This year marks the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne, and the Queen released a letter to the public at Sandringham Manor in early February, the most interesting point of the letter was the announcement that "my private and heartfelt hope is that on the day my son Charles becomes king, his wife Camilla can be called 'queen' to continue her duties." The Queen's words were quickly echoed by Charles and Camilla, who lived at Clarence Palace, who felt "very touched and honored". Prince William and Princess Kate, who live at Kensington Palace, also forwarded the queen's letter, but "emphasized" the queen's 70 years of service, without mentioning the part of the letter in which Camilla would be crowned queen. Prince Harry, at present, has not found a response, with his current embarrassing position, it is estimated that there is no response to anything, and it is useless to respond. I don't know if he will add a few strokes to the stepmother in his "memoirs".
The Queen's Open Letter
Camilla Parker Bowles, formerly known as Camilla Rosemary Chand, was born on 17 July 1947 at King's College Hospital in London, England. She was the eldest daughter of Army Major Bruce Middleton Hope Shand and Rosalind Maude Cupit, had a younger sister, interior designer Annabelle Eliot, and a younger brother, Mark Shand, who was a conservationist of natural resources, who died on April 23, 2014.
Camilla's parents' wedding
Major Chand and the daughter of Baron Ashcombe, Rosalind Cupit, married on 2 January 1946 at St. Paul's Church in Knightsbridge. The Shand family has lived in East Sussex since 1951. Major Shander, a wine merchant, served as deputy sheriff of East Sussex county and director of the Southern Hounds for 19 years. He died at the age of 89 at his home in Dorset on 11 June 2006. Mrs. Rosalind Chand died of osteoporosis in 1994 at the age of 72. Camilla's maternal grandmother died of the same illness eight years ago. Perhaps for this reason, Camilla has been president of the Royal Osteoporosis Association since 2001.
Camilla's great-great-great-grandfather, Sir Alain McNab, was Prime Minister of the Province of Canada before the British Commonwealth was founded and the builder of Fort Dundenberg in Hamilton. Camilla, after marrying Charles, visited Canada for the first time in 2009 and visited Dundon Castle, a national historic site. After the visit, Camilla agreed to become a patron of Dunn's National Historic Site.
Young Camilla with mother
Camilla was first educated at The Dumbles School in Sussex and then at Queen's Gate School in South Kensington. She also studied at the Mon Fertile School in Switzerland and the British Academy in Paris. After graduating at the age of 18, Camilla returned to London, and her humorous conversation made her well integrated into London's high social circle, which can be said to be "like a fish in the water". In 1970, Camilla met Prince Charles during a polo match. At the first meeting, Camilla is said to have mentioned his great-grandmother, Alice Frederica Keppel, as his great-grandmother, as "lifelong mistress" of King Edward VII of The United Kingdom, prince Charles's great-great-grandfather.
Camilla's great-grandmother, Alice Frederica Keppel
Prince Charles felt camilla's humor and began to associate with her, but he had no intention of settling down at the time, more than one girlfriend. Later, he joined the Navy and needed to go to various places to perform official duties. Camilla, who is already in her twenties, needs to get married. At this point, Camilla was accompanied by an Army officer with the same humor as her, Andrew Parker Bowles.
Camilla's wedding to Andrew
So the prince went overseas, and in 1973 Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles. After marriage, Andrew and Camilla also had a sweet time, and the couple also managed well in London social circles. Although Andrew was also a big turnip, they had two children, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Parker Bowles.
Tom Parker Bowles is a food writer and critic. As the author of several cooking books, he has also hosted many food shows on television and appeared on the variety show "I Want to Be a Chef". In 2005, he married fashion editor Sarah Baiss and had two children.
Tom Parker Bowles
Camilla's daughter, Laura Parker Bowles (her married husband's last name "Lopez"), was an art curator who was educated at a Catholic girls' boarding school in Dorset and later studied art history and marketing at Oxford Brookes University. In 2001, she worked as an automotive reporter for Tatler, and her brother Tom began writing food columns. After her editorial work, she turned her attention to the art world, managing the London Space Gallery in the mid-00s before becoming co-founder and director of London Eleven Gallery in 2005.
Laura with Harry Lopez
Laura married Certified Public Accountant Harry López in 2006. Her husband, Harry López, attended Eaton College and worked as a lingerie model for Calvin Klein. Harry was the son of a baron who owned the inheritance of Gnaton Hall in Devon and the Skelpick lands in the Scottish Highlands. On the wedding day, Laura wore a wedding dress designed by Anna Valentine, who had designed a wedding dress for her mother Camilla to marry into the royal family in 2005. The couple had three children, including daughter Eliza, who was a bridesmaid at Kate and William's wedding in 2011.
