Camilla's children. Camilla and all, all, all. Became godfather to her son
Who is Camilla Parker Bowles? Many will probably answer this question like this: "Prince Charles's mistress, who became his wife after the death of Princess Diana." Not much is known about the life of this extraordinary woman. Let's try to fill this gap and find out some interesting details of her biography.
Camilla's childhood
Our heroine was born on July 17, 1947 in the capital of Great Britain. In the family of Major Bruce Middleton Hope Shand and Rosalind Maud Shand, who came from a noble noble family. It was the first child. Camilla's parents were often invited to Buckingham Palace for various celebrations. Despite the fact that they did not have high-profile titles, they had a dream to raise real aristocrats from their children, of whom there were three in the family. To this end, to raise their eldest daughter, they constantly invited nannies and governesses who sought to instill good manners in the girl. But even then, Camilla was little interested in the entertainment of high society. To all this, she preferred riding horses and playing with boys. It is not surprising that this “tomboy” quickly adopted their mannerisms from her new friends: foul language, spitting far and so on. Little Shand did not turn out to be a real lady. Parents, seeing this, decided to send their daughter to the Dumbrells boarding house, which was known for its iron discipline. After him, Camilla entered another educational institution - the Queens Gates School, which was famous for preparing wives for British aristocrats. But the miracle didn't happen. After three years of study, Camilla appeared at her parents' house, demonstrating complete indifference to good manners. It was still the same "tomboy", only she had lost weight and stretched out by 7 cm.
Meeting with Andrew Parker-Bowles
In the circle of her friends, Camilla stood out for her relaxedness and good sense of humor, which was so unusual for London ladies. The heartthrob and handsome Andrew Parker-Bowles could not pass by such an outstanding girl. He was an officer in the royal cavalry. He was always surrounded by young coquettes. But he turned his attention only to Miss Shand. Their romance was pretty boring. Andrew was a member of Camilla's parents' house. Everyone was expecting a marriage proposal from him. But the officer was in no hurry. And, setting off on another military campaign, he promised the bride to return soon. “You don’t have to hurry, we are breaking up,” proud Camilla answered. Parker Bowles did not object and left the house of the failed bride. It seemed like forever...
romance with a prince
And soon Camilla met Him. On the lawn of Windsor Great Park, Prince Charles fiddled with his favorite pony for an hour. Camille asked him if this "horse" was too small for him. He remembered the mocking tone of the girl and her laughing eyes for a long time. From that moment on, the young people were inseparable. The Prince of Wales, as he later claimed, then fell in love at first sight. Now at all events - whether it be horse races, parties or gala receptions - they appeared together. The rest of the Christmas holidays the lovers spent in the family estate of Uncle Charles, who left a huge house at their disposal. There were only seven bedrooms. The couple had enough food and champagne to last until next Christmas. There, the Prince of Wales first confessed his love to the entire chosen one and asked for an article by her wife.
Unwanted bride
When the crowned relatives of Charles found out about his matchmaking, they were completely confused. The inhabitants were well aware that Camilla could not enter the royal family. They definitely liked the girl. But no more. Why can't Miss Shand be accepted into their circle? Well, at least because the girl has a reputation as an easily accessible person. The royal family is the standard of purity, piety and stiffness. According to the unspoken code of the British monarchs, only a girl from a good family can be the bride of the future king, and she must be a virgin. Camille wasn't.
Marriage to Andrew Parker-Bowles
In the winter of 1973, Prince Charles went on a military campaign for a long eight months. He did not dare to formally propose to his beloved. Relatives put pressure on him, and Charles was forced to surrender. When the Prince of Wales returned, he read in one of the local newspapers about the engagement of the former bride to Andrew Parker Bowles. Confusion swept over him. Charles decides to continue his relationship with the former Miss Shand. Lovers meet, and despite the fact that now Camilla is already a married lady. Andrew turned out to be a progressive person, declaring an "open relationship" in marriage. Soon, the first-born was born in the family of an officer of the Royal Army, who was named Thomas. It seemed that this should put an end to the relationship of lovers. What does Camilla Parker Bowles do? The news of the United Kingdom screamed that this extraordinary woman called her lover's son to be godfathers. So the future king, as a family friend, became the second pope for Thomas.
Choosing a bride for a prince
The heir to the throne continued to meet with his beloved Camilla. And this despite the fact that she was married, and a baby was growing up in her family. Moreover, the woman was pregnant for the second time. Who is the child's father? Possibly the Prince of Wales. The lovers spent a lot of time together. While Andrew Parker Bowles preferred to have fun somewhere on the side. It couldn't go on for long. The residents of Buckingham Palace understood that the prince needed to be married urgently. A girl was found for his bride, whose name was Diana Spencer. She was 12 years younger than Charles and came from a noble but poor family. The girl was brilliantly educated. She was destined for a great career. But after the death of her parents, Diana had a hard time. In London, she had to work as a nanny, and a cook, and a teacher. Her meeting with the prince took place in 1977. Camilla Parker Bowles contributed to this. It must be said that the prince's mistress took the side of the royal court, deciding to help Charles start a family. Diana was an excellent candidate for the role of the wife of the future monarch. Firstly, from a good family, and secondly, a virgin. Everything worked out for the best.
