Queen Camilla 'embraced' by Britons in 'unintended side effect' of royal cancer scares

Queen Camilla's popularity has increased as an unintended consequence of the royal health scares (Image: Getty)

Queen Camilla has been embraced by the public with Britons having a greater respect for her after stepping up amid King Charles's cancer scare, a royal expert has said. NBC's royal commentator Daisy McAndrew told the BBC on Sunday (April 28) that Camilla will have become more popular as the public can see how good her relationship with the King is.

She said: "I do think she will have increased her popularity. Now obviously the King's cancer is not some PR puff exercise, it's a very serious, medical issue. But one of the side effects, the non-medical side effects, has been the fact that the public has really embraced Camilla, has a bigger respect for her and has been able to see the relationship that she has with Charles and how good it is.

Ms McAndrew was speaking after Buckingham Palace announced King Charles, 75, will return to public-facing royal duties following the positive impact of his cancer treatment.

Charles has been receiving care as an outpatient since early February, and the announcement will be a boost to the Royal Family which is coming to terms with the King and Princess Kate's cancer diagnoses.

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King Charles's return will ease the pressure on other working royals, including Camilla and Princess Anne (Image: Getty)

Sources have stressed that despite the welcome news the King still has cancer and will continue to be treated for the undisclosed form of the disease.

The monarch's return will relieve pressure on other members of the Royal Family, with Queen Camilla, the king’s sister Princess Anne and his younger brother, Prince Edward, shouldering much of the load.

This summer will be a busy period for the Royal Family when key events such as Trooping the Colour, Garter Day and Royal Ascot are held. There is also the prospect towards the end of the year of overseas travel as Samoa hosts the biennial meeting of Commonwealth leaders.

Robert Hardman, author of Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, told the BBC Camilla has been central to the monarchy since Charles's cancer diagnosis.

He said: "She's obviously very concerned and is very [protective]." Mr Hardman added Camilla has stood in for the King in a "stoical, good-humoured way".

The royal author praised Camilla's ability to connect with people and speak in "a very human way" on a range of issues of which she is knowledgeable, being an "active" patron of certain charities.

Relations between Queen Camilla and Prince William appear to have improved (Image: Getty)

Queen Camilla has stood in for King Charles in a 'stoical, good humoured' way (Image: Getty)

Charles’s former mistress Camilla Parker Bowles was once described as the most hated woman in Britain, but Britons now appear to have taken her to their hearts.

Once shunned by the public for her role in the breakup of Charles’s marriage to Princess Diana, Camilla played a prominent role during the King’s absence, standing in for her husband at key events such as the annual Royal Maundy service on the Thursday before Easter.

Ms McAndrew told the BBC Camilla's relationship with Prince William now appears to be "stronger than ever" as they have also worked more closely together in recent weeks.

Asked if the double health scare represents a historic low for the working royals, Ms McAndrew said: "It's a historic low for this family personally.

"I do think it's been very interesting watching how the public has reacted to this deeply personal medical emergency that's going on within this family.

"I think it has certainly endeared the family more to the public. The public can empathise and identify with this family who have always seemed very remote to some people."