Queen Elizabeth II is a big fan of Prince Charles‘s wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, now.
However, this was not always the case. A royal expert investigated to shed light on some of the tense moments that have marked the relationship over the years.
At some point, the drama with Camilla complicated things between Charles and his parents, the Queen and Prince Philip.
As Charles was seeking their approval, he went through many obstacles because they were certain that his romance with Camilla was hurting his image.
Charles and Camilla’s love story started in the 1970s, but the couple only got married in 2005, long after his divorce from Princess Diana in 1996.
While Charles was officially married to Diana for close to 15 years, Prince William and Prince Harry‘s late mother always had to deal with Camilla’s presence in the union.
In Diana’s infamous interview with Martin Bashir, she revealed that there were “three of us in this marriage.” This statement weighed heavily in the Queen’s decision to keep her distance from Camilla.
Journalist Tom Bower wrote in the Daily Mail: “For years, both the Queen and her mother had refused to have anything to do with Charles’ mistress. Not only did they not want her present at any royal function, either formal or informal; they actively disapproved of her and of Charles’ relationship with her.”
After Diana’s death, Charles thought his mother would change her stance on his romance with Camilla. However, he was wrong and was forced to confront her in 1998.
Bower claimed: “He asked that she soften her antagonism so he could live openly with Camilla. His hope was that the Queen, who rarely interfered, would at least not directly forbid it.”
Queen Elizabeth wanted nothing to do with Camilla, and the painful reality was hard for Charles to accept.
The author continued: “But on that evening she’d had several martinis, and to Charles’ surprise she replied forcefully: she would not condone his adultery, nor forgive Camilla for not leaving Charles alone to allow his marriage to recover. She vented her anger that he had lied about his relationship with what she called ‘that wicked woman,’ and added: ‘I want nothing to do with her.’”
Moreover, the monarch did not trust Camilla because of the leaked tapes from the so-called Camillagate. The exchange with his mother was a devastating blow to the future king, and he even wept during a phone call with Camilla afterward.
Four years after the brutal exchange, some progress was made, and Camilla accompanied Charles to his grandmother’s funeral in 2002. However, the Queen refused to attend their wedding on moral grounds.
Years have passed, Camilla is now an integral part of the British royal family. As the Queen deals with some health issues, she and others have stepped in to fill the void.
Royal expert Howard Hodgson told the Express: “Those two ladies [Camilla and Sophie, Countess of Wessex], the Queen absolutely adores them. The Queen gets on very well with Camilla. She didn’t really understand and was probably guilty of believing what she might not have read but had been told.”
Time healed wounds for the royal family.
