Queen Camilla and Princess Anne 'hold up the ceiling' as both King Charles and Kate Middleton recover from surgery and Prince William supports the Princess of Wales

Both are ladies in their 70s and are approaching a time in their lives where they might expect things to slow down.

Instead, Queen Camilla, 76, and Princess Royal, 73, are, in the words of a well-placed source, “holding up the ceiling” while both King Charles and the Princess of Wales recover from surgery and Prince William lends his support. woman.

Yesterday in Bath, Camilla was cheered on by around 1,000 excited, flag-waving schoolchildren as she completed her third engagement in as many days.

She was at the St John's Foundation almshouses in Bath, which provide accommodation for older adults, to mark the group's 850th anniversary.

As she sat down for a cup of tea and a chat, she told 90-year-old Lisa Anderson that her husband was “recovering well, thank you.”

As Rita Willis, 86, stood up to greet the Queen, her St John's Foundation pin fell off, forcing Camilla – a decade younger – to kneel on the floor and pick it up for her.

Despite her busy workload, the Queen showed no sign of fatigue and was also engaged in a lively discussion about the benefits of ballet, which she is involved in, and gardening.

Looking dapper in an Anna Valentine coat and a Fiona Clare blouse, she said of the latter: 'Everyone comes out, I think it's the most relaxing thing in the world, you come in and everything starts to freeze. [but] it's worth it.'

Meanwhile, the Princess Royal has just appointed five new 'Additional Ladies in Waiting' – and announced a new private secretary – to help cope with her workload. Four of her 'older' ladies are now retiring.

The infamous no-nonsense princess has also shown she has a nostalgic side. Of her new Ladies in Waiting, two worked for her mother, Queen Elizabeth, until her death, as part of the late monarch's gang of beloved 'head girls'.

And in a sign of how dedicated her own staff are to her, one of the pensioners, Dame Rowena Feilden, has been by her side for more than 50 years.

She was with the princess in 1974 when Anne was the subject of a violent kidnapping attempt from her car. Her bodyguard and driver were shot – and yet she snapped at her would-be captor, “Not very likely.”

Dame Rowena's loyalty was rewarded in December when she was appointed Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order for her personal services to the Crown in the New Year Honours.

The Princess now has 13 Ladies in Waiting and Extra Ladies in Waiting, all personal friends or people she has worked closely with over the years.

“Her Royal Highness likes a close-knit ship,” says someone who knows her well. Ladies in Waiting are unpaid assistants who help with correspondence, organize appointments, assist at official events and generally ensure that life for the Royal Family runs smoothly.

While the late Queen's were all based in Buckingham Palace, Princess Anne has only a small 'inner core' of staff in London.

Instead, she prefers to have a wide network of friends she can call on across the country when she is in the area for work.

“She's so hardworking that people can't necessarily give their lives to support her, and she wouldn't want or expect them to,” a source explains.

'Having a large number of effective part-time employees – friends – that she can call on, without any cost to the public purse, when she knows she has commitments in a particular area, is an ideal solution.'

Another said: 'It's like having your own football team with a lot of reserves.'

They certainly have their work cut out for them. Last year the princess undertook 427 engagements and in the past week alone she was everywhere from Norfolk to Scotland.

The Mail can also reveal that she will deputize for the king and carry out additional investitures – handing out tributes – while he recovers from prostate surgery.

Those retiring are Dame Rowena, Lady Carew Pole, The Hon Dame Shan Legge-Bourke – mother of the former nanny of the young Princes William and Harry, Tiggy Pettifer – and Mrs Margaret Hammond.

Her new assistants include Lady Elizabeth Leeming, a member of the Bowes-Lyon family and the daughter of the 17th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, a distant cousin of Anne.

She was appointed Lady in Waiting by Queen Elizabeth in 2017 and was considered one of the 'younger' members of the close-knit royal team.

Also appointed by the late Queen was Mrs Susan Rhodes, who married Simon Rhodes, son of the late Margaret Rhodes, Elizabeth II's cousin and lifelong friend whom she would visit most Sundays after church at her Windsor Estate home. Simon and Susan were former residents of Adelaide Cottage, now the home of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The experienced royal aides are joined by Dolly Maude, a midwife and best friend of Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall. She even helped deliver her children. Last year, Ms Maude was spotted at the races wearing a Lady in Waiting badge – dismissed as a joke at the time.

She is known as a great sports and loyal friend and will undoubtedly provide a fresh youth. The other new additions are Lady Susanna McFarlane and Mrs Carol Armstrong, both believed to be close friends of the Princess.

She has also appointed a new private secretary, in keeping with the cool, sharp efficiency of much of her team. He is Colonel John Boyd, who served in the Army for more than 32 years, including as commanding officer of the 4th Battalion, Parachute Regiment. He replaces Charles Davies, who has worked for the princess since 2019.