All About King Charles and Queen Camilla's Wedding & Love Story

The British Royal Family is well-acquainted with royal scandals, especially when pertaining to love. For Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, the couple once found themselves in an uphill battle for acceptance by the royal family and the British public. Both Charles and Camilla had been married prior to their April 9, 2005, nuptials—Prince Charles to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and Camilla to Andrew Parker Bowles, the father of her two children, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Parker Bowles.

Nonetheless, the pair eventually convinced the royal family (most notably, Queen Elizabeth II) and the public with their dedication to each other and to England. But the road to acceptance was long and full of obstacles, as we've seen play out both in pop culture works like The Crown and in real life. Here, we detail a few lesser-known facts about the pair's courtship, relationship and royal wedding, and how Charles and Camilla's marriage will change amid his coronation.

• Charles and Camilla met in 1970 and dated for a short time before going their separate ways. Charles went on to marry Princess Diana, and Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles.
• Despite being married to other people, Charles and Camilla had affairs in the 1970s and the 1980s that were eventually leaked to the public in the British tabloids.
• After both getting divorced, the couple rekindled their romance in 1999. They got engaged in February 2005, and the wedding of Charles and Camilla took place just two months later in April 2005.
• Upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, they officially became King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The coronation is set for May 6, 2023, in London.

In this article:

• King Charles and Camilla's Relationship Timeline
• All About Prince Charles and Camilla's Wedding
• How Charles and Camilla's Marriage Will Evolve After the Coronation

King Charles and Camilla's Relationship Timeline

TIM GRAHAM / Getty Images

Prince Charles and Camilla's relationship spanned decades before they finally exchanged vows on April 9, 2005. Royal biographers for the pair claim that it was love at first sight when they initially met in 1970, but it would be more than 30 years before they could actually call themselves a couple. Here, we take a look back at how Charles, formerly the Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, rekindled their love after many years apart.

FEATURED VIDEO FROM THE KNOT

1970: Charles and Camilla Meet and Begin Dating

Camilla and Charles met for the first time at a polo match at Windsor Great Park in 1970. Some reports claimed that Camilla's first words to Charles were flirtatious: "My great-grandmother was the mistress of your great-great-grandfather. I feel we have something in common." Other reports credit their mutual friend Lucia Santa Cruz for arranging the meet-cute.

1971: Charles and Camilla Break Up

Whatever way the initial meeting happened, according to the BBC, the pair's fledgling romance was put on hold when Charles decided to join the Royal Navy the following year. It was also speculated that Camilla's background played a role in their split, as she didn't come from an aristocratic bloodline.

1973: Camilla Marries Andrew Parker Bowles

Following their breakup in the early 1970s, both Camilla and Charles pursued other relationships. Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973, which allegedly broke Charles' heart. Some reports even say that Charles tried to stop the marriage between the two. (Interestingly enough, Andrew Parker Bowles previously dated Charles' sister, Princess Anne). Although he was unsuccessful in thwarting the nuptials, Charles and Camilla remained friends.

1978/1979: Charles and Camila Begin an Affair

According to author Penny Junor, who wrote The Duchess: The Untold Story, Charles and Camilla began an affair in the late 1970s—and her husband was fully aware. "Andrew was in no position to complain; and when he discovered what was going on, he wisely didn't make a fuss," Junor wrote. "Some would say that a part of him actually quite enjoyed the fact that his wife was sleeping with the future King; he might have felt differently had Charles been a traveling salesman."

1980: Charles Begins Dating Princess Diana

Amid his ongoing fling with Camilla, Charles began courting Lady Diana Spencer in 1980. Born into an aristocratic family, Diana was deemed a more suitable fit for the future heir to the throne. After six months, it was announced that Charles and Diana were engaged to be married—but he remained as friendly as ever with his former flame.

1981: Charles and Diana Get Married

Over 750 million people watched the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, which many regarded as "the wedding of the century." Notably, Camilla was a guest at the nuptials, and her presence was off-putting to the bride. "I knew she was in there, of course. I looked for her," the late royal told biographer Andrew Morton in 1991. "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."

1986: Charles and Camilla's Affair is Revealed

In a bombshell report, it was revealed that Charles and Camilla had another affair in 1986. They are believed to have continued their relationship through the dissolution of both of their marriages. In that same conversation with Morton, Diana shared exactly what she said to Camilla amid the ongoing infidelity. "I was terrified of her...I said, 'I know what's going on between you and Charles and I just want you to know that.' She said to me, 'You've got everything you ever wanted. All the men in the world fall in love with you and you've got two beautiful children, what more would you want?'…So I said, 'I want my husband.'"

1992: Charles and Diana Separate

After years of turmoil, Charles and Diana announced their intention to separate on December 9, 1992. Despite this, Buckingham Palace insisted that there were no plans for the couple to divorce, and that they would continue to attend engagements together.

