Signs Charles And Camilla's Marriage Might Be On The Rocks
At first glance, the story of King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, might seem like an epic romance. After all, the royal couple fought hard to be together, overcoming obstacle after obstacle in order to finally make it down the aisle. Camilla first caught Charles' eye way back in 1972. At the time, there were signs that the future King of England had started to fall in love, but royal tradition would prevent the duo from tying the knot; Camilla was seen as too much of a party girl to fit into the royal fold.
By 1981, the palace had pushed Charles to propose to Princess Diana, who was then an innocent young schoolteacher of an aristocratic background — in other words, a woman who was considered perfect for the role of royal wife. However, not even an institution as strong as the monarchy could keep Charles and Camilla apart. The pair continued to see each other on the sly for years, hosting small dinner gatherings for each other's friends and even sneaking away together on romantic trips to Italy and Turkey.
Following their respective divorces, Camilla and Charles were wed in a private 2005 ceremony. Soon after their wedding, though, there were new, eyebrow-raising whispers about the two. As real life came into play, Charles and Camilla's marriage is rumored to have hit the rocks.
Camilla and Charles had a difficult time transitioning to marriage
Camilla, Queen Consort, and King Charles III's unconventional love story might seem like a strength to some. However, their unusual beginning could also be regarded as a weakness. For decades, the couple did not build their relationship as a conventional partnership. Instead, they enjoyed all the adrenaline of sneaking off together and hiding their trysts from the world.
Because of this, when Charles and Camilla did eventually get married, things supposedly started to cool off. As someone close to Camilla remarked to the Daily Mail, "When a woman's been a man's mistress for thirty years and then marries him, the relationship is bound to change." Apparently, this transition has particularly impacted the duo's physical interactions, with the anonymous insider adding, "There's a certain electricity about sex between lovers which is bound to dissipate after several years of marriage."
Of course, it is worth noting that said source also told the Daily Mail that "they still love each other." That being said, Charles and Camilla's marriage is not free of the many ghosts of their past. The queen consort is believed to be extremely jealous of other women. According to at least one royal expert, Camilla worries that Charles will cheat on her as he did on Diana before her. Writing for Vanity Fair, royal correspondent Penny Junor explained, "She is wary of women who toady to her husband, who flatter him and laugh before he has even made a joke."
Rumor has it that Charles has lost interest in Camilla's problems
The honeymoon phase of a relationship doesn't last forever. At least, that seems to have been the case for King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort. Sometime around the couple's eight-year marriage anniversary, the duo headed to Scotland, where they went on a romantic walk near Loch Muick. Unfortunately, this outing resulted in injury. As the couple's former spokesperson told The Guardian, "Her Royal Highness had an x-ray which showed a twisted fracture of the fibula. ... Her Royal Highness is wearing a plaster cast and will be for six weeks. She has been advised not to put weight on her leg."
In light of this situation, it seems Charles did not exactly step up. Rather than putting in the time and effort to care for his wife, the future king conveyed that he was sick of tending to Camilla's physical needs. Speaking with the Daily Mail, a friend of the couple divulged, "Charles was brilliant with her at first, but he's never been very good at looking after others." Apparently, when one of Charles' acquaintances asked him how his wife's recovery was going, the king-to-be was apparently annoyed by her current state. Per the same source, Charles' biggest complaint was that Camilla "couldn't go with him to this and that, and how it was making everything so difficult for him."
The pair dislike each other's families
They say that a marriage is not just the joining of two people — it is also the joining of two families. However, when it comes to Camilla, Queen Consort, and King Charles III's relationship, that old saying is not exactly true. According to various reports, one of the biggest stressors in Charles and Camilla's marriage has been the fact that they apparently don't get along swimmingly with every member of each other's families.
On top of rumors that Camilla has long had a feud with Prince Harry, it is understood that the queen consort does not feel fully comfortable embracing the royal family's unique traditions. Neither the intensity nor the ceremoniousness of royal life have been natural for her. As an insider told the Daily Mail, "She finds the formality [at Highgrove House] rather claustrophobic, especially with all the servants. There are so many of them, and it's all so polished that it's rather like living in a museum."
Charles, meanwhile, has been said to have a difficult time dealing with Camilla's many grandchildren. Speaking to the Daily Mail, a royal aide noted, "Camilla absolutely adores having her grandchildren around her and is always talking about them, but Charles simply cannot stand the noise and mess that small children make." Rumor has it that Charles' attitude has not been easy for Camilla to accept, as the queen consort loves helping her daughter take care of the three little ones.
