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Camilla: From Outcast to Queen Consort
A compelling new biography of Camilla, Queen Consort, that reveals how she transformed her role and established herself as one of the key members of the royal family.
For many years, Camilla was portrayed in a poor light, blamed by the public for the break-up of the marriage between Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Initially, the Queen refused to see or speak to her, but, after the death of Prince Philip, the Duchess became one of the Queen's closest companions. Her confidence in Camilla and the transformation she saw in Prince Charles since their wedding resulted in her choosing the first day of her Platinum Jubilee year to tell the world that she wanted Camilla to be Queen Consort not the demeaning Princess Consort suggested in 2005
Angela Levin uncovers Camilla’s rocky journey to be accepted by the royal family and how she coped with the brutal portrayal of her in Netflix's The Crown . The public have witnessed her tremendous contribution to help those in need, especially during Covid. Levin has talked to many of the Duchess’s long-term friends, her staff and executives from the numerous charities of which Camilla is patron. She reveals why Camilla concentrates on previously taboo subjects, such as domestic violence and rape. Most of all, Levin tells the story of how Camilla has changed from a fun-loving young woman to one of the senior royals’ hardest workers. She has retained her mischievous sense of humour, becoming a role model for older women and an inspiration for younger ones.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is both an extraordinary love story and a fascinating portrait of an increasingly confident Queen Consort. It is an essential read for anyone wanting a greater insight into the royal family.
For many years, Camilla was portrayed in a poor light, blamed by the public for the break-up of the marriage between Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Initially, the Queen refused to see or speak to her, but, after the death of Prince Philip, the Duchess became one of the Queen's closest companions. Her confidence in Camilla and the transformation she saw in Prince Charles since their wedding resulted in her choosing the first day of her Platinum Jubilee year to tell the world that she wanted Camilla to be Queen Consort not the demeaning Princess Consort suggested in 2005
Angela Levin uncovers Camilla’s rocky journey to be accepted by the royal family and how she coped with the brutal portrayal of her in Netflix's The Crown . The public have witnessed her tremendous contribution to help those in need, especially during Covid. Levin has talked to many of the Duchess’s long-term friends, her staff and executives from the numerous charities of which Camilla is patron. She reveals why Camilla concentrates on previously taboo subjects, such as domestic violence and rape. Most of all, Levin tells the story of how Camilla has changed from a fun-loving young woman to one of the senior royals’ hardest workers. She has retained her mischievous sense of humour, becoming a role model for older women and an inspiration for younger ones.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is both an extraordinary love story and a fascinating portrait of an increasingly confident Queen Consort. It is an essential read for anyone wanting a greater insight into the royal family.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2022
243 people are currently reading
279 people want to read
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August 16, 2022Angela Levin one of the biggest liars writing a book about Camila, one of the most notorious mistress that has lied her entire life,you can’t make this stuff up!
June 25, 2024
I’ve seen Angela Levin interviewed on British TV and have been impressed with her calm good sense, in depth knowledge and respect when discussing the British Royal Family. Unfortunately, that didn’t translate into the pages of this book, which is nothing more than a fluffy puff piece of PR for Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
I am, and always have been, a member of the Lady Diana Spencer fan club. I bought this book because I wanted to know more about Camilla, as I’ve grown to admire her stoicism and dedication to the Crown. In addition, it would take a harder heart than mine to deny the fact that Camilla and her King are clearly soul mates and deeply in love. In the 25 years since Diana died in that terrible car crash, I’ve come to the realisation that Charles was as much a victim of an outdated system of traditional Royal Marriages as the young Diana was.
What I did not like about this book:
1) It’s written in a gossipy, social page style, full of minutia about dresses, flowers and diary arrangements. While this might work for a newspaper column or two, it doesn’t work in a full length book.
2) I disliked the snide and overt digs about Diana. There was strong negative judgment and very little understanding of the pressures the young Diana was under, which were vastly different to the pressures of a 57 year old divorcee marrying a man who had loved, lost & finally won her. One such example was the petty comparison of Diana’s enormous wedding cake to the “more modest” wedding cake at Charles & Camilla’s wedding. Levin then proceeded to list the ingredients (in both pounds & kilograms) of Camilla & Charles’ cake, but rather churlishly chose not to mention that the wedding cake of two divorced people in their 50s getting married for the second time would obviously be a less luxurious cake than that of the young, first-time bride that the 20 year old Diana was when she married Charles.