1993: Charles and Camilla's Private Phone Calls are Leaked

One year later, a scandal rocked the family. In January 1993, British tabloids published a transcript of leaked audio calls between Charles and Camilla, during which the duo declared their love for each other and spoke in vulgar innuendos. The calls were allegedly from 1989, when Charles was married to Diana and Camilla was married to Andrew.

In 1994, Charles sat down for an interview with ITV where he was asked if he tried to be "faithful and honorable" to his wife. Considering news of the affair was already public, he said, "Yes… until it became irretrievably broken down, us both having tried." He added that Camilla was "a great friend of mine" and would continue to be.

1995: Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles Divorce

In 1995, Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles announced their divorce. In the statement, the couple revealed that they had already been living separately for two years and that there was "little of common interest" between the two of them.

Later that year, eyewitnesses spotted Charles and Camilla dancing together for hours at a party hosted by a mutual friend. The next month, Princess Diana sat down for a bombshell interview with BBC in which she spoke about Charles and Camilla's affair, as well as her own with James Hewitt. She said that she "desperately wanted" the marriage to work, though noted that her "woman's instinct" clued her into what was happening. She said the cheating was "pretty devastating" and made her feel "useless and hopeless and failed." Most famously, though, she remarked, "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded." The following year, Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorced on Aug. 28, 1996.

1999: Charles and Camilla Step Out as a Couple

In the aftermath of Princess Diana's tragic and untimely death in 1997, Charles and Camilla didn't step out publicly as a couple until 1999. Together, they attended a birthday party for Camilla's sister Annabel Elliot at London's Ritz Hotel in January of that year.

2000: Queen Elizabeth Acknowledges Charles and Camilla's Relationship

It took some time for Queen Elizabeth to warm up to Charles and Camilla's relationship, at least according to royal insiders. In his book Rebel Prince, author Tom Bower writes that she once told her son "she would not condone his adultery, nor forgive Camilla for not leaving Charles alone to allow his marriage to recover." However, her attendance at a lunch event with Charles and Camilla in 2000 seemingly served as her stamp of approval of the relationship.

2005: Charles and Camilla Get Engaged

JIM WATSON / AFP via Getty Images

Charles and Camilla announced their engagement in February 2005 via Clarence House, with the bride-to-be flashing a large, emerald-cut diamond that once belonged to the Queen Mum. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh expressed their "warmest good wishes" for the couple in a statement through Buckingham Palace, and she stated that they were "very happy that the Prince of Wales and Mrs. Parker Bowles are to marry."

The palace also quelled the public's uncertainty about whether Camilla would ever ascend to be queen, noting that she would be given the title of Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cornwall. She would be considered the princess consort, and not the queen, should Charles ever take the throne. However, in a statement released on the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's reign in February 2022, she walked back on this statement, expressing her "sincere wish" for Camilla to be known as queen consort upon Charles's accession to the throne. Following her passing in September of that year, Charles became known as King Charles III, while Camilla assumed the title Her Majesty The Queen Consort. After Charles' coronation in May 2023, she will be known as Her Majesty The Queen.

2005: Charles and Camilla Get Married

Two months after announcing their engagement, the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla took place on April 9, 2005. First, the pair exchanged vows at an intimate civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, with Prince William serving as best man. Then, they took part in a service of prayer and dedication at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. A reception was held for the newlyweds at Windsor Castle later that day—but more on the festivities below.

2017: Camilla Opens Up About Her Affair with Charles

Following the wedding, Camilla immersed herself in royal duties, attending events with her husband and other members of the family. Then, in a 2017 interview with You magazine, she opened up about her experience living through the affair back in the 1980s. "I couldn't really go anywhere. But the children came and went as normal—they just got on with it—and so did great friends," she explained. "It was horrid. It was a deeply unpleasant time and I wouldn't want to put my worst enemy through it. I couldn't have survived it without my family."

2022: The Couple Becomes King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla

In early 2022, Queen Elizabeth released a statement expressing her wish for Camilla to be known as Queen Consort. That came to fruition later in the year, when the longest-reigning monarch passed away. Upon her death on September 8, Charles and Camilla immediately became King and Queen Consort.

2023: Charles Will Be Coronated as King

King Charles's coronation, the symbolic religious ceremony where he will be crowned sovereign, is set to take place on May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey in London. This will formalize his role as the head of the Church of England and marks the transfer of his title and powers. Charles and Camilla will travel to Westminster Abbey in the King's procession, and return to Buckingham Palace in a larger coronation procession.

All About Prince Charles and Camilla's Wedding

Hugo Burnand / Pool / Getty Images

Prior to their big day, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles (born Camilla Shand) were not always well-received as a couple due to their affair, which they carried out while they were both married to other people. Most of the public—as well as Queen Elizabeth II—frowned upon their relationship. Queen Elizabeth was even rumored to have declined an invitation to Prince Charles' 50th birthday party because she was so upset about their romance. But by the time the pair got engaged in February 2005, the Queen had warmed up to her new daughter-in-law and eventually welcomed Camilla into the royal family. We relive six pivotal moments from Prince Charles and Camilla's wedding day below.