However, even having good children did not prevent Andrew and Camilla's marriage from breaking down. During the marriage, Camilla and Charles remained "best friends", while Andrew pursued Charles's sister, Princess Anne. Although Princess Anne eventually married Tim Lawrence, she remained friends with Andrew.
Camilla and Diana
After Charles and Diana met, Camilla, as a "best friend", encouraged Charles to continue to associate with Diana and accompanied Diana to see Charles riding a horse. At that time, she thought that Diana was "not deeply involved in the world" and wanted to show her friendly side.
In 1981, Charles married Diana. Camilla also attended the wedding. In a media interview before the wedding, when the host asked the crown prince and his wife if they loved each other, Diana did not hesitate to say "Of course!" Charles then added an intriguing "Whatever love means." Diana married Charles with enthusiasm and hope, including uncertainty about the future. Charles also married the beautiful aristocratic maiden Diana because he had to get married, or because Camilla was already doomed not to be his "princess".
After the marriage, diana and Charles's incompatibility slowly appeared. Although Diana was from an aristocratic background, she was young, beautiful, curious about everything, fond of children, more popular music, ballet and bustling urban life, and disliked traditional aristocratic activities. Charles loved English country life, reading, hunting, horseback riding, gardening, and other things that the traditional aristocracy liked. Diana preferred to live in Kensington Palace in downtown London, while Charles preferred to live at Highgrew Manor in Gloucestershire.
Camilla when she was young
Camilla, who was raised by her parents to have a bunch of aristocratic preferences, has the same hobbies as Charles. Coupled with the close relationship that had always existed, Camilla eventually became the "actual hostess" of Hagelov Manor. They often hosted various social parties and dinners at Hegelov Manor to entertain friends, while Diana almost never showed up. In Diana's biography, it is mentioned that one day she had a "surprise attack" and a "airborne" party, which ended up embarrassing to everyone at the scene, especially Camilla.
Diana is not the simple girl that Camilla thought at first, "not deeply involved in the world", perhaps with no social experience, but her personality is not weak at all. She was furious at Charles's betrayal and disappointed that no one in the royal family had "helped" her. A woman who is disappointed in her marriage, it is not difficult to understand, she also began to look for an "exit". So Diana also had a lover. However, what is even more devastating is that the crown prince and the princess are divided into two camps, you listen to me, I expose you.
A "late night call" between Charles and Camilla was revealed in this environment. In that phone recording, the two people "drove" without any worries, and the scale was staggering. Prince Charles's image plummeted, and Camilla began to become a "social enemy." It is said that when visiting the supermarket, someone will throw a bagel in her face. Camilla, who began to appear in public less frequently, spent most of her time, either with Charles, at her country home.
Charles's "love" for Camilla is indeed far greater than that for Diana. After the revelation, Charles publicly gave an exclusive interview to the media and declared, "Mrs. Parker Bowles is a very close friend of mine, and my friendship with her cannot be bargained." ”
Camilla, a fox hunting fox near Hagelov Manor
In 1992, the Crown Prince of Wales and his wife began to separate. In 1995, Camilla and Andrew also divorced. I thought Camilla would be ready to stand by Prince Charles's side. But another incident occurred in 1995, when Her Royal Highness Princess Diana, who was still in the separation, gave an exclusive interview to a BBC reporter and publicly expressed the famous point of view, "There are three people in our marriage, so it is a bit crowded". Although she also admitted to loving James Hewitt in this interview, the media attention is more on Camilla, and Camilla's "little three" status has almost been welded in history.
Charles, who is deeply in love with Camilla, begins to brew his image public relations plan for Camilla. Camilla is divorced, and he has decided to divorce, he must make the public accept Camilla and become the person next to him, otherwise the royal family will make him abandon Camilla, who has been "demonized", which he cannot accept.
But round after round of media warfare, the queen felt exhausted, "enough". Eventually, in 1996, Diana and Charles finally completed their divorce.
Charles and Diana
After the divorce, Diana lost her title of "Her Royal Highness" but remained known as the "Princess of Wales". More importantly, Charles was finally free. Moreover, after the divorce, Diana was much more relaxed, started a new life, and even resumed friendship with Prince Charles.
