No more ‘ladies-in-waiting’ for Queen Consort Camilla

Camilla Parker Bowles, Queen Consort to King Charles III, is breaking the longstanding royal tradition of having “ladies-in-waiting” and will instead appoint assistants under the modernized title “Queen’s Companions,” multiple outlets are reporting.

The BBC reports that Camilla is also scaling back the duties of her six assistants, making the symbolic position less of an administrative or secretarial commitment than in the past, when ladies-in-waiting also worked on logistics for the Queen.

The move is part of an effort to push the British monarchy into modernity and remodel parts of the institution after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, whose passing ended a record seven-decade reign and left the monarchy to her son.

Still, the assistants will likely play a similarly supportive, personal-assistant role to Camilla as they have done to Queens and Queen Consorts since the Middle Ages, attending her at public events and supporting her official duties, according to the Washington Post.

Camilla has reportedly handpicked for the position six of her close friends, and they’re set to make their first appearance with her at a Violence Against Women and Girls event at Buckingham Palace later this week.