It’s been a tough start to the year for the Princess of Wales.

Kate Middleton, 42,  is understood to be recovering well from her major abdominal surgery and is set to be back in royal action by Easter, but sources say she needs to be left in peace to put her recovery first.

But her absence from royal life has caused a deluge of conspiracy theories to her whereabouts, this was worsened when she released  doctored image of her posing with her children fro Mother’s Day. 

Six of the world’s top picture agencies including the Press Association then sensationally pulled the photo from their wires and libraries amid concern that the ‘source has manipulated the image’.

But now sources within the royal circles are warning of the negative affect rumours may be having on the future Queen as she recovers from her major surgery in January.

‘It’s an awful lot to be under all of this public scrutiny when you are recovering from major surgery,’ one told American celebrity news site Page Six.

Now, the royal mother-of-three will be leaning on a group of friends and family to support her through the fallout.

Among them is her sister Pippa and mother Carole, as well as old school friends and extended family.

Here, FEMAIL looks at Kate’s inner circle… 

Lady Laura Meade 

Lady Laura Meade is the wife of James Meade, one of Prince William’s closest friends from Eton, who was his best man and gave a speech at the royal wedding. 

She is daughter to Julian Marsham, 8th Earl of Romney, and married James in 2013, a wedding attended by William. 

Laura is said to be godmother to Prince Louis, while James is reportedly godfather to Princess Charlotte.

The couple, who also live near the Cambridges’ country retreat Amner Hall, and are regular visitors.

Lucy Lanigan-O’Keeffe 

Prince William’s lifelong pal Thomas van Straubenzee, is to married to Lucy Lanigan-O’Keeffe, a teacher at Thomas’s Battersea, the school previously attended by George and Charlotte.

Lucy Lanigan-O’Keeffe, the assistant head teacher at Thomas’s Clapham, tied the knot in a lowkey ceremony in 2020, with just their parents and siblings present.

They had planned a more grand affair, with Charlotte as a bridesmaid and William an usher,  but it was stripped back due to Covid-19 restrictions.  

Mr van Straubenzee, 40, who is the boss at the private office of property firm Knight Frank, married the Duke of Northumberland’s daughter Lady Melissa Percy in 2013.

Their wedding was held at her family’s ancestral home Alnwick Castle, which doubles as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. Princes William and Harry were among the guests.

But within three years they split, with Mr van Straubenzee finding love with 34-year old Ms Lanigan-O’Keeffe. 

Charity-minded Ms Lanigan-O’Keeffe, whose brother is Irish Olympic pentathlete Arthur Lanigan-O’Keeffe, runs the social action projects for Thomas’s schools across London.

The teacher is originally from Co Kilkenny, Ireland, and the barrister Stephen Lanigan-O’Keeffe is her father.

Zoe Warren 

Zoe Warren is married to Darren Warren, a close friend to Princes William and Harry, who was one of Princess Diana’s godchildren, and whose father is the Queen’s racing manager John Warren.

Their daughter Zalia was a bridesmaid at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, and is one of Harry’s goddaughters. 

With their mutual interest of racing, the royal family and the Warrens are frequently spotted together at Ascot. 

Emilia Jardine-Paterson

A friend of William’s from his teenage years and a schoolfriend of Kate’s from Marlborough College, glamorous Emilia Jardine-Paterson has been credited with introducing the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Her husband David Jardine-Paterson is the scion of a Scottish landowning family descended from the illustrious Hong Kong banking Jardines and was a contemporary of Prince William’s at Eton.

Like his wife, Mr Jardine-Paterson also has a Middleton connection: his younger brother, JJ, went out with Pippa for four years.

Mrs Jardine-Paterson, who is one of Prince George’s seven godparents, has become a fixture in royal circles.

Mrs Jardine-Paterson, an interior designer, is also thought to be partly responsible for a redecoration of Anmer Hall, having provided the royal with design tips for fabrics, trimmings and furniture.

Hannah Carter 

Hannah and Kate attended Marlborough College together, where they played on several of the same sports teams.

