The first instalment of The Crown’s hotly anticipated sixth season is finally here and while most of the promotional material centred on Elizabeth Debicki’s reprisal of Princess Diana in the lead-up, it’s Olivia Williams’ portrayal of Camilla Parker Bowles that arguably steals focus in the very first episode. Much is made of the Queen (Imelda Staunton) and Prince Philip’s (Jonathan Pryce) refusal to attend Camilla’s 50th birthday party, hosted by Prince Charles (Dominic West) at his Highgrove Estate in 1997 and the pair’s 2005 wedding will earn itself an episode when the second half of season six premieres on 16th December.

And for The Crown’s head of hair and make-up, Cate Hall and Emilie Young, it’s Camilla’s character that undergoes the biggest visual transformation of the series. ‘I think the Camilla story is wonderful,’ says Hall, ‘she went from […] everyday, maybe a bit downtrodden, certainly not a princess and then by the end I think the Camilla you see in the wedding is genuinely very beautiful and she’s sort of been given the Royal makeover hasn’t she?’.

So what does a right Royal makeover equate to in the make-up trailer? ‘A new wig that’s much blonder and brighter,’ says Hall, ‘she just has to look altogether more put together. So she has a spray tan for the wedding, her hair is much glossier and prettier.’ Hall notes that the wig was roller set for the wedding scene, ‘which feels very glamorous for her.’

Charles and Camilla married on 9th April 2005. The pair said their vows in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall before an official blessing took place at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The bride chose two outfits for the big day – a cream silk dress for the ceremony and a pale blue gown and embroidered coat for the blessing – both designed by Anna Valentine and Antonia Robinson. Camilla made headlines by forgoing a traditional tiara in favour of a statement-making sweep of gold millinery by Phillip Treacy.

This wedding marked a turning point for Camilla in more ways than one. The then Duchess-of-Cornwall-to-be was reported to have been bed-bound with nerves on the morning of her big day. Biographer Penny Junor wrote for Vanity Fair in 2018 that ‘it took four people to coax Camilla out of bed.’ ‘She was terrified,’ Junor continued. And no wonder. Crowds were already gathering and nobody could predict their reaction. Would they embrace the new Duchess or jeer her down the aisle? 

As it was the masses cheered and the headlines lauded the happy couple. It was perhaps the first time that Camilla had been seen as anything other than a Barbour-wearing outdoorsy type – the glamour of her St. George’s Chapel get-up made a Duchess-worthy statement.

Did Camilla go in for the same spray tan, highlights and rollers revamp ahead of her wedding as Williams did for The Crown’s own enactment? There’s really no way of knowing, but the spring in those Farrah Fawcett style layers certainly speak of precision styling. And Junor’s own investigations did turn up one pre-wedding beauty treatment. ‘She has never had surgery or used Botox, but she did use an organic alternative, a face mask containing bee-sting venom invented by beautician Deborah Mitchell.’ You can still buy it –  Heaven by Deborah Mitchell’s Bee Venom Masks start at £87 – there are Silver, Black and Gold editions, all of which, according to the brand, work to control facial muscles, whilst penetrating fine lines, frown lines, and wrinkles. The skin’s the thing for Camilla.

Nowadays we’re far more acquainted with this high-gloss version of Camilla and the now-Queen upped the ante still further earlier this year for the coronation. Her go-to beauty experts today include hairstylist Jo Hansford and make-up artist Marina Sandoval, who, according to HarpersBazaar.com, regularly applies the likes of Sisley, Guerlain, Chanel, Bobbi Brown and Armani Beauty to achieve the Queen’s signature less-is-more beauty look.

Scroll through any recent pictures you please of Camilla and you quickly catch on to the make-up brief: subtly lined eyes, mascara, bronzer, a touch of blush and a hint of rosy lipstick. A refined formula for a refined woman. And while, underneath all those dustings of powder, layers of foundation and sweeps of lip gloss, Camilla may well be desperate to get back home and wash it all off, curl up with her beloved dogs and escape into her latest read with a steaming mug of builder’s tea, few can deny that she’s carrying off her new royal role with style and more than a hint of glamour.