The place of lady-in-waiting has been scrapped at Buckingham Palace, bringing to an finish a centuries-old custom.
Combining the roles of companion, adviser and secretary, ladies-in-waiting performed a key half in Royal life, accompanying the late Queen and her sister Princess Margaret on official duties and overseas excursions.
However in an indication of the brand new Queen Consort Camilla’s unfussy method, they are going to be changed by six aides styled ‘Queen’s Companions’.
Final night time the Palace named them as Sarah Troughton, Jane von Westenholz, Fiona the Marchioness of Lansdowne, an inside designer, Girl Katharine Brooke and Baroness Carlyn Chisholm, a Conservative peer. The sixth is Camilla’s shut pal Girl Sarah Keswick, whose husband, Sir Chips Keswick, retired as chairman of Arsenal soccer membership in 2020. All have been loyal to Camilla.
A Palace supply stated they may obtain a nominal price to cowl their bills in a lot the identical means as ladies-in-waiting.
In the meantime. a senior royal supply instructed The Sunday Occasions: ‘The Queen Consort didn’t need or want ladies-in-waiting and the Queen’s companions could have a distinct function. They’re there to supply Her Majesty with help and firm. On the finish of a really busy day, it’s good to have a longstanding pal beside you.’
The place of lady-in-waiting has been scrapped at Buckingham Palace, bringing to an finish a centuries-old custom – in an indication of the brand new Queen Consort Camilla’s unfussy method
Final night time the Palace named Sarah Troughton (pictured) as one of many ‘Queen’s Companions’
Girl Sarah Keswick (pictured) was additionally named. Her husband, Sir Chips Keswick, retired as chairman of Arsenal soccer membership in 2020
Baroness Carlyn Chisholm, a Conservative peer, might be one other of the ‘Queen’s Companion’
Fiona the Marchioness of Lansdowne (proper), an inside designer, is one other appointed to the function
All the ladies are among the many internal circle of the King and Queen and believed to be among the monarchs’ oldest and most loyal mates.
Girl Lansdowne, 68, is an inside designer with a watch for vogue. She is understood professionally as ‘Fiona Shelburne’. Her husband Charles, the Marquess of Lansdowne, is without doubt one of the King’s closest mates.
Girl Lansdowne is the chatelaine of Bowood Home in Wiltshire – near Camilla’s personal nation property. Referred to as ‘Lofty’ to her mates, Jane von Westenholz is married to former Olympic alpine skier Baron von Westenholz.
Whereas Girl Brooke – daughter of Girl Susan Hussey, who’s a former lady-in-waiting of the late Queen – is a number one determine in horse racing.
Sarah Troughton, 69, is the Lord-Lieutenant of Wiltshire – the primary girl to carry the submit since its creation virtually 500 years in the past. She can be the late Queen’s cousin and appeared within the ITV documentary Camillia’s Nation Life to mark the Queen Consort’s seventy fifth birthday earlier this 12 months.
And Girl Sarah is the Queen Consort’s oldest pal and is married to Sir Chips Keswick, the previous chairman of Hambros financial institution and ex-director of Arsenal Soccer Membership. Having a depraved sense of humour, she is described as ‘very humorous’ and a ‘nice draw at time for dinner’ by mates near her.
Former nurse Baroness Chisholm is a life peer, having beforehand represented the Conservatives within the Home of Lords. A fan of horse racing, she has beforehand attended Royal Ascot with the Charles and Camilia and, earlier than the royal couple give up, used to go fox searching with them too.
Girl Katherine Brooke, proper, pictured with Sir Francis. She is among the many closest and most loyal mates of the King and Queen Consort
Jane von Westenholz is the Queen Consort’s sixth companion
Combining the roles of companion, adviser and secretary, ladies-in-waiting performed a key half in Royal life, accompanying the late Queen and her sister Princess Margaret on official duties and overseas excursions.
The shift in royal custom has additionally seen the Queen Consort rent her first devoted equerry, a male adviser taking part in the identical function. He was final night time named as Main Ollie Plunkett, of The Rifles, of which the Queen Consort is Colonel-in-Chief.
He’ll work alongside her personal secretary. A few of the Queen’s Companions will seem publicly along with her for the primary time on Tuesday, at a Palace reception to focus on violence towards ladies and ladies.
Women-in-waiting answered correspondence, helped host occasions and accompanied feminine Royals on their travels.
The brand new function, a Palace supply stated, was to take into consideration the altering wants of the 75-year-old Queen Consort who received’t be required ‘to be in attendance as repeatedly’.
A Palace spokesman stated: ‘The function of the Queen’s Companion might be to help the Queen Consort in a few of her key official and state duties.’
The late Queen’s ladies-in-waiting have been stored on however will now be often called women of the family. They’re Girl Susan Hussey, Dame Mary Morrison and Dame Annabel Whitehead.
A Palace spokesman added that the previous ladies-in-waiting would ‘proceed to help His Majesty the King in internet hosting formal events at Buckingham Palace’.