Kate’s sister Pippa was a couple of years below Kate at the same school and also played sports.

She is married to Robert Carter, whose family are wealthy Norfolk landowners.

Both William and Kate attended their wedding in 2012.

Her sister-in-law, Sophie Carter, is one of Charlotte’s godparents.

Sophie Snugg (nee Carter)

Sophie has been a friend to Kate for many years and is often to be found quietly by the Princess’s side at various parties and events.

While in their younger days the girls used to party the nights away, they now mainly watch tennis (they play together and hang out at Wimbledon), though they were pictured cheering exuberantly at Cirque du Soleil for Kate’s 31st birthday.

The daughter of Norfolk construction tycoon Robert Carter, Sophie is also, helpfully, an expert in early years’ learning, having been a nursery and prep school teacher.

The Durham University graduate has developed a phonics educational app, ‘Hip Hop Hen’, and also lives near the couples’ Amner Hall retreat.

Sophie used to date Prince William’s pal, Thomas van Straubenzee, who is now engaged to marry Lucy Lanigan-O’Keeffe, a teacher at Prince George’s school.

Sophie is one of Charlotte’s godparents, and was seen attending her christening in 2015.

Trini Foyle 

Trini Lough is one of Kate’s more low-key schoolfriends, who was on hand when Kate and William briefly split in 2007, and then attended their wedding and their children’s christenings.

Despite keeping out of the public eye, she Kate were  often seen strolling with their buggies through Kensington Gardens. when their children were younger.

After Marlborough, Trini took an MA in politics at Edinburgh University, while working as an assistant in the office of Jeremy Hunt MP. 

She then worked as an account manager. She lives with husband Ted Foyle, a lawyer, and son Alexander (born in 2013) in a £1.4 million house in Wandsworth, south west London.

Alicia Fox-Pitt 

A 6ft redhead, Alicia Fox-Pitt, the younger sister of Olympic eventing star William, is a loyal friend of Kate’s from her Marlborough College days.

Indeed, it was Ms Fox-Pitt who recruited Kate for the now famous Sisterhood rowing team, which planned to cross the Channel for charity.

‘She’s been training with us,’ said Ms Fox-Pitt at the time. ‘All being well she will be in the boat. She is a very gifted sportswoman and we played a lot of sport together at school.’

The Princess, who was midway through her temporary separation from Prince William at the time, bowed out when the couple reunited.

Nevertheless, the pair remain close friends and Alicia, who married entrepreneur Sebastian Stoddart in 2013, shares Kate’s love of all things sport.

 Natasha Rufus Isaacs and Lavinia Brennan

Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs is an old friend of the Princess – and is married to Kate’s former boyfriend Rupert Finch, they share a daughter Georgia.

Her father, the Marquess of Reading, is also close to Prince Charles and as a result, Lady Natasha has known Prince William since she was a little girl.

Lady Natasha also has a fashion connection to the royal and runs one of Kate and Pippa’s favourite brands, Beulah London, alongside fashion designer and best friend, Lavinia Brennan.

The design duo are part of an exclusive group of designers to be worn regularly by Kate , who memorably opted for a bespoke Beulah London dress for her visit to a Malaysian mosque in 2012.

‘We never know when she is going to wear something, but we do know she has when we see a push on the website,’ said Miss Brennan of the Kate effect.

‘It’s only ever a little one and it’s always from the US. We don’t sell out overnight.’

Alice St John Webster

Alice was in the same year as Kate at Marlborough College, the Wiltshire public school that Pippa also attended.

During their school years, Ms St. John Webster was in the school tennis team with Pippa and Kate and also attended Edinburgh University with Miss Middleton, where she studied French and Spanish.

An integral member of the ‘Glosse Posse’, the young and glamorous Gloucestershire polo set, she is also a close friend of Guy Pelly and Alicia Fox-Pitt.

At the Royal Wedding, Ms St John Webster was given a prime seat in the Statesmen’s Aisle, next to Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs, and behind Prince William’s ex-girlfriend, Arabella Musgrave.

