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By Max Foster and Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN
6 minute read
Updated 3:52 AM EDT, Mon May 1, 2023
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London CNN —
With her husband’s accession to the throne, Camilla has become Britain’s new Queen, taking on a new and more prominent role alongside King Charles III.
She was ever-present at Charles’ side as he publicly grieved his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, and stepped into his new role. She is the love of his life, as well as a decades-long counselor and confidante, and on May 6 will become the 29th Queen Consort crowned at Westminster Abbey.
Since she and Charles married in 2005, Camilla has worked hard as a senior royal, supporting her husband and championing charities helping women and children. But some in Britain find it hard to forget, or forgive, the couple’s long-running extra-marital affair and the pain it caused Charles’ first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales.
Netflix drama “The Crown” has brought that turbulent period into focus in recent seasons, introducing some viewers to Camilla and reminding others of her past.
So, what can we expect from Britain’s new Queen?
Born Camilla Shand in July 1947, she was brought up in the English countryside, where she developed a passion for horses.
Britain's Queen Camilla waves from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after a coronation ceremony in May 2023.
Camilla and her younger sister, Annabel, serve as bridesmaids at the wedding of their uncle Jeremy Cubitt and actress Diana Du Cane in 1952. Camilla was born on July 17, 1947. Her father, Bruce Shand, was a retired British Army officer who later became a wine merchant. Her mother, Rosalind Cubitt, was the daughter of the 3rd Baron of Ashcombe.
Camilla married cavalry officer Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973. The couple had two children during the 1970s.
Camilla and her husband, Andrew, leave the Royal Opera House with Prince Charles in February 1975. Camilla and Charles reportedly met at a polo match in 1970 and became friends.
Camilla talks to Prince Charles at a polo match in 1975.
Camilla, left, and Lady Diana Spencer watch a 1980 steeplechase race in which Prince Charles was competing. Charles and Diana married in 1981.
Charles and Camilla are seen on a vacation in Turkey in 1989. Charles admitted in 1994 that he had been having an extramarital affair with Camilla, and he and Diana divorced in 1996. Camilla and her husband divorced in 1995.
Camilla attends an event in 1996 with her children, Tom and Laura.
Camilla rides a horse in 1997. She developed a passion for horses after being raised in the English countryside.
Charles and Camilla make their first public appearance as a couple after leaving a party in London in 1999.
Camilla and Jordan's Queen Rania attend an International Osteoporosis Foundation Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, in May 2002.
Charles and Camilla leave a charity event together in July 2002.
Dorothy Edwards kisses Camilla's hand as she attends the Sandringham Flower Show in England in 2003.
Camilla shows off her engagement ring as she and Prince Charles arrive for a party at Windsor Castle in February 2005.
Camilla and Charles were married at Windsor Castle in April 2005.
Camilla and Charles pose for a wedding photo with their children and parents in April 2005. On the left are Charles' sons Prince Harry and Prince William and his parents, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II. On the right are Camilla's children Laura and Tom and her father, Bruce.
Charles kisses Camilla after a Burberry Cup polo match in Cirencester, England, in June 2005.
Charles and Camilla arrive at a church in Ballater, Scotland, in 2006. They were celebrating their first wedding anniversary.
Camilla and her ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, attend a memorial service for Andrew's late wife Rosemary in March 2010.
Charles pushes Camilla in a wheelchair as they attend the premiere of "Aida" at the Royal Opera House in London in April 2010. She had suffered a broken leg weeks prior.
Camilla reads to primary school students in London in January 2012.
Camilla stands next to Queen Elizabeth II during a Diamond Jubilee pageant on the River Thames in June 2012. At right are Prince William and his wife, Catherine.
Charles and Camilla arrive in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, as part of a Diamond Jubilee tour in November 2012.
From left, Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attend the state opening of Parliament in May 2013.
Charles and Camilla pose with masks as they host a charity reception in London in July 2013.
Charles and Camilla pose outside the Akshardham Temple while visiting New Delhi in November 2013.
Camilla and her children, Tom and Laura, watch horse races at the Cheltenham Festival in March 2015.
Camilla and Charles sit in the White House Oval Office with US President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden during a trip to the United States in March 2015.
Prince Charles reacts to a bald eagle as it flaps its wings during the Sandringham Flower Show in July 2015.
