Camilla from Cornwall photographed by her daughter-in-law Kate Middleton for Country Life magazine.
Camilla from Cornwall, who is about to turn 75, is the protagonist of the British country life magazine Country Life. The wife of Britain’s heir to the throne has become editor of the July issue of the publication, which also features on the cover. As the issue’s manager, the Duchess could choose who would portray her for this cover and her choice was clear: her daughter-in-law, Kate Middleton, would be her photographer.
Camila appears on the cover of the issue (announcing her role as guest editor in large gold letters) smiling for the camera, seated on a wooden bench with a basket of flowers. Dressed simply, in a dress adorned with blue flowers and a cardigan in the same tone, Charles of England’s wife hardly wears any jewellery, but the activity bracelet for counting steps and heart rate (also in the same blue color) she wears catches the eye his left hand. In another photo in the report, she can be seen in a dark blue dress, with what appears to be a wooden shack in the background.
The publication wishes to celebrate its 125th anniversary, but also the arrival of Charles of England’s wife at the age of 75, a task in which the heir preceded him. As they themselves explain, Elizabeth II’s eldest son edited the magazine twice: in November 2013, when he turned 65; and in the same month of 2018 when he turned 70 years old. This issue, almost four years ago, became the best-selling magazine in its entire history. In addition, Princess Anne, the second daughter of Elizabeth II, also published an issue for her 70th birthday in July 2020, which became another bestseller.
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As some palace sources explained to the D newspaper, when Camila received the offer from Country Life, she immediately thought of Kate Middleton to portray her for the cover. Apparently her daughter-in-law – she is the wife of William of England, her husband’s firstborn – was “thrilled” with the proposal and immediately accepted.
Camila’s portrait was taken in the town of Lacock, Wiltshire, England, a town largely owned by the National Trust, the national foundation for the preservation of places of historical interest. The Duchess of Cornwall has a house there that was bought in the mid-1990s after she divorced Andrew Parker Bowles. A residence just 15 miles from Highgrove House, her husband Charles of England’s favorite farm and ranch.
The magazine will hit newsstands on July 13 and “reflects the Duchess’s love of horses and dogs,” says the publication, which explains that she has two Jack Russell Terrier breed dogs, Bluebell and Beth, and one is a patron of a cat and dog sanctuary. What’s more, the magazine says the Duchess explains on her pages what are “her favorite views and her favorite recipe.” Its director, Mark Hedges, says it was “a great honor” that he agreed to edit the issue. “Her Royal Highness is a passionate countrywoman and we are delighted that she is following in her husband’s footsteps by presiding over this commemorative edition.”
Kate Middleton’s participation in the Country Life issue marks her first cover as a portraitist (not as a portraitist as she appeared in UK Vogue five years ago). The Duchess of Cambridge is a big fan of photography. It is she who usually portrays her three children – Jorge, Carlota and Luis – on their birthdays. Queen Elizabeth II appointed her patron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Society of Photography, founded in 1853, in mid-2019. And in January 2020, to mark the 75th anniversary of photography, she released two family portraits of Holocaust survivors with their grandchildren Liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, images that were part of a photo exhibition organized by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust Association, representing victims of the Holocaust in the United UK, in association with the UK’s Royal Society of Photography. Then Middleton said it was “a real honor” to be a part of such a project. Now he has the honor of portraying the future Queen of England on her 75th birthday.