The mother-of-one, who is married to Gerald Alvenel, a French banker at Merrill Lynch, now lives in Fulham (well-placed for visits to Kensington Palace) and teaches French and Spanish.

Natasha Archer

Her job title might be Kensington Palace PA but Natasha – or Tash as she is fondly known – has become a close confidante and travels around the world with the royal.

Miss Archer’s first foray into the public eye came in July 2013 when she was one of the few people to visit the then newborn Prince George while still at the Lindo Wing.

The loyal aide, who studied Hispanic Studies at King’s College London, was seen carrying a dress bag and baby car seat as she made her way inside alongside hairdresser Amanda Cook Tucker.

Miss Archer was also a key part of the team to travel Down Under in 2018 and was seen hauling an armful of garment bags off the Royal Australian Air Force jet that flew the couple to Wellington, New Zealand for the first leg of the tour.

‘Natasha’s main role is as a PA, but over the last few months she has assisted Kate as a style adviser,’ a source told Grazia magazine.

‘Natasha and Kate get on very well. She has always supported and advised Kate – and the royal loves Natasha’s style, so it seemed like an obvious appointment.

‘Natasha has been helping Kate pick outfits for the tour.’

Pippa Middleton 

More than just sisters, the Princess of Wales and her younger sibling are also best friends who spend as much time together as possible.

Pippa plays the active role of auntie to Kate’s three children, and the two now have children of similar ages. 

Despite her busy schedule, author and athlete, Pippa is a regular visitor to Windsor Castle and Anmer Hall and is often spotted holidaying with Kate. 

Pippa previously said: ‘We spend a lot of time together. We still do a lot together as a family. And I think that’s really the heart for all of us is having a really close family that we can sort of be normal with each other, treat each other normally.

‘And that’s sort of kept us all, you know, affixed to the ground.’

Zara Tindall 

Princess Anne’s daughter Zara might be William’s first cousin but the Olympic silver medallist is just as close to Kate.

The two, who had their first children just six months apart, are said to be really ‘good chums’ who were thrilled to have had babies so near each other.

They are on the ‘same wavelength’, a source told the Mail on Sunday. ‘They like to live and eat organically and Zara has helped Kate get over her fear of horses.

‘They share many jokes and Kate can relax in her presence more than any other royal cousin.’ 

Carole Middleton

She’s been there as a hands-on grandmother, a reassuring presence at huge royal events and the envy of all the parents in the schoolyard – so it’s no wonder that Carole Middleton is sure to be supporting her daughter, the Princess of Wales, through a tough time.

Kate, 42, is likely to have been doted on by her caring parents after leaving the hospital in January.

While the Prince of Wales has been at his wife’s side – and representing her at engagements – Carole, 69, also looks to have been eagerly on-hand to do what she can.

Earlier this month,  Kate’s mother was snapped at the wheel of a car driving her daughter – who was pictured for the first time in two months – around Windsor Castle.

The photos were published by US gossip website TMZ but not in the UK after Kensington Palace appealed for her to be able to recuperate in private.

Speaking to PEOPLE, a palace insider said that Carole and her husband, who only need to take a short drive from Bucklebury, Berkshire to Windsor, are already ‘an enduring factor in the upbringing of their grandchildren’.

‘And they will be a reassuring presence when she goes back to Windsor to recuperate.’

Carole and her husband Michael, 74, have long been known for their hands-on parenting approach.

Speaking to Tatler, insiders who knew the Middleton children at school said the family was notorious for ‘doing everything to the very highest of standards’.

‘There were huge picnics on sports days, the smartest tennis rackets — that kind of thing. It made the rest of us all feel rather hopeless,’ a fellow parents told the outlet.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh

After William and Kate relocated to Windsor, they have stayed close to Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward, who live at at nearby Bagshot Park.

The Duchess of Edinburgh and and the Princess of Wales have built up a strong friendship over the years,  after both marrying into the Firm.

‘Sophie will have been calling to see if she can help out.