Camilla did not support Charles following his father's death
On April 9, 2021, King Charles III's beloved father, Prince Philip, died at Windsor Castle. Following this tragic loss, many people expected Camilla, Queen Consort, to step up and support her husband in his grief. As one royal insider told the Australian tabloid New Idea, "Most would think Camilla, who stands to be the queen consort one day, would be very much beside him for that." If the rumors are to be believed, it appears this did not exactly happen.
Per the outlet's reports, Charles and Camilla did not spend the week leading up to Philip's funeral in each other's company. Instead, the couple decided to stay a few days apart, with Camilla choosing to remain in the countryside, while Charles was left to grieve alone in London. Later, on the day of Philip's burial, Charles and Camilla arrived at the event separately. Afterwards, they parted ways once more. The future king set off to Wales, where he spent some time contemplating the impact his father had on the Commonwealth. Camilla, meanwhile, stayed behind.
Overall, this sequence of events puts into question the overall state of Charles and Camilla's marriage. Rather than sticking together in the tough times, the pair seemed to crumble under pressure. Prince Harry and Prince William also steered clear of their dad during this tough moment. Speaking to New Idea, an insider said, "Charles can't help but feel like he's been dumped by his entire family in his hour of need."
Charles did not support Camilla following her medical procedures
Over the years, Camilla, Queen Consort, has faced some health issues that have resulted in a number of uncomfortable medical procedures. In addition to spending some time in a cast and a wheelchair due to her broken leg, Camilla has also suffered from an unknown uterus-related issue that ultimately resulted in a hysterectomy.
In light of these two medical situations, many people would imagine that Camilla would want King Charles III by her side. However, that doesn't appear to be the reality. As noted by royal experts, Richard Kay and Geoffrey Levy, in a piece for the Daily Mail, "Most married women will find it very strange that a wife should eschew the warmth and helping hand of her husband at such a difficult time, but then, this is a very strange marriage." Indeed, Camilla opted to spend the weeks following both procedures 17 miles away from Charles at Ray Mill House — the queen consort's own private residence.
At the time of the queen consort's hysterectomy, one royal insider told the Daily Mail that Camilla disliked Charles' reaction to her medical issues: "She doesn't feel that Charles has been particularly sympathetic." That being said, the senior royal was rumored to seek comfort in someone else. "She has found her first husband, Andrew, is often a more approachable confidante," an insider claimed.
They often sleep in separate residences
Although it might sound odd for King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, to lead such separate lives, there is a reason that the pair spend such little time together: They essentially live in two different residences. While Charles splits the majority of his time between Clarence House and Highgrove House, Camilla prefers to stay at her own private residence, known as Ray Mill House. As a friend of Camilla's told The Mirror, "The [king] hardly ever stays and she's secretly delighted. She dotes on her grandchildren and is never happier than when she entertains them there."
Interestingly, however, Camilla did not originally intend to use Ray Mill House as a way to take breaks from her royal husband. In fact, the queen consort purchased the property in the mid-1990s — long before she married Charles — as a way to establish a sense of independence following her divorce from Andrew Parker-Bowles. That being said, when it came time for Camilla and Charles to wed, the royal bride thought that she would maintain the residence to keep a bit of non-royal normalcy in her life. Writing for the Daily Mail, royal experts Richard Kay and Geoffrey Levy claimed, "[Camilla] knew she would need to get away — and get away often — from the starchy formality of the Prince's world at Highgrove."
It is understood that Charles and Camilla almost got divorced
Camilla, Queen Consort, may use her residence at Ray Mill House as a royal hideaway, but that may not be the only reason why she spends so much time away from King Charles III. Back in 2010, royal servants and aides told the Daily Mail that the duo was constantly "bickering," raising tensions all around them. One royal chauffeur even told the outlet that he stopped spending the night in the Highgrove servants' quarters because Charles and Camilla's fighting had grown "so unpleasant."
Perhaps as a result of all these negative interactions, it has been posited that Charles and Camilla almost separated in 2018. Although the king and queen consort ultimately chose to stay together, Radar claims that they almost parted ways in a "fast-track divorce." According to the outlet, a royal insider stated that an unknown incident motivated Camilla to feel so upset with her husband that she tried to break up with him. And, apparently, things got really ugly between the former star-crossed lovers. The source also claimed that Camilla "threatened to reveal all the royal family's darkest secrets." The unnamed tipster continued, "There are frantic talks going on behind closed doors at Buckingham Palace, trying to negotiate some sort of face-saving compromise,"
Prince Harry's memoir has added tension to the relationship
As if all the normal pressures of daily life were not enough to put a strain on their marriage, King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort have also struggled following the publication of Prince Harry's polemic memoir, "Spare." Released in January 2023, the prince's tell-all made several accusations against the couple, particularly Camilla, whom the text referred to as an "evil stepmother." According to Harry's account, the queen consort leaked negative stories about him and Prince William to the press in order to gain public popularity. "I had complex feelings about gaining a step-parent who, I believed, had recently sacrificed me on her personal PR altar," he wrote. "But I saw Pa's smile and it was harder to argue with that, and harder still to deny the cause: Camilla."
