Inside the strong bond between Queen Camilla and lookalike sister who’s become her ‘rock’ during toughest years

OVER time, Queen Camilla, 77, has become a devoted and loved member of the Royal Family – however, right behind her and helping Camilla get through the toughest years was her sister.

Annabel Elliot, who is 18 years her junior, is said to have been Camilla‘s “rock” when she needed it the most.

The pair showed their close bond in behind-the-scenes footage from the King’s Coronation in the BBC1 documentary, Charles III: The Coronation Year. 

The programme not only saw the King and Queen at the forefront but also highlighted the sister’s relationship as Annabel, born Sonia Annabel Shand on February 2, 1949, was named as the “Queen’s Companion”.

In one clip, fans of the Royal Family could see Annabel got emotional as she watched her older sister head to Westminster Abbey to be crowned Queen.

“When I thought back to being two years old and watching the Queen’s Coronation on a tiny black and white television and there goes this golden coach with my sister in it,” she said.

“I can’t explain the feeling because it’s so surreal. This cannot be happening. It was quite a moment.”

But although the epic coronation, which took place in May, 2023, looked plain sailing, Annabel still grappled with nerves for her big sister.

“Going into the Abbey, I think I had that nervousness all the time,” she said.

“She’s quite a bit smaller than I am. I’m feeling: ‘Is she going to be all right?”

Spending their childhood years in Sussex, the duo were described as “perfect” and did practically everything together – from going to the same schools to attending the same Pony Club events.

As they became older, Camilla and Annabel were then spotted at the same parties later on in life and both even tied the knot within a year of each other – and welcomed welcomed children at the same time.

Camilla’s first husband was Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles, now 85, but when their marriage broke down in 1994, Camilla and Annabel took time away from the spotlight and jetted off to Venice, Italy, together and enjoyed numerous activities, such as painting.

Both share an artistic streak – one which has since steered Annabel through a successful career as a leading interior designer.

When the time finally came for the then Prince of Wales to appear in public alongside Camilla, the landmark moment was at Annabel’s 50th birthday bash at The Ritz in 1999.

During the years before their 2005 no-present marriage at Windsor, when the two would Christmas apart, Camilla would reside at the Dorset home of Annabel and her husband, Simon.

The two sisters would be ”rocks” to each other following the deaths of their mother Rosalind Shand, in 1994, their father Bruce Shand, in 2006, and, tragically, their younger brother Mark, following a tragic accident in 2014.

What viewers may not know is that, all the way through the intense build-up to the ceremony, Annabel was dealing with great personal sadness.

Simon, the much-respected source of wise counsel who became Annabel’s husband in 1972, sadly passed away in March last year after a long illness, aged 82.

This meant that Annabel was arranging the funeral of her dear late husband at the same time she was preparing for the grande occasion at the Abbey.

The devoted sister described Camilla and said: “She’s somebody who is completely loyal” and said she “isn’t somebody who has huge highs and lows.”

Charles III: The Coronation Year can be found on BBC iPlayer.