Rebecca English had a curious piece in the Daily Mail this week, all about King Charles and his closest royal advisors, all of whom are women. English refers to these royal women as “Charlie’s Angels,” which is nauseating and insulting, not to mention false. The fact is, Charles has always put men in senior positions of his offices and foundations, although he does have a handful of women in managerial positions (not many though). Still, let’s hear about how much “Charlie” values his “Angels,” the Duchess of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal, the Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales.

Duchess Sophie is a key player: Approachable yet passionate, the Duchess is rather formidable in her own quiet way – qualities well-recognised by her brother-in-law, the King. And why Sophie is a key player in the coterie of strong female advisers known as ‘Charlie’s Angels’.

Three generations of kings: Fortunately, Charles III is surrounded by straight-talking female figures, a theme played out behind the scenes as well. Front and centre is the king’s sister, Princess Anne, a worthy inheritor of their mother’s non-nonsense mantle. Surely it was no coincidence that in her brother’s official coronation portrait she was positioned standing at the King’s right hand? Then there’s Catherine, Princess of Wales, who has steadily become the ‘steel marshmallow’ of the current generation of Windsor women (a reference to the late Queen Mother, whose fluffy exterior hid a hard-boiled core) and on whose shoulders many see the future of the monarchy resting.

Camilla, the greatest asset: And of course there is Queen Camilla herself, once so vilified but whose quiet dignity and loyalty to the Crown has seen her transformed into one of her husband’s greatest assets. Indeed, the fact that Charles’ court has become so female-centric is in no small part down to his wife of 18 years, the undoubted power behind the throne. ‘The Queen can do more with half a raised eyebrow than many a courtier could ever hope to achieve,’ says one insider who knows the set-up well. ‘It’s a power she uses wisely and because she has such common sense approach to all this business of monarchy, it’s brought a very welcome energy to the operation.’

Princess Anne, the workhorse: ‘She’s an absolute chip off the old block and she, recently made clear, the Royal Family still needs her given recent departures, ‘ one source says, referring to an interview she gave to Vanity Fair. The source added: ‘She will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with her brother, with minimal fuss, and after the drama of the last few years that’s exactly what he needs.’

The women are the power behind the throne: ‘The institution has long been a matriarchal one, regardless of who has the top job. And it is the women who ultimately manage, smooth out and improve relationships when they hit the skids, ‘ one former courtier tells me. ‘The Princess of Wales and the Queen [then Consort] were the architects of the rapprochement between the King and Prince William when their relationship was somewhat rocky a few years ago. The men in this family can be quite hot-headed and stubborn at times. And, unbelievably, given what Prince Harry had to say about her in his book, the Queen [Camilla] was instrumental in bringing Meghan into the family at the beginning and trying to make her feel welcome.’

The keen peacemaker: It was the Princess of Wales who very publicly engineered the first conversation between estranged brothers William and Harry after the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral in 2021, an act of instinctive thoughtfulness and compassion. ‘Exactly,’ says my source. ‘If the King and Harry are ever to be reconciled, let alone the two brothers, it will be by the guiding hand of the female members of the family. And let us not forget that this not just a question of ensuring that everyone gets on at Christmas. It’s about the smooth running of global institution. There’s real pressure on them here.’

Kate & Sophie, the dynamic duo: ‘The Duchess is very bright, switched on and a very safe pair of hands, while the Princess of Wales has more say than anyone gives her credit for about what goes on in that household [Kensington Palace], particularly as far as the media and their children are concerned,’ says another insider. ‘But I think it is only now that people will get to see the real influence they wield.’

Charles isn’t afraid of women: ‘He is very emotionally intelligent and is not frightened of powerful women, although occasionally pretends he is,’ they say with a laugh. ‘He has always liked a diverse set of voices around the table and I am confident that won’t change.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Out of all of the “Angels,” Charles only gives a sh-t about Camilla and Anne. Anne and Cam legitimately advise him and help him and have power behind the scenes (not that Anne wants any power, she just wants to be left alone). Sophie and Kate are expendable and Charles really doesn’t give a f–k, let’s be honest. And this desperation to credit Kate with something is hilarious. No, really, she facilitated a conversation at a funeral! No, really, she does something in Kensington Palace! Too bad Charlie’s Angels (minus Anne) freaked out and behaved with reckless, racist spite the very moment an intelligent, well-spoken, educated American woman married into the family.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar, Cover Images.