In his address to the British on Friday evening, as in his proclamation speech this Saturday, the new King Charles III hailed “his loving wife Camilla” whom he knows he can rely on in his new responsibilities. And the queen consort was at her side from her first contact with the population, Friday in London.
The accession to the throne of Charles, who succeeds his mother Elizabeth, who died Thursday at the age of 96, places center stage and definitively imposes “Queen Consort Camilla” his wife and his first love. However, she has long been hated by public opinion, accused of having sabotaged the marriage with Diana.
A love story that dates back to the 70s
The Queen Consort was born Camilla Shand 75 years ago in Sussex. She is not noble, but from the upper middle class. Daughter of a British army officer converted into the wine trade, she frequented the best private establishments in London, then in Switzerland, before studying French literature in Paris for six months.
She would have met the prince in 1971, during a polo match. It must be said that she loves horse riding, a passion she shares with Elizabeth II.
– Hulton Deutsch
Camilla even has some royal ties, as the great-granddaughter of Alice Keppel, one of King Edward VII’s mistresses. Charles and Camilla have a brief affair but the prince enlists in the Royal Navy and Camilla marries Major Andrew Parker Bowles. They will divorce in 1995, after 22 years of marriage.
The home wrecker
Lady Di called him the “rottweiler”. In 1995, three years after her separation from Charles, she explained to the BBC: “We were three in this marriage, it was a bit too much“. Camilla Parker Bowles is The Princess of Wales’ pet peeve. And for good reason: Charles, whose marriage to Diana is an arrangement that turns into a fiasco, has resumed his affair with his first love. Camilla is omnipresent in his life.
The tabloid press publishes some of the couple’s telephone conversations, with very intimate content. It is the “Wales war” which makes the honey of the tabloid press. Camilla is seen as a witch, receives insulting letters and “projectiles when she goes to the bakery !”, says author Elizabeth Goulsan (Meghan or the despair of the princesses).
– Rick Rycroft
Separated in 1992, Charles and Diana divorced in 1996. Camilla can begin to appear alongside the Prince of Wales. But the tragic death of the princess, in August 1997, and the enormous emotion which shook the whole world sent her back into the shadows.
Marriage, finally
Must wait ten years for Camilla to be accepted by the royal family, the Queen and Charles and Diana’s sons, Princes William and Harry. His benevolent relaxation, his all-British love for the countryside, animals, his sense of duty, his simplicity and his humor slowly enabled him to overcome some of the reluctance.
Finally, in 2005, the queen authorized the marriage… but shunned the ceremony. A long way remains to be done.
– Odd Anderson
Royal recognition
In January 2022, Camilla, who became Duchess of Cornwall through her marriage to Charles, was made “Dame of the Order of the Garter” by the Queen. It is the most prestigious title of British chivalry. Then, after many debates, Elizabeth II decides during her jubilee and expresses “the sincere wish” that Camilla be known “as queen consort” when Charles accedes to the throne.
It’s been years since she invests in charitable causes. Camilla is the godmother of dozens of associations, is involved in reading or against violence against women. She becomes an essential cog in the British crown. Omnipresent with Charles, his image improves. “People realize that Camilla is ideal for Charles and that they work wonderfully well as a team.”explains royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams to AFP.
– Alex Martin
Be in the eye of the media all the time “is not easy” recognizes Camilla. “No one likes to be watched and criticized all the time… but I think that in the end I got over it (…) You have to keep living”she confided to Vogue in July 2022, in one of her rare interviews.
She and her press service know very well how to play social networkslike here, for International Dog Day:
After earning the recognition of Elizabeth II and the royal family, this mother of two and grandmother of five grandchildren must finish conquer public opinion. Her popularity has picked up, but she remains one of the least liked members of the royal family, at just 40% favorable opinions, according to a 2022 YouGov poll.