Charles and Diana's wedding
Newspapers published information about the new novel of the crowned heir. On July 29, 1981, the wedding of the Prince of Wales took place and Charles' mistress was personally crossed out from the list of those invited to the wedding ceremony by his bride. Therefore, to see how her beloved marries another, poor Mrs. Parker-Bowles could only on TV. The prince's wedding was called "fairytale". The British wanted to believe that the future queen would bring a lot of light and joy into their lives. No one then could have thought that this fairy tale would end in a terrible tragedy. In the meantime, the crown prince and his chosen one smiled radiantly and waved greetings from an expensive carriage to their subjects. By this time, Charles and Camilla had broken up, promising not to meet again.
Together again
But already on the fifth day after the wedding, the prince called his former mistress to express everything he thinks about his young wife. He called her "monstrous" and "unfeeling like marble." The honeymoon trip was torture for both of them. In public, husband and wife tried to be attentive and affectionate to each other. Soon, the first-born was born in the royal family, who was named William. Camilla and Charles continued to meet, but as friends. The former mistress became a "vest" for the prince. It was to her that he told about everything that was in his soul. Soon his marriage to Diana cracked. It is difficult to say which of the crowned spouses was the first to break the oath of allegiance. Charles resumed his love relationship with Camilla.
Camilla and Charles wedding
After Charles' mistress decides to end this vicious relationship forever. Camilla Parker Bowles was more determined in her youth. But the years take their toll. She is fifty. And the prince, after the death of his wife, decided that now the last obstacle to his reunion with his beloved had collapsed. Camille was never able to say a word to him from the prepared farewell speech. And Charles was ready for anything to have her around.
But how to reconcile British society with their relationship? The death of Diana, beloved by the people, added even more hostility to the union of two lovers. Throughout the last time, the Prince of Wales diligently and carefully introduced his girlfriend into the world. The lovers were photographed together. Newspapers vying with each other shouted about their long relationship. In 1999, Camilla officially met the prince's children, William and Harry. And in the same year, lovers with their children went on the first joint cruise in the Mediterranean. In 2000, the relationship between the prince and Camilla was recognized by the Queen Mother. 2 years later, Mrs. Parker Bowles came to a concert at Buckingham Palace with Elizabeth II. In February 2005, the wedding ceremony of the Prince of Wales and Camilla took place. After the wedding, Charles's former mistress began to be referred to only as "Her Royal Majesty." The longest romance in the history of the British royal family ended in marriage.
Happy mom and grandmother
Camilla Parker Bowles, now known as Camilla Rosemary Mountbatten-Windsor, is celebrating her 68th birthday this year. All her free time is occupied by her grandchildren, of whom she has five. Her son Thomas had two children: daughter Lola and son Freddie. And the daughter of Laura has three of them: Elsa and the twins Louis and Gus.
Many years have passed since Camilla and Charles met. They had to go through a lot together. But, in spite of everything, they managed to keep their deep feeling. It turned out that love can conquer everything. It is stronger than any troubles, royal laws, negative public opinion. Happiness is being close to your loved one every day and enjoying simple things together.
Article: Camilla Parker-Bowles: Tears of a Queen
CAMILLA Shend has never been a beauty. In truth, few could even call her pretty. Meanwhile, the girl was born and raised in one of the most aristocratic families in Britain: although her parents did not have high-profile titles, they were so respectable that not a single celebration in the royal castle was complete without their participation. From infancy, gray-eyed Camilla was surrounded by governesses and educators, hired for the sole purpose of raising a girl to be a real lady. Balls at Buckingham Palace, horse races at Ascot, Sunday croquet games - she had a full range of high society entertainment at her disposal. Little Shend, without much enthusiasm, mastered the wisdom of the sweet life; to all this the young lady preferred horses, swimming, and farm boys, from whom she learned to run fast, spit far, speak rudely, and ignore bruised knees. Parents, seeing that their daughter did not want to be a little princess in any way, sent Camille to the Dumbrells boarding house, known for its strict discipline and "cane" methods, and then to London's Queen Gate School, which was famous for supplying exemplary wives for British aristocrats. A similar fate awaited Camille Shend.
