A breakthrough in Camilla’s War on the Wobbles… Can you guess how the Queen fought back against those embarrassing moments struggling out of horse-drawn carriages?
- The answer was revealed during the state opening of parliament
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It has become a problem for a woman who never expected to become queen.
There has never been a balance problem in the past – she was perfectly happy on horseback, after all – but Camilla, now 76, has been a little bothered lately by the unfamiliar task of clambering out of formal carriages.
She also appeared uncomfortable as she struggled to get off the plane in Paris for the recent state tour of France, battling with a hat, a bag and a gust of wind.
It can’t help that the new queen now spends relatively little time in heels, preferring comfortable shoes whenever possible.
It’s true that there are coachmen you can grab onto in case the wobblies strike.
Now that she is queen, however, a new solution has emerged; a solution first noted during Tuesday’s state opening of parliament.
As the state carriage pulled up for the Diamond Jubilee, a footman stepped forward with a custom-made portable handrail – a particularly useful innovation as no one is allowed to touch Her Majesty unless she extends her hand first.
So while servants stand ready ‘in catching positions’, it appears that Camilla’s dignity has been preserved.
Queen Camilla used her new carriage railing as she arrived at the Sovereign’s Entrance of the Palace of Westminster on Tuesday, ahead of the State Opening of Parliament
In the past she may have relied on foot soldiers to keep herself balanced, but now that Camilla is queen, the ‘no touching’ rule applies. That’s where the handrail comes in
When the state carriage stopped in honor of the Diamond Jubilee, a footman was responsible for stepping forward with the custom-made portable handrail. Here he is shown removing it after use
Camilla was helped by a footman and her husband, King Charles, as she stepped out of the carriage at the Sandringham Flower Show earlier this summer in July
The Queen appeared to have her hands full with her bag and an umbrella as she stepped out of the royal carriage in the grounds of Sandringham House in July 2017.
The King’s wife held on to the side of the horse-drawn carriage as she and Charles arrived for a tour of the Sandringham Flower Show in King’s Lynn in July 2012.
Camilla used both hands to hoist herself into the carriage where Queen Elizabeth sat for the Order of the Garter service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, back in June 2018.
A footman offers a firm arm as the Duchess of Cornwall steps out of the carriage during a visit to the 132nd Sandringham Flower Show. But with both hands full, Camilla has a dilemma…