The Duchess of Cornwall has learned to learned to laugh off criticism of her.
The 69-year-old royal – who has been married to Prince Charles since 2005 – has often been subjected to harsh criticism over the years, but the Duchess has relied on her sense of humour to maintain her happiness.
She told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: "You’ve got to laugh through most things, and sometimes I do laugh a bit too much.
"There are situations where it’s very difficult not to lose it completely, especially, you know, if something goes terribly wrong and everybody sits there for a split second [not sure how to react]. You do have to swallow and pinch yourself very hard to not laugh."
And the Duchess said that, contrary to popular perception, she actually loves getting meet and socialise with different people.
She explained: "I genuinely like people and I’m so curious about them. Other people’s lives are so much more interesting than one’s own. It’s like going to a dinner where I almost feel like I am a psychiatrist.
"When I sit down with my team before an engagement, sometimes they are horrified as I say I don’t want to read the biographical brief because I prefer to prise information out of people. It becomes like a game … the stories that come out, I could write a book about."
She said, too, that she relishes the demands of being a royal, describing herself as a positive "person" by nature.
The Duchess shared: "If you are a positive person, you can do so much more. People are either glass half-empty or glass half-full. I always think hopefully. You just have to get on with it. Being British!"
Duchess of Cornwall laughs off criticism