Camilla and Charles visit the Grand Mosque while in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in November 2016. They were on a tour of the Middle East.
Camilla spends time with horses during a visit to a riding school in Vienna, Austria, in April 2017. It was part of a nine-day tour of Europe.
Camilla and Queen Elizabeth II attend the Royal Ascot in Ascot, England, in June 2017.
Camilla attends the Sandringham Flower Show in July 2017.
Camilla is greeted by flag-waving schoolchildren in Marlborough, England, in January 2018.
Camilla and actress Judi Dench enjoy ice cream together while visiting the Isle of Wight in July 2018.
Camilla, Charles and Queen Elizabeth II welcome US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump for a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in June 2019.
Camilla plays table tennis while visiting the Royal Air Force Halton in Aylesbury, England, in July 2019. It was part of the air station's centenary year celebrations.
Camilla receives the Hongi, a traditional Maori welcome, while she and Prince Charles visited Waitangi, New Zealand, in November 2019.
Camilla serves lunch at the Royal Voluntary Service Club in Rickmansworth, England, in October 2020. She was wearing a face shield because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Camilla and Beth, one of her Jack Russell terriers, unveil a plaque as they visit the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to open new kennels and thank the center's staff and supporters in December 2020.
Camilla visits the Wightman Road Mosque in London in April 2021.
Charles and Camilla view flowers and messages left outside Buckingham Palace after the death of Charles' father, Prince Philip, in April 2021.
Camilla holds a baby girl while attending a Women of the World Foundation event in Amman, Jordan, in November 2021.
Charles and Camilla pose in front of the Sphinx in Egypt in November 2021.
Charles and Camilla meet volunteers at the Superstars cafe in Cookstown, Northern Ireland, in March 2022.
Prince Louis holds his hands over his ears as jets roar over Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade in London in June 2022. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, duch*ess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William.
Charles and Camilla take part in an address at London's Westminster Hall after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
Camilla rides in a car with Catherine, Prince George and Princess Charlotte ahead of the Queen's state funeral in September 2022.
Camilla attends a state banquet in honor of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in November 2022.
Camilla stands on stage with students during a visit to the Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham, England, in March 2023.
Camilla sits in Buckingham Palace's Blue Drawing Room in March 2023.
Camilla wears the Queen Mary's Crown during a coronation ceremony that took place at Westminster Abbey in May 2023.
Camilla leaves Westminster Abbey after the coronation ceremony.
Charles and Camilla wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace following their coronation.
Camilla poses for a photo in Buckingham Palace's Green Drawing Room in May 2023.
In pictures: Britain's Queen Camilla
She reportedly met Prince Charles at a polo match in Windsor in 1970 and they became friends. The following year, Charles joined the Royal Navy and, while he was away, Camilla married cavalry officer Andrew Parker Bowles. The couple had two children during the 1970s.
Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 in an apparently fairytale ceremony watched by millions around the world. But he admitted in 1994 that he had been having an extramarital affair with Camilla.
Diana confirmed his infidelity and her own the following year during a bombshell interview with the BBC, when she famously said, “there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”
Prince Charles is seen talking to Camilla Parker Bowles at a polo match in Cirencester Park, England, in July 1975.
Camilla and Parker Bowles divorced in 1995. Charles and Diana divorced the following year and Camilla all but vanished from public life as public and media support swung behind the princess. The pro-Diana, anti-Camilla sentiment was compounded by the outpouring of sympathy for Diana after she was killed in a high-speed car crash in Paris in 1997.
In 1999, Clarence House embarked on a program to reintroduce Camilla to the public with a carefully orchestrated first appearance with Charles outside the Ritz Hotel in London. She moved into Clarence House to be with Charles and her name started appearing on official paperwork.
Charles and Camilla make their first public appearance as a couple after leaving a party in London in 1999.
Six years later, their decades-long love story reached its climax when they were wed in Windsor, with Queen Elizabeth II’s consent. Camilla, who became known as Her Royal Highness the duch*ess of Cornwall, was confirmed as Charles’ official consort and future queen of the United Kingdom.
The duch*ess threw herself into life as a senior royal, supporting Charles on official engagements in the UK and on overseas tours, despite her deep fear of flying. With her common touch and ability to dissipate the tension in a room, she quickly became an asset to the royal family and the British government.