‘After all, she went through a near fatal emergency during the birth of her daughter Lady Louise and also suffered an ectopic pregnancy, so she knows exactly what it’s like to have major surgery and come through it,’ royal expert Jennie Bond told OK!. 

Maria  Borrallo 

Mr Fitzwilliams said that Kate has embarked on what everyone hopes will be a full recovery, but added that there will be a long ‘convalescence’.

‘William will be with her and forgoing royal duties for as long as he feels it is necessary. He has always put his family first,’ he said. 

‘Kate has been as hands on a mother as her role permits, but she has said that having a nanny is indispensable. 

‘Maria Teresa is, according to reports, extremely popular with the children but her training at Norland has meant she is ideal for whatever this role requires.

‘She is of course a background figure, who is seen at some important royal occasions and who is indispensable at a time like this. 

‘Her training at the prestigious Norland College in Bath where she learnt a huge variety of skills and to work long hours if needed, will be particularly useful during the pivotal weeks of Catherine’s recovery.

‘The coming weeks may be difficult and will be a test of this redoubtable figure, who is so trusted by the future King and Queen.’

Parenting expert Jo Frost told Hello! that Maria is a staple for the Wales family. 

‘The blessing of her nurturing ways and wonderful service to the family leave the children in good steady hands, affording William the flexibility to be present as a father, attend to his royal duties where he can at home and be the emotional support he will want to be for his wife.’ 

The Spanish ‘supernanny’ was hired by Kate and William in 2014 to help them look after Prince George when he was eight months old. She now cares for Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis too.

She lived with the family at Kensington Palace but when they moved into Adelaide Cottage in Windsor’s Home Park she stopped being a live-in nanny, though she has continued to care from the children while living at another property. 

At the time she was hired, Kensington Palace released a statement saying: ‘Maria is a full-time nanny, who started work with us recently, and will be accompanying the Duke and Duchess and Prince George to New Zealand and Australia.

He added: ‘We will not be giving further details on Maria or her employment, except to say that the Duke and Duchess are of course delighted she has chosen to join them.’

BRIGHTON wants a huge fee to part ways with Roberto De Zerbi this summer.

The Italian manager is in high demand after impressing on the south coast, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool all keeping their fingers on the pulse.

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He led Brighton to a sixth-place finish last season, booking their place in Europe for the very first time.

The Seagulls remain in the Europa League as they prepare to face Italian giants Roma tomorrow.

And they currently sit ninth in the Premier League after wins over the likes of United, Tottenham and Newcastle.

De Zerbi, who came to Brighton a year and a half ago as a replacement for Graham Potter, has also implemented a bold attacking playing style at Amex.

And several teams are eager to hire him this summer.

At home, interest has been reported from Chelsea, United and Liverpool.

Abroad, giants such as Barcelona and AC Milan are linked.

But De Zerbi, who is under contract with Brighton until 2026, will not be available cheaply.

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The Telegraph claims Seagulls chiefs are reluctant to lose another progressive manager following Potter’s move to Chelsea in 2022.

Todd Boehly had to fork out a staggering £21.5 million for the Englishman and a number of staff.

And while Brighton won’t hold out for another bold fee, they are willing to set aside at least £12m if De Zerbi leaves.

But the Italian insists he will remain bound by his contract for the time being.

He said last month: “All I have in mind is Brighton.

“I would like to end the season in the best possible way with our young players – to compete and win as many games as possible.

“Yes, I have a contract. I haven’t decided anything. My focus is on Brighton – 100 percent.”

Lady Gabriella Windsor has already felt the immediate support of the wider Royal Family following the sudden death of Thomas Kingston at the age of 45 – with the King and Queen paying tribute to her late husband. 

The financier, who wed Lady Gabriella, 42, in 2019 in a ceremony attended by the late Queen and Prince Philip and a host of other senior royals, was found dead at a residence in Gloucestershire on Sunday evening.

Buckingham Palace said it was supporting Mr Kingston’s devastated family despite the couple not being working royals, which is testament to just how well liked Lady Gabriella, often known just as ‘Ella’, is in the highest royal circles. 

