How Camilla survived a life-threatening illness thanks to trashy TV
Queen Camilla used a sexually charged TV drama to help her recover from severe pneumonia, offering a rare glimpse into what palace insiders are saying RadarOnline.com is her secret, cheeky sense of humor and hunger for escapist fun.
Camilla, 78, opened up about her love for the challenging show during a visit to the Bristol set Rivalsthe Disney+ adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s sex-packed bestselling novel, currently filming its second season.
The Queen attended the set on Monday, December 15, to pay tribute to Cooper, who died earlier this year, and meet cast members including Alex Hassell, Victoria Smurfit and David Tennant.
During her visit, Camilla spoke candidly about watching the show while ill at the end of last year.
“I remember seeing it last year when I was sick – I had pneumonia,” the Queen said.
“I promise I watched it and felt much better afterwards. I’m looking forward to this one coming out.”
Camilla had to withdraw from part of the state visit to Qatar in December 2024 after she was diagnosed with pneumonia.
The Queen’s enthusiasm for Rivals and Cooper’s work was clearly visible during the visit.
She told the cast that the author “has been a huge part of my life for so long” and added that she was “certain she’s here today,” referring to Cooper’s presence on set.
Camilla was a longtime friend of the novelist and released a personally written tribute when Cooper died, ending with the line: “May her hereafter be filled with impossibly handsome men and devoted dogs.”
When asked by Hassell if she had a favorite Cooper novel, Camilla replied: “Of course, I do. I’ve read them all.” When Smurfit jokingly asked if the queen had “checked them on how lovely the men and all the horses were”, Camilla said: “No” – before adding: “Interesting memories… but I galloped through them.”
She continued, “It’s just a lot of fun. And I think people need some fun these days. People want to be lifted up, right? And just have a good laugh.”
The Queen also joked with Hassell about his casting as Rupert Campbell-Black, telling him it was “so funny to see you dark, because you always imagine Rupert as blonde.”
Hassell responded, “Some people were confused, but cool, it is what it is.” He added: “Jillie was fine with it. I think she looked at me a few times and gave her approval.”
Hassell also recalled Cooper’s blunt encouragement, saying, “Every time she met them, she told all the men they were ‘sexing’. That’s what we screamed for.”
When Camilla asked if producers had tried to dye his hair, Hassell said: “Well, it’s dyed, I’m actually a lot grayer than this. But never blonde.” “She has boosted your self-confidence,” the Queen noted. “Exactly,” Hassell replied.
Camilla greeted the cast on the O’Hara family kitchen set, saying, “Hello! How nice to see you. I’ve been checking you all out. It looks really nice.”
Hassell told her: “It’s really fun and we actually all get along really well, which makes all that challenging stuff not so awkward.” When he joked the cast struggled not to laugh during intimate scenes, Camilla responded: “Oh yeah.”
A key royal source said Camilla’s openness reflected a side of her that was often overlooked: “She has always enjoyed risqué humor and earthy stories – that’s what makes her so relatable.”
Another palace insider added: “People are sometimes surprised, but Camilla has a very challenging side and a genuine love of fun.”
