King Charles III and his beloved Camilla, Queen Consort, have spent decades falling in love with each other — but their romantic journey hasn’t been an easy one.
The British monarch, 74, and Camilla, 75, started out as friends in the early 1970s; however, they subsequently married other people and had an on-again, off-again affair over the years.
The former Prince of Wales and Camilla went their separate ways early on in their friendship, with the latter tying the knot with army man Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973.
Charles subsequently wed Princess Diana in 1981 in a ceremony dubbed the “Wedding of the Century.”
Following the Princess of Wales’ death in 1997, Charles and Camilla — nicknamed “the double Cs,” as well as “Fred and “Gladys” — began to pursue their relationship in public.
The couple finally wed in 2005 — and the rest is history.
Following Queen Elizabeth’s death in September 2022, Charles became King and his wife has stayed by his side, effectively becoming his co-monarch.
But before the twosome lived happily ever after as a married couple, they pursued a decadeslong extra-marital romance.
Their affair seemingly mirrored the past, as Camilla was actually not the first person to have an illicit rendezvous with a royal in her family.
Her great-great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, was the mistress of his great-great-grandfather King Edward VII, from 1898 until Edward’s death in 1910. Keppel was just 29 years old and King Edward VII was 57 when they started their love affair.
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Tina Brown described the relationship between Keppel and Queen Victoria’s oldest son in her book “The Palace Papers,” emphasizing that the socialite was much younger than the monarch.
“The royal mistress gene was in [Camilla’s] blood: Her great-grandmother Alice Keppel was for 12 years, until his death, a chief favorite of King Edward VII,” Brown wrote.
However, despite events of the past, Charles and Camilla have often gushed about their love for each other over the years.
“I count on the loving help of my darling wife, Camilla. In recognition of her own loyal public service since our marriage 17 years ago, she becomes my Queen Consort,” he said in his first speech to the United Kingdom as head of state on Sept. 9, 2022.
In a 2015 CNN interview, Charles raved over Camilla, saying she always keeps him happy when things get stressful.
“You can imagine it is a real, real challenge,” he said of her philanthropic work. “But she’s, I think, been brilliant in the way she’s tackled these things.
“It’s always marvelous to have somebody who, you know, you feel understands and wants to encourage. Although she certainly pokes fun if I get too serious about things. And all that helps,” he added.
Read on and reminisce about the new King and Queen’s longtime relationship.
1970: The beginning of a decadeslong love saga
Charles and Camilla first set eyes on each other in 1970 at a polo match at Windsor Great Park, where they were introduced by a mutual friend named Lucia Santa Cruz.
Penny Junor wrote in her 2017 biography “The Duchess” that when “Lucia made the introductions, she joked, ‘Now, you two, be very careful, you’ve got genetic antecedents. Careful, CAREFUL!’
“The reference was to Alice Keppel, Camilla’s great-grandmother, who had been a mistress of Edward VII, Charles’s great-great-grandfather,” she added.
“[Charles] also liked that she was so natural and easy and friendly, not in any way overawed by him, not fawning or sycophantic. In short, he was very taken with her, and after that first meeting he began ringing her up,” she said.
1971: The end (for now)
The pair broke up in September of 1971 and Charles jetted off to enter the Royal Navy.
1973: Marriage No. 1
When Charles was undertaking his duties in the Caribbean while serving in the Navy, Camilla married her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles.
However, Camilla and Charles stayed friends throughout the marriage, with the latter even serving as godfather to her son, Tom.
Camilla and her hubby also had a daughter named Laura during their 22-year marriage.
Parker Bowles had other ties to the royal family at various points, even dating Charles’ younger sister, Princess Anne, before his wedding.
1978 and 1979: Affairs of the heart
What would be the start to a decadeslong fling began in the late 1970s. Charles had yet to find a wife to stand by his side, and Camilla was still wedded to Parker Bowles at the time.
In Junor’s book, she wrote how Parker Bowles was unfaithful in his marriage and knew about his wife’s affair.
“Andrew was in no position to complain; and when he discovered what was going on, he wisely didn’t make a fuss,” she wrote. “Some would say that a part of him actually quite enjoyed the fact that his wife was sleeping with the future King; he might have felt differently had Charles been a traveling salesman.”