In a statement released yesterday, a spokesman for Their Majesties said: ‘The King and The Queen have been informed of Thomas’s death and join Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and all those who knew him in grieving a much-loved member of the family.

‘In particular, Their Majesties send their most heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Gabriella and to all the Kingston family’.

Last summer, Lady Gabriella, a writer, and Mr Kingston, who during his previous career with the Foreign Office was posted to Iraq, were pictured enjoying the company of the King, her second cousin, and Queen Camilla at Royal Ascot.

In happier times, the two couples were seen laughing and joking as they cheered on their respective horses at the event – with Lady Gabriella’s relaxed, chatty nature, which has long endeared her to the senior royals, clear to see. 

As a writer and contributing editor, working with The London Magazine amongst other publications, ‘Ella’ has clearly experienced a broad spectrum of life in her work, and has a social conscience too.

She’s board director for the Playing for Change Foundation, a non-profit organisation aiming to improve education through music.

Lady Gabriella has also dabbled in the arts herself, and in 2020 released two songs as a singer-songwriter – Out of Blue and Bam Bam to help raise money for charity.

Prior to meeting her husband, Lady Gabriella dated journalist Aatish Taseer, who previously wrote a tell-all Vanity Fair article which claimed they swam naked in the Buckingham Palace pool.

She had been dating Mr Kingston for a number of years when he proposed while they were on the island of Sark in 2018.

He was a director of Devonport Capital, which specialises in providing finance for companies in ‘frontier economies’.

The Bristol University graduate worked in Baghdad, Iraq, according to the Telegraph, working to procure the release of hostages after joining the Diplomatic Missions Unit of the Foreign Office.

At the couple’s wedding on May 18th 2019, the guest list proved the esteem in which Lady Ella is held by the royal family, with the late Queen and Prince Philip joined by other senior royals including Prince Harry, who took time away from his then newborn son Archie.

Prince Philip, who retired from royal duties in May 2017, made a rare public appearance at St George’s Chapel and other royals in attendance on the couple’s big day included Sarah, Duchess of York, Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Marpelli Mozzi and Princess Anne.

A video showing the late Queen appearing to be overcome with emotion following the nuptials – dubbed ‘the society wedding of 2106’ – has resurfaced this week.

The emotional clip shows the late Queen, who died in September 2022, wiping away a tear of joy as she waved the happy couple off. 

Waiting patiently outside Windsor’s famous chapel, the late monarch is seen patiently standing with her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, and her sons Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

Later, Queen Elizabeth appears to wipe away a tear of emotion. The affectionate was clearly mutual. In 2022, Lady Gabriella appeared to collapse as the late Queen’s coffin arrived at Westminster Hall, Hello reported.

She attended the intimate service with her parents and husband and was seen standing in line with other members of the Royal Family as Her Majesty’s coffin was brought inside.

In the days following her husband’s shock death, Lady Gabriella, who studied at both Brown University in the US and the University of Oxford – and boasts degrees in Comparative Literature and Social Anthropology, is likely to turn to her closest family. 

Her parents, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, married in 1978 and she has one older sibling, Lord Frederick ‘Freddie’ Windsor. 

Freddie, 44, and his wife Sophie Winkleman, 43, half-sister of Strictly presenter Claudia, live close by after re-locating back to the UK from California.

In an interview with Tatler magazine in December, Sophie said she loved ‘all the Kents’, suggesting the family share a close relationship.  

Her parents, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, enjoyed a close relationship with their son-in-law. 

Mr Kingston’s family are also likely to encircle Lady Gabriella with a ring of support. The minor royal and Mr Kingston’s family have put on a united front following their loss. 

A statement released by the Palace on behalf of Lady Gabriella, Thomas’s parents and his sisters, read: ‘It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the death of Thomas Kingston, our beloved husband, son and brother.

‘Tom was an exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him. His death has come as a great shock to the whole family and we ask you to respect our privacy as we mourn his passing.’

Tom SandovalHis friend group was in for an upheaval after his cheating scandal.

