In his early 20s, like many other young men, Charles simply wasn't ready for marriage. Not long after he met Camilla, Charles went off to serve in the navy. Camilla probably thought she could wait around forever without ever getting a proposal from the prince.
However, the royal family wasn't interested in having Camilla as its princess. For one thing, she was perceived as an “experienced” woman, which was a nonstarter for the royal family back then in terms of a suitable spouse for Prince Charles.
Charles and Camilla's friendship turned romantic over the course of 18 months. Royal expert Marlene Koening, who wrote about Charles and Camilla's relationship for BBC's History Extra, told Insider that the pair were instantly attracted to each other.
Queen Consort Camilla 'Wasn't Aristocratic Enough'
Junor also said that the royal family – in particular, Charles' great-uncle and surrogate father, Lord Mountbatten – didn't think she was "aristocratic" enough to be a princess.
Prince Charles realized in December 1972 that Camilla Parker Bowles was his soulmate and that he wanted to marry her—but did nothing about it.
Camilla may have been at Diana's wedding but she was not welcome at her funeral, which was watched by an estimated 2.5 billion people around the world. Still, to many her absence echoed around the ancient hall. The Queen made it clear to Charles that he could not take his paramour to the service.
It's almost as if Charles had accepted that if he couldn't marry Camilla (who had been married to Andrew Parker Bowles since 1973), he wouldn't be happy no matter who he married, and so just went along with what his father thought was good for him and his country.
apparently the Princess Royal said “you're not Queen, you're the Queen Consort”'.
According to ABC News, “If Diana were still alive, Charles could remarry, because they were legally divorced. But he couldn't do it in an Anglican church.”
Will Camilla be queen if King Charles dies? If Charles, 74, dies before Camilla, she will have the name of “queen dowager” bestowed upon her, according to reports. As Camilla is excluded from the Windsor bloodline, she would not be the sole queen in the event that Charles passes away before she does.
In the earlier days, Diana was simply afraid of her mother-in-law. Though she carefully followed all the formal traditions and courtesies, she kept a distance from the Queen. Some observers found Diana's uneasiness with the Queen surprising since she was not an outsider to the Royal family.
King Charles III and Princess Diana did not want to get married, says expert. Royal biographer Andrew Morton reveals how the former Prince and Princess of Wales individually had doubts ahead of the royal nuptials.
It's been a rocky road, but these two finally found their happily ever after. Of all the modern royal romances, King Charles and Queen Camilla's has more twists and turns than a romantic comedy.
Since Charles became King last September, the major change in rules has been that Camilla is now ahead of Anne in the pecking order. All royal women must now curtsy to her. And, since she is the most senior royal, at the top of the pecking order, she does not need to curtsy to any other female royal.
What's the difference between the Queen and the Queen Consort? The reigning monarch's wife is traditionally known as the Queen Consort, while the Queen (technically the “Queen Regnant”) refers to a woman who has ascended the throne through the pre-established familial line of succession and has sovereign power.
According to the BBC, Charles and Camilla first met at a polo match at Windsor Great Park. Some reports claim that Camilla's first line to Charles was, “My great-grandmother was the mistress of your great-great-grandfather.
"One of the most shocking things that Diana told me was that the night before the wedding, Charles told her that he didn't love her," Thornton said. "I think Charles didn't want to go into the wedding on a false premise. He wanted to square it with her, and it was devastating for Diana."
Reports in the British press say Camilla had little desire to attend the ceremony from the very start, but was persuaded by her husband that, as his wife and stepmother to his sons, she should be at his side. But a negative public backlash changed her mind, some British newspapers reported.
Prince Harry 'cried once' over Diana's death: Duke reveals he broke down in tears at mother's burial and felt 'guilt' meeting mourners outside Kensington Palace during ITV interview with Tom Bradby to be aired at 9pm.
Freddie didn't go. He was more interested in being with friends backstage, talking with Elton John, hanging out with his people. His friends were always the most important to him."
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla spend time apart, even though they share the same throne. According to sources close to the royal couple, the two do not sleep together.
Camilla did actually seem to love both Charles and Andrew. As Brown wrote, “My own view is that the love of Camilla's life was not Prince Charles but the man she married first—Andrew Parker Bowles …
Camilla made dozens of official visits with charities each year, and her warm personality and ease at connecting with people no doubt helped her image makeover. Those who've met her often describe her as unstuffy and likeable. "When you meet her, she doesn't appear to be aloof in any way whatsoever," Seward said.
Speaking on an ITV documentary called The Diana Interview: Revenge of a Princess, Diana's astrologer Penny Thornton says that Diana confessed this to her. “One of the most shocking things that Diana told me was that the night before the wedding, Charles told her that he didn't love her,” Thornton says.
The Queen thought Diana quite suitable for Charles. “She was very much a hit with the royal family—they really warmed to her,” Chernock says.