Born into an aristocratic family, The Duchess of Cornwall’s association with Prince Charles has seen her public persona undergo a complete transformation from “most hated woman in Britain” to a respected and well-liked member of the Royal Family.
Childhood and education
Born Camilla Rosemary Shand in 1947, she was raised in East Sussex and London by her parents, Bruce and Rosalind Shand. The oldest of three siblings, the young Camilla Parker Bowles grew up surrounded by dogs and cats and developed a passion for riding ponies from a young age. Described as “bright and lively” by her French teacher at Queen’s Gate School, she left at 16 to attend Mon Fertile finishing school in Switzerland, followed by a brief stint at the University of London Institute in Paris.
Unleashed onto the London debutante scene in 1965, she shared a small flat in Kensington with her friend Jane Wyndham while working as a secretary in the West End. Camilla remained very fond of horse riding as well as dabbling in art with the help of a private tutor. She later told The Telegraph that “my paintings were so bad they went in the bin.”
First marriage
Camilla met the British army officer Andrew Parker Bowles in the late 1960’s, and following a stop-start relationship, the couple married in 1973. The wedding was a glittering affair with 800 guests, among them Princess Anne, The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. Settling in a grand Manor House in Wiltshire, the couple went on to have two children, Tom and Laura. The marriage officially ended in divorce in 1995, with Camilla later admitting that the pair had always had differing interests and lived independent lives for a number of years before their divorce.
Relationship with Prince Charles
Camilla’s first meeting with Prince Charles is thought to have occurred in 1971, and after becoming a couple they were often seen at polo matches and Annabel’s, the private members club in Mayfair. However, just as the relationship was gaining traction, it came to an abrupt end after Charles went overseas with the Royal Navy in 1973. Charles would go on to marry Princess Diana in 1981, but it later emerged through leaked phone calls that the pair had rekindled their relationship while both still married.
While Charles’s public image was tarnished, the tabloid assault on Camilla was brutal, due to their obsession with Princess Diana. Following both of their divorces, Camilla became a gradual fixture at Charles’s public appearances and joined Charles at Clarence House in 2003. With the passage of time mellowing the initial antipathy felt by some towards Camilla, her marriage to Prince Charles in 2005 drew large public support. She is now widely appreciated for her natural, down-to-earth nature and many charitable patronages.
Future title
Technically, Camilla became the Princess of Wales after marrying Prince Charles, but owing to Princess Diana’s inseparable association with the title, she favored The Duchess of Cornwall. She has also declared that when Charles becomes king, she will opt for Her Royal Highness the Princess Consort rather than the Queen. Regardless of titles, her reputation as a dependable senior member of the Royal Family seems assured.