Charles and Camilla's wedding had to be postponed.

The original wedding date for Camilla and Charles was actually April 8, 2005, but the celebration was postponed by a day for a very important reason: so that Prince Charles could represent the Queen at Pope John Paul II's funeral in Vatican City. The last-minute change had a major ripple effect, forcing manufacturers to change the date stamped on commemorative products made for the royal wedding, and putting vendors on pins and needles as they worked quickly to adapt to the new date.

Royal florist Simon Lycett told HELLO! magazine, "We always try to have our flowers be on point for the actual day and time of the event. There was a bit of white-knuckle ride to try and make sure that everybody was keeping everything fresh and perfect."

Prince Harry opened up about his feelings toward the nuptials in his biography Spare, which was released in January 2023. On the subject of his father's wedding to Camilla, he revealed that he and Prince William initially "urged him not to" move forward, though there were no hard feelings by the time the big day rolled around. However, when the nuptials were delayed, he felt it may have been a sign. "Other than feeling sorry for them, I couldn't help but think that some force of the universe (Mummy?) was blocking rather than blessing their union," he wrote. "Maybe the universe delays what it disapproves of?" Concluding his thoughts on the day, though, he reflected that all he wanted was for "all of us to be happy."

Camilla was sick the morning of her wedding.

Another curveball that almost derailed the royal wedding happened the morning of the ceremony: Camilla had developed a serious bout of sinusitis in the days leading up to the wedding, which meant that her friends were concerned she might not even make it down the aisle. Lucia Santa Cruz, who had introduced Camilla and Charles many years earlier, told Vanity Fair that she fed the bride-to-be homemade chicken soup to speed up her recovery. "She was really ill, stressed," she said. It wasn't until her sister, Annabel, reportedly joked that she would don Camilla's clothes and walk down the aisle on the morning of the big day that the Duchess of Cornwall finally got up.

Charles and Camilla opted for an unconventional wedding day setup.

Because both Camilla and Prince Charles were embarking on their second marriages, they decided not to have a traditional wedding ceremony, instead choosing to marry in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall followed by a service at St. George's Chapel, where they received a special marital blessing. At the time of their engagement, the Church of England did not support second marriages if a spouse was still living (in Camilla's case, her ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, was still alive). But ultimately, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, approved their marriage, calling their arrangement "consistent with Church of England guidelines concerning remarriage."

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip didn't attend the civil ceremony.

For the civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, just 28 people gathered to watch Charles and Camilla take their vows. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were not present for the ceremony, but Prince William, Prince Harry, Laura Parker Bowles, and Tom Parker Bowles were on-hand to act as witnesses for their parents' union. Other guests included Princess Anne, Princess Eugenie, and Princess Beatrice. Robert Hardman, the Queen's biographer, would later claim that Her Royal Majesty's absence signaled a "disapproval of the arrangements, not of the marriage" itself.

A series of poignant toasts took place at Charles and Camilla's wedding reception.

The Telegraph reported that Prince Charles raised a toast to his new bride with a heartwarming speech that thanked her for standing by him "through thick and thin ... and whose optimism and humor have seen me through." His mother, the Queen, had her own words to add to the mix, reportedly comparing the couple's tumultuous relationship to the Grand National, a popular horse race. "They have overcome Becher's Brook and The Chair and all kinds of other terrible obstacles," she said. "They have come through and I'm very proud and wish them well. My son is home and dry with the woman he loves."

Charles and Camilla's honeymoon was at Balmoral estate.

After Charles and Camilla's wedding, the newlyweds jetted off to Scotland for their honeymoon, at Birkhall on the Balmoral estate.

How Charles and Camilla's Marriage Will Evolve After the Coronation

Rob Jefferies / Getty Images

In April 2015, as Charles and Camilla celebrated their 10-year wedding anniversary, the royal told CNN that his wife was being his biggest supporter. "It's always marvelous to have somebody who, you know, you feel understands and wants to encourage," he said in the interview. "Although she certainly pokes fun if I get too serious about things. And all that helps."

So, what will happen to Charles and Camilla's marriage after the coronation? As it turns out, not much. The most notable change for the couple will be their title changes. Upon Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne in 1952, he earned the title His Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall, though it was stylized as The Prince of Wales. After the death of his father, Prince Phillip, he also assumed the title Duke of Edinburgh. Now, Charles' official title is His Majesty The King. Camilla, for her part, assumed the title Her Majesty the Duchess of Cornwall when she got married. (Although she was technically considered Princess of Wales, she never publicly used that title out of respect for Diana.) Amid her husband's accession to the throne, her title became Her Majesty The Queen Consort and will shorten to Her Majesty The Queen after the coronation.

Otherwise, things will be business as usual for Charles and Camilla. The royals will continue to attend events and engagements together, and many experts predict that Charles will downsize the number of senior members of the royal family—but only time will tell how Charles and Camilla's relationship evolves under their historic new roles.