Queen Camilla's Family Refuses To Treat Her As Royalty

At the coronation of King Charles III in 2023, Queen Camilla was also anointed and crowned. This came 18 years after she formally joined the royal family in a far less elaborate ceremony — the wedding between Charles and Camilla was a civil ceremony attended by just 28 people — and over 50 years since she and Charles first became romantically involved.

However, despite her lofty status as Queen Consort, her sister Annabel Elliot doesn't follow all the expected royal etiquette when it comes to her sister. Robert Hardman wrote the book "Charles III: New King, New Court. The Inside Story," which was serialized in the Daily Mail. In it, he revealed what Elliot skips when it comes to royal protocol and her sister: "'I find it very hard to curtsey to her,' she says. 'And call her "Your Majesty"? That I can't do.'"

Elliot doesn't entirely disregard royal protocol when it comes to her sister though. She was, after all, the official attendant to Camilla at the coronation.

Annabel Elliott had more tea to spill on Camilla for Robert Hardman's book, though it's admittedly not that exciting or dramatic. Basically, it sounds like behind closed doors, Camilla is able to buy quite the ordinary sister, aunt, and grandmother. "All our children have grown up very much together," Elliott said. "It's almost like one family, so she's back to being her normal self when she's with all of us. [...] There's quite a bit of irreverence: 'You're not the Queen to us', and so on. There's quite a lot of all that — thank God."

Camilla's official royal status also apparently hasn't gotten in the way of those close to her giving her a joking yet still loving nickname about her queenly status, not letting her get above herself, as it were: Lorraine. The nickname is apparently used by friends and family in reference to the French words for "the queen" — la reine, according to the Daily Mail. It's not a nickname likely used by Charles or any of his kids since he apparently doesn't like the name, but it goes to show that Camilla can take a joke since she's OK with that.

Queen Camilla's family might not treat her with the formalities that her status might get from others when she's out in public, but they have been able to join her at royal events and in royal seating — like the Royal Box at Wimbledon and Ascot Racecourse. Plus, Camilla's family got the royal treatment this Christmas. On the second Christmas after the queen passed away, for the first time ever, her children and grandchildren were invited to join the king and William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales and their kids at Sandringham for the traditional Christmas celebrations.

Camilla has come quite a long way since her days as the hated other woman in the years when the marriage between Diana and Charles came to an end. Her sister was there to support her through those tough times behind the scenes. Eventually, Camilla even gained the acceptance of Queen Elizabeth II, who said she wanted Camilla to get the title of Queen Consort when Charles became king. But even with that title, it sounds like she'll certainly continued to be kept grounded by her family.