Queen Camilla’s support privately and publicly is now more important than ever for the King
It’s a pattern, I’m told, that we’re going to have to get used to over the coming weeks.
Seeing the King travel to London for short amounts of time for treatment and meetings before heading off to one of his homes in the countryside to rest. Leaving the Queen to hold the fort, publicly at least.
Since Buckingham Palace announced the King has cancer it’s been up to Camilla to travel the country, rattling through a dozen engagements, and bringing a new unintentional focus onto her work.
She’s doing a good job of putting on a brave face.
It was all smiles as she was surrounded by a glittering array of acting royalty at a Shakespeare event this week.
The King was also due to be there. Instead, Camilla, on her own, was affectionately given a knitted jumper with an enormous red heart on it for Valentines by Gyles Brandreth, and another one to take back to the love of her life.
Queen Camilla meets dames for a celebration of a Shakespeare event. Pic: PA
That Camilla would be his Queen and centre stage in this way would once have been unthinkable to some.
Ingrid Seward has been the Editor of Majesty magazine since the 1980s and told me for a long time they wouldn’t put Camilla on the cover.
“When Camilla first became truly visible with Prince Charles, our readers didn’t like her… the turnaround has been very gradual, and people’s memories are very short.
“They probably don’t remember that she was so vilified and hated and she was, actually, after Diana died, she was a complete prisoner in her own house. So much so that Prince Charles’s chef used to prepare meals and they would be sent round to her.”
‘Indifference but not full acceptance’
Opinion has undoubtedly softened over the years. But at times it feels more like indifference rather than full acceptance.
For example, not everyone accepts her new title.
Outside the London Clinic, some passers-by were confused when we said the Queen was visiting the King.
King Charles and Queen Camilla leaving The London Clinic last month.
File pic: AP
“We don’t have a Queen anymore,” they said – the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II is so strong.
Talking to other royal journalists they also find that any positive stories about Camilla do still get negative comments.
The palace doesn’t appear overly worried.
One insider said to me: “This isn’t a popularity contest, it’s public service”, stressing how Camilla, despite obviously being concerned for her husband, has been “determined for his sake, and the sake of the institution, to keep to the diary of engagements”.
Watch her at work and you can’t fault the way she gets stuck in.
At an event in Bath, she was on her hands and knees scrabbling about on the floor helping a pensioner to find the name badge she’d just dropped.
It’s an easy manner that means people open up, the pensioner in question, offering some words of sympathy, “it’s not easy for you people to have something, it’s always in the papers”, she said reflecting on the King’s diagnosis.
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Queen showcases her table tennis skills
What has helped the Queen to find her feet is a loyal group of women she’s met through her charity work.
Relationships that have grown closer and into friendships over time because of Camilla’s dedication to certain causes like domestic violence, osteoporosis, and literacy.
Maggie’s, the cancer charity, was one of the first patronages she took on after marrying Prince Charles.
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Camilla possesses ‘magical skill’
Chief executive Dame Laura Lee first met her in 2008 and said Camilla’s always known what’s been expected of her.
“Obviously she’s come into the family but I think she understands the role of service of giving and giving back and with that receiving the sense of making a difference to people’s lives.
“From the first day that I met her 15 years ago it was there… her curiosity and interest in people, her humour. She always, I think, leaves the room with people feeling better than when they arrived and that is a very magical skill that’s particular to her.”
This coming week her diary is again looking busy with receptions.
We’re also expecting to see the King’s first meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in person since his diagnosis.
On Tuesday, he surprised guests at one of Camilla’s events at Clarence House by sticking his head around the door and waving.
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It’s fair to say he’s feeling frustrated that he’s not allowed to do more, but those are doctors’ orders and I’m told he’s full of admiration for how his wife is picking up the public duties.
Royal sources tell me her influence is also strongly felt inside the palace.
Like Prince Philip, you could say she’s the monarch’s eyes and ears. The King listens to her opinions and that’s led to changes in how things are done.
Whatever others might think of her, Camilla’s support privately and publicly is now more important than ever for her husband, as they face another difficult phase in their lives together.
Singer Linda Nolan, who rose to fame alongside her sisters in The Nolans, has died after several years of battling cancer.
The Irish star, 65, and her sisters Coleen, Maureen, Bernie, Denise and Anne, had a run of hits in the late 1970s and ’80s – including the disco classic I’m In The Mood For Dancing.
Paying tribute on The Nolans‘ X account, her sisters described her as “a pop icon and beacon of hope”, who “faced incurable cancer with courage, grace and determination, inspiring millions”.
Linda died peacefully in hospital this morning, “embraced with love and comfort” with her siblings by her side, her agent Dermot McNamara said in a statement.
“As a member of The Nolans, one of the most successful girl groups of all time, Linda achieved global success; becoming the first Irish act to sell over a million records worldwide, touring the world and selling over 30 million records,” he said.
“Her distinctive voice and magnetic stage presence brought joy to fans around the world, securing her place as an icon of British and Irish entertainment.”
