‘Gang of Four’ Supported Queen in Hardest Time Yet One of Them Was Called ‘Wicked’ by Her, Books Claim

The late Queen’s looks were changed as she grieved the loss of her husband, Prince Philip, in 2021. However, she luckily had the support of the “gang of four,” who included Duchess Camilla.

According to the book “Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall: From Outcast to Future Queen Consort,” the late Queen wasn’t herself after losing her husband. Prince Philip died at age 96 from old age.

The book’s author, royal biographer Angela Levin, noted how Queen Elizabeth II struggled after her husband of almost 74 years passed away. She revealed how much the royal had changed noticeably while grieving.

Queen Elizabeth II during the funeral of Prince Philip at Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021, in Windsor, England | Source: Getty Images

Levin claimed, “Her Majesty is well known for being stoic, but the sad, empty look in her eyes was unforgettable” as she mourned Philip. The writer noted how the Queen received support to deal with one of the most challenging periods in her life, adding:

“It was no surprise that she accepted the suggestion of a visiting rota to help her raise her spirits.”

The people who gathered together to be there for the late monarch were four royal women. One of the women was someone the Queen allegedly disapproved of when she started dating one of her children.

The Four Women Who Rallied behind the Queen When She Lost Her Husband

According to Express, in Levin’s book, she noted how the group of women who helped perk the Queen up was known as the “significant four” or the “gang of four.” One of the women chosen included Duchess Camilla.

Camilla, the woman who married the current King Charles III or the Queen’s firstborn son, was set to try and assist the newly widowed monarch to feel “less alone.” Her late Majesty accepted the offer.

The other three women suggested were Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Duchess Kate, the current Princess of Wales, and Princess Anne. Sophie was the late Queen’s daughter-in-law who married the roya’s lastbron son, Prince Edward.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Queen Elizabeth II at a reception to celebrate the latter’s work of the Diamond Jubilee Trust at Buckingham Palace on October 29, 2019, in London, England | Source: Getty Images

Kate married the late monarch’s grandson and heir to the throne, Prince William, while Anne was the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh’s only daughter. The relationship between Her Majesty and Camilla had not always been good, but it seemed to have improved over the years, with Levin writing:

“Bringing Camilla on board – a woman the Queen had refused to see or speak to for years and who had been blamed for breaking up Prince Charles’s marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales – was a sign that the Duchess of Cornwall has survived.”

The royal biographer felt King Charles’ wife had outlived “the brickbats, obstacles, and insults, and that finally the Queen has admitted to enjoying her company and accepts her for who she is.”

On the eve of the Queen’s 70th anniversary of her Accession to the throne, she wrote a message sharing her gratitude to her family and the public for their support. She also said she was looking forward to the June 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

In that statement, shared by The Royal Family’s social media accounts, Her late Majesty also made a shocking announcement. The revelation was probably proof of how the Queen had warmed up to Camilla over the years.

The late monarch revealed that when her son, formerly Prince Charles, ascended the throne upon her death, Camilla would be known as Queen Consort. The title, which meant Camilla was King Charles’ wife, was what she used after Her Majesty’s death in 2022.

The relationship the Queen had with Camilla might’ve been healthy and happy over the years, but there was a time the former tried to keep King Charles with his first wife. The late monarch didn’t even want Camilla to marry her son.

The Difficult Relationship Camilla Had with Her Late Majesty

Before King Charles married the Queen Consort, he had a union with Princess Diana, the mother of his two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. Biographer Ingrid Seward once revealed how the Queen wasn’t keen on her son separating from Diana in 1992, stating:

“And then of course, the separation of the Prince and Princess of Wales, which really was something the Queen had tried incredibly hard to help them avoid.”

Prince Charles and Princess Diana pose outside Chateau de Chambord during their official visit to France on November 9, 1988, in Chambord, France | Source: Getty Images

The royal expert claimed the late monarch encouraged the couple to try harder, but when they couldn’t, it became one of the worst years of her life. King Charles started seeing Camilla while he was married to Diana.

Besides the ceremony, Her Majesty [the Queen] also allegedly refused to allow her son [King Charles III] to host a dinner party at Windsor Castle for 650 guests.

At the time, the Duchess was also married to her husband, Andrew Parker Bowles. Even after Diana’s death, the Queen still hadn’t warmed up to her son’s former mistress, and the couple couldn’t go public about their relationship until Her Majesty had approved it.

Andrew, his son, Tom, and wife Camilla Parker Bowles at a Polo event at Smith’s Lawn in Windsor, on June 7, 1992 | Source: Getty Images

The late monarch allegedly once vented over her son lying about his relationship with what the Queen called “that wicked woman.” The animosity the royal had against Camilla was so intense that she reportedly once said:

“I want nothing to do with her.”

According to Daily Mail, the late Queen firmly believed her son wouldn’t marry Camilla while she was alive. However, in 2005, King Charles proposed to his former mistress, and the subsequent public shame he experienced was when his mother unexpectedly revealed she wouldn’t attend a special event.

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles showing off their rings after having a Civil Ceremony at Windsor on April 9, 2005 | Source: Getty Images

During the run-up to King Charles’ wedding, the Queen reportedly said she wouldn’t attend the event’s town hall ceremony. Besides the ceremony, Her Majesty also allegedly refused to allow her son to host a dinner party at Windsor Castle for 650 guests.

However, because she was anxious about creating controversy, the late monarch announced that a “modest celebration” would be had. When His Majesty suggested his former fixer and valet, Michael Fawcett, supervise his event, the Queen, who disliked Fawcett, voted against the idea.

After the monarch passed away on September 8, 2022, at age 96, just like her late husband. Her son ascended the throne to King, and the wife that his mother once despised became Queen Consort as instructed.