prodigal daughter
"Darling, it's good that you're finally up to..." Mrs. Shand fell silent and stopped in the middle of the corridor with her arms outstretched towards her daughter. Well-groomed, perfectly manicured fingers trembled visibly. In front of her stood a lanky girl in wide corduroy trousers, worn-out sneakers and a plaid shirt tied at a knot above the navel. With a habitual movement, she pushed back her bangs from her forehead and smiled: "Hi. Ma, I'm terribly hungry - I'll go to the kitchen, I'll figure out something to eat." Eighteen-year-old Camilla, who had lost four kilograms and stretched seven centimeters, was absent from home for more than three years, kissed her mother on the cheek and went straight to the refrigerator. Manicured fingers fiddled nervously with the beads of a pearl necklace. Gathering her courage, the mother followed her daughter and found her standing at the open door of the refrigerator with a roll in one hand and a carton of milk in the other. Forgetting about all the available glasses and mugs, of which there were about four hundred in the house, Camilla drank straight from the neck, periodically wiping her lips with the cuff of her shirt. "Okay, I'll go to the stable, check on Jimmy. See you in the evening," Camilla told her mother and, chewing bread on the go, went to her favorite horse, which she missed much more than her parents. The prodigal daughter did not return for dinner, but decided to take a ride to the farm where her old friends lived. The backpack with the things that Camilla had brought from college was left lying in the hallway.
The miracle did not happen, so Camilla's parents had to come to terms with the fact that instead of a princess, a sloppy cut teenager with broken nails and a low smoky voice lives in their house. Such was their daughter Camilla, who tried not to notice the sidelong glances directed at her from everywhere. When, in the company of powdered peers, Camille began to talk with a smart look about the advantages of one hockey defense over another, they, pursing their lips in bewilderment, tried to get rid of the company of this strange girl. But the male audience was simply delighted with her looseness and "mature" sense of humor, which was so unusually prim miss from high society. The girl laughed out loud, drank champagne and kissed a new boyfriend every night, until she saw Andrew Parker-Bowles at one of the dinner parties. He was a real handsome and heartthrob, and besides - a brilliant officer of the royal cavalry, so it was not surprising that he was accompanied everywhere by a flower garden of skillfully flirting young ladies. Among all this motley variety, handsome Andrew chose Camilla, who stood in the corner of the dance hall and for the first time in her life did not know where to put her hands from embarrassment.
Their romance took on the character of a protracted and tedious. Andrew went to the house of the Shends as a groom, invited the girl to visit him for the weekend, then to a sea cruise or theater, but he was not going to make an official proposal. Camilla also knew that her lover did not deny himself pleasures "on the side", which made the waiting period for marriage even more painful. Therefore, when Andrew, going on another military campaign, informed her of the impending separation, the girl, measuring him with a contemptuous look of her gray eyes, replied: "Do not bother yourself with a quick return." "Are you sure?" - Surprised, but at the same time disappointed, Andrew answered, to which he received an affirmative answer and another more than eloquent look. On that, the young people parted.
Lovebirds
IN THE YARD it was the eighth of July 1970. It was raining for the fourth day in a row, but Camille, tired of sitting at home in the company of her instructively silent mother, went for a walk. She was wearing wide tweed pants, a coffee-colored sweater and heavy athletic boots, a complete lack of makeup and jewelry replaced by raindrops that glistened on her forehead and hair. "Isn't the horse too small for you?" - with these words, Camilla turned to a short, thin young man who had been fiddling with his pony for an hour on the polo lawn of Windsor Great Park. He, mechanically continuing to stroke the withers of his beloved pony, turned to the stranger and met her mocking gray eyes, which studied him intently and passionately. At that time, His Royal Highness Prince Charles Philip Arthur George Windsor, Prince of Wales, Prince of Scotland, was 22 years old. The young prince had never seen anyone more beautiful than 23-year-old Camille Shend.
From that rainy morning, Camilla and Charles became inseparable. The prince was fascinated by the spontaneity and simplicity of the girl, her sincerity and good nature: Camilla was completely different from his prim and boring acquaintances. Unlike them, she was real. Balls, parties, races - at all events they appeared together, invariably holding hands.
The Christmas holidays of 1972 were drawing to a close. Passers-by on the streets of London wrapped themselves in colorful mohair scarves. And Camilla and Charles fled from the festive bustle to Broundlands, where Uncle Charles' family estate was located. Lord Mountbatten left to the young a huge house with seven bedrooms, a supply of food and champagne, which could easily last until next Christmas. It was the third day of their stay at the Broundlands estate. Camille was sitting on the bed with her legs tucked under her and sipping scotch. She looked at old photographs, so she did not notice Charles, who had been standing at the door for several minutes and did not dare to take a step that separated him from his beloved. Camilla raised a thoughtful face to him, which, at the sight of Charles, instantly broke into a smile: “Are you frozen to the door? You shouldn’t be embarrassed to ask for help, I could fall asleep without noticing you. You would have to sleep standing up, dear. horses". Charles, who always laughed at his friend's witticisms for a long time, this time remained silent and serious. He approached Camille, knelt before her and, taking her hand in his cold palms, said: "Will you marry me?" Without thinking for a moment, the girl answered: "No" - and as if nothing had happened, she continued to look at the photos.
