Queen Consort to scrap ladies-in-waiting

Camilla, the Queen Consort, is to scrap the centuries-old tradition of ladies-in-waiting in favour of a smaller, more modern group of staff.

Queen Elizabeth II had about seven devoted ladies-in-waiting at the time of her death, some of whom had been by her side for more than 60 years.

They acted as personal assistants and often close friends, assisting in day-to-day activities such as public and personal correspondence, while also accompanying her on royal tours and visits.

The Queen Consort has decided to part with tradition by getting rid of the roles, which are unpaid, to be “more with the times”.

The 75-year-old’s existing private secretaries will now take on the traditional duties of the late Queen’s official companions, in what has been described as a “two for the price of one” deal.

The Queen Consort is also said to have many “good and decent friends” around the country whom she can call on to help her in carrying out her duties when needed.

A royal source told the Daily Mail: “When she got married and set up her own office for the first time she got two brilliant private secretaries, Amanda Macmanus and Joy Camm. But they were very much ‘two for the price of one’.

“Not only did they arrange all her engagements and projects, but they also acted as ladies-in-waiting if needed, accompanying her on official duties, collecting bouquets of flowers and the like. No one stands on ceremony in her office, everyone mucks in.”

Confirming that Camilla “won’t take on an official line-up of ladies-in-waiting”, the source added: “The Queen Consort will do things a little differently. She currently has two private secretaries who do some of those traditional duties anyway.

“And she has quite a lot of good and decent friends around her whom she can call on, as and when is necessary, to support her. I suspect she’ll dip into her close circle of friends, maybe geographically.

“She has a lot of chums in London and Scotland, as well as in the country too. She thinks it’s more with the times.”

After the “very sad” death last year of Lady Farnham, one of Queen Elizabeth’s longstanding ladies-in-waiting, a royal source described the roles as “dear friends who supported the Queen on official duties”

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.