Duchess Camilla Turns 74 – A Peek Into Her Relationship With Prince Charles Through The Years

Jul 19, 2021

Let's have a flashback to the highs and lows of the decades of romance between the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Apparently, Prince Charles' former girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles, who was then known as Camilla Shand, had already been infatuated with the Prince long before he tied the knot with his first wife, Diana Spencer, in 1981. After an extensive courtship and plenty of drama, Charles and Camilla's clear-cut passion led them to finally get married in April of 2005.

There are slight variations on reports about the couple's first meeting, although rumor has it that they first met in the early '70s. As per the BBC's report, Prince Charles first saw Camilla Shand in 1970 in Windsor Great Park at a polo match.

However, as per People's report, "When she met the Prince at a party in 1972, Camilla Shand, then a 25-year-old post-ed living in London, told him sassily, 'My great-grandmother was the mistress of your great-great-grandfather. I feel we have something in common.'"

Whichever version is true between the two, there was certainly a spark. In 1971, Charles returned to duty by joining the Royal Navy, which resulted in the dwindling of the courtship he had started with Camilla. According to People's report, "Although the smitten prince courted her for six months, he failed to propose before returning to sea in February 1973." Charles had allegedly decided that he would not marry before he was 30 years old.

Keep reading to delve into the compelling love story of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, from the very first sight to their current blissful family life.

In Penny Junor's book, "The Duchess: Camilla Parker Bowles and the Love Affair that Rocked the Crown," the author revealed that while at a party in 1965, Camilla met her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles. Camilla and Andrew eventually got married on July 4, 1973. Afterward, Camilla and Andrew were blessed with two children together, Laura Parker Bowles (daughter) and Tom Parker Bowles (son). According to E! News, Tom's godfather is actually Charles.

As reported by People, Charles and Camilla revived their physical romance in 1986 after supposedly having an on-and-off connection in the previous years. This happened in spite of both being married and raising their families.

Diana notably said the following in an interview with BBC One's Panorama in 1995: "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded." She apparently told Morton that she had tried to confront Camilla about the affair with very little success.

An intimate conversation between Charles and Camilla was exposed in early 1993, which confirmed that the couple had an illegitimate relationship. The tapes were recorded in 1989, and their exposure caused a great humiliation for the royal family. The Mirror published a copy of the conversation, and the exposé enclosed within eventually led to the end of Charles and Diana's, as well as Camilla and Andrew's marriage. Camila filed for divorce in January 1995, and Diana and Charles finally divorced in August 1996.

According to The New York Times, Charles acknowledged his affair with Camilla in a TV documentary broadcast in 1994, and referred to her as "a great friend of mine." He went on to say that "She has been a friend for a very long time—and will continue to be a friend for a very long time."

In 1998, The Guardian reported that "royal aides confirmed Prince William had met his father's companion Camilla Parker Bowles for the first time." According to the publication, "A transparent campaign to 'introduce' Mrs Parker Bowles to public life began after Charles's divorce. But it was abandoned following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, last year." Ostensibly, Prince Harry met Camilla later on. Nevertheless, Charles and Camilla's public relationship was not approved of by everyone in the royal family. The Los Angeles Times publicized that during Charles's 50th birthday party, "Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip disapprove of their son's once-adulterous relationship with Parker Bowles and stayed away."

Charles and Camilla were photographed together as a couple for the very first time after throwing a birthday party at the Ritz in London for Camilla's sister. As per the BBC, despite Charles being serious about Camilla, Elizabeth had refused to meet her for the longest time. However, the queen eventually accepted an invitation to the 60th birthday party of King Constantine of Greece, which was held at Highgrove, Charles's residence. Elizabeth's approval to meet her son's partner finally made all the difference in the royal family as well as public relations.

In February 2005, Charles announced that he was engaged to Camilla after living with her at Clarence House since 2003. Charles and Camilla were married on April 9, 2005, in a civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall. The Archbishop of Canterbury then officially blessed them at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.

It is still not clear as to whether Camilla will come to be the queen (or queen consort) when her husband ascends to the throne. Nevertheless, it is evident that the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall have made a lot of progress from their initial meeting.

What do you think about this tantalizing story about the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall? Did it appeal to you? Would you love to follow more of their love story? Let us know what you think and pass this story along.