Charles's first act after returning to singlehood was to help Camilla re-establish her public image.
In August 1996, Mark Burland, the director of the Uk's press complaints committee, who had a strong network, met with Camilla, who recalled the first meeting with Camilla, "Frankly, she was a broken person and under great pressure. A few weeks later, he was hired as Charles's assistant private secretary. Part of his job was to plan a PR campaign to improve Camilla's image, and Charles thought Berland's relationship with the media was necessary. Thus, "Operation Parker Bowles", also known as Operation PB (Operation Parker Bowles), was born.
Charles and Camilla
However, a live-televised debate in January 1997 showed that Operation Parker Bowles was a long-term project and that much remained to be done to succeed. On the day, a third of the show's 2.6 million viewers voted for an end to the monarchy. When Camilla's name was mentioned, many viewers booed loudly. In July 1997, around Camilla's 50th birthday, Burland planned a publicity campaign that included a party at Charles Hageloff's home, when he and Camilla had a "public intimacy."
About two weeks later, Charles and Camilla met with Peter Mandelson in Hageloff, who was then British Prime Minister Blair's closest ally. Charles told him they wanted a more "normal" life. Mandelson didn't hide it, telling Charles how the public could feel that he "gave the impression that you feel sorry for yourself and you're depressed." Berland later recalled that Mandelson's guidance on how to win public support helped him form a plan that would eventually get Charles and Camilla married.
However, Charles and Camilla, who thought that they were divorced and began to carry out public relations plans, were all in an orderly manner, but found that fate had made a joke on them.
Charles and Diana were married
On August 31, 1997, Diana, the beloved Princess of Wales, was killed in a car accident in Paris. This nearly killed Operation Parker Bowles. The sudden death of Princess Diana has made the entire British people 'angry" at the royal family to the extreme, and people have constantly "accused" of the royal family's "indifference", mourned the death of the princess, and deeply sympathized with the two underage little princes. The public backlash against Charles and Camilla was devastating. It was believed that Diana could not stand the life of a member of the royal family, charles was an indifferent husband, and Camilla was a calculating mistress. The public felt that Charles and Camilla's long-term affair was somehow responsible for the tragedy.
Charles, as the father of a common child, flew to Paris with Diana's two sisters to pick up Diana's coffin, and Charles's expression could not hide his sadness in the TV news. The Queen eventually returned to London with her family to return to London to lower the flag at half-mast for Diana and hold a special "state funeral".
The royal family was finally "saved".
But for two weeks after the funeral, Charles avoided public appearances. At the first official event in Manchester, he looked a little nervous because there was a large crowd there, although there were no signs accusing him or Camilla of being responsible for Diana's death. A woman took the prince's hand and told him, "Don't be discouraged." Charles was deeply moved and replied, "You're so nice, but I want to cry."
Surprisingly, at the time, Charles and Camilla's relationship was stronger than ever. But now, marriage is unthinkable, not to mention the prospect that Camilla could one day become queen.
Divorce, then death, diana took it all away at the time.
Princess Diana's funeral
If there was any chance of happiness in the future, Charles knew he had to do something. His first priority is to protect Camilla. As a non-royal, Camilla was not eligible for taxpayer-funded security, so Charles secretly hired a retired London Police officer with years of diplomatic protection experience as her bodyguard.
Next, the staff of Charles Clarence Palace had to buy time. It was agreed that it would be impossible to have the couple in the same frame for a photo while the opposition continued. Charles decided to execute the PR plan more secretly, and Camilla once again "kept a low profile". Stories of how Camilla was hidden under a blanket in the back seat of the car and smuggled into the Prince of Wales Hagelov's estate is widely circulated. To avoid provoking public outrage, they did a lot of things.
Nine months after Princess Diana's death, just before Prince William's 16th birthday, Charles introduced Camilla to Prince William. Prince William had a pivotal position in Princess Diana's heart, not only as the eldest son, but also as a trusted friend who could listen to her "secrets", after all, Prince Harry was still in elementary school. Before Princess Diana's death, it was clear that Prince William had no interest in getting to know his father's lover. But his mother had died, and William was more concerned about his brother's upbringing and his father's emotions. He wanted his father to be happy. So, in June 1998, Prince William was finally ready for this "friendly meeting".
Camilla is said to have been anxious to impress William and "trembled like a leaf." The meeting place is at York Palace in London, which lasts 30 minutes. Everything went well, but it was said that not long after leaving, Camilla gasped and said, "I really need a cup of tonic!"