The inhabitants of Buckingham Palace were in a state of deepest confusion when they learned about the unauthorized matchmaking of the prince. The problem was not at all that Camilla Shand did not like the royal family - no, they sympathized with her. But the court was aware that, no matter how wonderful Camilla was, she could not become a queen. By the time she met Charles, the girl had a relationship with eleven men who were not at all limited to chaste kisses on the cheek in relation to her. According to the sacred code of the British monarchs, the future king had to marry a virgin. Camilla Shend was not a virgin.
In February 1973, the prince went on a military sea voyage to the shores of the distant West Indies, which was supposed to last for six months. Farewell to her beloved as such did not take place: Camilla was in a hurry to visit her sick friend Carolyn, and the prince was too proud to ask her for an extra minute of tenderness.
That morning, the prince went out to breakfast and, picking up a fresh issue of The Times, turned white as death, and almost fainted. The gossip column featured Camille Shand and Andrew Parker-Bowles getting engaged at the end of the week. Five months had passed since their last meeting with Camille. The future king was inconsolable.
Their dates have not become less frequent or colder. Camilla still spent a lot of time in Charles's company, shared his bed with him and was devoted, as a married woman can be devoted to her old lover. Andrew Parker-Bowles turned out to be an unusually progressive person. Almost the day after the wedding, she and Camilla agreed that their marriage would be "open" and everyone could use their personal time as they please. “Are you going to continue dating this paranoid guy?” Andrew asked his wife, never doubting for a second what kind of answer he would get. He is not my type". A month later, Charles bought Highgrove Manor, which was located five minutes from the Parker Bowles' home. And already in December 1974, the first-born was born in the family of Andrew and Camilla. The future British monarch, Prince Charles, became the godfather of baby Thomas.
Second try
CAMILLA was six months pregnant. Doctors assured her that a girl would be born. Charles took care of his beloved like a mother hen. They walked together in the palace park, dined in small restaurants and rode in an open-top car. Andrew Parker-Bowles also walked - however, on his own and quite far from his pregnant wife. On one of those beautiful July days in a park near Windsor Palace (the same one where they met eight years ago), Charles knelt before the plump Camilla: "Please, be my wife." Camilla laughed, lifted the empathetic prince from her knees and replied: "Darling, this is impossible. I am already married, and you know it very well." On the night they spent together, Camilla promised Charles that she would never leave him.
A terrible scandal erupted at Buckingham Palace. Charles was supposed to marry and become a full member of the royal family - this was understood by everyone except the prince himself. Camille took the side of the court. It was she who insisted that Charles take a closer look at Diana Spencer, and did everything possible so that they could get to know each other better. Although Charles was not eager to acquire new women, he did everything the way Camilla wanted. In the ten years that they spent together, the prince had grown accustomed to relying on her judgment.
Diana Francis Spencer was 12 years younger than Charles. The girl was born into a noble English family with seven centuries of roots, was educated at a prestigious private school and dreamed of becoming a ballerina since childhood. Her plans were not destined to come true - Diana was too tall and clumsy to become a professional dancer. After the death of her mother and father, she went to London, where she worked as a cook, then as a teacher, then as a nanny. Her rate was one pound an hour. Their first meeting with Charles took place in 1977 under the patronage of Camilla Parker-Bowles and Diana's older sister, Sarah, who was friends with the prince from school. That same evening, the future monarch, lying in Camilla's arms, said: "Yes, this Diana is undoubtedly sweet. You have excellent taste, dear."
Not the first and not the only
IN THE PALACE there was talk of an imminent wedding. Diana Spencer was an ideal candidate for the role of Charles' wife - she was an Englishwoman and a virgin. There was a mere trifle - to appoint a time and hour.
The wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, took place on July 29, 1981 at St. Paul's Cathedral. At that time, the bride was only twenty, the groom was thirty-two. Diana, glowing with genuine delight, wore a snow-white wedding dress embroidered with pearls, with an eight-meter train that floated behind her like a light cloud. Charles, on the other hand, seemed to be puzzled by something, although he tried to hide his seriousness behind cold smiles and kisses. 2650 guests invited to the ceremony, without taking their eyes off, followed this strange couple.