1981: Marriage No. 2
Enter Princess Diana. A young, innocent woman of just 20 years old when she tied the knot with Charles at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London on July 29, less than a month after her birthday. The fairytale wedding was full of white taffeta, boasted 3,500 guests and cost around $48 million.
Diana became known as the Princess of Wales and had two sons with Charles — Prince William in 1982 and Prince Harry two years later.
Their marriage was rocky, and Charles’ relationship with Camilla hung like a dark cloud over the royal union for more than 10 years.
1986: The romance continues
The Double Cs rekindled their romance in the mid-1980s. Both Diana and Parker Bowles became well aware of the infidelities their respective spouses embarked on.
Archival footage from the 2017 documentary “Diana: In Her Own Words” revealed how the People’s Princess knew about her husband’s adultery.
“I remember saying to my husband, ‘Why is this lady around?’ He said, ‘I refuse to be the Prince of Wales that never had a mistress,'” she said in the doc.
Diana even requested a meeting with the Queen regarding the affair.
“I went to the top lady. I was sobbing and I said, ‘What do I do? I’m coming to you — what do I do?’ She said, ‘I don’t know what you should do. Charles is hopeless and that’s it.’ That was help,” Diana recalled.
1992: An unhappy fairytale ending
Diana and Charles announced to the world that they decided to formally separate in 1992. Their storybook romance finally burst into flames when they opted to “amicably” part ways.
Prime Minister John Major shared the news with the House of Commons in December, telling them that the couple’s separation had “no constitutional implications.”
1993: Cue #Tampongate
What do you get when you mix a royal affair, feminine hygiene products and leaked phone recordings?
You get “Tampongate” — also known as Camillagate.
This salacious event occurred when a series of recorded phone conversations between Camilla and Charles were published in the press.
While the talk actually occurred in 1989, the media picked up the leaked tapes of Charles joking that he wanted to “live inside [Camilla’s] trousers” like “a pair of knickers” or a “Tampax.”
1994: Prince Charles the Confessor
The royal’s documentary “Charles: The Private Man, the Public Role” made the rounds on television that year — and one particular segment got people raising their eyebrows.
Charles admitted in a talk with ITV’s Jonathan Dimbleby that he did cheat on Diana, confessing that he was not “faithful and honorable” during their marriage.
He called Camilla “a great friend of mine” and noted that she “will continue to be a friend for a very long time.”
1995: Diana tells her side of the story
“Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”
That infamous line was uttered by Diana in her controversial Nov. 20, 1995, “Panorama” interview with the BBC’s Martin Bashir in which she finally spoke publicly about Charles and Camilla’s romance.
1995 and 1996: Splitsville (x 2)
Camilla and Parker Bowles first announced their divorce in 1995, despite already having been apart for about two years.
Just a year later, Charles and Diana also parted ways and their divorce was finalized.
1997: A period of great mourning
Princess Diana and her friend Dodi Fayed died in a fiery car crash on Aug. 31 after being chased by paparazzi.
Her funeral was held a week later, and her death had a great impact on her sons and the royal family.
Prince Harry and Prince William — just 12 and 15 years old, respectively — walked behind her cortège alongside Charles, Diana’s brother Earl Charles Spencer and Prince Philip.
This event signified a major shift in the family, seemingly allowing Charles and Camilla to progress to the next phase of their relationship.
According to the Guardian, there was a campaign put into place to “introduce” Camilla to the public. However, that course of action reportedly was put on hold when Diana died.
1998: Meet the kids
A teenage Prince William first met his father’s girlfriend on June 12, 1998 — by accident.
The now-Prince of Wales made a surprise visit to St. James’s Palace, during which he spent about 30 minutes with Charles and Camilla.
Over the rest of the summer, William and his future stepmother met twice for lunch and tea. She met Prince Harry shortly after her meetings with William.
1998: The big confrontation
Also in 1998, Charles spoke to the Queen about his relationship with Camilla, Tom Bower’s book “Rebel Prince” alleges.
The monarch was reportedly not pleased and confronted her son about his mistress.
