The love story between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles certainly had its ups and downs over the years. The two were widely speculated to have engaged in an affair when Charles was yet married to Princess Diana. Then, in 2005, they themselves tied the knot. At first, however, it looks like Camilla wasn’t accepted by the Royal Family. At least not by Queen Elizabeth. According to author and journalist Tom Bower, the Queen was furious about Charles’ lies concerning his relationship – and once even called Camilla a “wicked woman”.
It’s safe to say the British Royal Family has endured a couple of very rough years. Firstly, Meghan Markle and Harry decided to leave The Firm, with their appearance on Oprah Winfrey in February sparking rage among the remaining members.
Moreover, Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Philip, passed away in April, leaving her and the whole of Britain deep in sorrow.
Prince Charles and Diana Spencer met in 1980, and soon after started dating. Only one year passed before Charles proposed, and in 1981 the couple announced their engagement.
The wedding of Prince Charles and Diana took place on July 29, 1981 at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. At a first glance, it looked like the couple were truly happy.
However, it didn’t take long before a storm arose. A few short years after the wedding, Charles engaged in an affair with the aforementioned Camilla.
According to Prince Charles’ authorized biography, as quoted by Town & Country, their affair started in 1986. At that time, Charles was still married to Princess Diana, and she found out about it.
In 1989, Diana confronted Camilla over the affair, telling her to back off.
“I know what’s going on between you and Charles and I just want you to know that,” Camilla recalled Diana saying, as quoted by Town & Country.
“[Diana] said to me: ‘You’ve got everything you ever wanted. You’ve got all the men in the world falling in love with you and you’ve got two beautiful children, what more do you want?’”
“For years, both the Queen and her mother had refused to have anything to do with Charles’ mistress,” he said.
“Not only did they not want her present at any royal function, either formal or informal; they actively disapproved of her, and of Charles’ relationship with her.”
In 2017, Camilla spoke out about the time when her and Charles’s affair found its way to the media.
“I couldn’t really go anywhere… It was horrid. It was a deeply unpleasant time and I wouldn’t want to put my worst enemy through it. I couldn’t have survived it without my family,” she said.
Though it was harsh at the time, these days she tries not to listen to critics.
“You also have to laugh at yourself because if you can’t, you may as well give up. I sometimes think to myself, ‘Who is this woman? It can’t possibly be me.’ And that’s really how you survive.”
In 1997, a terrible tragedy occurred with the passing of Princess Diana. At the time, as reported by The Guardian, there was an ongoing campaign to “introduce” Charles and Camilla’s relationship to the public. This was promptly abandoned in the wake of Diana’s death.
Instead, Prince Charles and Camilla continued to steadily build up their image as a couple. Camilla even met Prince William in 1998. Still, Queen Elizabeth did not want any part of it. She even declined to attend Charles’s 50th birthday party because Camilla would be there.
At one point it all became too much for Charles. As per author and journalist Tom Bower, he confronted his mother at Balmoral Castle.
“He asked that she soften her antagonism so he could live openly with Camilla,” he said. “His hope was that the Queen, who rarely interfered, would at least not directly forbid it.”
The Queen, however, was of a different mind. She is said to have lashed out at Charles with a seven-word reply that left him in shock.
Bower continued: “But on that evening she’d had several martinis, and to Charles’ surprise, she replied forcefully: she would not condone his adultery, nor forgive Camilla for not leaving Charles alone to allow his marriage to recover. [Queen Elizabeth] vented her anger that he had lied about his relationship with what she called ‘that wicked woman,’ and added: ‘I want nothing to do with her.’”
Charles was reportedly furious with his mother’s comments about. Accounts insist he stormed out and “tearfully” phoned Camilla.
As the years went by, though, Camilla gradually took on a bigger role within the Royal Family. The Queen’s official approval was yet needed, but in 2000 she actually attended a 60th birthday party for the King of Greece, doing so in the knowledge that Camilla would be there.
Three years later, Camilla and Charles moved into Clarence House together. Two years later, they announced their engagement.
In 2005, the couple married. As of today, Charles and Camilla have proven their devotion to one another beyond any doubt. Though it’s been a tough ride, it “also appears that the Queen’s opinion has shifted for the better as well.”
“Those two ladies [Camilla and Sophie, Countess of Wessex], the Queen absolutely adores them,” Royal expert Howard Hodgson told Express.
“The Queen gets on very well with Camilla. She didn’t really understand, and was probably guilty of believing what she might not have read, but had been told.”