Duchess courage
THE REAL CAMILLA: HRH THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL
ITV, 9pm
CAMILLA, the Duchess of Cornwall, has often been painted as the villain of the royal family. The woman who won the heart of Prince Charles has never been able to step out of the shadow of Princess Diana.
Will the British public ever be able to accept her as our Queen when Charles becomes King?
In this revealing and endearing documentary, cameras offer a rare glimpse into Camilla’s life through her 70th year, gaining unprecedented access.
Whether she’s in her London home, on tour or at work, the show depicts a year in her life as she prepares for her role as Queen Consort. Having had an extraordinary life from debutante to divorcee to duchess, this shows Camilla not as a villain, but as a woman in love who has no designs on power.
“She is a very normal, very grounded person, who has found herself in love with the Prince of Wales. She would have laughed at the idea of becoming Queen,” says actor and friend Gyles Brandreth.
There are interviews with Charles too, who refers to his “darling” wife of 12 years and reveals: “She’s the best listener in the world.”
Here, the mother of two and grandmother of five, talks candidly about everything from spoiling her grandchildren, to the emotion of working with charities and retreating to the countryside.
As well as relatives, there are interviews with a star-studded line-up of celebrity friends, including Gillian Anderson, Paul O’Grady and Joanna Lumley.
Joanna says: “This huge love story has been hard fought for.”