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King Charles III is the current ruling British monarch of the United Kingdom.
He is married to Queen Camilla Parker Bowles.
The king was previously married to the late Princess Diana.
The couple will both be officially crowned at the Coronation ceremony on May 6, 2023.
King Charles III, now 74, and Camilla Parker Bowles‘ love story is one that has spanned decades. Camilla, now 75, was King Charles’ first great love, and their connection to one another could never be severed despite royal duties and marriages. As The Crown season 5 sympathized with them over their forbidden romance, some fans of the show called Queen Camilla the “villain”, per Newsweek. Both King Charles and Queen Camilla married other people, with Charles marrying Princess Diana in 1981. Through scandal and tragedy, their bond could never be broken. They finally got their happy ending 35 years after they first met.
King Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles have a complicated love story. (AP Images)
Most recently, King Charles and Queen Camilla posed for a new official portrait at Buckingham Palace ahead of their Coronation ceremony set to take place on May 6, 2023. “As the countdown to the Coronation continues, a new photograph of The King and The Queen Consort, taken last month in the Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, has been released,” the official Instagram account for The Royal Family captioned the new snapshot, which was also shared via Twitter on Apr. 4, 2023.
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At the Coronation ceremony, Camilla will officially be crowned Queen. The late Queen Elizabeth II, who passed on Sept. 8, 2022, had decreed that Camilla’s title be changed to Queen Consort upon the time her son ascended to the throne. Charles was officially named King on Sept. 10, 2022. The late Elizabeth II was known as “queen regnant”, which meant she claimed the throne via her bloodline. Consort is typically a title given to the spouse of a reigning monarch, however, Camilla will not actually have any ruling rights.
Take a look at the royal couple’s complicated relationship timeline that covers 50 years ahead of their Coronation, below!
The Beginning Of Charles & Camilla
King Charles III & Queen Camilla’s 2023 portrait. (Hugo Burnand/WPA Poo/Shutterstock)
King Charles and Camilla met for the first time at a polo match at Windsor Great Park in 1970. They begin dating and develop deep feelings for each other. However, when Charles goes off to serve in the Royal Navy, their romance fizzled.
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When Charles returned, Camilla was engaged to Andrew Parker Bowles. They married on July 4, 1973. Andrew had previously dated King Charles’ sister, Princess Anne. Camilla and Arthur had two children: Tom and Lauren. Charles and Camilla remained close during this time, with Charles even becoming Tom’s godfather.
Diana Enters The Picture
Lady Diana Spencer and Charles met through Diana’s sister, Sarah, in 1977. King Charles and Sarah actually dated for a brief period. He and Diana began dating in 1980. They got engaged in Feb. 1981 and married in a lavish royal wedding at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981.
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King Charles and Princess Diana on their wedding day. (AP Images)
Camilla attended the wedding, and Diana admitted that she looked for Charles’ ex in the audience. “I knew [Camilla] was there, of course. I looked for her,” Diana later told biographer Andrew Morton in audiotapes, which were later transcribed for his book, Diana: Her True Story — In Her Own Words. “So walking down the aisle, I spotted Camilla, pale gray, veiled pillbox hat, saw it all, her son Tom standing on a chair. To this day you know — vivid memory.”
Princess Diana and King Charles III welcomed their first son, Prince William, in 1982. Prince Harry was born in 1994.
An Affair Ignites
After the birth of Prince Harry, Princess Diana and King Charles’ marriage continued to deteriorate. He and Camilla reportedly began having an affair in 1986, according to Sally Bedell Smith’s biography of Charles, Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life.
King Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles’ love story spans five decades. (AP Images)
Princess Diana revealed to Morton in interviews that “something inside me closed off” after Prince Harry’s birth. “By then, I knew Charles had gone back to his lady,” Diana told Morton.
Diana Confronts Camilla
Princess Diana claimed to Morton that she confronted Camilla about her affair with Charles. The alleged confrontation took place in 1989 at a birthday party for Camilla’s sister.
“Camilla, I would just like you to know that I know exactly what is going on between you and Charles. I wasn’t born yesterday,” Diana reportedly told Camilla. Camilla allegedly responded, “You’ve got everything you ever wanted. You’ve got all the men in the world to fall in love with you and you’ve got two beautiful children. What more do you want?” Diana said, “I want my husband.”
Camillagate
Andrew Morton’s bombshell book, Diana: Her True Story — In Her Own Words, was published in 1992. That same year, intimate phone conversations between Charles and Camilla that took place in 1989 were leaked to the press and dubbed “Camillagate.” In the tapes, Charles and Camilla talked openly about their feelings for one another. After the tapes leaked, Diana and Charles announced their separation in Dec. 1992.
Charles Admits He Was Unfaithful To Diana
Charles sat down for an explosive interview with journalist Jonathan Dimbleby in 1994. He called Camilla a “great” friend and said that he did try to stay faithful to Diana “until it became clear that the marriage had irretrievably broken down.”
King Charles’ interview about Camilla Parker Bowles and Princess Diana sent shockwaves around the world. (AP Images)
Charles & Diana Divorce
Diana took part in a shocking interview of her own in 1995. During her BBC interview with Martin Bashir, she talked openly about Charles’ relationship with Camilla.
King Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage officially ended in 1996. (AP Images)
“There were three of us in the marriage, so it was a bit crowded,” Diana famously said. Charles and Diana’s divorce was made official in 1996. Camilla and Andrew’s marriage ended in divorce in 1995.
The People’s Princess Dies
In July 1997, Charles hosted a 50th birthday party for Camilla at his country home. The next month, Princess Diana was tragically killed in a car accident in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997. She was only 36.
Charles, along with Diana’s sisters, flew to Paris to bring Diana’s body back to England. Charles and Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, were devastated by their mother’s death. The world mourned the loss of Princess Diana.
A Rekindled Romance
By 1998, Charles took a big step by introducing Camilla to his sons. The next year, Charles hosted a 50th birthday party for Camilla’s sister in London. Charles and Camilla were photographed leaving the party together, which was a sign they were going public with their romance.
King Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles are photographed leaving a party in 1999. (AP Images)
Charles and Camilla went on vacation to Greece with William and Harry in 1999. In 2003, Camilla officially moved into Clarence House, King Charles’ residence.
Finally Married
King Charles and Queen Camilla announced their engagement in Feb. 2005. They married on April 9, 2005. Prince William was his father’s best man. While Queen Elizabeth II did not attend the wedding, she did go to the reception.
King Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles on their 2005 wedding day. (AP Images)
Camilla was given the title Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall. Prior the late Queen’s wish for Camilla to be named Queen Consort for when Charles was to become king, Clarence House announced prior to their 2005 wedding that “it is intended that Mrs. Parker Bowles should use the title HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales accedes to The Throne.”
Clarence House reconfirmed in March 2020 that Camilla will be the princess consort when Charles takes the throne. “The intention is for the duchess to be known as princess consort when the prince accedes to the throne,” a spokesperson for the couple told The Times. “This was announced at the time of the marriage and there has been absolutely no change at all.” As mentioned earlier in this article, Camilla will now simply be referred to as Queen Camilla.
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