The Queen and King Charles were joined by a host of well-known Welsh figures at Cyfarthfa Castle, including Gavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones, who had an awkward encounter with Camilla
The pair had previously met at the Women of the World (WOW) reception to celebrate the 15th anniversary of WOW at Buckingham Palace on March 11, 2025(Image: WPA Pool, Getty Images)
Queen Camilla found herself in an uncomfortable situation with Ruth Jones during last week’s visit to South Wales for King Charles’s birthday celebrations. She joined the King, who was celebrated his 77th birthday, for an afternoon of festivities at the ancient Cyfarthfa Castle near Merthyr Tydfil.
On Saturday, November 15, the Royal pair were greeted by numerous prominent Welsh personalities, including reality television star Liam Reardon, fashion creator Julien Macdonald, and Gavin and Stacey writer and performer Ruth Jones.
Though beloved by countless fans as the outspoken Nessa Jenkins on television, it appeared Camilla failed to instantly identify Ruth Jones, during their encounter. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter.
After realising who she was speaking to, the Queen (who had previously met the performer) declared: “Haven’t you lost masses of weight?” as the actress grasped her hand and presented herself in the receiving line.
Chuckling, Ruth appeared both startled and delighted, responding: “Yes, I have, thank you! I’ve lost a bit of weight.”
The celebrity has been candid regarding her lifelong battle with her size and has recently displayed her remarkable change after shedding 4.5 stone across 22 months.
The screenwriter and performer has also discussed consulting a hypnotist to tackle her greatest weakness – chocolate.
The Gavin and Stacey writer revealed to the Table Manners podcast last year that she initially viewed hypnotherapy with doubt.
She explained: “You think of something you hate eating, then think of the chocolate – and keep alternating. I remembered how mushy peas were on the school dinner menu. It completely worked. I didn’t eat chocolate for five years; I couldn’t even stand the smell of it.”
She confessed that she eventually felt she was “sorted” and unsubscribed from the hypnotist’s email list, after which her aversion to chocolate gradually faded.
Ruth has also previously discussed losing 4.5 stone in 2011, a journey that took her 22 months after overindulging on a holiday.
Reflecting on that pivotal moment, she stated: “I came back from holiday in January 2010 – and we all overdo it on holiday, don’t we? Something just clicked. I felt it was now or never; I wanted to make a positive change for me, and I haven’t looked back.”
Instead of following fad diets or adopting extreme restrictions, the actress said she focused on managing her portion sizes and monitoring her calorie intake.
She told The Express in 2019: “It’s taken me 22 months to lose four and a half stone. Although I have done loads of diets in my time I have never done it the old-fashioned way – taking in less calories than I was using.”