The day before the appointed ceremony, Charles and Camilla said goodbye to each other: she said that she still loved him, and he said that he could not live a day without her. Nevertheless, they parted, promising each other that they would not violate the loyalty to this word. Camille, whose name Diana personally crossed out from the list of invitees, watched the wedding ceremony with her family on TV. Charles called her on the fifth day of their honeymoon from the Britannia. He said that Diana was monstrous, insensitive and cold as marble. The prince cried and asked his beloved not to leave him. Diana overheard everything her husband said to his mistress. That same evening, she had a tantrum with the most severe bouts of bulimia, which haunted her throughout the honeymoon trip, which became a real torture for both.
It cannot be said that Charles did nothing to make their marriage "work". In the first year of marriage, he tried to be affectionate and attentive with his wife, not paying attention to regular mood swings and her nightly gluttony. But, despite this, almost every day I saw Camilla, who at court, not without the participation of Diana, began to be called the Rottweiler. Compared to his young wife, the mistress seemed really not very attractive, but it was to her that Charles went with everything that was in his soul.
Hard week
"The GODDESS is dead. The Goddess is no more," sobbed the British people upon learning of Diana's death. Charles called Camille, and the only thing he said about the death of his wife, albeit unloved, but still: "I feel that it will be a difficult week." In this he was completely right: Diana's death was reproached to him, repeating countless times: "If he loved her more ... If they had not parted."
Camilla did not recognize Charles, and the more tears were shed over Diana's grave, the more unpredictable he became in his judgments and actions. Charles came to her in the middle of the night, shouted that Camille no longer loved him, threatened, after which he threw himself at her feet and asked for forgiveness. Parker-Bowles was torn between pity and fear, which she experienced in relation to her former lover. Meanwhile, Charles, as if not noticing her desperate attempts to complete this long-term burdensome relationship, continued to repeat: "Now no one bothers us. We can love each other openly." Camilla, now in her fifties, cried like a little girl at night, cursing her own weakness. Inwardly, she had an endless conversation with the prince, in which she asked him to change his mind and let her go, but, looking into Charles's fixed and cold eyes, she could not utter a word from the prepared speech.
The day before they had been at a reception organized at the Ritz Hotel in London. Camilla assured Charles that she was very unwell and that he should go alone. But he was adamant: since Diana was gone, Charles used every opportunity to appear with Camilla in public. The prince in every possible way fueled media interest in his person, using Camilla as the main trump card. At receptions and social events, Parker-Bowles tried to behave as carefully and officially as possible, ignoring Charles' numerous signs of attention. Until yesterday, she somehow managed to do it ... They were standing on the front stairs, posing for the cameras, when suddenly Charles leaned over and kissed her. Their lips touched for only a moment, but it was enough for the next day to have a photograph in all the major British newspapers in which two not too young people demonstrate an example of romantic love. This morning, after finding over a dozen newspapers with this idealistic photo on her desk, Camilla burst into tears. She remembered the triumphant smile of Charles, with which he walked all evening, the self-confident hand that wrapped around her waist in a tight ring ...
The whole morning, Camilla rehearsed the speech that was supposed to put an end to their relationship. She knew that Charles would come to her bedroom tonight, as he had done for the last thirty years, and she was ready to meet him. The door creaked sharply at half past ten, Camilla continued to sit on the bed with a stone back and dry eyes. Charles knelt down next to her, kissed her on the cheek and, putting his hand on her knee in a businesslike way, spoke: “You saw this madness! All the newspapers talk only about you and me. I am so happy that at last we do not need to hide. .." Camilla continued to be silent, but Charles did not seem to notice that his remarks remained unanswered. "I've got everything ready, don't worry. Tomorrow I'll pick you up at eleven, the dress and shoes will be delivered by eight - put them on, please, they are just great. There is a press conference at noon where I'm going to announce our engagement Everyone should come. Everyone, do you understand?!" He talked for a long time, not noticing that the woman sitting next to him remained motionless and silent. At parting, Charles kissed Camilla once more and headed for the door. Already at the exit, he turned around and, continuing to smile, asked: "Honey, so we agreed on everything?" Camille looked up at him with dry gray eyes and rehearsed shortly answered: "Yes." His Highness left his bride's bedroom in high spirits. Charles was about to get a good night's sleep before pursuing his lifelong dream...
Camilla Parker Bowles, the wife of Prince Charles, is celebrating her birthday today. On this occasion, InStyle has collected some amazing facts from the life of this woman, whose fate proves that for love, whatever it may be, there are no barriers, and no morals and rules work here.
Camilla Parker Bowles and Prince Charles
Camille's great-grandmother Alice Keppel was the mistress of King Edward VII for 12 years. The family was very proud of this fact, so it is not surprising that when they met Camilla jokingly said to Charles: “Your Highness, do you know about my great-grandmother’s romance with your great-grandfather? Maybe we should take a risk?
