Candid new photographs of Queen Camilla capture her doing something rarely seen from a senior royal: Handling cash.
Camilla, 78, was photographed at the final day of Royal Ascot horse races on June 20, and was photographed pulling a 20-pound note from her Dior handbag.
The note, of course, is emblazoned with the face of her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II.
Both Camilla and King Charles were present at the event, and both placed bets on the races.
Senior royals carry cash so rarely that when Prince William broke from tradition in 2010, it became global news. CBS News reported at the time that “since the 1500s, it has become accepted that no member of the royal household carries cash. They all have royal guards, but even they do not always have money on them.”
The outlet reported that the custom dated back to the days of Queen Elizabeth I, a time when coins were thought to harbour germs.
Of course, Camilla spent the first 57 years of her life not as a royal, before she wed Charles in 2005 – so it appears some civilian habits carry through, even when you are Queen of England.
William’s wife Kate – like Camilla, not born of the royal family – has also been known to carry money, and last year reportedly paid in cash to cover the drinks tab for Irish Guards after attending the regiment’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.
People reported at the time that Kate had “quietly put money behind the bar” to cover the afterparty, before enjoying a half-pint of Guinness herself.
But the royal preference for not carrying cash can cause some awkward moments: In 2007, then-Prince Charles had to borrow almost £3000 ($A5700) from his protection officers after he had no cash to cover some urgent “travel expenses,’’ according to the Telegraph.
Charles then repaid the £2744.34 to his officers after they coughed up the cash, believed to be for international flights. Charles and Camilla had visited Turkey and Uganda around the time of the transaction.
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