Queen Camilla's tight

The Queen's close-knit friendship group has stepped up to support their friend in recent days, following the news this week that King Charles has cancer. 

On Thursday, Camilla made her first public outing since the monarch's diagnosis was made public, choosing two of her closest companions to accompany her on a visit to Salisbury Cathedral.

The royal, 76, took a five-hour drive from Sandringham to Wiltshire for the charity musical evening, to raise funds after the local helipad flooded. 

By her side were two of the Queen's most loyal female friends, Sarah Troughton, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire and the Marchioness of Lansdowne, Fiona Petty-Fitzmaurice.

At the event, Camilla said King Charles, 75, who underwent his first bout of treatment earlier this week, was 'very touched' by all the messages of support he has been receiving from around the world.  

As the Queen's later life has been ever more in the public eye, her crucial inner circle - including family, celebrities and aristocratic companions - has provided untold support through the decades, sometimes in the face of hostile criticism. 

Here, MAILONLINE looks at the key friendships steeling the Queen through one of the toughest times of her life so far...

CAMILLA'S SISTER: Annabel Elliot

Camilla's younger sister, interior designer and antique dealer Annabel Elliot, has supported the Queen faithfully throughout her royal life (The siblings pictured in 2016)

Queen Camilla's younger sister is Annabel Elliot. a 75-year-old interior designer and antiques dealer.

At the Coronation last year, Annabel served as one of her Ladies in Attendance alongside Lady Lansdowne and has been described as her sister's quieter counterpart. 

The pair have previously recalled spending their childhood rolling down hills, catching butterflies and dressing correctly for their strict grandmother while staying at their grandparents' Hampshire home.

As young women, Camilla loved debutante circuit while Annabel was rather more serious and preferred a quieter life — ‘not the kind of girl to throw her knickers on the table’, as it has been put. 

Annabel has said that Camilla, who was a debutante a year ahead of her, ‘was a great success, but I certainly wasn’t. I probably wasn’t quite as confident as her.’

When the pair were younger, Annabel (pictured in 2014) was seen as the sister with ‘taste’, who eschewed the London party scene and went to Florence to study art

At the same time, Annabel was seen as the more intelligent sister with ‘taste’, who eschewed the London party scene. Instead, she went to Florence to study art.

One friend asserted that Annabel, ‘with her style and good taste, is the one who should have been a duchess’. 

‘She’d have been perfect,' said the friend, 'but would never want to change places. As for Camilla, she pulls it off, in her own way.’

In 1972, Annabel married her first real boyfriend at 23 - Simon Elliot, and in 1973 Camilla, aged 25, married her first husband - dashing Army officer Andrew Parker Bowles.

Annabel and her husband, who died in March aged 82, inhabited a country house in the Dorset village of Stourpaine where Charles and Camilla would meet for discreet weekends as secret lovers.

She continued to support her sister throughout the difficulties of the relationship, driving Camilla away and out of public view when John Major announced in the Commons the separation of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1992.

Annabel's 40th birthday party was where Diana confronted Camilla over her relationship with Charles and it was her 50th birthday celebrations at the Ritz where Camilla came out as Charles' partner, using the occasion to pose for their first public pictures together on the hotel steps.

COMPANIONS 

Sarah Troughton, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire

Let me lend a hand: Sarah Troughton (pictured right in Salisbury this week), who is the second cousin of the King, is one of the Queen's 'companions' and provides support to her

Sarah was beside Camilla's side as the musical evening progressed in Salisbury this week, the pair stayed for the duration of the two-hour event

In November 2022, Camilla announced her new 'Queen's Companions' as the position of lady-in-waiting was scrapped. Indicating a break from tradition, the Queen Consort decided to enlist six confidantes as her companions, each receiving a nominal fee to cover their expenses in much the same way as ladies-in-waiting.

One companion, Sarah Troughton, has been Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire since 2012 and is the first woman ever to have held the position since it was created in the 16th century. Sarah is the second cousin of the King as her grandfather was the brother of Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

She was previously lady-in-waiting for Katharine, Duchess of Kent and her grandson, Nicholas Barclay, was one of the King's Pages of Honour for his Coronation, alongside others including the King's grandson, Prince George. 