“It’s always nice to have somebody on your side,” Charles told CNN in 2015. “She’s an enormous support. The great thing is we laugh a lot because she sees the funny side of life, thank God. If you imagine, that adds an enormous amount to the whole thing.”
Ahead of the coronation, Camilla’s son touched upon the way the relationship between his mother and “stepfather” King Charles developed. “I don’t care what anyone says, this wasn’t any sort of endgame. She married the person she loved and this is what happened,” Tom Parker Bowles told “The News Agents” podcast.
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their coronation ceremony in May 2023.
The King and Queen pose for a portrait in Buckingham Palace.
Charles and Camilla wave to well-wishers after their coronation ceremony.
The coronation took place at Westminster Abbey, and it was attended by dignitaries from around the world. It was Britain's first coronation in 70 years.
Charles and Camilla are flanked by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Büdenbender, at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate in March 2023. The King spent three days in Germany for what was his first overseas state visit as monarch.
Charles talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in November 2022.
Charles and Camilla wave as they leave Dunfermline Abbey in Scotland during a visit in October 2022.
Charles and Camilla attend the funeral of Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022.
Charles and Camilla walk behind the Queen's coffin as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey.
The King and Queen Consort greet the public outside Hillsborough Castle in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, in September 2022.
Charles and Camilla stand for the national anthem following addresses by both houses of Parliament in September 2022.
Charles signs an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland during a meeting of the Accession Council in London that proclaimed him as the new King.
Charles and Camilla view tributes for Queen Elizabeth II that were left outside Buckingham Palace.
Charles and Camilla attend the Order of the Garter Service in Windsor, England, in June 2022.
The couple attends the Big Jubilee Lunch at the Oval in London in June 2022. They were celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.
Members of the royal family watch jets roar over Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade in London in June 2022. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, duch*ess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William.
Charles and Camilla walk behind the Imperial State Crown during the state opening of Parliament in May 2022.
Charles and Camilla visit a brewery during a royal tour of Canada in May 2022.
Charles and Camilla pose for a group photo as they visit the set of "EastEnders" in March 2022.
Charles and Camilla join Prince William and duch*ess Catherine for the London premiere of the new James Bond movie "No Time to Die" in September 2021.
Charles and Camilla officially open the redeveloped Aberdeen Art Gallery in Scotland in September 2021.
Queen Elizabeth II walks with Charles and Camilla before a reception at the G7 summit in England in June 2021.
Charles and Camilla speak to Chief Nursing Officer for England Ruth May in March 2021 as they meet with officials involved in the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.
Charles and Camilla visit the the Tower of London in February 2020.
Charles and Camilla enjoy a mojito as they visit a restaurant in Havana, Cuba, in March 2019.
Charles, Camilla and Meghan, the duch*ess of Sussex, attend Charles' 70th birthday patronage celebration held at Buckingham Palace in May 2018.
Charles and Camilla visit a flower market in Nice, France, in May 2018.
Camilla and Charles arrive for Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa in July 2017.
The couple arrives in the parade ring for the Royal Ascot in June 2016.
Charles and Camilla sign the visitor's book in front of a Diego Rivera mural while visiting Mexico City in November 2014.
The couple shares a laugh with Prince William, left, and Prince Harry during the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games in September 2014.
Charles and Camilla, seated at the left near Queen Elizabeth II, attend the opening of Parliament in May 2013.
The royal couple holds koalas while visiting Australia in November 2012.
From left, Charles, Prince William, Camilla, duch*ess Catherine and Prince Harry leave a Thanksgiving service in London in June 2012.
Charles and Camilla arrive at Westminster Abbey for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine MIddleton in April 2011.
Charles pushes Camilla in a wheelchair as they attend the premiere of "Aida" at the Royal Opera House in London in April 2010. She had suffered a broken leg weeks prior.
Pope Benedict XVI exchanges gifts with Charles and Camilla as they meet in the Pope's private library at the Vatican in April 2009.
Charles and Camilla are presented with vegetables as they visit the Dig for Victory organic allotment in London in July 2008. Camilla was celebrating her 61st birthday.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, are greeted by Charles and Camilla after arriving in England in March 2008.
Charles and Camilla add to a mural of Martin Luther King Jr. while in Philadelphia in January 2007.
