Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, may be one of the most famous couples in the world, but how well do you really know the royal duo? We're sure you've heard about all the scandals the couple has endured throughout the years, including their not-so-secret affair [1] that occurred throughout both their first marriages. But did you know that even though their relationship has spanned almost 50 years, they've only been married for a little more than 10? Or that they needed to get the Queen's permission [2] before finally tying the knot?
Prepare to deepen your royal family obsession [3] even further, as we've rounded up 25 facts about the future king and the woman who stole his heart.
- The pair first met at a dinner party in 1971.
- They were introduced by Prince Charles's college girlfriend Lucia Santa Cruz. [4]
- Lucia was the daughter of the former Chilean ambassador to London, and reportedly told Charles she had "just the girl" for him before hooking him up with Camilla.
- The pair were said to have bonded over their love of polo and being outdoors.
- Camilla reportedly made a joke [5] about her great-grandmother Alice Keppel having an affair with King Edward VIII, saying, "My great-grandmother was the mistress of your great-great-grandfather. I feel we have something in common."
- The two started dating immediately and were often seen spending time at polo matches and later at Broadlands, the estate belonging to Prince Charles's uncle Lord Mountbatten [6].
- Even though they seriously dated, Camilla wasn't thought of as marriage material by royal insiders, as she didn't come from an aristocratic background and wasn't a virgin. This prevented her from being seen as a serious contender to become a future queen.
- The pair eventually broke up when Prince Charles was scheduled to leave on the HMS Frigate with the Royal Navy.
- During his time away, Camilla reconnected with her longtime beau Andrew Parker Bowles.
- Andrew and Camilla became engaged in March 1973, while Prince Charles was stationed in the West Indies, and married a year later.
- Prince Charles ended up marrying Princess Diana in 1981, with Camilla in attendance [7].
- Though they were newlyweds, Diana always had suspicions that Charles and Camilla had rekindled their romance behind her back.
- It probably didn't help things that Charles bought Camilla "a gold bracelet personalized with a blue enamel disk engraved with the initials GF. [8] The monogram stood for Girl Friday," Charles's nickname for her.
- They carried on an affair throughout their marriages, with Diana finally confronting Camilla [9] about it at the 40th birthday party of Camilla's sister.
- By 1992, Princess Diana and Prince Charles had officially separated, with Diana famously saying, "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded," during a televised interview with the BBC [10].
- That same year the royal family was rocked by "Camillagate," where a conversation between Camilla and Charles, in which Charles said he wanted to be her tampon, was caught on tape and published in 1992.
- Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles's marriage officially ended in March 1995, and Prince Charles and Princess Diana officially divorced in August 1996.
- Prince Charles and Camilla continued to see each other in private and didn't formalize their relationship until 1999 when they attended Camilla's sister's 50th birthday party together.
- In 2005, the Queen officially gave the pair permission to get married [11].
- She was quoted saying at their wedding reception, "My son is home and dry with the woman he loves."
- The pair honeymooned in Scotland, at Birkhall on the Balmoral estate, where they both enjoy spending time.
- Throughout all their scandals, many feel the two are perfect together. Santa Sebag Montefiore, who grew up with both Camilla and Diana, once told Vanity Fair [12], "They like all the same things. They love the countryside and countryside pursuits. They love Scotland. They love the ballet, theatre, and opera. The dynamic between them is perfect."
- According to British royal biographer Penny Junor [13], Camilla brings out the lighter side of Prince Charles. "She has given Charles belief in himself that he's never had before, and that has made him much more likable and therefore much more popular. And popularity is vital in a modern-day monarch," Junor writes. "He's no longer angst-ridden and tortured; he's relaxed, he's humourous, he's teasing and he looks happy.... The public wants to engage with him again. And she has made that happen."
- Despite how their mother felt about Camilla, Prince William and Harry have grown to love and accept her as their stepmother [14].
- When Prince Charles and Camilla are not preforming royal duties and attending charity events, they enjoy spending their time spoiling the eight grandchildren [15] they have between them.