Sarah has been Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire since 2012 and is the first woman ever to have held the position since it was created in the 16th century

The mother-of-three is married to Peter Troughton, who is a trustee of the Royal Collection and also a pro-chancellor at Bath University.

Sarah herself is a trustee of the Community Foundation for Wiltshire and Swindon, where she lives.

Since assuming the role of Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Sarah's duties have included overseeing the arrangements for royal visits to Wiltshire by members of the Royal Family.

She also represents the monarch and presents awards and medals on his behalf, and liaises with the Wiltshire units of the Armed Forces.

Speaking about Camilla on Good Morning Britain in 2022, Sarah said: 'I don't think there's much that will surprise you, all I can tell you is that she's the nicest, kindest, most amusing friend one could possibly have, to all generations, that includes our children.' 

Marchioness of Lansdowne, Fiona Petty-Fitzmaurice

Lady Lansdowne is a professional interior designer and has had her own studio, Fiona Shelburne, for more than three decades.

As well as serving as one of the Queen's Companions, she was also one of Camilla's Ladies in Attendance at the Coronation. 

She currently lives at Bowood House in Wiltshire with her husband Charlie, the 9th Marquis.

Queen Camilla was also supported by her close friend the Marchioness of Lansdowne, Fiona Petty-Fitzmaurice (centre) during the Queen's first public engagement since the King's cancer diagnosis was revealed

A friendship that goes back decades: Camilla pictured with Lady Fiona Lansdowne at her home Bowood House in July 2002

She currently lives at Bowood House in Wiltshire with her husband Charlie, the 9th Marquis

In 2022, she opened up her house to The English Home in an interview where she revealed she and Charlie lived with their three dogs, Tinker, Tulip and Maud.

Lady Lansdowne also explained she and her husband were custodians for the house, which is open to visits from the public, and admitted it was a 'big responsibility' to take care of the home.

Despite having lots of visitors from the public, she said she and her husband had their own 'sanctuary' in their private quarters.

She revealed she and her husband have a picnic in their woodland garden every Sunday without fail, even if it's raining outside.

'We have our supper here on a table by the fire. We don’t have a huge, "state-of-the-art" kitchen but I love my Aga and love to cook,' she said.

Lady Sarah Keswick

Lady Sarah Keswick (pictured sitting next to the Queen Consort in the Royal Box on Centre Court at Wimbledon in 2011) is married to former Arsenal Chairman Chips Keswick

Lady Sarah Keswick is another close friend of the Queen Consort and King Charles, along with her husband, Sir John Chippendale 'Chips' Lindley Keswick.

From 2013 until his retirement in 2020, Chips was chairman of Arsenal Football Club.

Lady Sarah appears to be a sports fan herself and was spotted at Wimbledon with the Queen Consort in June 2011.

The pair sat in the royal box to get ready for a day of action on Centre Court, while the late TV legend Bruce Forsyth appeared to join them.

The mother-of-three shares three sons, David, Tobias and Adam, with Chips.

Lady Sarah is the daughter of former Conservative MP and 16th Earl of Dalhousie Simon Ramsay.

During his five years in Parliament from 1945 until 1950, when he assumed the title of Earl of Dalhousie from his late brother, Simon did a stint as Conservative whip.

Carlyn Chisholm

Carlyn Chisholm (pictured with Nicholas Soames in 2021) worked as a nurse before entering politics

Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen, 70, is a crossbench life peer in the House of Lords.

However, until she was announced as one of the Queen Consort's Companions in 2022, she sat in the House as a Conservative peer.

Baroness Chisholm resigned the Conservative whip in order to hold the position in the Queen Consort's most relied upon circle.

She was first appointed to the House of Lords in 2014 when David Cameron was prime minister. Since then she has seen four more prime ministers enter Downing Street.

Before entering politics, the mother-of-three, from Sussex, worked as a nurse.

A fan of horse racing, she has previously attended Royal Ascot with the Charles and Camilla and, before the royal couple quit, used to go fox hunting with them too. 

