that,” he replied. Clarkson’s comment about the Duchess “have to listen to people who are incredibly boring” was immediately followed by footage of her at a garden party – let’s hope the audience members in that clip aren’t too offended. But I imagine the Duchess will take it all in good spirits.

ITV also thought it appropriate to include royal biographer Angela Levin, who informed us that the Duchess’s legacy meant she “didn’t have to worry about making a living”, reminding us that “she was once in one newspaper was described as the most evil and hated woman on earth”. Levin’s contribution felt out of step with the general good-natured tone.