Queen Camilla, once shunned by British public, comes to the rescue as Charles is treated for cancer

BY DANICA KIRKA

LONDON (AP) — What a difference a few decades can make.

Queen Camilla, once seen as the scourge of the House of Windsor, the woman at the heart of King Charles III’s doomed marriage to the late Princess Diana, has emerged as one of the monarchy’s most prominent emissaries.

With Charles and Kate, the Princess of Wales, sidelined by illness, Camilla has stepped lightly into the void, increasing her schedule of appearances and taking on the all-important role of keeping the royal family in the public eye.

“It’s been a remarkable transformation,” said longtime royal commentator and former BBC correspondent Michael Cole. “And, I think, Camilla, Queen Camilla, has certainly earned the respect that she’s receiving. … She has done a remarkably good job.”

That has been especially important in recent weeks as three of the royal family’s most senior members were forced to take time off