3) The portrait of Camilla is so heavily weighted in favour of rehabilitating her reputation the book loses integrity. Why skim over the flaws that Camilla has, the mistakes she made, the rather unkind way both her and Charles treated the very young Diana? Why not explore how her love of fox hunting suggests an emotional insensitivity at odds with her charity work but not at odds with her role in Diana’s unhappiness? All 3 people in that love triangle suffered and made mistakes because of their inherent human frailties, but in this book only Diana (the youngest of them) was negatively represented. It was this lack of balance in exploring Camilla the fallible human being that does more harm than good. Camilla came across as too good to be true, rather than as an admirable woman who (like most of us, including Diana) made some silly choices in her youth, paid a heavy price and then grew in character from those missteps.
What I liked about the book was:
1) I came away with a good sense of why Camilla and Charles work so well together - with his sensitive, visionary personality, her pragmatic, down-to-earth nature must anchor him in a safe harbour in a world that has very often misunderstood Charles and his forward thinking intellect
2) I found out quite a few quirky, interesting facts about Charles & about Camilla, despite the pages and pages of minute detail and the too-obvious puffery
3) There’s a real sense of the depth of emotional and soul connection Charles & Camilla share. I found it rather endearing that at least some good has come out of those tragic years and hope that Charles and his Queen enjoy many happy moments together.
I am, and always have been, a member of the Lady Diana Spencer fan club. I bought this book because I wanted to know more about Camilla, as I’ve grown to admire her stoicism and dedication to the Crown. In addition, it would take a harder heart than mine to deny the fact that Camilla and her King are clearly soul mates and deeply in love. In the 25 years since Diana died in that terrible car crash, I’ve come to the realisation that Charles was as much a victim of an outdated system of traditional Royal Marriages as the young Diana was.
What I did not like about this book:
1) It’s written in a gossipy, social page style, full of minutia about dresses, flowers and diary arrangements. While this might work for a newspaper column or two, it doesn’t work in a full length book.
2) I disliked the snide and overt digs about Diana. There was strong negative judgment and very little understanding of the pressures the young Diana was under, which were vastly different to the pressures of a 57 year old divorcee marrying a man who had loved, lost & finally won her. One such example was the petty comparison of Diana’s enormous wedding cake to the “more modest” wedding cake at Charles & Camilla’s wedding. Levin then proceeded to list the ingredients (in both pounds & kilograms) of Camilla & Charles’ cake, but rather churlishly chose not to mention that the wedding cake of two divorced people in their 50s getting married for the second time would obviously be a less luxurious cake than that of the young, first-time bride that the 20 year old Diana was when she married Charles.
3) The portrait of Camilla is so heavily weighted in favour of rehabilitating her reputation the book loses integrity. Why skim over the flaws that Camilla has, the mistakes she made, the rather unkind way both her and Charles treated the very young Diana? Why not explore how her love of fox hunting suggests an emotional insensitivity at odds with her charity work but not at odds with her role in Diana’s unhappiness? All 3 people in that love triangle suffered and made mistakes because of their inherent human frailties, but in this book only Diana (the youngest of them) was negatively represented. It was this lack of balance in exploring Camilla the fallible human being that does more harm than good. Camilla came across as too good to be true, rather than as an admirable woman who (like most of us, including Diana) made some silly choices in her youth, paid a heavy price and then grew in character from those missteps.
What I liked about the book was:
1) I came away with a good sense of why Camilla and Charles work so well together - with his sensitive, visionary personality, her pragmatic, down-to-earth nature must anchor him in a safe harbour in a world that has very often misunderstood Charles and his forward thinking intellect
2) I found out quite a few quirky, interesting facts about Charles & about Camilla, despite the pages and pages of minute detail and the too-obvious puffery
3) There’s a real sense of the depth of emotional and soul connection Charles & Camilla share. I found it rather endearing that at least some good has come out of those tragic years and hope that Charles and his Queen enjoy many happy moments together.
October 30, 2022
This book is entirely too long for what it attempts to do. The author constantly repeats and repeats how wonderful Camilla is, describes all of the work she does for so many groups, etc. I would have preferred a shorter, direct narrative that might help the reader draw his/her own conclusions. I have never bought into the image of Diana as the perfect fairy tale princess. Neither have I bought into the image of Camilla as a heartless, immoral shrew. Every actor in this play has both been treated badly, and behaved poorly. What I can draw from this book is that King Charles has finally (and happily) been united with the woman he should have probably married 40 years ago. Camilla is a steadfast "team" player in the royal family and, over time, managed to win over Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. I already believed William and Kate were sensible successors, and that Harry and Meghan were beneath contempt. I was a great admirer of the late Queen but remain neutral about King Charles. He has led a life of quiet anger and lack of purpose, coming very late to the throne at 73. This was a very difficult book to finish since there was so much fluff to endure. In its defense, I feel I have a more rounded opinion of Camilla and share the respect given her by the people of England.
