The Duchess of Cornwall recently revealed a controversial opinion regarding jewellery – and it may come as a surprise to royal fans. During an exclusive interview with British Vogue to mark her upcoming 75th birthday, the duchess, 74, admitted to never wanting to get her ears pierced.
The surprising fact came about during the conversation as Duchess Camilla spoke candidly about her grandchildren.
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She said: "You know the nice thing about being a grandmother is that you can spoil them occasionally, give them more of the things that their parents forbid them to have. The girls are beginning to get into clothes and make-up and, you know, it’s rather frightening when you see them, coming out with pierced ears and a lot of new make-up and funny coloured hair and stuff."
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Reflecting upon her own decision not to have her ears pierced, a common rite of passage for young teenagers, the Duchess continued to say: "[The grandchildren] will try to persuade me, but nothing's going to pierce my ears."
Duchess Camilla spoke exclusively to Vogue. Photo credit: Jamie Hawksworth
However, not having pierced ears has not stopped the royal from sporting an array of luxurious earrings. From pearl drops to Van Cleef and Arpel’s diamond-encrusted ear-candy, the duchess has debuted a glittering host of beautiful jewels across the years.
The Duchess doesn't have her ears pierced
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During the interview, the royal even made a rare comment on her relationship with Prince Charles during the 1990s and the level of scrutiny the couple faced at the time: "It's not easy. I was scrutinised for such a long time that you just have to find a way to live with it. Nobody likes to be looked at all the time and, you know, criticised…But I think in the end, I sort of rise above it and get on with it. You’ve got to get on with life."
The July issue of British Vogue is available via digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday 21st June.
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