The queen consort is said to be pretty upset about everything that Harry wrote about her, making it difficult for Charles to make peace with his son. Speaking with Fox News, royal expert Christopher Andersen opined, "I think every time the king considers handing Harry an olive branch, Camilla makes sure Charles is reminded of all the terrible things written about her in 'Spare.'" As a result, the couple are believed to argue quite a bit about the Harry situation, with Andersen reporting that the king feels "caught in the middle." The royal expert continued, "The queen has used this nonsensical 'But they're no longer working royals' argument to further alienate the king from his second son."
It is believed that Camilla did not want Harry at the coronation
As a result of the allegations that Prince Harry made about Camilla, Queen Consort, in "Spare," it is understood that the queen consort did not want the prince to be invited to the coronation. However, despite all the bad blood between Camilla and Harry, King Charles III still apparently felt that his youngest son should attend the momentous event. Ultimately, Charles got his way — on May 6, 2023, the rebellious prince sat in the pews of Westminster Abbey and watched his father become the next King of England.
In the end, though, it seems that Camilla was less than pleased to learn that her estranged stepson was included in the festivities. As one royal insider told Radar, "Camilla agrees with Prince William this was a spineless move, and Charles should have banished Harry and Meghan from the kingdom instead." Her reasoning was supposedly that excluding the Sussexes from the coronation would be a firm but necessary stance. The source went on to add, "She believes that Charles' decision has weakened their popularity."
Unfortunately, however, it is believed that Charles had little patience for his wife's opinions about Harry's role in the event. According to the same inside source, the king felt that the queen consort was being inappropriate — a sentiment that has weighed on Charles and Camilla's marriage. Per the royal source, "They can't sit and have a meal without arguing."
The queen consort fought with the king about how elaborate the coronation should be
Leading up to the coronation, Camilla, Queen Consort, and King Charles III were said to argue about way more than just Prince Harry. According to some reports, the couple disagreed about everything from which robes to wear to how much money to spend on the event. Charles, in particular, seemed to be concerned with spending as little money on the coronation as possible — much to Camilla's dismay.
Chatting with the Australian news outlet New Idea, one royal insider claimed, "There [were] genuine concerns this could end up being history's 'Kmart coronation.'" Apparently, the monarch shocked his wife when he took event planning into his own hands: "He's not only diced the coronets from all peers, but he's slashed the guest list to smithereens on several occasions." As a result of Charles' nontraditional vision for the coronation, Camilla began to worry that the event would put the monarchy at risk. As the inside source explained, "She worries they're going to lose their blue-blood sheen as representatives of the church."
Perhaps inevitably, these disagreements took a toll on Charles and Camilla's marriage. A different palace insider told Radar, "Camilla and Charles are disagreeing about absolutely everything, from the direction of the ceremony to which celebrities should be invited." Some evidence has even shown that the king felt that his wife was becoming controlling, with the source opining, "She's even bossing Charles around over his outfit. There's only so much he can take."
Charles has been snippy with Camilla in public
For the most part, King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, have managed to keep their marital problems behind palace walls. However, in the middle of a walkabout in Wrexham, Wales, Charles grew snippy with Camilla, bringing their tension into the public eye. As the queen consort greeted the enthusiastic crowds, Charles complained that his wife was taking too long. Speaking to his aides, the king asked, "Can we try and get her back again? Please. We need to go. I was trying to wait for her, but she goes on."
According to the body language expert Judi James, there's a lot to pull from this brief moment. In an interview with the Express, James explained, "Proving he is still on a short fuse, but taking it out on his wife this time rather than a pen, Charles displays not just a bad temper but also disloyalty here." According to James, the biggest issue with Charles' frustration was that he did not treat her like the royal woman that she is. The nonverbal communication specialist opined, "His wife is the new queen and he is making a very public scene about her that lowers her status." Indeed, this interaction reflected poorly on Charles and Camilla's marriage, demonstrating a lack of self control from the king. James went on to say, "This is one example of tetchiness that is taken too far."