Queen Camilla may be known to the public as Camilla, Queen Consort, but before that she is a doting grandmother to her four grandchildren and the insight she's given into her grandparenting duties proves she knows how to have fun with them.
The spotlight may currently be on Carole Middleton for her 'Mary-Poppins-like' approach to being a grandparent as she cares for grandchildren Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis throughout their mum's recovery - and was thanked for doing so by son-in-law Prince William with a surprise ‘low-key’ outing -she's not the only doting grandparent the royals rely on.
Queen Camilla is the proud grandmother of five grandchildren; her son Tom Parker Bowles' two children, Lola, 16, and Frederick, 13, and her daughter Laura Lopes' three kids Eliza, 16, and 14-year-old twins, Louis and Gus.
Camilla's family are rarely spotted out and about and largely live their lives out of the spotlight, but the Queen Consort has given some telling insight into her role as a grandmother over the years that has painted a lovely picture of her family life.
Like many grandparents, Camilla revealed that she often undertakes 'babysitting duties' for her grandkids and did so especially when her daughter found out she was pregnant with twins! However, with her busy schedule we can assume she isn't like most grandparents who look after their grandchildren while their parents are at work - she's got her own hectic duties with The Firm to worry about.
Before Laura's twins were born, she told The Daily Mail, "Obviously I am being called on for more and more babysitting duties but it's wonderful. Laura was rather thrown when she was told she was having twins, but we have never had them in the family before and I for one can't wait."
But now her schedule is filled with royal engagements, she's still making sure to keep in regular contact with her grandkids. Speaking with Vogue back in 2022, she revealed that she does 'Wordle every day' with her eldest granddaughter Lola. "She'll text me to say, 'I've done it in three', and I say, 'Sorry, I've done it in two today'," she said. "It's very satisfactory when it tells you how brilliant you are!"
It seems that, while she shares a strong bond with all her grandkids, Camilla's granddaughters are especially important to her. "You know the nice thing about being a grandmother is that you can spoil them occasionally, give them more of the things that their parents forbid them to have," she told Vogue. "The girls are beginning to get into clothes and make-up and, you know, it's rather frightening when you see them, coming out with pierced ears and a lot of new make-up and funny-coloured hair and stuff."
But whether or not they have pink, blue, purple, or orange hair, Camilla adores her grandkids and her role as grandmother. "I’d recommend it to everybody," she said in a 2018 documentary when asked about being a grandmother. "It's very nice because you haven't got the full responsibility. You can give them a wonderful time, spoil them, give them all the things their parents won’t allow them to have and then give them back again."
Spoiling them seems to be an important part of Camilla's grandparenting duties, making her the grandparent who science has found is more likely to spoil their grandchildren than the other. She joked when visiting the headquarters of British jewellery designer Monica Vinader that her granddaughters had 'started dropping quite a lot of hints about things they would like for their birthdays' when they found out she was meeting the iconic designer - what a perfect gift!
In other royal news, James Middleton reveals a relatable aspect of parenting he’s struggling to adjust to - and we can totally sympathise, nd this is the unexpected way King Charles made sure his son Prince William met Kate Middleton - and he could never have guessed how important the ‘fatherly’ advice would be. Plus, Prince George, Charlotte and Louis may be royal, but their favourite meals prove they’re just like any other kids.