Sandoval and his now ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix had many of the same friends before his affair with them Vanderpump Rules Co-star Rachel 'Raquel' Leviss made headlines. After Sandoval and Madix broke up in March 2023 due to his infidelity, most of their close friends publicly sided with her.

“Since the scandal broke, I've lost a lot of old friends,” Sandoval explained on a February 2024 episode of the Bravo hit series. “So I focused on the ones that stuck around.”

Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules followed Sandoval's attempt to rebuild his inner circle. Shortly after filming began, Sandoval threw himself a birthday party with many new faces. Sandoval told cameras that he invited the people who remained loyal to him in the wake of his personal woes.

“I can't express how grateful I am for all the people who stuck around. These people have put up with so much hate because of the things I did,” he said emotionally during season 11, admitting he felt “really bad” about the backlash his friends faced. “Just being my friend, it really means a lot to me. More than anything else.”

His colleague Vanderpump Rules however, costars had different opinions about Sandoval's friends. Madix said her ex surrounded himself with people on his payroll.

In the meantime, James Kennedy joked about Sandoval's newest friends. (Bravo also got in on the joke by labeling each person at Sandoval's birthday party to represent how many people were associated with the reality star's music career.)

“Tom's party is like a who's who? Like who the hell are you guys? Kennedy joked in a February 2024 episode. “Tom, you used to be the coolest guy on the block. Watch now!”

Keep scrolling to get to know Sandoval's inner circle:

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The Queen’s close-knit friendship group has stepped up to support their friend in recent days, following the news this week that King Charles has cancer. 

On Thursday, Camilla made her first public outing since the monarch’s diagnosis was made public, choosing two of her closest companions to accompany her on a visit to Salisbury Cathedral.

The royal, 76, took a five-hour drive from Sandringham to Wiltshire for the charity musical evening, to raise funds after the local helipad flooded. 

By her side were two of the Queen’s most loyal female friends, Sarah Troughton, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire and the Marchioness of Lansdowne, Fiona Petty-Fitzmaurice.

At the event, Camilla said King Charles, 75, who underwent his first bout of treatment earlier this week, was ‘very touched’ by all the messages of support he has been receiving from around the world.  

As the Queen’s later life has been ever more in the public eye, her crucial inner circle – including family, celebrities and aristocratic companions – has provided untold support through the decades, sometimes in the face of hostile criticism. 

Here, MAILONLINE looks at the key friendships steeling the Queen through one of the toughest times of her life so far…

CAMILLA’S SISTER: Annabel Elliot

Queen Camilla’s younger sister is Annabel Elliot. a 75-year-old interior designer and antiques dealer.

At the Coronation last year, Annabel served as one of her Ladies in Attendance alongside Lady Lansdowne and has been described as her sister’s quieter counterpart. 

The pair have previously recalled spending their childhood rolling down hills, catching butterflies and dressing correctly for their strict grandmother while staying at their grandparents’ Hampshire home.

As young women, Camilla loved debutante circuit while Annabel was rather more serious and preferred a quieter life — ‘not the kind of girl to throw her knickers on the table’, as it has been put. 

Annabel has said that Camilla, who was a debutante a year ahead of her, ‘was a great success, but I certainly wasn’t. I probably wasn’t quite as confident as her.’

At the same time, Annabel was seen as the more intelligent sister with ‘taste’, who eschewed the London party scene. Instead, she went to Florence to study art.

One friend asserted that Annabel, ‘with her style and good taste, is the one who should have been a duchess’. 

‘She’d have been perfect,’ said the friend, ‘but would never want to change places. As for Camilla, she pulls it off, in her own way.’

In 1972, Annabel married her first real boyfriend at 23 – Simon Elliot, and in 1973 Camilla, aged 25, married her first husband – dashing Army officer Andrew Parker Bowles.

Annabel and her husband, who died in March aged 82, inhabited a country house in the Dorset village of Stourpaine where Charles and Camilla would meet for discreet weekends as secret lovers.