October 12, 2022
A very fawning and obsequious account
I am not being critical of Camilla but this account tries to
completely rewrite history. Princess Diana was unhinged and didn't understand her husband and that's why her marriage failed. Just another attempt to whitewash the situation and hopefully the writer in doing so in an absolutely obvious and obsequious manner might earn herself a few letters after her name. It is quite an amusing and fictional account of well documente events by frankly better and more balanced writers. Waste of money.
I am not being critical of Camilla but this account tries to
completely rewrite history. Princess Diana was unhinged and didn't understand her husband and that's why her marriage failed. Just another attempt to whitewash the situation and hopefully the writer in doing so in an absolutely obvious and obsequious manner might earn herself a few letters after her name. It is quite an amusing and fictional account of well documente events by frankly better and more balanced writers. Waste of money.
February 7, 2023
Most mainstream biographies of Camilla (and other working royals) appear to be authorized and are written by insiders, or "royal biographers." With these books, you have to expect them to be written from a flattering perspective of the subject - that is certainly nothing new... However, this book takes it to a WHOLE other level.
I am admittedly a fan of Camilla's, and I've always found her life quite interesting; I have read two other previously published biographies of her (both of which were also appeared to be authorized) and I was very excited to read this one, as it was to be the most up-to-date and the first to be published during her reign as Queen Consort... But I was quite disappointed. Out of the 3 biographies I have read, I found this one the least appealing. As I mentioned before, this book is way too squeaky clean and lacks any depth or authenticity. It almost reads as a love letter to Camilla from a devoted life-long fan. The author appears to be so infatuated with her, it's almost unsettling.
This book also doesn't offer any new information on Camilla - in fact, it lacks a lot of details that other books have included. This book is mostly focused on Camilla's life with Charles; it mostly skims over what I find most interesting about her - her upbringing, early years, first marriage, life as a mother, etc... This book tends to focus on Camilla as Charles' love, but not on Camilla as a real woman.
A book I can recommend is (while still seemingly authorized) is "The Duchess" by Penny Junor; this book brings forward quite a bit more fun details of Camilla's life outside of Charles, and her personality.
I am admittedly a fan of Camilla's, and I've always found her life quite interesting; I have read two other previously published biographies of her (both of which were also appeared to be authorized) and I was very excited to read this one, as it was to be the most up-to-date and the first to be published during her reign as Queen Consort... But I was quite disappointed. Out of the 3 biographies I have read, I found this one the least appealing. As I mentioned before, this book is way too squeaky clean and lacks any depth or authenticity. It almost reads as a love letter to Camilla from a devoted life-long fan. The author appears to be so infatuated with her, it's almost unsettling.
This book also doesn't offer any new information on Camilla - in fact, it lacks a lot of details that other books have included. This book is mostly focused on Camilla's life with Charles; it mostly skims over what I find most interesting about her - her upbringing, early years, first marriage, life as a mother, etc... This book tends to focus on Camilla as Charles' love, but not on Camilla as a real woman.
A book I can recommend is (while still seemingly authorized) is "The Duchess" by Penny Junor; this book brings forward quite a bit more fun details of Camilla's life outside of Charles, and her personality.
August 31, 2023
I’ve only ever read news or tabloid articles about Camilla & this was a lovely insight into Camilla as a person. Her devotion to Charles shines through in this book as does her commitment to the role she has taken on.
April 23, 2023
DNF
I read the first 6 chapters and then skimmed the rest. This is a hagiography of Camilla and is the worse for that. I am not a monarchist and think that Australia should be a republic, but I do believe that you can’t judge people until you know more about them, hence this book. However, this book gives us little knowledge of Camilla, for example her childhood and schooling are given 2 scant chapters, and then the book gets gushy and glosses over a lot of detail.
There is also a glaring historical fact about Henry VIII and his problem with getting a male heir. Angela Levin states that his fourth wife Jane Seymour was the only wife to give him a male heir, but she was his third wife. Petty, I know, but that is such a well known fact that to get that wrong is just incredulous. Angela Levin talks about how some of Camilla’s charities deal with domestic violence and sexual violence against women. She portrays this as groundbreaking for a Royal, and yes, it is, but Angela Levin also overlooks the significant work and impact that Diana had with: AIDS sufferers; mental health issues; body image issues; and her last campaign against landmines.
