The United Kingdom celebrates the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday, but also that of his wife, Camilla. At 75, the sovereign’s second wife officially becomes queen.
For a long time, she was the unloved of the British, the mistress of the Prince of Wales behind Lady Di, the princess of hearts. Eight months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Camilla Parker Bowles is crowned with her husband Charles III, Saturday May 6 in London (United Kingdom). Camilla must take an oath at Westminster Abbey, before being crowned with Queen Mary. “The other woman” becomes queen.
Camilla Shand was born on July 17, 1947 in London, into a British aristocratic family. The young woman and the heir to the throne, Prince of Wales, meet twenty-five years later during a polo match. Very quickly, Charles is seduced by Camilla’s cheerful air, simplicity and outspokenness. Together they share a passion for nature and horses. A relationship begins but, very quickly, it comes up against the weight of tradition: a marriage is impossible between the prince and his companion.
Camilla Shand marries Andrew Parker Bowles, while Charles, in 1981, marries the young Diana Spencer, from a family of English nobility. Camilla Parker Bowles is present at their wedding, and her shadow will continue to hang over an arranged union. “We were three in this marriage”, loose in 1995 Princess Diana during an explosive interview with the BBC. Charles himself confesses his extramarital relationship with Camilla. He remained faithful, he says, until his marriage became fatal.
A progressive place within the royal family
Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, and the princess died in an accident in Paris in August 1997. Camilla and the Prince of Wales kept a low profile, Charles showing more the image of a present and bereaved father. Little by little, the relationship he has established with Camilla is no longer marked with the seal of secrecy. In 1999, the couple made their first public appearance. Their engagement was announced in early 2005 and their marriage celebrated a few months later in Windsor.
New wife of the Prince of Wales, Camilla Parker Bowles multiplies the official trips, which allows the public to see an obvious complicity between the spouses. The wife of the future king is gaining popularity, in particular through her commitment to 90 charities. Gradually, she also finds her place with the royal family. So six months before her death, Elizabeth II decides that Camilla will be queen consort (the adjective has even disappeared since).