Oddly enough, it turns out that Queen Elizabeth was present at the wedding of Camilla and her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles. It was July 4, 1973. Among the 800 guests were other representatives of the royal family - Princesses Anne and Margaret.
Having married, Camilla, of course, continued the affair with Charles. Then it became necessary to marry the prince, Elizabeth found a suitable option, Diana Spencer. Charles was not enthusiastic about this and, for a warm-up, met the sister of his probable wife, Sarah, for a little while. But Elizabeth insisted on the candidacy of Diana. Approved of her, interestingly, and Camilla herself.
As it turned out, at first Diana and Camilla were friends, there are several photos in which they are together. Then Diana found out that Camilla was dating her future husband and broke off all relations.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana
Having made their romance public, after divorcing their spouses, Charles and Camilla found their reputation in the media deteriorating uncontrollably. Then the prince hired a well-known image specialist (what is now called PR) Mark Holland. Before Holland "repaired" the image of Charles himself, and now the prince has set him the task of returning Camilla a "good" name. The task was twofold - to increase the rating of Parker Bowles and bring down the popular love for Diana. Holland rolled up his sleeves, and soon there was a wave of publications in the newspapers about Camilla's charitable projects. The situation improved a little, but then a tragedy happened, Diana died in a car accident and was, willy-nilly, out of competition. Mark Holland's team had to promote a new image of Diana as a hypocritical person who preferred to manipulate people and was generally out of her mind. Then - a pure coincidence - a book about the late princess went on sale, where Charles's ex-wife was portrayed as a hysterical woman, forcing her husband to seek peace on the side.
Now they don’t remember this anymore, but at one time the press called Charles ... Mr. Tampon. We will omit the details, we will only say that the nickname arose after the media published a transcript of the telephone conversation between the prince and Camilla. During this conversation, the couple exchanged extremely frank expressions and, so to speak, metaphors. One can imagine how the then legal wife of the prince reacted to the “drain” of the conversation and to the nickname itself.
In August 1997, after Diana's death, Charles had repeated conversations with his mother. Elizabeth made it clear to her son that she categorically did not approve of his public relationship with Camilla, called her "an immoral woman", saying that she "did not want to have anything to do with her." For a long time, the queen treated Camilla in every possible way, avoided meeting with her. But gradually she changed her anger to mercy.
The Duchess of Cornwall Camilla became known to the general public in the early 90s, thanks to an extramarital love affair with the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles. This article is devoted to the history of her life.
Duchess of Cornwall Camilla: who is she (origin)
The current wife of Prince Charles comes from a noble family, standing one step below the peers. Her father, Bruce Shand, rose to the rank of major in the British Army, and her mother, Rosalind Cubitt, was a baroness.
After the birth of their eldest daughter Camilla, the couple had two more girls. The father was very sad about the absence of an heir, but he saw that his favorite Milla, thanks to her courage and self-confidence, would put any boy in the belt.
Childhood
The path of Camilla Parker Bowles from tomboy to duchess took almost half a century. Surely the boys, whose company she preferred to play with peers, would never have believed that Milla would someday become “Her Highness”, riding around in the Queen’s landau and greeting people from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
The girl liked to dress up in shorts and a shirt with rolled up sleeves, and she could hardly be persuaded to wear a dress for the traditional Sunday church visit.
At the age of 5, Milla Shand was sent to Dumbrells Elementary School, where corporal punishment was commonplace. However, if Charles Windsor, who at the same time studied at a privileged boarding school for boys, wrote home tearful letters complaining about teachers, then the parents did not hear a single complaint from Camilla. Moreover, she did not even allow herself to cry in front of her classmates.
At the age of 10, the girl was transferred to the Queens Gate School, where she was friends mainly with the boys, taking part in all their pranks. Around this time, Milla learned that her great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, was an "adviser" to King Edward the Seventh. She was terribly proud of the "great-grandmother", and asked the adults for the details of this "chaste" novel.
First novel
At seventeen, the future Duchess of Cornwall Camilla met Kevin Burke at her first ball. This 19-year-old student at Eton University was the heir to a wealthy businessman. Although it was not welcomed in those days, young people became lovers after a couple of days. According to Camille, she went for it out of pure curiosity to find out "what all this noise is about." The couple did not even hide their too “close” relationship, which shocked all their friends.
First marriage
The romance with Burke did not last long, as the handsome officer Andrew Parker-Bowles appeared on the horizon of Miss Shand. He was always surrounded by girls who dreamed of getting this heartthrob as their husband. Camilla also fell under Andrew's spell. However, this romance also turned out to be short-lived, as she found the young man in the arms of another.
