Queen Elizabeth's Former Press Secretary Is Comparing the Royal to Taylor Swift

It turns out the duo had one major thing in common.

A photo of Queen Elizabeth smiling and wearing a pink hat and coat next to a photo of Taylor Swift singing into a mic in front of a pink background and tossing her hair while wearing a sequin pink leotard
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Taylor Swift might be American royalty, but according to Queen Elizabeth's former press secretary, the record-breaking pop star shares one trait with actual royalty. As King Charles and Queen Camilla wrap up their first visit to Australia as King and Queen, Ailsa Anderson— who served the late monarch during her final tour of Australia in 2011—is sharing her memories of Queen Elizabeth's rock star-like reputation Down Under.

"I remember the crowds, the big Aussie barbeque in Perth, which was the last big event," Anderson told the Sun. "It felt like The Queen was Taylor Swift. Honestly, the crowds were enormous—cheering. It was electric."

Just call it the Eras Tour: Royal Edition. Queen Elizabeth traveled to Australia 16 times throughout her 70-year reign, and along with her 2011 visit, the massive crowds during her other visits (especially the 1954 Commonwealth Tour) would definitely give Swifties a run for their money.

Even though there's been a growing republican sentiment during Charles and Camilla's current tour, Anderson rejects the idea that Australians want to ditch the monarchy.

"The media always like to say 'how long are you going to have a monarchy?' in Australia but coming back, there's no way they're going to become a republic," she notes. "The crowds, the genuine people, just the adoration."

Queen Elizabeth in a yellow hat and coat greeting a huge crowd of fans taking photos of her

Queen Elizabeth greeted fans during her 2011 trip to Australia.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in an open-topped car driving through a massive crowd of fans

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were also welcomed by insanely large crowds during their 1954 tour of Australia.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Even though he was heckled by an Australian senator during a speech he gave in Parliament on Oct. 21, King Charles has drawn crowds of well-wishers throughout his trip this past week, with thousands of fans (and one rather dapper alpaca) waiting for hours to get a chance to meet the royal couple.

Like this month's trip to Australia, which marks the first time King Charles and Queen Camilla have visited the country since taking the throne, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's final tour in 2011 held a special significance.

As Anderson explains, the couple's last trip to Australia "was a real boost for the Queen and Prince Philip." The former royal staffer added, "you never know how many people are going to be interested but clearly they were."

While Charles and Camilla might bring their own style of monarchy to Australia that differs from Queen Elizabeth, it seems like they follow in the footsteps of the late Queen (and Taylor) when it comes to drawing in the crowds.

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.

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