Camilla is with William Harry
Privately, Charles became increasingly impatient with the implementation of Operation Parker Bowles. So, just before midnight on January 28, 1999, he and his longtime lover Camilla appeared in public for the first time as a couple. They were photographed outside the Ritz Hotel in London when they were leaving Camilla's sister Annabelle Elliott's 50th birthday party. There was a wall of photographers waiting outside at the time, which has become one of the most memorable photo events in modern royal history. The report sparked some criticism from "Diana's followers," with some calling it an insult to the late princess.
Annabelle Elliott's 50th birthday party
But by 2003, Charles had brought in Former United's public relations chief Paddy Hafson, and Clarence Palace regained confidence. The public's perception of Camilla's coldness seems to have begun to thaw. The most important parts of Operation Parker Bowles focused on Prince William and Prince Harry. They were soon seen as the key to easing the public's perception of Camilla. If Diana's children could accept Camilla, the public would surely follow suit no matter what happened.
In the years following Diana's death, royal spokespeople gave the media and the public dozens of opportunities to see Charles play the role of father. For years, the royal family has been providing photographs of the future king and his sons surrounding each other. Charles watched his son graduate from Sandhurst Military Academy, william graduated from college, or the three of them go to Switzerland to enjoy a traditional Easter ski trip, all showing the real warmth between them.
But the Queen was not particularly supportive at the time. In January 2005, Charles and Camilla were to attend the funeral of Princess Alexandra of Kent, her husband, Sir Angus Ogilvy. The Queen feared that the public appearance of her eldest son and Camilla, whom Princess Diana called the "Rottweiler", would be unacceptable to the public. She concluded that at St. George's Church in Windsor, the idea of a divorced person as Charles's partner might even offend some. So instead of sitting together as planned, Charles and Camilla were told to attend the wedding separately.
Charles and Camilla attending the funeral
Reluctantly, they obeyed. According to one courtier, the Queen's request made Charles "furious." Eventually, the man, who was often weaker than the domineering Prince Philip, bravely confronted his parents and told them, "Enough is enough." It was time for his mistress to become his wife. Although, "Operation Parker Bowles" has been implemented for many years with the aim of changing the way people think about Camilla. But marrying her is still a huge risk. If Charles could not get the people to stand with him, then his chances of becoming king were few and far between.
So, less than a month before Charles and Camilla were married, Clarence Palace tried another big move.
During the annual ski trip to Klosters, Switzerland, Charles was given a group photo showing him enjoying his holidays with his family surrounded by his sons. Originally, the idea was meant to show the public that Charles's sons had agreed to their father's wedding. However, it turned out that the main part of the news report was Charles's whispered remarks while taking pictures, and he slammed BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell. But none of this matters, because the message from the children is clear: "We bless our father."
Charles was with William Harry
The relationship, which lasted 35 years intermittently, officially became husband and wife in April 2005. Clarence Palace issued a statement saying that Camilla would abandon the Catholic faith and convert to the Church of England. After marriage, Camilla will be called "Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall", and after Charles's succession, she will not be called Queen, but "Her Royal Highness the Princess".
On 9 April 2005, Charles and Camilla held a low-key ceremony at the registration office at Windsor City Hall, where the Queen refused to attend and guests were limited to family members. But Charles finally got his wish, and the popular love was a relief for the Queen and Prince Philip. The smiles of joy on The faces of Prince William and Prince Harry sent a signal to Diana's loyal fans.
Charles and Camilla are married
On the day of the wedding, Duncan Lacomb, the Sun's royal columnist, and royal photographer, the great Arthur Edwards, witnessed the best of the view: "When the couple walked down Windsor Avenue, from the balcony of the Castle Hotel, we could feel the mood of thousands of people on the sidewalk below. Diana's loyal fans didn't boo. The crowd was filled with excitement. People cheered and waved flags. The newlyweds set off with a smile. I am shocked at the thought of what might otherwise have happened. If Charles had misread the atmosphere of that day, he might have had to choose between the woman he loved and the throne, like his uncle Edward VIII. ”
In the tense months that followed, however, the impossible seemed to happen, and the Duchess of Cornwall was accepted as a new member of the family.
Five months later, Prince Harry said in an interview for his 21st birthday that Camilla was "a wonderful woman who made our father very, very happy and that was the most important thing." He said at the time that he and William "loved her very much", adding: "To be honest, she has always been close to me and William... But no, she wasn't an evil stepmother. I can tell you right now. ”
Welcome to the State Dinner of the King and Queen of Norway
On 25 October 2005, Camilla put on her crown for the first time and attended a state dinner reception for the King and Queen of Norway. This is etiquette and another "temptation" of the people's "acceptance".
