Hollywood Actress, 65, Jokes She Could’ve Been ‘The Next Camilla’ While Recalling Memorable Encounter With King Charles

Jun 14, 2024

There is something about royal love that captures the imagination. When Britain’s Prince Harry married American actress Meghan Markle, the entire world took an interest in their love story. Many made comparisons between Prince Harry’s wedding ceremony and the wedding of his parents, Princess Diana and King Charles III, decades earlier.

Although Charles and Diana's relationship initially appeared to be a fairy tale, it turned out that the union was not quite as idyllic as it seemed. After the dissolution of their 15-year marriage, it became clear that one of the primary issues negatively impacting the relationship was that Charles still had feelings for Camilla Parker Bowles, a woman he had previously dated.

Even though Diana had her suspicions, she still moved forward with her marriage to Charles. During this time, Camilla was married to a man named Andrew Parker Bowles, a friend of Charles. The two couples occasionally hung out together, and Andrew even coordinated security for the royal wedding between Charles and Diana. This also meant that Camilla was one of the many guests at the wedding. 

Then, in November 1995, Princess Diana's BBC interview with Martin Bashir became one of the most explosive moments in royal history. During the interview, Diana openly discussed her troubled marriage to Charles. She famously said, “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,” referring to Charles's relationship with Camilla. This candid admission was shocking as it publicly confirmed long-suspected infidelity.

Since then, Charles’s personal life and his relationships have consistently attracted media attention. Now, another woman has joined the fray, claiming that Charles was “into” her. Read on to discover who she is and learn about her encounter with Charles.

After Princess Diana's death in 1997, Charles and Camilla’s relationship gradually became more public and accepted, eventually leading to their marriage. The process of Charles and Camilla's acceptance and eventual marriage was a carefully managed transition that involved improving public perception, gaining royal family support, and slowly integrating Camilla into public life. 

In April 2024, the couple celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary by heading to the king's Birkhall residence on the Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The getaway has been a tradition for the pair, who have ventured there every anniversary since their nuptials in 2005. Previously the home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Birkhall is renowned for its beautiful gardens and serves as a private retreat for Charles and Camilla, offering a secluded and tranquil environment away from the public eye.

However, Charles is never far from the public’s gaze or the memory of many who have met him. One American actress, for example, found herself reminiscing on Andy Cohen’s talk show when Charles’s name came up in conversation. Upon remembering the past, the actress excitedly recollected the moment she made him laugh during a conversation about films.

“He said, ‘I’m sorry, I haven’t seen any of your films because I’m so busy I only see films on the plane.’ And I said, ‘When you see them in the plane, the best parts are cut out!’,” the actress remarked animatedly.

“He did his elegant Englishman laugh,” the actress said before Cohen pressed her on how she thought he felt about her.

“He was into me! I could feel it! I was thinking, ‘Maybe I could be the next Camilla!’,” she enthused while giving the thumbs up.    

The actress in question was none other than Jennifer Tilly, who starred in “Bullets Over Broadway” and “Liar Liar.” When the 65-year-old explained that her run-in with Charles took place 20 years ago, Cohen noted it was “pre-Camilla,” a notion Tilly refuted.

“No, she was always there,” Tilly said. “We know, there were three people in that marriage,” Cohen quipped, alluding to the famous interview with Princess Diana. 

Fans reacted to Tilly’s revelation, as one user commented:

“We always knew you were born to be Queen 👑”

“I believe it,” another remarked, as a third user wrote, “Queen Jennifer  ..  🙌”

Another comment read:

“Honestly, anyone with eyes should be really into you.”

Another user said they fully accepted the legitimacy of Tilly’s telling of events. “‘Claims?’  If Ms. Tilly says it, I believe it,” they wrote.

It’s clear Tilly still has an active and devoted fan base, despite being in the public eye less since her acting heyday in the 1990s and 2000s, when she was known for the sexy and alluring characters she portrayed. The actress once spoke about how being sexy didn’t come naturally for her, telling Orange Coast Magazine:

“I would go to auditions in lots and lots of layers, and people would say, ‘She’s just not sexy.’ …  I started wearing Azzedine Alaia dresses to auditions and that’s when I started getting parts…  You get a really unrealistic idea of what a woman looks like when you live (in Hollywood).” 

Despite the challenges of being an actress in the highly competitive Hollywood film industry, Tilly stressed that she remained confident in herself.

“I have the basic ingredients to look attractive. … I don’t look in the mirror and castigate myself. Usually, when I look at myself in the mirror, I’m pretty happy with what I see,” she added.

What do you think about Jennifer Tilly’s story about King Charles? Are you a fan of hers? Let us know then pass this along to friends and family who might be tickled to hear about it, too!