Camilla Parker Bowles Biography

Camilla Rosemary Shand was born on July 17, 1947, to Rosalind and Major Bruce Shand, a British Army Officer. She grew up in a large country estate with her two siblings in Plumpton and was fraternized with royalty from very early on.

At a very young age, she learned to ride a pony and also learned how to hunt. She would often accompany her great uncle and her father for excursions.

She attended the famous Queen's Gate School in South Kensington before joining finishing schools in Switzerland and the Institut Britannique in Paris.

Camilla worked as a part-time secretary in the West End and thereafter worked at a decorating firm for a brief period of time.

During this time, she became a successful equestrienne and participated in fox-hunting.

In the 1960s, she met her future husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, who was a lieutenant in the Blues and Royals. They courted each other for a couple of years but broke up as Andrew began dating Princess Anne.

Around this time, Camilla and King Charles reportedly met at a polo match in the 70s and eventually began dating. But, the relationship ended after Charles traveled overseas to join the Royal Navy and Camilla eventually married Andrew on July 4, 1973. The wedding was attended by over 800 guests and it is speculated that even King Charles was invited but could not attend for reasons unknown.

Despite being married, Camilla renewed her romantic relationship with Charles in 1979, but it soon ended after he married Princess Diana in 1981. The affair became public much later with the publication of ‘Diana: Her True Story’ in 1992.

In 1994, King Charles spoke about his relationship with her in a television interview and Diana confirmed all speculations when she stated ‘Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded’. This dented Camilla’s public image and the revelation made her largely unpopular.

On March 3, 1995, after twenty-two years of marriage, Camilla and her husband filed for an ‘amicable’ divorce and there were many speculations as to why the marriage ended. It is believed that the ensuing relationship with King Charles was perhaps the reason behind the divorce.

After the sudden and tragic death of Princess Diana in August 1997, Camilla and Charles appeared publicly for the first time in 1999. The following year, her tarnished public image was restored when she was appointed as the President of the National Osteoporosis Society and after she accompanied King Charles on a number of official engagements. It was around this time she met Queen Elizabeth II, who approved of their relationship after a long time.

Camilla began appearing publicly with the royal family, starting with the Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002, and during the Queen mother’s funeral. On February 10, 2005, the duo’s engagement was officially announced by Clarence and around this time, the public also approved of their decision to tie the knot.

On April 8, 2005, the couple was to be married but the marriage was delayed by a day as the then Prince of Wales was to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II. The wedding took place the following day with Prince William and Camilla’s son from her first marriage as witnesses. A grand wedding with a televised blessing by the Archbishop of Canterbury soon followed and she earned the title of ‘Duchess of Cornwall’.

On their seventh wedding anniversary, Camilla was appointed to the Royal Victorian Order by Queen Elizabeth II.

In November 2010, the car of King Charles and Camilla was attacked by one of the supporters of the ‘2010 British student protests’ but the couple was unharmed.

Camilla was actively involved in royal duties and accompanied King Charles on his official obligations. This included traveling around the world, helping Hurricane Katrina victims, providing relief to the London bombing victims, and paying official visits to countries in the Middle East and India.

In 2011, they paid official visits to countries around Europe to discuss investment opportunities. She also traveled with him to commonwealth states. In 2013, she was also present at the State Opening of the Parliament. The following year, she, along with Charles, attended the 70th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy. In 2018, they attended the opening of the Commonwealth Games.

In September 2022, she became the queen consort after her husband ascended the throne following the demise of Elizabeth II. One of the first things she did following her accession was replacing the role of lady-in-waiting with the queen's companion. In May 2023, she, alongside her husband, was crowned in London. In June of that year, she was appointed to the Order of the Thistle by Charles. In November 2023, she and Charles appeared at the State opening of the Parliament.

She was presented the Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan in 2005.

She was appointed as a Member of the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II on October 30, 2007.

She holds the military appointment as Colonel in Chief for The Royal Australian Corps of Military Policy, which was conferred upon her in 2012.

She is a distant relative of Celine Dion, Madonna, and Judith Keppel.