Queen Consort Camilla has broken royal tradition in an attempt to appear more modern, according to a royal expert. Writing for BAZAAR, Omid Scobie, author of Finding Freedom, said that the Duchess of Cornwall had decided not to appoint any ladies in waiting.

Buckingham Palace sources have revealed that the Duchess has instead appointed six of her closest friends to be “Queen’s companions” in a newly created role.

However, according to the source, this role is similar to a traditional lady in waiting although none of the women appointed will undertake administrational responsibilities or deal with official correspondence.

This was something that Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II required her ladies in waiting to do.

The Queen Consort’s six friends will be seen with the royal at future engagements or on official travel.

Some of the women were among the 300 guests at Tuesday’s reception to raise awareness of violence against women and girls which was held at Buckingham Palace.

During the event the Queen Consort gave a moving speech in support of survivors.

Sarah Troughton, the former lady in waiting to the Duchess of Kent from 1990 to 2000, and the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire is one of the appointments.

READ MORE: ‘Champion of human rights’: Meghan to speak on ‘power of women’

Fiona, the Marchioness of Lansdowne, is an interior designer with her own studio.

Lady Katherine Brooke is the daughter of Lady Susan Hussey who was a lady in waiting to the late Queen Elizabeth II for 60 years.

Baroness Carlyn Chisholm is a crossbench life peer in the House of Lords although from 2014 until her appointment she sat as a Conservative member.

Before entering politics she worked as a nurse.