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Earlier this year, the Queen issued a letter confirming it was her “sincere wish” that when the time comes, her daughter-in-law Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall and wife of Prince Charles, should become Queen Consort as Charles ascends the throne.
Now that wish, and Camilla’s journey, is complete – and what a ride it has been.
IMAGE MAKEOVER
Once called the “most hated woman in Britain” by a UK tabloid, Camilla has spent years rehabilitating her public image, allowing her to go from mistress to Her Majesty.
She has worked hard to recreate her image.
(Image: Getty)She was just 24 years old when she first started dating Prince Charles after meeting in 1970 at a polo match, but when Charles was deployed with the navy in 1973, Camilla met and married army officer Andrew Parker Bowles. Charles was said to be devastated.
He married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, but remained friendly with Camilla. By 1986, they had started an affair. It became global news and, in 1992, tapes of a phone call between the lovers were leaked.
When Princess Diana branded Camilla “the third person” in her marriage, she became known as “evil Camilla” by the British press.
By 1996, both Charles and Camilla’s marriages were over. They were free to be together, but things weren’t that simple.
Their relationship was very complicated.
(Image: Getty)The royal family knew they had to tread carefully to change the public sentiment of the woman who wanted to marry the future king.
Charles hosted a small 50th birthday party for Camilla in 1997, with plans to make their relationship official soon afterwards. However, when Diana died just a few weeks later, the public outpouring of grief for the “People’s Princess” forced the pair to keep their relationship under the radar.
In 1999, Camilla started to attend official engagements with Charles in order to slowly earn public respect. In 2002, she sat behind the Queen in the royal box for a Golden Jubilee concert, a sign that Her Majesty had finally given the couple her blessing.
Queen Consort with the new Princess of Wales.
(Image: Getty)Thirty-five years after they first met, in February 2005, Charles and Camilla announced their engagement. The Queen didn’t attend their wedding – as the head of the Church of England she couldn’t be seen to encourage second marriages.
However, she hosted a reception for them at Windsor Castle, quashing any rumours that she didn’t approve of the union.
Since then Camilla has proven herself to be Charles’ trusted ally, keeping him calm among the storm of controversy that has raged.
The Queen appeared to support her son’s love for Camilla.
(Image: Getty)SOMEONE TO RELY ON
Those who know her best say it’s Camilla’s common sense and humour that have earned her a place in the public’s hearts.
She’s regularly seen cracking jokes, laughing and chatting with the public, as well as with Charles, her kindred spirit.
Known for her down-to-earth nature, palace staff have revealed she doesn’t like a lot of fuss. And where Charles has sometimes been criticised for straying from good judgement, it is Camilla who is known to have kept him on the right path, curbing some of his more outlandish ideas.
Last week King Charles III cemented Camilla’s place in the royal family.
“I count on the loving help of my darling wife, Camilla,” he said in his first official speech. “In recognition of her own loyal public service since our marriage 17 years ago, she becomes my Queen Consort. I know she will bring to the demands of her new role the steadfast devotion to duty on which I have come to rely so much.”