She apparently couldn’t forgive Camilla for getting involved with Charles while he was still married to Diana, referring to Camilla as “that wicked woman.”
1999: The party pair
Charles and Camilla made their first public appearance together at Camilla’s sister’s 50th birthday bash at the Ritz Hotel in London.
While they arrived at the event separately, they were photographed together and also left the party arm-in-arm.
2000: The Queen’s approval
Queen Elizabeth gave the couple her official stamp of approval when she met Camilla for the very first time back in 2000.
That same year, Camilla and the royal family attended a 60th birthday bash for the King of Greece at Charles’ home at Highgrove.
2002: Camilla in the spotlight
This was Camilla’s first year in the limelight. She hosted her first solo engagement and even attended public events with the Firm.
She stepped out with Charles for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother on April 9.
On May 13, she gave a speech for Britain’s National Osteoporosis Society at a medical conference in Lisbon, Portugal.
2003: Movin’ on in
The couple made great strides in their relationship this year when they moved into Clarence House together.
2005: A year of great transition
This was a year that brought many changes to the royal family’s dynamic. On Feb. 10, Charles and Camilla announced they were engaged, and they finally walked down the aisle on April 9.
They had a an intimate civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall and a religious observance at St. George’s Chapel.
The Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, did not attend the civil portion of the wedding; however, they did make an appearance at the reception and the prayer service.
Camilla was also given the title of the Duchess of Cornwall following her marriage.
Charles’ sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, as well as Camilla’s son, Tom, and daughter, Laura, were also in attendance.
2017: PDA Prince
The duo locked lips in a rare photograph when they traveled to Southeast Asia in 2017. While they arrived in Singapore separately, they kissed upon reuniting. It was just the third time in their relationship that they were caught smooching in public.
2017: Camilla gets candid
The royal opened up to the Daily Mail’s You magazine, divulging how the heavy media hate toward her relationship with Charles had made her feel like a “prisoner.”
“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.”
Camilla also said that her friends and family helped keep stay sane.
“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,” she said. “Also, having so many friends who, if I ever even vaguely look like getting uppity, which touch wood I never have, they would just say, ‘Look, come on, pull yourself together! Don’t be so bloody grand!’ “
2020: A big milestone is reached
On April 9, Charles and Camilla marked 15 years of marriage and dropped a sweet photo to celebrate the occasion.
For their anniversary, they posed together from their Scottish Birkhall estate with their dogs, Bluebell and Beth.
2022: Part One: A turning point for the ages
This year brought an extensive amount of changes to the Firm’s future.
On Feb. 5, the Queen formally acknowledged that Camilla would be the future Queen Consort when Charles finally becomes king.
The Queen wrote a letter where she thanked her subjects, also announcing the title to the world.
“I remain eternally grateful for, and humbled by, the loyalty and affection you continue to give me,” she wrote. “And when, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when the time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”
Several months later, Camilla gave a blunt interview to British Vogue in which she was outspoken about the public shame she faced in the 1990s regarding her relationship with Charles.
“It’s not easy,” she said. “I was scrutinized for such a long time that you just have to find a way to live with it. Nobody likes to be looked at all the time and, you know, criticized … But I think in the end, I sort of rise above it and get on with it. You’ve got to get on with life.”
2022: Part Two: A fresh start and a new crown
Queen Elizabeth died on Sept. 8 after seven decades on the throne.
Right after her death, Charles immediately became King and received new titles alongside Camilla. She officially became Queen Consort, as the regal name is reserved for the wife of a reigning ruler.
However, the role is only given to her because she is married to the King, meaning she would never take the throne if he dies before her.
Later that year, Charles and Camilla released their first Christmas card photo as sovereigns, taken at the Braemar Games in Scotland by photographer Samir Hussein.
“Wishing you a very Happy Christmas and New Year,” the greeting card read.
May 6, 2023: The pair’s coronation
It’s the moment that Charles and Camilla have been waiting for — their coronation.
The pair will be crowned at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023. The two will be blessed and enthroned in front of 2,000 guests at the 1,000-year-old church by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
Camilla will be coronated alongside her husband and will be given the title of Queen. Her old moniker, Queen Consort, will be discarded and a new era will begin, with the duo now reigning over the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms.
