Queen Camilla, who recently turned 79, was said to be "happy" without a career before she took on a "huge" role alongside King Charles, but one friend has now shared how she truly feels about it09:52, 20 Jul 2026Queen Camilla’s friend has opened up on how she really felt about giving up her old life to take on her "huge" public role. Camilla, who recently turned 79 (July 17), married the King in 2005. She initially took the title Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall and, when Charles later ascended the throne, she became Queen.‌Before becoming a senior royal and taking on the duties that come with such a role, Camilla was said to be "very happy" without a career and liked to "potter" about and "do things that interested her".‌Former MP and podcaster Gyles Brandreth, who is good friends with the Queen, points out that, unlike most people in Camilla's age group, she and Charles have to "wind up" instead of taking things a bit slower.‌He explained to Hello!: "You might think she could slow down, but they are having to quicken the pace. But I never get the impression that she is doing it reluctantly."Author Catherine Mayer, who also knows the Queen, also told the publication: "This is a woman who really was very happy not having a career, and who liked to potter and do things that interested her, and now suddenly she has this huge role."She's lived a lot of her life in different directions to most of us."‌Meanwhile, Gyles maintains that birthdays tend to be a family affair for Camilla . He added: "I don't think she sees birthdays as a big deal, but family is very important to her, so that is her kind of celebration."When you say, 'Next year is the big one,' she pulls a face and says, 'Thank you for reminding me.' I think the truth is, she's in a good place, though when you say to her, 'Well done, it's going so well,' she shrugs and says, 'Well, on we go.'"‌Last week, Buckingham Palace said Camilla would renew her pledge to children’s literacy. As part of the initiative, all Year 6 and P6 pupils will receive a special copy of Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures over the festive period.Camilla, who will provide a personal message for inclusion in all copies, said the book was a "brilliant fantasy that will introduce you to a host of mythical friends and terrifying enemies".‌It comes after reports that two popular singers are said to be genetically linked to Camilla.A Reddit user wrote: "Today I learned that Madonna and Celine Dion are distant cousins of Camilla Parker Bowles (Queen Camilla, wife of King Charles)."Woman & Home previously explained the link: "Interestingly, there are two famous pop stars that genealogical research has linked Queen Camilla to.Article continues below"Both Madonna and Celine Dion are descendants of the same French Canadian couple who lived in the 17th century. Camilla and the singers are also connected to actress Angelina Jolie too."