The Queen Consort made the decision to scrap the centuries-old tradition of having ladies-in-waiting as part of her efforts to modernise the monarchy.
Camilla claimed that ladies-in-waiting are not ‘not part of a more modern monarchy’.
The 75-year-old believed that a smaller set of royal staff was a way to “move with the times,” mirroring her husband’s desire to slim down and update the monarchy.
Historically, a lady-in-waiting served as a ‘personal assistant’ selected to aid a senior female royal, the Mirror reports.
Queen Elizabeth II personally chose her ladies-in-waiting, who were consistently available to support her with daily tasks.
The tasks the ladies helped with, included picking out her clothes, helping her to bathe and dress, and organising her schedule to fit in private family events.
Camilla once had a secretary named Angela McManus, who, while never officially designated as a lady-in-waiting, performed many of the same duties.
“The Queen Consort will do things a little differently – she currently has two private secretaries who do some of those traditional duties anyway,” a source told the Daily Mail .
“And she has quite a lot of good and decent friends around her whom she can call on, as and when is necessary, to support her. I suspect she’ll dip into her close circle of friends, maybe geographically.
“She has a lot of chums in London and Scotland, as well as in the country too. She thinks it’s more with the times.”
It has been suggested that the ‘two for the price of one’ arrangement will reduce staffing levels, and one royal source believes that changes are imminent.
Camilla has said to have a strong passion for writing, composing over 2000 letters a year.
As a result, the source noted that she might hire additional staff to manage the expected increase in correspondence now that she is Queen.
Marlene Koenig, a historian with several years of experience studying the Royal Family, previously told the Express : “There are some positions that may no longer be filled.
“You wonder if the women, especially Queen Camilla, will use ladies-in-waiting as the Queen did. She’s never had, even as the (then) Duchess of Cornwall, an official lady-in-waiting.”
While Queen Elizabeth II appointed nine ladies-in-waiting between 1953 and 2017, primarily from “aristocratic families,” these women were not permitted to resign or retire from their roles, committing to serve the Queen for life.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletterhere.