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Queen Camilla's family nickname is so sweet

Queen Camilla has five grandchildren


Camilla and grandson, Freddy Parker Bowles, at coronation
Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
19 July 2023
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She might be our Queen, but at home, Camilla is just like any other grandmother, and her five grandchildren even have their own special nickname for her.

The Queen is grandmother to Tom Parker Bowles and his former wife Sara's children, Lola and Freddy, as well as Laura Lopes and her husband Harry's kids, Eliza and twin sons Gus and Louis.

In an interview with The Times, former fashion editor Sara revealed that her children refer to Camilla as "Gaga". How sweet!

The Queen shares a close bond with her grandchildren and even has a personalised necklace with their names inscribed on the ruby and gold pendant.

She often shares anecdotes about Lola, Freddy, Eliza, Gus and Louis, including their shared love of reading. See what Camilla had to say in this video released by BookTrust back in March…

WATCH: Queen Camilla opens up about bonding with grandchildren

Queen Camilla chose her three grandsons to be her Pages of Honour at the coronation in May and her former daughter-in-law Sara revealed Her Majesty' nerves ahead of the big day.

Gus Lopes with his cousin, Freddy Parker Bowles© Getty
Camilla's grandsons, Freddy Parker Bowles and Gus Lopes

"Camilla was really, really nervous. She wanted the people that she loved around her. [King Charles] wasn't nervous at all. But Camilla didn't ask for any of this," she told The Times.

"She's the human face of the royal family, because she's not part of it. You need those outsiders really," Sara added. 

MORE: Prince William's reaction to starstruck Princess Kate at Wimbledon is priceless

Tom Parker Bowles, Laura Lopes and Eliza Lopes walking coronation© Getty
Tom Parker Bowles, Laura Lopes and Eliza Lopes seen arriving at the coronation

The mum-of-two, who has launched a restyling service, Wardrobe Revival, also revealed that her son Freddy also did a little wave that he "wasn't supposed to do," but was "awestruck" watching the flypast from the Buckingham Palace balcony. 

And in another personal nod to her family life, Camilla had the names of her grandchildren embroidered into her coronation gown, which was designed by couturier Bruce Oldfield.

The King and Queen's coronation outfits are now on display at Buckingham Palace, as part of the summer opening of the State Rooms.

Queen Camilla's dress had been embroidered with two terriers in golden thread © Getty
Queen Camilla's dress was embroidered with the names of her grandchildren and depictions of her rescue dogs

Charles and Camilla viewed the special exhibition in the Palace ballroom privately last week, ahead of the official opening on Friday, with a Royal Collection Trust spokeswoman saying: "They enjoyed it. They came yesterday [last Wednesday]."

Sally Goodsir, Curator of Decorative Arts at the Royal Collection Trust, said of Camilla's ivory coronation dress: "I think it's really nice that the visitors will be able to see a lot of detail in the embroidery because obviously with the distance of the television cameras and ceremony, it wasn't always possible to see."

The King and Queen's coronation outfits are now on display at Buckingham Palace© Getty
The King and Queen's coronation outfits are now on display at Buckingham Palace

She added: "But there's chains of British wildflowers, strings of bunting in the embroidery and I think potentially the first two goldwork Jack Russell terriers in history on the skirts.

"They are Her Majesty's dogs, Beth and Bluebell, both rescue dogs. And also on the underskirt, you can see quite clearly 'Gus' beside one of the dogs, but all the names of her grandchildren are embroidered as well.

"So there's a little part of her family that went with her on that occasion."

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