Queen Camilla, wife of King Charles III, has to contend with a persistent anxiety that weighs heavily on some official trips abroad. This phobia is far more widespread than one might think, and it doesn't spare her.
Since her accession to the throne alongside King Charles III, Queen Camilla has undertaken numerous public engagements. But behind the sovereign's composed image lies a more personal reality: a fear of flying that has never left her. It's a subject she has never tried to hide. This phobia, known as aerophobia, even influences certain decisions in her royal schedule, to the point of limiting her presence during trips abroad.
A deeply ingrained fear that complicates her royal duties. While snakes or heights frighten many people, the fear of flying remains one of the most common. And Queen Camilla is no exception. According to reports in Hello! magazine, she has been battling this anxiety for years, to the point of not always accompanying her husband on official trips. Back in 2018, she cut short a visit to Australia. At the time, a spokesperson for Clarence House explained bluntly: "The Duchess doesn't like flying, but I think she sometimes has to confront this fear." Behind this apprehension often lies a deep-seated feeling of loss of control. As hypnotherapist Christopher Paul Jones explains: "It's not so much the plane itself that's worrying, but the inability to control the situation."
A more complex phobia than it seems
This fear isn't based on a single factor. It can combine several anxieties: vertigo, the feeling of being enclosed, turbulence, or even the fear of panicking in public. "A well-known mental mechanism, which can even be self-perpetuating. Some people are more afraid of their own fear." The mere thought of losing control in flight then becomes an additional source of anxiety. But nothing is set in stone. According to Christopher Paul Jones, these fears are often acquired and can therefore evolve: "Most fears are not things we are born with; they are associations our minds created at some point in the past. Because this reaction is learned, it can also be modified."
Queen Camilla has already demonstrated this in the past. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she had to overcome another very common phobia, the fear of needles, in order to be vaccinated. This fear, again, often stems from past experiences. With self-reflection and appropriate support, these blocks can be lessened. "With the right approach, some introspective work and the will to tackle it, I think most people can overcome their phobias," the specialist assures.
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