Angela Levin also glosses over the fact the affair between Camilla and Charles actually never stopped. Both Camilla and Charles have hedged about their romance and both have stated that their affair ended with the marriage of Diana and Charles, it never. Other sources (Ken Wharfe in particular) refute this and the affair never stopped. While Diana’s Panorama interview and Martin Bashir have been discredited what Diana said about there being 3 in the marriage and it was a bit crowded was correct. Not only has Angela Levin gone done the path of demonising Diana, but she is also doing this with William and Kate (good) and Harry and Meghan (bad). This doesn’t do justice to very complex people and situations. On top of all of this the writing was sloppy and I still don’t have any concept of who Camilla is as a person.
I read the first 6 chapters and then skimmed the rest. This is a hagiography of Camilla and is the worse for that. I am not a monarchist and think that Australia should be a republic, but I do believe that you can’t judge people until you know more about them, hence this book. However, this book gives us little knowledge of Camilla, for example her childhood and schooling are given 2 scant chapters, and then the book gets gushy and glosses over a lot of detail.
There is also a glaring historical fact about Henry VIII and his problem with getting a male heir. Angela Levin states that his fourth wife Jane Seymour was the only wife to give him a male heir, but she was his third wife. Petty, I know, but that is such a well known fact that to get that wrong is just incredulous. Angela Levin talks about how some of Camilla’s charities deal with domestic violence and sexual violence against women. She portrays this as groundbreaking for a Royal, and yes, it is, but Angela Levin also overlooks the significant work and impact that Diana had with: AIDS sufferers; mental health issues; body image issues; and her last campaign against landmines.
Angela Levin also glosses over the fact the affair between Camilla and Charles actually never stopped. Both Camilla and Charles have hedged about their romance and both have stated that their affair ended with the marriage of Diana and Charles, it never. Other sources (Ken Wharfe in particular) refute this and the affair never stopped. While Diana’s Panorama interview and Martin Bashir have been discredited what Diana said about there being 3 in the marriage and it was a bit crowded was correct. Not only has Angela Levin gone done the path of demonising Diana, but she is also doing this with William and Kate (good) and Harry and Meghan (bad). This doesn’t do justice to very complex people and situations. On top of all of this the writing was sloppy and I still don’t have any concept of who Camilla is as a person.
October 28, 2022
Our new Queen
I have always liked Camilla. She remained absolutely right lipped throughout the bagging she used to get all those years ago.
The book is an easy read. Does it sometimes portray her as too perfect? Maybe. We all lose our temper and behave badly sometimes but there is no hint of this in the book.
It certainly shows us the good sides of her personality, of which I am happy to believe there are many. But an example or two of when she wasn't being so charming would have given a more balanced view of her.
I trust her popularity with the public will continue to grow , with that of Charles as the years pass.
I have always liked Camilla. She remained absolutely right lipped throughout the bagging she used to get all those years ago.
The book is an easy read. Does it sometimes portray her as too perfect? Maybe. We all lose our temper and behave badly sometimes but there is no hint of this in the book.
It certainly shows us the good sides of her personality, of which I am happy to believe there are many. But an example or two of when she wasn't being so charming would have given a more balanced view of her.
I trust her popularity with the public will continue to grow , with that of Charles as the years pass.
November 12, 2022
Very poor. Published at around the time Queen Elizabeth died, it was already out of date but the main problem was the lack of any critical analysis, new or personal detail or engaging style. I am no Camilla hater but this hagiography was ridiculous in its desperation to portray what I am sure is an interesting woman with many strong points, as nothing but good and 'one of us'. More to the point it was quite boring - particularly in the latter telling (post marriage to Prince Charles), it read like an endless recitation of public engagements recited from the court circular and press releases about various charities. I tend to believe Camilla is a lot more fun than this!
October 9, 2022
Wonderful book about a wonderful woman
Well written, easy to read. Enjoyed this very much. Well done Camilla, how lucky we all are to have Camilla take on this role and live a successful life of service for us all. Cheers, have a cup of tea and enjoy this book.
Well written, easy to read. Enjoyed this very much. Well done Camilla, how lucky we all are to have Camilla take on this role and live a successful life of service for us all. Cheers, have a cup of tea and enjoy this book.
November 4, 2022
4 stars for the audiobook ( some of the editing becomes a bit mangled towards the end of the book)
I enjoyed this biography more than I thought I would, and have come away appreciating how hard working and resilient Camilla is.
I enjoyed this biography more than I thought I would, and have come away appreciating how hard working and resilient Camilla is.
January 3, 2023
A very interesting biography of a woman who has shown such resilience under the weight of awful media coverage.
January 11, 2023
One of worst books I have ever read.
May 8, 2023
RMS Titanic12
I have really enjoyed this book,l now feel l know QueenCamilla a lot better,she seems to understand and like people no matter what their station in life happen to be.
I have really enjoyed this book,l now feel l know QueenCamilla a lot better,she seems to understand and like people no matter what their station in life happen to be.
May 21, 2023
An eyeopener - Camilla our Queen - A delightful insight into an extraordinary woman
June 13, 2023
Excellent book about our new queen 👑
May 10, 2023
Dzisiaj przychodzę do Was z recenzją książki Camilla. Prawdziwa historia królowej małżonki autorstwa Angeli Levin. Przeczytałam w ostatnim czasie sporo książek o brytyjskiej rodzinie królewskiej. Temat królowej małżonki był w nich jednak pomijany albo traktowany po macoszemu. W świadomości wielu ludzi Camilla Parker-Bowles jest złą osobą, której działania zniszczyły życie księżnej Diany. Kiedyś też tak myślałam, a może zwyczajnie przyjęłam taką narrację, która dominowała w przestrzeni publicznej nie poświęcając jej większej refleksji. Kiedy przyjrzałam się bliżej temu tematowi również dzięki tej książce doszłam do wniosku, że Camilla, podobnie jak król Karol i Lady Di byli ofiarami. Jedyną winą Karola i Camilli było to, że się pokochali, ale z wielu względów nie pozwolono im budować szczęścia we dwoje. Nie jest w tej chwili tajemnicą, że Karol i Diana pobrali się wyłącznie dla źle pojętego dobra monarchii. Wiele lat później królowa Elżbieta II w końcu to dostrzegła. Karol dostał wówczas szansę na życie u boku miłości swojego życia. U boku kobiety, która trwała przy nim bez względu na wszystko i nieustannie go wspierała. Angela Levin odmalowała w swojej książce bardzo pozytywny obraz królowej małżonki. W mojej ocenie aż nadto cukierkowy i przez to mało realny. Niewątpliwie jednak dowiedziałam się na temat Camilli wielu rzeczy, o których nie miałam pojęcia. Nie wiedziałam o jej zaangażowaniu w liczne akcje charytatywne. Nie wiedziałam o jej zamiłowaniu do czytania książek, a także o tym, że propaguje ona czytelnictwo również wśród dzieci. Autorka książki zbudowała swoją opowieść o Camilli na solidnych podstawach. Miała okazję poznać nie tylko samą królową małżonkę, ale również jej znajomych i współpracowników. Camilla przedstawiona w książce różni się znacząco od obrazu, jaki wiele lat temu ukształtował się w wyobraźni opinii publicznej i tak jak napisałam wcześniej nie dałam się w pełni przekonać do tego nieco wyidealizowanego wizerunku. Niemniej jednak zaczęłam postrzegać Camillę zdecydowanie inaczej. Doceniam jej lojalność, oddanie i pracowitość. Nade wszystko jednak przestała mi się jawić jako smutna pani, gdyż okazało się, że jest osobą o ogromnym poczuciu humoru, a przede wszystkim bardzo inteligentną kobietą. Autorka ma lekkie pióro i książkę czyta się bardzo szybko i przyjemnie. Must read dla osób zainteresowanych brytyjską monarchią.
October 20, 2022
Unlike most people I've always admired Camilla. At first I was like most on Diana's side until the truth about her began to come out. Since she died so long ago at a young age, her own children are now older than she lived to be which is very sad, people tend to look at Diana as this beautiful saintly figure which no one can live up to. Diana also cheated in her marriage and with multiple men and she even broke up at least one marriage. But comparing the two women was always unfair and it's even more unfair to compare a forever thirty seven year old to a woman in her 70s when it comes to looks. I wonder how different we'd look at things had Diana still been alive, I mean Fergie even got to attend the Queen's funeral despite some of the scandalous things she's done. Anyway on that long note we get to the book. Camilla was and sometimes still is reported unfairly. But much like her step daughter in law Catherine she's kept her head down and got on with it and earned the admiration and respect of the royals as well as the public in Britain and the Commonwealth. This book basically looks at all the good deeds she's done since she before she joined the royal family. I've only read one other biography of Camilla and the last one spoke more about Diana than it dud Camilla. This book stuck to the subject at hand which I appreciated. It was a bit boring but that's because Camilla leads a rather ordinary life considering she's a member of the royal family. She is well liked and loved because she is who she is. The person you meet is who she is in real life and not a facade. I loved hearing about her annual Christmas parties for terminally ill children those little things she does that rarely get any press or attention. If only the media would ignore the petty BS that they stir up with the younger royals and focus on the good works of Camilla, Anne, Sophie and others maybe she'd be even more loved. Even if it was a bit dull it was written in a fairly engaging way and I came out liking Camilla even more than I did before.
June 21, 2023
Levin schreibt humorvoll, ehrlich und offen. Sie lernte Camilla selbst 2015 kennen und hat zudem auch mit vielen anderen aus ihren Kreisen gesprochen, um diese Biografie zu verfassen. Diese geht weit über ihre eigene Geschichte hinaus. Schon ihre Urahnin war die Mätresse des einstigen Königs. Eventuell ist es daher also sogar möglich, das Camilla und Charles Cousins 9. Grades sind. Viele Fragen werden beantwortet wie, warum Charles Camilla nicht von Anfang an heiraten durfte, später aber schon. Diese und viele weitere Details haben mich überrascht.
Sie schreibt detailreich über das Privatleben, ihre Jugend und das Kennenlernen von Charles und ihre erste Ehe. Allerdings hätten mich auch mehr Insider, mehr neue Details, die sich hinter den Mauern abgespielt haben, interessiert, sowie in der Autobiografie von Harry. Das ist hier natürlich nur schwer möglich, aber viele Fakten kann man aus dem Buch auch einfach selbst recherchieren. Der Wow-Effekt blieb meist aus.
Außerdem wirkt es etwas abgehoben, wenn Levin erwähnt, wie sehr sie eigentlich mit der Normbevölkerung gleich hat. Denkart, Verhalten etc. Und ein paar Seiten später heißt es: "Zum Glück heuerte sie ihren eigenen Chauffeur an." Und ihre weiteren Angestellte heuerte sie als Alleinerziehende auch selbst an. Ja, ich bin mir sicher, der Durchschnittsbrite hat auch Angestellte und Chauffeure. Sie heißen tube-Fahrer.
Insgesamt ist es aber durchaus interessant geschrieben, hält sich an ungeschönte Fakten, ist durchweg chronologisch aufgebaut und gut recherchiert. Für Fans der Monarchie sehr zu empfehlen!
Sie schreibt detailreich über das Privatleben, ihre Jugend und das Kennenlernen von Charles und ihre erste Ehe. Allerdings hätten mich auch mehr Insider, mehr neue Details, die sich hinter den Mauern abgespielt haben, interessiert, sowie in der Autobiografie von Harry. Das ist hier natürlich nur schwer möglich, aber viele Fakten kann man aus dem Buch auch einfach selbst recherchieren. Der Wow-Effekt blieb meist aus.
Außerdem wirkt es etwas abgehoben, wenn Levin erwähnt, wie sehr sie eigentlich mit der Normbevölkerung gleich hat. Denkart, Verhalten etc. Und ein paar Seiten später heißt es: "Zum Glück heuerte sie ihren eigenen Chauffeur an." Und ihre weiteren Angestellte heuerte sie als Alleinerziehende auch selbst an. Ja, ich bin mir sicher, der Durchschnittsbrite hat auch Angestellte und Chauffeure. Sie heißen tube-Fahrer.
Insgesamt ist es aber durchaus interessant geschrieben, hält sich an ungeschönte Fakten, ist durchweg chronologisch aufgebaut und gut recherchiert. Für Fans der Monarchie sehr zu empfehlen!
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May 3, 2023This a very positive portrayal of Camilla, a woman who has been much reviled for being loved by and loving the wrong man. As Diana famously said, “There were three of us in this marriage.” Those were different more conservative times when Prince Charles was expected to marry a virgin and even then, they were thin on the ground. So, he married for duty although his heart lay elsewhere.
I was always in Diana’s camp, but like many people have come to an acceptance of Camilla. I have admired her steadfastness and her dedication to unpopular causes. King Charles has blossomed with his marriage to her and seems so much happier.
Angela Levin has written a very admiring biography detailing the causes that Camilla supports, battered women, terminally ill children, rape victims and literacy causes. I applaud all these choices but a few lines on page 81 made my blood run cold.
“Camilla was out of step with most of the country over fox hunting. Cubbing, which involves training young foxhounds to chase and kill fox cubs was particularly loathed. She and Charles wanted to carry on in defiance of the Commons vote but gave it up when given a warning by the police.’
Elsewhere in the book, we are told that Camilla loves animals, particularly horses and dogs. This to me seems incompatible with happily watching young fox cubs being ripped to pieces by dogs. An interesting biography, but not I feel the whole story.
I was always in Diana’s camp, but like many people have come to an acceptance of Camilla. I have admired her steadfastness and her dedication to unpopular causes. King Charles has blossomed with his marriage to her and seems so much happier.
Angela Levin has written a very admiring biography detailing the causes that Camilla supports, battered women, terminally ill children, rape victims and literacy causes. I applaud all these choices but a few lines on page 81 made my blood run cold.
“Camilla was out of step with most of the country over fox hunting. Cubbing, which involves training young foxhounds to chase and kill fox cubs was particularly loathed. She and Charles wanted to carry on in defiance of the Commons vote but gave it up when given a warning by the police.’
Elsewhere in the book, we are told that Camilla loves animals, particularly horses and dogs. This to me seems incompatible with happily watching young fox cubs being ripped to pieces by dogs. An interesting biography, but not I feel the whole story.
May 3, 2023
"Królowa Camilla" to określenie, które jeszcze do całkiem niedawna większość ludzi traktowała jako śmieszne i nieprawdopodobne. A jednak dzisiaj na brytyjskim tronie zasiada król, który, tak jak jego poprzednicy, ma swoją królową. A jej imię to Camilla.
Bardzo się cieszę, że książka Angeli Levin ukazała się na polskim rynku. Dzięki temu czytelnicy w naszym kraju mogą wysłuchać historii Camilli z jej perspektywy. Wydaje się bowiem uczciwym poznanie wersji wszystkich stron przed wydaniem wyroku, prawda?
Ta książka ma kilka wad. W mojej opinii jest trochę zbyt chaotyczna. Jest też wobec nowej królowej Wielkiej Brytanii zupełnie bezkrytyczna. Być może jednak to jest dokładnie to, czego Camilla, po tylu latach odgrywania roli potwora z horroru, potrzebowała? Może ktoś wreszcie powinien stanąć po jej stronie? Oddać jej i jej pracy przez te lata sprawiedliwość?
Jeśli tak, to Angela Levin nadaje się do tego znakomicie.
Bardzo się cieszę, że książka Angeli Levin ukazała się na polskim rynku. Dzięki temu czytelnicy w naszym kraju mogą wysłuchać historii Camilli z jej perspektywy. Wydaje się bowiem uczciwym poznanie wersji wszystkich stron przed wydaniem wyroku, prawda?
Ta książka ma kilka wad. W mojej opinii jest trochę zbyt chaotyczna. Jest też wobec nowej królowej Wielkiej Brytanii zupełnie bezkrytyczna. Być może jednak to jest dokładnie to, czego Camilla, po tylu latach odgrywania roli potwora z horroru, potrzebowała? Może ktoś wreszcie powinien stanąć po jej stronie? Oddać jej i jej pracy przez te lata sprawiedliwość?
Jeśli tak, to Angela Levin nadaje się do tego znakomicie.
December 21, 2023
If you enjoy reading biographies of well-known people and especially those from the Royal Family, you will get an interesting, up-close look at Camilla. Angela Levin accompanies Camilla to many events and reports on Camilla's strengths, talents, interests, passion and her love for Charles. At times, the praise seems a little "overboard" as if this lady has done no wrong and was indeed a victim of bad press. Levin tends to compare her to Queen Elizabeth too much. It's obvious she's "making up" for the recent negative reports by Prince Harry & Meghan. No doubt, Camilla is a lovely person dedicated to countless charities and especially to the continuation of the monarchy.
January 5, 2023
Let me first say I like the Duchess of Cornwall, I feel that what you see is what you get. Therefore I decided to read this book, hoping to learn more about her apart from everything that the press has said.
I was disappointed, I felt this book told me nothing new. It made me feel it was a very poor pr attempt. The Duchess was portrayed as a wonderful woman who has rescued both Charles and the monarchy. Every good thing about her was counterbalanced by a bad thing about Diana. I felt it rehashed a lot of what we already know. Disappointing to say the least.
I was disappointed, I felt this book told me nothing new. It made me feel it was a very poor pr attempt. The Duchess was portrayed as a wonderful woman who has rescued both Charles and the monarchy. Every good thing about her was counterbalanced by a bad thing about Diana. I felt it rehashed a lot of what we already know. Disappointing to say the least.
February 20, 2023
An Interesting Read
I enjoyed this book a lot, although there wasn't much that we hadn't read before about Camilla, Queen Consort, as she is now known. I often wonder how things would have been if she and Charles had been allowed to marry when they first met, but their love has proved to be ever lasting, and possibly it wouldn't have worked so well all those years ago. Although she is now her own person, I get the feeling that she will always put him first no matter what, not so easy to do when you are young. A good read.
I enjoyed this book a lot, although there wasn't much that we hadn't read before about Camilla, Queen Consort, as she is now known. I often wonder how things would have been if she and Charles had been allowed to marry when they first met, but their love has proved to be ever lasting, and possibly it wouldn't have worked so well all those years ago. Although she is now her own person, I get the feeling that she will always put him first no matter what, not so easy to do when you are young. A good read.
March 19, 2023
I agree with others that the book did not present a lot of new information. But I still enjoyed it.
What surprises me is the virulent hatred that so many people still express for Camilla 25 years after Diana's death. Diana was not a saint. She and Charles should never have married - they were totally wrong for each other. There were faults on both sides. Charles is clearly much happier now than he was while married to Diana. I firmly believe that the marriage of Charles and Diana would have failed, with or without Camilla. Get over it.
What surprises me is the virulent hatred that so many people still express for Camilla 25 years after Diana's death. Diana was not a saint. She and Charles should never have married - they were totally wrong for each other. There were faults on both sides. Charles is clearly much happier now than he was while married to Diana. I firmly believe that the marriage of Charles and Diana would have failed, with or without Camilla. Get over it.
March 16, 2025
I'm bumping my rating up from 3 stars to 4 stars because I think a lot of people are rating it poorly simply because they don't like Queen Camilla.
3 stars: I think Camilla is wonderful, but this biography was nothing but a regurgitation of things we already know about her from Penny Junor's biography (which was amazing, I highly recommend it) supplemented by Wikipedia articles and The Crown. The writing style was also boring. I'm giving it three stars because it was mostly accurate and fair and it does educate the reader about Camilla's life and the charities she supports.
3 stars: I think Camilla is wonderful, but this biography was nothing but a regurgitation of things we already know about her from Penny Junor's biography (which was amazing, I highly recommend it) supplemented by Wikipedia articles and The Crown. The writing style was also boring. I'm giving it three stars because it was mostly accurate and fair and it does educate the reader about Camilla's life and the charities she supports.
January 5, 2026
3.5 stars.
The book was amazing in the facts it presented - but was more of an itinerary than a biography. The author was quite clearly a fan and I can understand why - I just prefer to read an impartial view. However the stand out was Camilla's contribution to reading in the UK ( fabulous) and her work with DV survivors.
I cannot imagine how Camilla put up with all she did - given the treatment of her by the immoral and unethical media. She is one tough cookie, and from all accounts a good human.
The book was amazing in the facts it presented - but was more of an itinerary than a biography. The author was quite clearly a fan and I can understand why - I just prefer to read an impartial view. However the stand out was Camilla's contribution to reading in the UK ( fabulous) and her work with DV survivors.
I cannot imagine how Camilla put up with all she did - given the treatment of her by the immoral and unethical media. She is one tough cookie, and from all accounts a good human.
October 14, 2022
I found this book to be very a very clear depiction of the Queen Consort, a view that I already had from watching videos and news reports.
The Queen Consort is a calm, sensible woman - not without faults and aren't we all - who has stood great stress and abuse with dignity. She is sensitive to the needs of others and greatly admired by many.
I like her very much and welcome her being the future Queen.
The Queen Consort is a calm, sensible woman - not without faults and aren't we all - who has stood great stress and abuse with dignity. She is sensitive to the needs of others and greatly admired by many.
I like her very much and welcome her being the future Queen.
May 27, 2023
My middling rating is not a reflection of my feelings about Camilla, it's a reflection on the mediocre writing. Huge sections of this book are just a rehash of newspaper articles about Camilla's public appearances at various ribbon-cuttings and charities, plodding along at the same pace, inserting every detail. I did learn some things I didn't know but a better writer could have done so much more with this subject.
November 12, 2022
One of the worst royal biographies I’ve ever encountered. It’s full of what I’d call fairy tales, trying to paint Camilla as something she’s not while adding a great deal hullabaloo in between, in particularly the bits about The Duchess of Sussex. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone. Buy at your risk.
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