After years of being portrayed as the most hated woman in Britain, Camilla, King Charles's second wife, was crowned Queen on Saturday, marking a noticeable shift in public acceptance that many did not expect. When Charles's first wife, the widely beloved and stunning Princess Diana, died in a car accident in Paris in 1997, the media largely directed its hostility towards Camilla. Some people believed that a marriage between Charles and Camilla was impossible.
However, they married eight years later, and since then she has been acknowledged—though sometimes grudgingly by some—as a key member of the royal family, and as someone whom the new king relies on heavily, as Queen of the country. Robert Hardman, a long-time royal correspondent and author of the book "Queen of Our Times," stated, "She is the companion of his soul," noting that she has been married to Charles longer than Diana was.
Camilla Shand was born in 1947 to a wealthy family; her father was a major in the army and a wine merchant who married an aristocratic woman. Camilla moved in social circles that brought her into contact with Charles, whom she met at a polo field in the early 1970s. The two dated for some time, and Charles considered marriage but felt he was too young to take such a significant step.
Charles became engaged in the navy while Camilla married cavalry officer Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles. She had two children, Tom and Laura, with her husband, and they divorced in 1995. As for Charles, he married Diana, who was only 20 years old, in a wedding in 1981 that captivated not only Britain but the entire world. After having two children, William and Harry, their relationship deteriorated and they separated in 1996 after Charles renewed his relationship with his former mistress.
Details of this relationship shocked the public in 1993 when a transcript of a secretly recorded intimate phone conversation was leaked to the press. In the secretly recorded phone conversation published in 1993, Camilla told Charles, "I would go through anything for you. This is love. This is the power of love." In a television interview the following year, Charles acknowledged that he resumed their relationship, but he stated that it happened only after his marriage collapsed irrevocably.
Diana, in a television interview in 1995, remarked, "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded." After Diana added glamour to Windsor Castle with her elegant clothing, many British people did not understand why Charles preferred Camilla, a countryside lover who usually appeared wearing a scarf and a raincoat. Prince Philip, Charles's father and the late Queen Elizabeth's husband, wrote to Diana, "I can't imagine any sane person leaving you to go to Camilla."
In the midst of widespread public grief and anger following Diana's death, Camilla faced especially harsh criticism. However, in the subsequent years, royal aides tasked with restoring the tarnished image of the royal family slowly began to integrate Camilla into a more public role. Success was achieved once the couple was able to appear in public together, and after they married, Queen Elizabeth agreed last year that Camilla could use the title of Queen Consort.
Public relations experts say this was the result of hard and meticulous work, although aides stated that this primarily stemmed from Camilla's personality and her strong sense of humor. Fiona Shelburne (75), a close friend of Camilla’s, told the Sunday Times last month, "She is strong, and she grew up with this extraordinary sense of duty... Wherever you go, do not complain, show your best facial expressions, and keep moving forward... this has placed her in a very good position."
However, her integration into this role has come at a price. In his memoir, Prince Harry, Charles's younger son, accused his father's wife of leaking stories about him to the press to improve her reputation, stating that he and his brother asked their father not to marry her. Polls also indicate she does not enjoy widespread popularity. A YouGovsurvey conducted this week revealed that 48% have a positive view of her, while 39% have a negative opinion, making her one of the least popular members of the royal family. Other polls also suggested that only a minority believe she should be Queen Camilla.