As well as her TV and musical career, Linda helped to raise more than £20 million for numerous charities, including Breast Cancer Now, Irish Cancer Society, Samaritans and others.
“Her selflessness and tireless commitment to making a difference in the lives of others will forever be a cornerstone of her legacy,” Mr McNamara said.
Five of the Nolans in 1983 (L-R): Linda, Anne, Bernie, Coleen and Maureen. Pic: PA
Linda’s death came after she was admitted to hospital with pneumonia over the weekend. She began receiving end-of-life care after slipping into a coma on Tuesday.
Details of a celebration of the star’s “remarkable life” will be shared in due course.
Linda was born to Tommy and Maureen Nolan in Dublin on 23 February 1959, the sixth of eight children.
Her parents were both singers and keen to turn their young family into a musical troupe. Linda made her stage debut aged just four.
Those early years put the siblings on track for a career in show business which lasted for decades. As well as I’m In The Mood For Dancing, The Nolans had hits with Gotta Pull Myself Together, Attention To Me and Don’t Make Waves, and they also had their own TV specials.
At their height, they toured with Frank Sinatra and were reported to have outsold The Beatles in Japan.
Linda left the group in 1983, but later reformed with her sisters for several comeback performances. She also became known for musical theatre, most notably performing the role of Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers for three years from 2000.
L-R: Bernie, Denise, Linda (top), Anne and Maureen Nolan pictured in 1975, before youngest sister Coleen joined the group
Four siblings struck by cancer
Linda was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, and underwent a mastectomy two days before her 47th birthday.
After being given the all-clear in 2011, in 2017 she was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer. Three years later, Linda and Anne together revealed they were being treated for cancer once again.
The sisters were diagnosed with different forms of the disease just days apart after they returned home from filming a series of their show, The Nolans Go Cruising. Linda had cancer of the liver, while Anne had breast cancer.
The star, pictured last year, had battled cancer for several years. Pic: Shutterstock
They went on to write Stronger Together, an account of their journey that included frank details of their treatments and the side effects.
But in 2023, Linda revealed the cancer had spread to her brain and she was beginning treatment as part of a new drug trial.
The Nolans lost their second-youngest sister, Bernie, to cancer in 2013, aged 52.
Loose Women star Coleen Nolan also revealed she was diagnosed with skin cancer last year, and said she was using a chemotherapy cream to remove it.
Linda’s husband of 26 years, Brian Hudson, died in 2007 after being diagnosed with skin cancer.
Anne Nolan is now cancer-free.
Tributes to star ‘who was always a joy’
TV star and singer Cheryl Baker and comedian Tommy Cannon are among those who have paid tribute.
“I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Linda Nolan,” Cannon wrote on X. “I had the pleasure of working with her on so many occasions, and she was always a joy – full of warmth and love. My thoughts and love are with the Nolan girls and the whole family.”
“The most incredible voice, the wickedest sense of humour, such a massive talent,” Baker wrote. “You’re with Brian now, Lin.”
Loose Women also sent its love to her family. Linda appeared as a guest panellist on the ITV chat show over the years, alongside her sister Coleen.
The Blackpool Grand Theatre described her as “a true Blackpool icon”.
A 20-year-old trainee gas engineer who won £7.5m says he was back working on blocked drains the day after claiming his cash.
James Clarkson, 20, from Carlisle, Cumbria, found out he’d hit the £7,533,329 National Lottery jackpot on 4 January – but said he has no plans to quit his job.
“I was out in the cold fixing blocked drains the day after I found out I had won,” he said.
“It was a bit grim but that’s reality.
“I’m not going to stop working, I’m too young,” he added, admitting he knew it might sound “mad” to some.
“I want to qualify as a heating engineer and then go from there.
“I need to have a purpose in life, plus dad wouldn’t let me not work anyway. He says there are plenty of millionaires out there that still work and you need a reason to get up each day.”
Mr Clarkson celebrating with his family. Pic: PA
Mr Clarkson added he still planned to have “some nice holidays” in between working, and revealed one of his first purchases was an all-inclusive luxury break to Cape Verde, along with a few designer items including a Gucci bag for his girlfriend and two new jackets for himself.
He said he also planned to splash out on a new car, possibly an Audi – but for now, he’s got his work van.
“If you drive a cold work van all day, going from job to job, you’d understand,” he said.
“The comfort, the steering, the heated seats. I realise how jammy that sounds, not many people my age can afford the car insurance let alone a car like that to drive.”
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As a huge Manchester City fan, he said he was also looking to buy a season ticket at the Etihad Stadium, as well as taking care of his extended family – starting with paying off his parents’ mortgage.
The new multi-millionaire holds up bespoke Manchester City kit celebrating his win. Pic: PA
He said: “I’ve been thinking about it a lot, it’s what I want to do. I told them last night and they seemed really overwhelmed.
“We are close and they have always been there for me. This win isn’t just for me, I want to make sure we all benefit.”
Mr Clarkson played on the National Lottery app, choosing his winning numbers – 16, 19, 22, 24, 27 and 35 – at random.
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