Admittedly, Camilla has done a lot of work in the field of philanthropy over the years, and among the members of the royal family, her workload can be ranked in the top five. The first four are Prince Philip, Queen, Princess Anne, and Prince Charles. While Camilla supported Charles's work and role as heir to the throne, she also helped some of her own charities as patron or chair. Camilla is a patron or president of more than 100 charities and organisations and supports them in a variety of ways: hosting events, visiting projects, giving public speaking and writing support messages. And its philanthropic organizations focus on a wide range of areas, including literacy, support for people affected by domestic and sexual violence, female power, the elderly, health, food and gardening, arts and culture, animals, the military, and more.
Camilla often attends concerts and theatres with Charles, and she is a strong supporter of the arts. Camilla is a patron or associate patron of the London Chamber Orchestra, St John's Smith Square, the National Youth Orchestra, the New Queen's Hall Orchestra, elmhurst Ballet School, the Royal Society of Letters, friends of the Royal Academy, royal academy of dance, Charleston Trust, unicorn theatre and royal bathroom theatre. She has also presented the Booker Prize for Fiction several times.
Camilla and Charles
Camilla's personal interest in animals and animal welfare is reflected in her grants and charitable visits. She has an abiding love of horses and ponies, often participating in horse racing and other equestrian competitions. Camilla is a patron of the British Equestrian Foundation and president of the Brooke Foundation, a charity that provides free veterinary treatment to horses and donkeys worldwide. And the Ebony Horse Club, an equestrian centre for children from poor families in Brixton.
The Charleses are co-chairs of the Elephant Family. The charity was founded in 2002 by Camilla's younger brother Mark Shand, who works to save Asian elephants. In addition, Camilla has two Jack Russell Terriers, named Beth and Bluebell, both of whom are puppies adopted from the Battersea Cat and Dog House in London. In 2017, Camilla became a patron of the charity. At their home in Burke hall, Scotland, Charles and Camilla enjoy fishing, walking and cross-country skiing in the Scottish countryside, and they both love gardening and painting. Camilla is also a member of Tetbury Women's College and Landovery Women's College, and as a keen flower arranger, she is also a patron of Flower Angel Charity.
Years of work and support for the royal family have earned the Queen's approval. On 31 December 2021, Camilla was awarded the Order of the Garter (The Most Noble Order of the Garter), the oldest and most senior knighthood in the United Kingdom. It was the highest honor she had received since marrying Charles in 2005 and becoming a member of the British royal family. At that time, the public generally believed that it was paving the way for the "sealing". After all, in 2018, the question of whether Camilla will become queen was removed from Charles's official website. But at that time, the official in the email of netizens, the reply was still "Your Highness the Princess".
Finally, on 6 February 2022, Queen Elizabeth took the opportunity to announce her "personal wishes" by issuing a thank-you note "70th anniversary of the monarch's reign". The wording remains cautious, but the results are already certain. After all, Princess Diana has been dead for 25 years, Diana's loyal fans have grown old, a generation of newcomers has grown, and young people's views on love and marriage are also evolving, and they have long since stopped caring about what is right and wrong in that marriage. Although many young people want to end the monarchy, if there is a royal family, then Camilla becomes their queen, they really don't care. After all, for the British now, as long as it is not Meghan, anyone can do it.
News reports said Prince William was "supportive" because he was more "respectful" of the Queen's decision. In fact, even if he had other ideas, he could not say anything for the sake of the stability of the royal family. Harry has left the royal family with Meghan and has publicly expressed his "love" for Camilla, and should not say anything. After all, it was the Queen's handwritten letter.
Camilla
"Little three on top" is not a good word, but Camilla can also be regarded as the peak. Although, Camilla's fans will say that Diana is the "third party" of the love between Charles and Camilla. But no matter what, Camilla finally "laughed to the end" and became the future "Her Majesty Queen Camilla". The last "Queen's Majesty" was the Queen's mother, Queen Elizabeth, and her crown had long been lent to Camilla by the Queen, so, in fact, Charles had long planned to make Camilla the "Queen", everything was just a "trick" and "timing".
Although Camilla will be the first queen in British history to divorce and have children. But she was destined to be a woman who had left her mark in British history.
This, no one, can change.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall