What King Charles And Camilla's Wedding Was Really Like

Few royal romances have been as defiant and persistent as the one between King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla. The couple, which is all set to preside over the United Kingdom as Charles prepares to take over the British throne as monarch, has shared a love that goes back over 50 years. At the time that they first met in 1970 and something sparked, Charles and Camilla were probably too naive to predict that it would be a long time before fate brought them together for life. From holding on through their respective first marriages to bracing for mass reproval, the two senior royals weathered a storm of circumstances to be with each other. The most consequential one, of course, was winning support from Charles' mother, the then-reigning Queen Elizabeth II. 

It is widely acknowledged that the late queen wasn't immediate pals with her son's romantic partner, who was notorious in Britain as one of the primary targets behind the breakdown of Charles' marriage to the beloved Princess Diana of Wales. According to Charles' ex-staff member, it didn't help that the media bolstered Camilla's image as "this evil, horrible person," Vanity Fair noted. It took years before Elizabeth approved her son's one true love and, in seeming culmination of her acceptance of Camilla, expressly named her as her choice for queen consort during her final months. Let's look back at their legendary romance — from how their relationship kickstarted, to what King Charles and Camilla's wedding was really like.

Over three decades after they first fell for each other, King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla decided to formalize their relationship in 2005. Early that year, the couple announced their engagement, with a statement from Buckingham Palace expressing Queen Elizabeth II's happiness for her son's union. The sound of wedding bells seemingly blocked out the queen's past objection to Camilla, whom she allegedly once referred to as a "wicked woman," according to Katie Nicholl's book "The New Royals" (via Insider). Though it would take the British public more time to accept the Prince of Wales' to-be wife, whose burgeoning public image as "the other woman" attracted mass cries of disapproval, the monarch gave her blessings to the couple. Rather symbolically, Britain's most controversial royal wedding wouldn't be consummated so seamlessly.

Camilla and Charles' long pending nuptials hit another delay with the death of Pope John Paul II. The funeral was scheduled to take place on April 8, 2005, the same day Charles and Camilla had arranged to tie the knot. According to The Guardian, the ceremony was postponed by a day, with the Prince of Wales (as well as a number of other British dignitaries) flying out to attend the last offices of the head of the Catholic Church in Rome. Back in Windsor, the last-minute change-up had coordinators on their feet. In royal florist Simon Lycett's words to Hello! magazine, it was all "a bit of a white-knuckle ride." 

King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla's nuptials, like their long-term romance, weren't normative by any royal standards. The couple kicked off the two-part occasion first at the Windsor Guildhall, where their union was given legal recognition in a civil ceremony. The short private affair included a limited number of family members and after the deed was done, the newlyweds emerged from the town hall to the sound of jazz musicians playing "Congratulations," the Associated Press reported then. In keeping with their consistent break from tradition, Charles and Camilla ditched the royal public kiss to merely smile at the crowd of thousands collected outside. As Independent.ie quoted, Camilla described her wedding as "two old people getting hitched." 

The royal pair, both divorcees, waived the optics of a grand wedding ceremony to avoid any additional controversies in their already controversial match, which was yet to win full approval from the British people. In honor of the mass sentiment, it was also acknowledged that Camilla would assume the title of Duchess of Cornwall and respectfully not replace the late Diana, Princess of Wales in her role. According to The New York Times, Charles and Camilla drove up from the Guildhall to Windsor Castle in the monarch's Rolls-Royce, for a religious ceremony at St. George's Chapel. This event, more conventionally celebratory, was televised for the world and had a host of important dignitaries in attendance — including the queen. 

Royal fans around the world were eager to see how Queen Consort Camilla's wedding wardrobe would match up to their past favorite royal wedding looks. Unlike her predecessors, Camilla got more than one opportunity to deck up on her D-day — and, according to expert consensus, she passed with flying colors. For her civil ceremony, the Duchess of Cornwall wore a Robinson Valentine piece with cream-hued silk and chiffon detailing. The accompanying straw hat was, of course, the art of the royal family's go-to milliner Philip Treacy. To complement the muted tone of the outfit, makeup artist Julie Biddlecombe "went for the no makeup look, illuminating her skin and cheekbones," Vogue quoted. 

As noted fashion journalist Sandra Boler observed, Camilla's first dress was ideal for the ceremony at Windsor's town hall. "The color is right, the style is right – it is elegant and gently romantic," she told the BBC. The second dress, which Camilla wore for the official reception at St. George's Chapel and which was way more unforgettable, was a silken porcelain blue number with intricate threadwork. The most curious detail, however, was the gold feathered headdress that rested on Camilla's head in place of the customary tiara. It was widely understood that since it was Camilla's second wedding — and notably one that wasn't held in a church like royal weddings typically are — she forewent the tiara.  

Less than a decade after the death of their mother Princess Diana of Wales, Princes William and Harry stood witness to their father's remarriage in 2005. From the civil ceremony to the blessing reception at the royal estate, the siblings were right by King Charles III's side as he said his "I dos" to his longtime partner, Queen Consort Camilla. While smiles in support of their father played out on the young princes' faces, the emotions inside were different. As Harry revealed years later in 2023 during an appearance on CBS News, both brothers had advised Charles against his second marriage. "We thought that it was gonna cause more harm than good," Harry said. In retrospect, there were ample signals to suggest what Harry voiced. 

Firstly, there was the issue of longstanding unease in Camilla's relationship with William and Harry, both of whom doted on their mother. Though there was no aggressive animosity, Harry admitted in his bombshell memoir "Spare" (via Time), "I had complex feelings about gaining a step parent." Experts have also deduced signs of it in Charles and Camilla's wedding portraits. Body language expert Blanca Cobb deciphered certain tensions in Harry and Williams' stances as they posed with the newlyweds in 2005, per Cosmopolitan. While Camilla's children Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes seemed more buoyant in pictures, William apparently flashed a "stiff" smile and Harry seemed like he was trying to "brace himself." 

King Charles III and his longtime ladylove Queen Consort Camilla capped off their long-awaited wedding with a trip to the scenic Scottish highlands. For the royal pair that was well into their 50s, a honeymoon didn't mean an exotic destination like the Seychelles, where Prince William and Princess Catherine chose to spend their romantic getaway. Instead, Charles followed in the footsteps of his parents Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, by taking his wife to Birkhall, an 18th-century hunting lodge on the royal grounds of Balmoral. The property initially belonged to Queen Victoria and was passed down through generations, before being handed over to Charles. 

The picturesque estate has long been of great emotional value to the king, who spent his childhood in the gardens of Birkhall. "It's crucial to keep places that link generations or we simply lose touch," Country Life quoted Charles saying. Nearly two decades have passed since Charles and Camilla made their honeymoon trip to Balmoral, a summer favorite residence of the British royal family that the lovebirds still visit annually. Their romance is still going strong and in 2023, they marked a milestone anniversary as king and queen in lieu of Charles' accession to the throne. In the words of Camilla, who responded to a fan congratulating them on the occasion: "It is hard to believe how quickly time has flown by...!"