Lady Katherine Brooke

Lady Katherine Brooke has been a close friend of Queen Consort Camilla and King Charles for several years and is the daughter of Lady Susan Hussey

Lady Katherine Brooke has been a close friend of Queen Consort Camilla and King Charles for several years.

As one of the six Queen's Companions, she's also the daughter of a former lady-in-waiting. Lady Katherine Brooke's mother is Lady Susan Hussey, who served as Queen Elizabeth II's lady-in-waiting for more than 60 years.

Known as one of the late Queen's 'Head Girls' as a lady-in-waiting, she was reportedly nicknamed the 'Number One Head Girl' and grew close to King Charles, becoming godmother to his eldest son, Prince William.

Lady Susan was retained by King Charles following his mother's death but resigned in November 2022 following comments made towards a guest at Queen Consort Camilla's reception to discuss ending violence against women.

She allegedly asked Ngozi Fulani, a black woman who runs domestic abuse charity Sistah Space in Hackney: 'What part of Africa are you from?' 

However, three months after her resignation, Lady Susan was seen performing official duties for Princess Anne, representing her at the memorial service for Dame Frances Campbell-Preston at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea.

Jane von Westenholz

Jane von Westenholz is married to Baron Piers von Westenholz and their daughter, Violet, introduced Prince Harry to Meghan Markle

Jane von Westenholz is a long time friend of the Queen Consort and King Charles.

She is married to Baron Piers von Westenholz, the interior designer and former Olympic skier who, with his wife, was involved in the renovation of Dumfries House - a Scottish stately home saved by Charles in 2007.

They are the parents of Violet von Westenholz, who introduced Prince Harry to Meghan Markle when the pair started dating.

Violet is a close childhood friend of Harry's and the pair often spent time together as children due to their parents' close friendship.

At the time of introducing the pair, Violet was working in communications for Ralph Lauren in London and met Meghan Markle through her job.

FAMOUS FRIENDS 

During her time as a royal, Camilla has been spotted working with the nation's most famous celebrities at glamorous events, who have undoubtedly come to know the Queen Consort over the years.

Among those whom she counts as celebrity pals include Judi Dench, Hugh Bonneville and Dame Maggie Smith - as well as actress Joanna Lumley.

Judi Dench 

Judi Dench and Camilla have met on several occasions and enjoyed an ice cream while Camilla visited the Isle of Wight

A-lister Dame Judi Dench has me the Queen Consort on a number of occasions and supports her work.

In 2018, Camilla met with the actress on the Isle of Wight to visit Queen Victoria's holiday home of Osborne House in East Cowes.

The actress and patron of the Friends of Osborne House showed Camilla the restored Durbar Room, which was one of the locations for the film Victoria and Abdul in which she played Queen Victoria.

The pair could be seen enjoying a catch up over a vanilla ice cream complete with a flake in the heatwave weather.

The Oscar winner has also supported Camilla's Reading Room, a charity launched during lockdown to provide opportunities for the appreciation of literature.

She attended a reception for the Reading Room in 2021 where she was seen chatting animatedly with Charles and Camilla and also took part in one of the organisation's Reading Room Roundtables.

Joanna Lumley

The Absolutely Fabulous star (pictured with Gyles Brandreth and Camilla) has previously spoken out against Netflix's series The Crown, revealing she doesn't watch the programme out of loyalty to the royal family

Dame Joanna has proven to be a loyal and long-term friend of Camilla and the royal family, attending Camilla's wedding to Charles in 2005. 

The Absolutely Fabulous star has previously spoken out against Netflix's series The Crown, revealing she doesn't watch the programme out of loyalty to the royal family.

After watching the earlier series, she told The Mirror she switched off as the show began to portray events later in the monarch's reign.

She said: 'Suddenly, it began to get closer and closer and they had people acting as Prince Charles, as Camilla Parker Bowles, as Princess Anne. I know them all.

'I know that's not how they speak or what they said or did. People say, "Oh, well everybody knows that it's made up." 

'People don't, people think it's the truth. So I decided not to watch it anymore because I have some loyalty, as one would to anybody they know and like and are lucky enough to be friendly with. It's rather ghastly.'