She continued to support her sister throughout the difficulties of the relationship, driving Camilla away and out of public view when John Major announced in the Commons the separation of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1992.

Annabel’s 40th birthday party was where Diana confronted Camilla over her relationship with Charles and it was her 50th birthday celebrations at the Ritz where Camilla came out as Charles’ partner, using the occasion to pose for their first public pictures together on the hotel steps.

COMPANIONS: Sarah Troughton, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire

In November 2022, Camilla announced her new ‘Queen’s Companions’ as the position of lady-in-waiting was scrapped. Indicating a break from tradition, the Queen Consort decided to enlist six confidantes as her companions, each receiving a nominal fee to cover their expenses in much the same way as ladies-in-waiting.

One companion, Sarah Troughton, has been Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire since 2012 and is the first woman ever to have held the position since it was created in the 16th century. Sarah is the second cousin of the King as her grandfather was the brother of Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

She was previously lady-in-waiting for Katharine, Duchess of Kent and her grandson, Nicholas Barclay, was one of the King’s Pages of Honour for his Coronation, alongside others including the King’s grandson, Prince George. 

The mother-of-three is married to Peter Troughton, who is a trustee of the Royal Collection and also a pro-chancellor at Bath University.

Sarah herself is a trustee of the Community Foundation for Wiltshire and Swindon, where she lives.

Since assuming the role of Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Sarah’s duties have included overseeing the arrangements for royal visits to Wiltshire by members of the Royal Family.

She also represents the monarch and presents awards and medals on his behalf, and liaises with the Wiltshire units of the Armed Forces.

Speaking about Camilla on Good Morning Britain in 2022, Sarah said: ‘I don’t think there’s much that will surprise you, all I can tell you is that she’s the nicest, kindest, most amusing friend one could possibly have, to all generations, that includes our children.’ 

Marchioness of Lansdowne, Fiona Petty-Fitzmaurice

Lady Lansdowne is a professional interior designer and has had her own studio, Fiona Shelburne, for more than three decades.

As well as serving as one of the Queen’s Companions, she was also one of Camilla’s Ladies in Attendance at the Coronation. 

She currently lives at Bowood House in Wiltshire with her husband Charlie, the 9th Marquis.

In 2022, she opened up her house to The English Home in an interview where she revealed she and Charlie lived with their three dogs, Tinker, Tulip and Maud.

Lady Lansdowne also explained she and her husband were custodians for the house, which is open to visits from the public, and admitted it was a ‘big responsibility’ to take care of the home.

Despite having lots of visitors from the public, she said she and her husband had their own ‘sanctuary’ in their private quarters.

She revealed she and her husband have a picnic in their woodland garden every Sunday without fail, even if it’s raining outside.

‘We have our supper here on a table by the fire. We don’t have a huge, “state-of-the-art” kitchen but I love my Aga and love to cook,’ she said.

Lady Sarah Keswick

Lady Sarah Keswick is another close friend of the Queen Consort and King Charles, along with her husband, Sir John Chippendale ‘Chips’ Lindley Keswick.

From 2013 until his retirement in 2020, Chips was chairman of Arsenal Football Club.

Lady Sarah appears to be a sports fan herself and was spotted at Wimbledon with the Queen Consort in June 2011.

The pair sat in the royal box to get ready for a day of action on Centre Court, while the late TV legend Bruce Forsyth appeared to join them.

The mother-of-three shares three sons, David, Tobias and Adam, with Chips.

Lady Sarah is the daughter of former Conservative MP and 16th Earl of Dalhousie Simon Ramsay.

During his five years in Parliament from 1945 until 1950, when he assumed the title of Earl of Dalhousie from his late brother, Simon did a stint as Conservative whip.

Carlyn Chisholm

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen, 70, is a crossbench life peer in the House of Lords.

However, until she was announced as one of the Queen Consort’s Companions in 2022, she sat in the House as a Conservative peer.

Baroness Chisholm resigned the Conservative whip in order to hold the position in the Queen Consort’s most relied upon circle.

