The Date Of Prince Philip's Death Has Special Meaning For Prince Charles
Prince Philip's death coincides with an important date for the royal family: April 9, 2021, marks the 16th anniversary for Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The eldest son of Prince Philip married Camilla Parker Bowles on April 9, 2005, at Windsor Castle (via Us Weekly). Per royal protocol, the couple had a civil ceremony instead of a church service, as they were both divorced. The late Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth did not attend the ceremony, though they both attended the televised Service of Prayer and Dedication at St. George's Chapel.
In past years, Prince Charles and Camilla celebrated their anniversary on Instagram. "Thank you for all the well wishes on Their Royal Highnesses' 15th wedding anniversary!" a commemorative post from 2020 reads. This year, however, the pair joined the rest of the royal family in remembering Prince Philip. They posted a black-and-white photograph of the queen's late husband on Instagram, with a caption that reads, "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh."
The controversy behind the marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla
The union of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall was not without its controversy. Many Princess Diana fans scorned the couple when they announced their engagement. After all, Princess Diana herself reportedly referred to Camilla Parker Bowles as "the Rottweiler" (via the Daily Express). Simone Simmons, a good friend of the Princess of Wales, claimed in her best-selling biography that Diana gave Camilla the nickname because, "she looks like a dog — and because once she has got her teeth into someone she won't let go." Simmons also claimed that Camilla once called Diana "that mad cow."
Other fans of the royal family did accept the marriage. The media referred to Charles and Camilla's wedding as a "fairy tale for grownups" (via The New York Times). Indeed, based on reports from the couple themselves, the 16-year marriage has been a successful one. The prince and the duchess regularly pose for photographs together, commemorating holidays and even just the first day of spring on Instagram. By all accounts, the couple will continue to serve the Crown for years to come.
Apparently, Prince Philip thought it was 'silly to risk everything with Camilla'
The writers of Netflix's series The Crown have it easy when it comes to finding drama within the royal family. As stated, Prince Philip and the queen were not in attendance at Charles and Camilla's civil wedding ceremony in 2005, which left Charles "inconsolable" at the time, according to the Daily Mail. The two eventually did come around to their son's marriage, however, and even attended Camilla's 60th birthday party in 2007 (via E!).
However, it's widely known that Philip had a close relationship with Princess Diana. The duke even tried to help save the marriage between Charles and Diana before their divorce. According to Best Life, Philip wrote letters to Diana saying, "I will always do my utmost to help you and Charles to the best of my ability." Philip believed it was "silly to risk everything with Camilla."
Some people believed Philip's close relationship with Diana was because of the fact that they were both outsiders who married into the royal family. In fact, in Philip's letters to Diana, he wanted to make it clear that he "understood the difficulties of marrying into the Royal Family" as a sort of mentor (via Showbiz Cheat Sheet).
Philip and Camilla's relationship improved over time
With all the negative press surrounding Charles and Camilla's relationship, the queen and Prince Philip were a little distant at first. But in recent years, it was reported that Philip and Camilla's relationship had improved. In fact, the duke, who retired from royal duties in 2017, made a rare appearance in 2020 to hand over his ceremonial role of Colonel-in-Chief to Camilla (via The New Zealand Herald).
It was also reported by New Idea that Camilla had been visiting Philip in the hospital while he battled with an infection. Camilla even made an official statement in regards to Philip's health at the beginning of March (via USA Today). The Duchess of Cornwall had said that Philip was "slightly improving" and that the family was hoping for a full recovery. Despite the drama that initially surrounded Charles and Camilla's relationship, in the end, she was there for her father-in-law. And while the date of his death fell on the couple's anniversary, it wasn't a final dig as some people on Twitter would like to joke about.