Charles and Camilla taste local food during a visit to Skardu, Pakistan, in November 2006.
The couple plays pool together in November 2006.
Charles and Camilla join Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as they watch a tug-of-war competition in Braemar, Scotland, in September 2006.
Charles and Camilla visit the Anandpur Sahib temple in India in March 2006.
Charles and Camilla are joined by US President George W Bush and first lady Laura Bush at a White House dinner in November 2005.
Charles and Camilla stand on the deck of HMS Scott in Portsmouth, England, in June 2005. It was the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.
King Charles III, then a prince, poses with his new bride, Camilla, after their marriage in Windsor, England, in 2005.
On the day of their wedding in April 2005, Charles and Camilla are joined by their children. On the left are Charles' sons Prince Harry and Prince William. On the right are Camilla's children Laura and Tom Parker Bowles.
Charles and Camilla pose for photos at Windsor Castle after their engagement was announced in February 2005.
Charles and Camilla talk with actor Al Pacino in London in November 2004.
Charles and Camilla leave together after a polo match in Cirencester, England, in June 2003.
Charles and Camilla walk together in February 2003.
Charles and Camilla make their first public appearance as a couple after leaving a party in London in January 1999.
Charles and Camilla talk at a polo match in July 1975.
Charles and Camilla are seen together in February 1975. They reportedly met at a polo match in 1970.
In pictures: Charles and Camilla
Camilla also defined her own royal role, championing causes close to her heart, such as children’s literacy and supporting victims of domestic violence. She told CNN during a visit to a women’s shelter in Bristol, England in 2017 that she was able to use her position to highlight the plight of the “brave women” who had suffered at the hands of their partners. “Seeing is believing, hearing is believing,” she said.
The new Queen has also worked to raise awareness around osteoporosis, a disease that affected both her mother and grandmother. “She feels deeply about that,” Charles told CNN in 2015.
He added: “She’s done wonderful things, I think, with the whole issue around violence against women and rape and sexual violence. I think it’s been quite remarkable with what she’s done on that front. And then again with all her work on literacy, because she’s mad on reading and her father was a great reader and I think encouraged her in that way, so she devours books of all kinds.”
Camilla reads to primary school students in London in January 2012.
“I’m very proud of her and in between all that she tries to support me, which is wonderful of her,” Charles said.
As Camilla’s family grew, a new passion developed – for grandchildren. “She’s a professional grandmother,” one of her aides told CNN in 2013.
Her nephew, Ben Elliot, told Vanity Fair in 2022 that Camilla “adores her husband, children, and grandchildren” and described her as having a “very close and supportive family and a close group of old friends.”
Meanwhile, in an interview with British Vogue, Camilla shed some light on those close bonds, revealing she does “Wordle every day with my granddaughter.” In the same interview, she said she frequently texts with her grandchildren, adding: “It’s very nice getting a text. We learn from very young people and they learn from us, too.”
Indeed, three of her grandsons, Gus and Louis Lopes and Freddy Parker Bowles, in addition to her great-nephew Arthur Elliot, have been incorporated into the coronation service. They will take part in the ceremony as “pages of honor” and form part of the procession through Westminster Abbey.
The moment her husband became King, Camilla automatically became Queen. However, it had long been thought that she wouldn’t use the title, Clarence House having issued a statement in 2005 saying she would instead be known as “Princess Consort.” Some in the palace at the time felt the public wasn’t ready for Camilla to take a title that had been destined for Diana.
But over the years, attitudes toward Camilla have softened. In 2015, a CNN poll found that one in four Britons had grown to like her more and fewer people opposed her becoming known as Queen.
Then, in February 2022, Queen Elizabeth II used the milestone of her Platinum Jubilee to give her blessing for the duch*ess of Cornwall to be known as Queen when the time came.
In a message celebrating the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, she said: “When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”
Camilla stands alongside Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, during the Trooping the Colour ceremony, as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations on June 2, 2022.
In response, a spokesperson for Charles and Camilla said they were “touched and honoured by Her Majesty’s words.”
It was a hugely significant intervention from the monarch, the only person who can define royal titles.
Elizabeth’s move to future-proof the monarchy emphasized that Camilla was no longer viewed – either publicly or within palace walls – as the royal mistress, but rather as a central figure at the very heart of “the firm.”
CNN’s Caolán Magee contributed to this story.
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