Camilla, Charles, and Diana
- Camilla and Charles were friends long before Charles met Diana.
- Several royal biographers have claimed that Charles and Camilla tried to get approval for marriage, but were denied because Camilla was seen as an unsuitable wife.
- When Charles heard of the engagement of Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973 (Charles was engaged in Diana in 1983), he wrote to Lord Mountbatten: "I suppose the feeling of emptiness will pass eventually.”
- Charles had an affair with Camilla during his marriage to Diana.
- Diana had her own affair with Major James Hewitt—some rumors claimed that Hewitt was Harry’s father and rather than Charles, but Harry was born by the time Diana’s affair began.
- During an interview in 1995:
- Diana said of her relationship with Hewitt, "Yes, I adored him. Yes, I was in love with him. But I was very let down [by him]."
- Referring to her husband's affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, she said, "Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."
- Of herself, she said, "I'd like to be a queen of people's hearts."
- On the Prince of Wales' suitability for kingship, she stated, "Because I know the character I would think that the top job, as I call it, would bring enormous limitations to him, and I don't know whether he could adapt to that.”
- On 20 December 1995, Buckingham Palace publicly announced the Queen had sent letters to the Charles and Diana advising divorce—this was backed by the Prime Minister and by senior Privy Counsellors.
- Charles and Diana were reportedly not on speaking terms with each other by the time of Diana's death.
- On 10 February 2005, Clarence House announced that Camilla and Charles were engaged.
- Charles gave Camilla a diamond ring that was believed to have been given to his grandmother when she gave birth to Queen Elizabeth II.
- Charles's parents did not attend the marriage ceremony and neither did Camilla's father; instead, Camilla's son and Prince William acted as witnesses to the union.
- If Charles were to become King, Camilla would become the “Princess Consort.”
- Camilla wouldn’t want to be called “Queen Consort” because this would have been Diana’s title. However, it is unclear if this was actually Camilla’s choice. The last time something similar happened was when Queen Victoria married the unpopular Prince Albert, who was “Prince Consort” rather than the traditional “King Consort.”
10 Things You Didn't Know About the Duchess of Cornwall
From here.
- Her Title Was a Gift – Known as Camilla Parker-Bowles her entire life, she was given the title Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall as a wedding gift from the Queen.
- She Was Previously Married – Somewhat controversially, Camilla was a divorcee’ when she married Charles, the Prince of Wales. Previously she had been married to Andrew Parker-Bowles from 1973 – 1995.
- She’s Known the Prince of Wales for Decades – Camilla and Prince Charles dated before Charles’ ever met Princess Diana, having met in 1970.
- She’s Only Recently Known the Queen – Despite her close relationship with Queen Elizabeth’s eldest son, she only met The Queen in the year 2000.
- Her Ancestors Have Links With the Royal Family – Camilla’s great-grandmother was a mistress to King Edward VII, the great-great-grandfather of Prince Charles.
- Charles and Camilla Are Related – Both the Prince of Wales and Camilla have shared ancestors dating back to the 17th century. Strangely, they are also both related to the late Princess Diana through shared ancestry dating back to King Charles II.
- She is Technically The Princess of Wales – Because Princess Diana is closely associated with ‘The Princess of Wales’ Camilla has chosen not to use that title. However, her full title is as follows: Her Royal Highness The Princess Charles Philip Arthur George, Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, Countess of Chester, Countess of Carrick, Baroness of Renfrew, Lady of the Isles, Princess of Scotland, Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.
- Camilla is a Grandmother – She has two children from her first marriage and five grandchildren. One of her grandchildren, Eliza Lopes, was a bridesmaid at William and Kate’s wedding.
- She Has A Historical Engagement Ring – Although not as famous as the one Kate Middleton wears, Camilla’s ring is a platinum-set, emerald-cut diamond ring that previously belonged to the Queen Mother.
- She’s Important – When accompanied by her husband, Camilla is the second-highest ranking woman in England after the Queen! However, if Charles is not present, she drops in rank falling behind the Queen, Anne the Princess Royal and Princess Alexandra (the youngest granddaughter of King George V, Queen Elizabeth II’s cousin).