Queen Camilla Had ‘Unusual’ Parents During Her Childhood That Helped Her Become The Remarkable Royal She Is Today

Sep 30, 2024

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The romance and eventual marriage of King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort of the United Kingdom, is hardly the fodder that fairy tales are made of. Their history together has been well-documented in the press and has undergone various stages of public approval. 

However, after many years, the couple is now very settled in their relationship and has the public’s support. But the road to their happily ever after is a long and rocky one.

Going back in time, it seems that the couple’s mutual fondness began in the 1970s when they formally met, despite the fact they wouldn’t marry until 2005. According to Express, the two met at a party hosted by a mutual friend in 1971 and immediately started dating. But things didn’t last and their relationship ended somewhere around 1973 when Charles went to serve in the Royal Navy.

Meanwhile, Camilla had met Andrew Parker Bowles, and in July 1973 the couple married at the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks, in London. At the time, Camilla was 25 years old, while her then-husband was 33. It was a highly appreciated society wedding that included many royal guests, including Princess Anne, Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

Although Camilla’s reputation has been muddied due to her initial affair with then-Prince Charles, she has redeemed her image as she courageously showed the world her kindness, grace, sophistication and influence as her relationship with Charles progressed. 

Many have seen the younger Camilla only from the photos of her with Charles when they were young adults, but not many have seen her photos when she was still a child. Keep reading to learn more about Camilla and what she looked like as a little girl. 

Camilla was born to a wealthy family that owned houses in East Essex and South Kensington, one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Great Britain. She was blessed with supportive parents, Bruce and Rosalind Shand, who helped her and her siblings to various aspects of their upbringing. The Guardian reported that it was “unusual for their class and era” to receive love and support from one’s parents. 

Camilla described her childhood as “idyllic” to Women’s Day. 

“I was one of the very lucky ones, I had the idyllic childhood right in the country, sitting on the South Downs with my brother and my sister and our pets and our ponies. I think it was a very simple childhood,” she recalled. 

As per the Queen’s recollection, she used to ride to school on their ponies, noting that it would be a rather unconventional thing to do today. 

“It just shows how things have changed because, in those days, there was nothing on the roads. Can you imagine now letting a child ride to school with its satchel on its back? I mean, it wouldn’t happen.”

Growing up, Camilla was close to her mother, Rosalind. She even emphasized that one important skill she learned from her was the art of small talk—a skill that certainly prepared Camilla for royal life. 

“My mother was absolutely brilliant at making us speak to people,” Camilla told the outlet. “She used to have people to dinner; it didn’t matter who it was, old or young, some of them we thought were incredibly boring, but she used to sit at the end of the table and say: ‘Talk! I don’t care whether you’re talking about your pony or your homework, just talk!’ She was also quite forthright and never minced her words.”

Although Camilla loved small talk growing up, she couldn’t say the same thing when giving speeches. 

“I get petrified making speeches,” she admitted to Women’s Day. “I hate every moment of it. People always say it’ll get better and sometimes I find it’s all right if I really know my subject, but sometimes [I get] that awful thing beforehand of really shaking and feeling seriously sick. 

According to one of her former classmates at Queen’s Gate School in South Kensington, Camilla seemed destined for royalty. 

Recalling their time with Camilla when they were younger, the former classmate revealed in the 2005 book “Charles and Camilla: Portrait of a Love Affair” by Gyles Brandreth that the now-Queen Consort used to wear “twinsets and pearls” to class, another proof that she was destined for the life of a queen. 

“She had a magnetism and confidence I envied like anything,” the classmate confessed. “She was one of those people who know what they want and know that they will be a success in life.”

While the road to where she is now was certainly bumpy, Camilla’s family and friends powered her through it.

“If people think I am strong, then it’s all down to my family,” Camilla told Women’s Day. “I had so much love and security growing up. I never doubted my family would be there for me in times of crisis.”

At one point in her life, during the backlash she had received from the public after her initial affair with Charles, her friends had to do her errands for her just to stay out of the spotlight. 

“It was very difficult for her, as she was portrayed as the most wicked woman in the world. She was constantly called nasty names like ‘rottweiler’ and it must have come as a huge shock that people were so vile about her,” royal expert Angela Levin claimed to OK! Magazine. 

Do you admire Queen Camilla? What can you say about her childhood? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other Royal Family fans out there!