Duchess of Cornwall on the joy of being a grandmother: 'Spoil them and give them back'

The Duchess of Cornwall has spoken of the mischievous joy she takes in being a grandmother, admitting it allows her to “spoil them, give them all the things their parents won’t allow them to have and then give them back again.”

The Duchess, who gives a unique insight into her family life as part of a television documentary to be aired on Monday, said she would recommend grandparenthood to everybody, admitting it is particularly wonderful because “you haven’t got the full responsibility”.

In a programme which follows her through the year of her 70th birthday, the Duchess is seen on overseas tours, welcoming elderly victims of crime into Clarence House, and walking her dogs in a rainy Scotland.

Asked whether she enjoyed being a grandmother-of-five, taking on the name of “Gan Gan”, she said: “Wonderful. Yes, I’d recommend it to everybody.

“It’s very nice because you haven’t got the full responsibility. You can give them a wonderful time, spoil them, give them all the things their parents won’t allow them to have and then give them back again.”

Saying the grandchildren spot her on television occasionally, she added: “They rather tend to wave, I don’t know if they expect me to wave back again.”

The ITV programme also features a touching tribute from her husband of 13 years, the Prince of Wales.

Speaking of her work as patron of more than 90 organisations, including charities working on domestic violence, old age and children’s literacy, he said: “My darling wife has been absolutely wonderful with all these charities and takes a huge interest, which they were all telling me about what a difference she makes.

“I know how, how seriously she takes it all. But she does have a wonderful way with people, you see, that’s the special thing. I mean, she’s remarkable, really.

“She is the best listener in the world, you see, so she can get anything out of anybody and find out their life history in a very quick, short time.”

The full programme will feature testimony from friends, family and Royal historians, who describe how the Duchess effectively began a new phase of hard work after marrying into the Royal Family at an age when her peers were retiring.

Gyles Brandreth, a friend, said: “If you had asked Camilla years ago, whether she would be interested in becoming queen, she’d have laughed at the idea. She would have said, hey, how horrific.”

Joanna Lumley disclosed the Duchess had been “desperately frightened and scared” when she embarked on her public role making speeches, saying: “I’m sure she misses the fact that in the old days, she could do anything she wanted and nobody would have observed her. And now, the eyes are on her forever more.”

The programme also sees the Duchess describe how she rescued two Jack Russell terriers, Beth and Bluebell, from Battersea Dogs Home, saying the “nice thing” about returning from Royal tours was the warm welcome they gave her.

“They’re always pleased to see you and they never answer you back,” she said, adding that one had been found in a “terrible” state, tied up on a motorway to die.

“It was the cruelest thing,” she said. “I just can’t believe people do these things.”

Told the dogs had “gone to the right home now”, she joked: “They’ve fallen on their paws.”

In a scene shot at Clarence House, where the Duchess had tea with elderly siblings Alice, Mary and George Dowling, she heard how they had been victims of a violent burglary, with one of the ladies punching an intruder who terrorised her.

“Oh quite right!” the Duchess told her warmly. “You gave as good as you got.”

The programme, The Real Camilla: HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, airs Monday at 9pm on ITV.