Camilla, queen of the United Kingdom

Camilla, queen of the United Kingdom (born July 17, 1947, London, England) queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2023– ), wife of Charles III. While her affair with Charles during his marriage (1981–96) to Princess Diana caused controversy, Camilla eventually gained public acceptance. She is known for her self-deprecating humour and easy-going nature.

Early life and education

Camilla Shand was the eldest of three children born to Rosalind Shand (née Cubitt) and Bruce Shand. The upper-class family spent much of their time at a country estate in East Sussex. There she developed a fondness for the outdoors and became a keen horsewoman. After attending Queen’s Gate School in London, she went to finishing school in Switzerland and then briefly attended the University of London Institute in Paris. In 1965 Shand was a debutante. She subsequently worked as a receptionist while maintaining an active social life. Extremely popular, she was known for being charismatic and fun-loving.

First marriage and scandal

Shand reportedly met Prince Charles at a polo match in 1970, before either of them was married. According to various accounts, she told him that her great-grandmother Alice Keppel had been the mistress of his great-great-grandfather King Edward VII. Shand and the prince began dating, but marriage was not considered. At the time, Charles was considered too young, and some in the monarchy viewed Shand as an unsuitable bride. Objections included the fact that she was not aristocratic.

According to some reports, Shand was also still interested in Andrew Parker Bowles, an army officer she had previously dated. Parker Bowles was a friend of Charles and had dated his sister, Princess Anne. While Charles was away on an extended naval deployment in 1973, Shand and Parker Bowles rekindled their relationship. On July 4, 1973, they were married in a lavish ceremony. The couple later had two children, Tom (born 1974) and Laura (born 1978). Charles also seemed to move on, marrying Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.

Following her marriage, Camilla Parker Bowles enjoyed a life of comfort. She continued horseback riding and took part in rural gentry activities, including foxhunting (an activity made illegal in 2005). Her lifestyle survived largely unscathed when she was one of the “names” (investors) in Lloyd’s of London who lost money in a scandal that engulfed many of that company’s insurance underwriters in the 1980s.

During this time Camilla Parker Bowles and her husband remained in the prince’s circle of friends. By 1986 she and Prince Charles had resumed their relationship. In 1992 Prince Charles and Princess Diana separated, and the princess blamed Parker Bowles for the breakup. The following year a secretly recorded intimate phone call between Parker Bowles and Prince Charles was made public by the media. Then in a 1994 TV documentary the prince admitted to the affair. Amid the public uproar, in 1995 Camilla Parker Bowles divorced her husband (who soon afterward married his own mistress), and Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorced the following year. In 1997 Princess Diana died in a car accident, causing an unprecedented outpouring of grief from the public.

Public acceptance and royal wedding

The scandal ignited a fierce public backlash against both Parker Bowles and Prince Charles. She was especially vilified and later called it a “deeply unpleasant time.” However, the couple remained together, and Prince Charles reportedly told advisers that his relationship with her was “non-negotiable.” A campaign was launched to ease Parker Bowles into public life and hopefully rehabilitate her image. In 1998 she reportedly met Prince Charles’s sons, William and Harry. The following year Prince Charles and Parker Bowles made their first public appearance together, attending a birthday party for her sister.

More public appearances followed, and Prince Charles and Parker Bowles gradually came to be accepted as a couple. When their engagement was announced on February 10, 2005, Queen Elizabeth II publicly bestowed her blessing. Though the wedding was set for April 8, 2005, it had to be postponed to allow the prince to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II. On April 9 Parker Bowles married Charles in a civil ceremony followed by a church service of prayer and dedication. Technically, upon her marriage she became the princess of Wales. However, she announced that she did not wish to be called princess and opted for the title of duchess of Cornwall (from one of Charles’s junior titles).

From duchess of Cornwall to queen consort

The low-key wedding proved to be a success with the British public, and by the end of 2005 even the duchess’s critics acknowledged that she had settled into her new role in the royal family. She drew particular praise for her charitable work. She was notably involved with the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, a bone condition that affected her mother. The duchess also supported causes that promoted literacy and animal welfare, and she advocated for victims of sexual assault. In addition, she earned praise for her humour and approachability.

Duchess Camilla had earlier stated that she did not wish to be called queen. Instead, she said she would adopt the title Her Royal Highness the Princess Consort. In 2022, however, Elizabeth announced that it was her “sincerest wish” that when Prince Charles took the throne, Duchess Camilla would have the title Queen Consort. Following the death of Elizabeth on September 8, 2022, the duchess assumed that title as Charles became king. In his inaugural address, Charles III acknowledged his wife’s “loving help” as well as her “loyal public service.”

On May 6, 2023, she was crowned Queen Camilla after the coronation of King Charles III. It was the first coronation in seven decades.