The once-reviled Camilla deserves to be our Queen - Christa Ackroyd

Every couple of months there seems to be some poll or other suggesting Camilla shouldn’t wear the crown.

But it will happen. The Queen wants it, she made that very clear in her Jubilee message, her husband wants it, and slowly but surely the public are coming around to accepting it will be so.

Let us just stop a while and imagine what it is like having your future discussed, even voted on, by people who don’t know you and actually don’t have a say in your future.

But despite this I think we got a real glimpse of the woman behind the future throne in a TV documentary this week when she was guest editor of Country Life. And I liked her. I liked her a lot. I also don’t know many 75-year-olds who are still working as hard to make a difference as she is.

The programme began by saying the Duchess of Cornwall rarely gives interviews. And it is hardly surprising.

Let us be totally honest, there are those who will never forgive her on behalf of the late Princess Diana for what they see as her role in the breakdown of her marriage whatever she says.

But actually I think Diana herself would have done so long ago. Life and times moves on and living in the past never does anyone any good. As my dad used to say, don’t look back. It’s not the direction you are travelling in.

Some commentators this week went even further saying comparisons between the two wives of Prince Charles are not only unfair but sexist.

Julie Bindel, whom I admire greatly as a feminist writer, told TV viewers that while Diana is described as conventionally beautiful, which she was, Camilla has been talked about as horsey and scruffy, which she isn’t.

But I get her point. Our role in life is about what we do to help others, not how we look. Or it shouldn’t be.

It is not my job to change people’s opinions on someone I have never met – though those who have, found the Duchess not only genuine, but a hoot.

I don’t believe there is one family in Britain who has not been touched by the murky business of divorce, and, if we are honest, hasn’t taken sides. That is human nature.

At least now, at long last, the divorce laws have been updated so it is no longer necessary to apportion blame, but rather agree that a marriage is over. It happens. In fact it happens a lot. So let’s get over it.

Camilla is a woman who has a husband who adores her. He is as happy and relaxed as he has ever been. It just so happens that one day he is destined to be king.

During this past 17 years since they married, Camilla has either simply ignored the critics, or worse still the trolls, and got on with it.

Or, as she told a birthday party thrown in her honour by The Oldie magazine, she has tried to follow Prince Philip’s method for coping with Royal life... “say less do more and get on with the job”.

But I bet my bottom dollar it’s been tough. And never good enough for some. For example, Royal correspondent for Newsweek Jack Royston suggested this week that she should come out of her shell and draw more attention to her good deeds by taking a few more risks. What and get slated even more?

I for one think she has handled her role just beautifully without fuss and with good grace. Why should she justify her position after all this time?

She makes her husband happy, William and Harry like her and have publicly said so, Kate has taken the photos of her for this week’s publication, and even her critics admit she is working hard to support many charities that probably wouldn’t get a look in if it wasn’t for her.

She is patron of more than a hundred including supporting the elderly,

victims of rape and sexual abuse, empowering women, food, animals, dance, heritage and the arts, which pretty much covers the lot and which is good enough for me.

At 75 she is still working as hard probably harder than she ever has. And she can still rock a pair of jeans.

As every stepmother, including myself, knows it’s a difficult path to tread.

And for me Camilla has done an admirable job. She has never set out to usurp the memory of Diana (that’s why she didn’t take up the title Princess of Wales) but these things happen in your family and in mine, fortunately well out of the public gaze.

I am as certain as I can be that Diana would have moved on too. That she died young and beautiful after an unhappy breakup is tragic.

That 25 years later some still throw brickbats at the woman who married her husband, and yes had a relationship with him before he was officially divorced, is ridiculous.

It won’t change the past. And whether some like it or not Camilla will become Queen. And Prince Charles needs her to be by his side to share the burden.