According to royal expert Penny Junor, Princess Anne is not afraid to share her thoughts, and her bold attitude has left Camilla Parker Bowles feeling intimidated by the Princess Royal for decades.
The Queen‘s only daughter, Princess Anne, has earned a reputation for being “sulky” in the public eye. Still, royal author and journalist Penny Junor believes the “abrasive” attitude towards her sister-in-law runs more profound because of Andrew Parker Bowles.
In 1973, Camilla Parker Bowles, (then Camilla Shand), married Andrew Parker Bowles. The couple stayed together until 1995 when they divorced, although they had stopped living together in 1993.
However, before the pair tied the knot, Princess Anne had been dating Andrew Parker Bowles after meeting him at the 1970 Royal Ascot. Around the same time, her brother, Prince Charles, met Camilla Shand.
Despite their brief romance, Princess Anne and Andrew Parker Bowles were unable to marry as he was a Catholic — although they split amicably and have remained on good terms since.
Junor explained: “The affair between Andrew and Anne came to nothing, but I think they were hugely fond of each other. And they remain hugely fond of each other. And I think Camilla has always had a bit of a problem with that, partly because of the affair. But Princess Anne is quite a tricky character and, she can be quite abrasive. Over the years, Camilla has been slightly intimidated by her.”
Princess Anne’s romance with Andrew was a blessing for Camilla — because it led her to Prince Charles. The royal expert was quick to point out that Camilla may not have met Prince Charles if it was not for the relationship between Andrew Parker Bowles and Princess Anne.
Junor went on to explain: “It was while he was having a relationship with Princess Anne that Camilla was introduced to Prince Charles and had a little fling with him. I guess there was an element of tit-for-tat in Camilla’s relationship with Charles. There was the man she loved having a fling with Princess Anne. What’s sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander.”
When Prince Charles married Diana Spencer in 1981, it was not long before he returned to his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, who had been married to Andrew Parker Bowles for several years by then.
Princess Anne had also married her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, a few years earlier.
In the same year that Prince Charles and Diana were married, Princess Anne gave birth to her daughter, Zara Phillips, and made Andrew Parker Bowles her godfather.
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles married in 2005 during a civic ceremony and celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary earlier this year while isolating during the coronavirus pandemic.