Acquaintance with Charles
As already mentioned, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, was not a beauty in her youth, but she knew how to attract the attention of men. It is said that when she was introduced to Charles, she asked him if the prince knew about the connection between his ancestor and her great-grandmother, and also joked that she would try to follow their example. The meeting of young people took place at the initiative of the former girlfriend of the prince, Lucia Santa Cruz, who was the daughter of the Chilean ambassador in London. Shortly before this, this sultry Latina told Charles that she had found the perfect girlfriend for him, who, like him, loves to fish, hunt, horseback ride and tinker in the garden.
The romance of the prince and Camilla was supported by a relative of the young man, Lord Mountbatten. He encouraged this relationship in every possible way, as he dreamed of marrying the prince to his 14-year-old granddaughter in the future. According to the lord, Camilla was the ideal “girl for a while” for the heir to the throne, since she could not claim his hand and heart in any way.
Marriage
Despite Mountbatten's confidence in the prudence of Charles, he nevertheless made an offer to Camille, however, in order for this marriage not to take place, the intervention of the Queen and Duke Philip was not even required. The fact is that Camilla was not going to change freedom for a golden cage, so she refused the most enviable groom in Europe. Immediately after that, Charles was forced to leave on business, and Andrew Parker-Bowles, who was on a business trip in Germany, returned to London. Rumors that Camilla had turned down the crown prince himself made her desirable in Andrew's eyes.
In 1973, a wedding took place, which marked the beginning of a strange marriage that lasted as much as 22 years. Charles grieved for a long time, and after 6 years, when the future Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla already had two children, he proposed to her again. He could not help but know that if such a wedding took place, he would be excluded from the list of heirs to the throne. After all, his grandfather's brother paid with the crown for the marriage with the "divorced woman". However, this did not stop the prince, who again received a refusal from his beloved, who was not going to leave her husband.
Lady Diana
When Charles was already 30, his parents began to insist on marriage, especially since they had in mind the ideal bride for him - Diana Spencer. There was no romance among young people, as such, especially since only Camilla reigned in Charles's heart. Shortly before the wedding, Diana found out about what connected her fiancé and Mrs. Parker-Bowles, but she could not cancel the celebration.
After the marriage, the Princess of Wales constantly tormented herself with suspicions of her husband's infidelity and made him scandals. Charles, of course, found consolation from family hardships in the arms of the future Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, whose life story resembles a love story.
Love triangle
Many years after her second marriage, the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla admitted that she considered herself guilty of the divorce of Charles and Diana. Although officially their marriage was annulled in 1996, the couple began to live separately from each other after the birth of Prince Harry. It was then that Charles moved from Kensington Palace to Highgrove Manor and, according to servants, met Camilla regularly. The Parker-Bowles family lived 10 minutes away from the prince's dwelling, and on the days when its head was away on business, the prince visited his beloved. The visits stopped only when Camille's children came for the holidays.
Scandal
Over time, the lovers became so bold that Milla went to visit Charles to paint with him in watercolor and sunbathe in a bikini. The situation got out of control, as the yellow press began to write about the connection between the prince and the married woman. Diana was not satisfied with the status of a rejected and deceived wife, so she persuaded one of the security officers to give her a recording of a very frivolous conversation between Charles and Camilla. His printout got into the press, and the prince was disgraced to the whole world. It is said that he even contemplated suicide. However, after much deliberation, Charles decided to acknowledge the connection with Camilla, which was seen as a courageous act. As a result, the Parker-Bowles family broke up. Moreover, Andrew almost immediately got married. Things were different for Diana. The Queen for a long time did not give consent to her divorce from her son. It was received only after the princess spoke about the situation in an interview that had the effect of an exploding bomb.
Second marriage
When Charles finally got a divorce, the future Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, finally felt like her dream of reuniting with the love of her life was finally close to being realized. However, all her plans collapsed after the tragic death of Diana. In the eyes of the public, Charles and Camilla were indirectly responsible for the death of the princess, who had millions of fans around the world.
Only a year and a half later, the Prince of Wales ventured to turn to his royal mother for permission for a second marriage. However, Elizabeth II stated that she did not even want to hear about "this woman." Almost 7 more years had to pass for the queen to change her mind.
The civil marriage ceremony took place on April 9, 2005. Since then, Milla Shand has become known as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The biography of this strong woman in subsequent years is a story of quiet family happiness, charity and participation in various official events. Most likely, such her life will be in the future.
Now you know who the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla is. The biography and family of this woman more than once became the subject of discussion in the press, but she stubbornly walked towards her goal, not paying attention to public opinion.
One can treat Lady Camille in different ways, but it is impossible not to admire her intelligence and ability to be the mistress of her own destiny.
Even 15 years ago, it was hard to imagine that Prince Charles' mistress would become the second most important woman in the United Kingdom, would meet with the wife of the Sultan of Brunei as part of an official visit, and British newspapers would discuss her elegant outfits and great sense of humor. For most people in the UK, she was a homemaker and an intriguer. Diana was adored. Camille was hated. What happened in her life and in the life of Charles himself, the British were not interested.
