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Camilla, the Queen Consort, paid tribute to her late mother-in-law in a BBC television interview.
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Queen Elizabeth II had “wonderful blue eyes” and an “unforgettable” smile, Camilla said.
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The Queen Consort also praised the monarch for carving out her role among male world leaders.
Camilla, the Queen Consort, said Queen Elizabeth II had beautiful blue eyes and a smile she’ll never forget in a clip from a BBC interview released on Sunday.
The former Duchess of Cornwall’s compliments come nearly two weeks after the monarch died “peacefully” at her residence in Balmoral, Scotland at the age of 96.
The comments also precede the Queen’s funeral, set to bring 2,000 attendees including President Joe Biden and members of the royal family together on Monday at Westminster Abbey for a service honoring the monarch’s life.
“She’s got those wonderful blue eyes,” Camilla, says in a clip of the interview, which will be broadcast in full at 8 p.m. BST on Sunday. “When she smiles, they light up her whole face. I’ll always remember that smile, you know, that smile is unforgettable.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Camilla touched upon how the Queen established herself as a formidable female force during a time when world leaders were primarily male.
“It must have been so difficult for her being a solitary woman. There weren’t women prime ministers or women presidents,” the Queen Consort said. “She was the only one, so I think she carved her own role.”
Camilla’s association with the late monarch greatly evolved since the controversial start of her relationship with King Charles III in the 1990s.
Charles and Camilla’s romantic relationship reportedly dates back to 1986, when he was married to Princess Diana and she was married to Andrew Parker Bowles. The pair only went public as a couple in 1997.
But it was only in 2000 when the Queen reportedly agreed to formally meet Camilla, according to The New York Times. Though the Queen was not present at their wedding in 2005, the years that passed showed that she and the monarch seemed to develop a close bond.
In February, Queen Elizabeth II made her approval of Camilla clear when she announced that she wanted her daughter-in-law to have the Queen Consort title when Charles III became king, ending years of confusion as to what her future royal title would be.
“When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when the time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service,” the Queen wrote in a statement reflecting over her 70-year-reign.
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