She was first appointed to the House of Lords in 2014 when David Cameron was prime minister. Since then she has seen four more prime ministers enter Downing Street.

Before entering politics, the mother-of-three, from Sussex, worked as a nurse.

A fan of horse racing, she has previously attended Royal Ascot with the Charles and Camilla and, before the royal couple quit, used to go fox hunting with them too. 

Lady Katherine Brooke

Lady Katherine Brooke has been a close friend of Queen Consort Camilla and King Charles for several years.

As one of the six Queen’s Companions, she’s also the daughter of a former lady-in-waiting. Lady Katherine Brooke’s mother is Lady Susan Hussey, who served as Queen Elizabeth II’s lady-in-waiting for more than 60 years.

Known as one of the late Queen’s ‘Head Girls’ as a lady-in-waiting, she was reportedly nicknamed the ‘Number One Head Girl’ and grew close to King Charles, becoming godmother to his eldest son, Prince William.

Lady Susan was retained by King Charles following his mother’s death but resigned in November 2022 following comments made towards a guest at Queen Consort Camilla’s reception to discuss ending violence against women.

She allegedly asked Ngozi Fulani, a black woman who runs domestic abuse charity Sistah Space in Hackney: ‘What part of Africa are you from?’ 

However, three months after her resignation, Lady Susan was seen performing official duties for Princess Anne, representing her at the memorial service for Dame Frances Campbell-Preston at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea.

Jane von Westenholz

Jane von Westenholz is a long time friend of the Queen Consort and King Charles.

She is married to Baron Piers von Westenholz, the interior designer and former Olympic skier who, with his wife, was involved in the renovation of Dumfries House – a Scottish stately home saved by Charles in 2007.

They are the parents of Violet von Westenholz, who introduced Prince Harry to Meghan Markle when the pair started dating.

Violet is a close childhood friend of Harry’s and the pair often spent time together as children due to their parents’ close friendship.

At the time of introducing the pair, Violet was working in communications for Ralph Lauren in London and met Meghan Markle through her job.

FAMOUS FRIENDS 

During her time as a royal, Camilla has been spotted working with the nation’s most famous celebrities at glamorous events, who have undoubtedly come to know the Queen Consort over the years.

Among those whom she counts as celebrity pals include Judi Dench, Hugh Bonneville and Dame Maggie Smith – as well as actress Joanna Lumley.

Judi Dench 

A-lister Dame Judi Dench has me the Queen Consort on a number of occasions and supports her work.

In 2018, Camilla met with the actress on the Isle of Wight to visit Queen Victoria’s holiday home of Osborne House in East Cowes.

The actress and patron of the Friends of Osborne House showed Camilla the restored Durbar Room, which was one of the locations for the film Victoria and Abdul in which she played Queen Victoria.

The pair could be seen enjoying a catch up over a vanilla ice cream complete with a flake in the heatwave weather.

The Oscar winner has also supported Camilla’s Reading Room, a charity launched during lockdown to provide opportunities for the appreciation of literature.

She attended a reception for the Reading Room in 2021 where she was seen chatting animatedly with Charles and Camilla and also took part in one of the organisation’s Reading Room Roundtables.

Joanna Lumley

Dame Joanna has proven to be a loyal and long-term friend of Camilla and the royal family, attending Camilla’s wedding to Charles in 2005. 

The Absolutely Fabulous star has previously spoken out against Netflix’s series The Crown, revealing she doesn’t watch the programme out of loyalty to the royal family.

After watching the earlier series, she told The Mirror she switched off as the show began to portray events later in the monarch’s reign.

She said: ‘Suddenly, it began to get closer and closer and they had people acting as Prince Charles, as Camilla Parker Bowles, as Princess Anne. I know them all.

‘I know that’s not how they speak or what they said or did. People say, “Oh, well everybody knows that it’s made up.” 

‘People don’t, people think it’s the truth. So I decided not to watch it anymore because I have some loyalty, as one would to anybody they know and like and are lucky enough to be friendly with. It’s rather ghastly.’

By Geraint Llewellyn for Mailonline

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