But now I'm interested. At the end of June 2017, The Duchess: The Untold Story, written by royal biographer Penny Junor, was released in the UK. After the release of the book, the British learned that in 1973 Charles begged Camilla not to marry officer Andrew Parker-Bowles, and spent the night before his own wedding in tears. And once again they were convinced that Camilla was ideally suited to Prince Charles.
The fact that they were made for each other was once decided by their mutual friend Lucia Santa Cruz, the daughter of the Chilean ambassador and historian, who had been friends with Charles for several years. By that time, Camilla Sheng had been in a relationship with cavalry officer Andrew Parker-Bowles (the son of good friends of the Queen Mother, a young man close to the royal family) for five years.
She was waiting for an offer from him and at the same time was unhappy with him, because Andrew openly cheated on her and never, in general, did not appreciate her.
However, as Penny Junor reveals in her book, she was obsessed with the idea of marrying him. But Lucia Santa Cruz decided she deserved something better. For example, dating the shy Prince of Wales.
They met at Lucia's house - she specifically asked them to come to the party early. To Prince Charles, she had previously described Camilla as "pretty, with a warm and natural disposition." And having introduced them, she said that now they need to be very careful - everyone knew that Camilla's great-grandmother Alice Keppel had been the mistress of Charles's great-grandfather, King Edward VII for many years.
And they really got along right away - Camilla really was witty, open and natural. They started seeing each other whenever the opportunity arose. But Charles was 22 - and those who decided his fate had other plans for him - he was undergoing military training, served in the Royal Air Force. They rarely met - but in 1972 they began to spend all their free time together.
Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters
In her book, Penny Junor claims that they knew from the beginning that their romance could not end in a wedding - Camilla was not noble enough to marry the future king. In addition, she was still in love with Andrew Parker-Bowles, despite his affairs with other women (he was dating Prince Charles' sister, Princess Anne at the same time). However, this is only one explanation for the fact that in 1973, after waiting for an offer from Andrew, she married him, leaving Charles in despair. There are suggestions that Charles was waiting for the end of the service to propose to Camilla.
It was also alleged that Charles's great-uncle, Lord Mountbatten, wanted to marry Charles to his granddaughter Amanda Knatchbull. Some think that the Queen Mother wanted one of the girls from the Spencer family, granddaughters of her friend Lady Fermoy, to become the prince's wife. This, by the way, is what happened.
After Camilla got married, the friendship with Prince Charles continued - in the end, they are people of the same circle and simply could not see each other (although he did not come to her wedding). Then the relationship turned into a romantic one.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana on their wedding day
APHe married Lady Diana in 1981. The history of their marriage is known - it finally broke up in 1996. Camilla Parker-Bowles had separated from her husband a year earlier. She was never happy with him - Andrew still made numerous lovers, among whom were her friends, did not pay attention to her, and her own attempts to somehow improve her life (for example, to hunt and garden) did not help her become happier. The marriage produced two children, Tom and Laura.
The public became aware of her relationship with Charles in 1992 - of course, she was condemned.
For several years - both before the divorce of Charles and Diana, and after - Camille was talked about as the woman who destroyed the marriage of the princess whom everyone adored. So in fairy tales there are good princesses and evil witches: Camilla Parker-Bowles was a witch.
For the first time they decided to go out together in 1999. In 2001, she became president of the National Osteoporosis Society. A little later - I met with the queen, we can assume that then she approved of her son's relationship. In 2005, they nevertheless got married - it was already another millennium in the yard. And yet, until recently, despite the fact that the Duchess of Cornwall is actively involved in charity work, she was not the heroine of the gossip column. The UK already has a new favorite princess, .
Royal family: Prince Charles with his wife Camilla, Prince William, against his background Prince Harry, Kate Middleton with children, Queen Elizabeth II with her husband Philip
Toby Melville/Reuters2017 seems to change everything. It all started with a book by Penny Junor, after the publication of which the press began to actively discuss the fact that Charles sobbed before his wedding in 1981. After that, English newspapers began to write about Camille as a style icon (a sure sign that she was no longer a witch). Their trip to Southeast Asia was, perhaps, a turning point: she had never been spoken of as an intelligent, witty wife of the future king. Perhaps England is getting used to the fact that the main witch of the early nineties will someday become a princess consort.
The Duchess of Cornwall herself, on a trip to Southeast Asia, talked about how important it is to grow old with dignity. Now in her 70s, she finds yoga and Pilates for the elderly extremely beneficial. At a meeting with the Sultan of Brunei, she said that on the 11-day trip she was already terribly tired due to a busy schedule, explaining that as you get older, it gets harder. The British press was delighted with this joke.