The Real Reason Camilla Parker Bowles Got Divorced
Camilla Parker Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall, is widely known as the woman who married Prince Charles following a scandalous affair and the death of Charles' former wife, Princess Diana, per Elle.
When she entered the scene, the public seemed to have conflicting opinions of Camilla. Many had qualms about her role in the affair, and some just simply didn't like her as a person (via Showbiz CheatSheet).
Despite still being polarizing, the public seems to have warmed up to Camilla's presence in the royal family. At first, it seemed unlikely that Camilla would become queen when Charles ascended to the throne (via Marie Claire). Thanks to negative public opinion, it was more likely she would take the title of princess consort.
However, in a sign that the tide may have turned, the queen recently gave Camilla the title of Royal Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter — the highest honor for services to the monarchy — which reflects the Queen's respect for her daughter-in-law.
Whether she ends up as queen or not, Camilla's past is always a topic of interest, especially with the release of the latest season of "The Crown" on Netflix. Questions still circulate about the details of her affair with Prince Charles both before and after she married Andrew Parker Bowles.
Keep reading to find out exactly why Camilla and her first husband got divorced.
Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles were both unfaithful
Andrew Parker Bowles is a military veteran who served for 35 years before retiring in 1995. The queen was close friends with his father, which allowed him into the royal circle (via Oprah Daily).
Camilla Parker Bowles and Andrew began dating after meeting at her debutante party in 1965, per Showbiz Cheat Sheet. The pair began an on-again-off-again relationship that went on for seven years, with the "off" times generally being due to Andrew's infidelity, per Oprah Daily. In fact, one of his rumored affairs was with Princess Anne (via Town & Country).
He wasn't the only one cheating, however: Camilla was also having an affair — with Prince Charles, whom she met at a polo match in 1970 (via Marie Claire). The couple finally decided to wed when Camilla and Charles ended their brief romance when the prince went off to serve in the Royal Navy in 1973.
After Andrew and Camilla tied the knot on July 4, 1973, they had two children, Laura Lopes and Tom Parker Bowles, and were married for 20 years before they decided to end things (via Distractify).
Andrew Parker Bowles claims that Camilla's affair led to their split
While Andrew Parker Bowles wasn't innocent and also had his own affairs throughout their marriage, it's believed that Camilla Parker Bowles' infidelity with Prince Charles ultimately led to their split, per Showbiz Cheat Sheet.
Reportedly, Andrew was furious about his wife's affair with the prince, which they supposedly rekindled in 1986, and demanded a divorce, per Showbiz Cheat Sheet.
Meanwhile, publicly, Camilla and Andrew attempted to downplay the affairs with a statement from their lawyers that claimed they decided to break up because "there is little of common interest between [them]."
In January 1995, the couple announced their divorce in a statement that deemed it a "private matter" (via The Washington Post). "Throughout our marriage we have always tended to follow rather different interests, but in recent years we have led completely separate lives," it read.
They had reportedly been living apart for two years prior to divorcing, according to Showbiz Cheat Sheet.
But the general public understood the real reasons behind the breakup, and it was only a matter of time before Camilla and Andrew each chose to pursue their "different interests," indeed.
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles finally went public
While Camilla Parker Bowles remained married to Andrew Parker Bowles until 1995, she continued to stay in touch with Prince Charles and actually welcomed him and Princess Diana into her home during their marriage.
Little did Diana know that there was far more than friendship between them.
Although Camilla and Charles were able to keep their feelings for one another under wraps — and behind the backs of Andrew and Diana — for some time, the scandal known as Camillagate in 1993 ultimately exposed a secret phone conversation between them from 1986 (via the Mirror).
Around the time that Andrew remarried in 1996, tying the knot with Rosemary Dickinson, Charles and Diana finalized their divorce. In 1998, Charles' relationship with Camilla was made public, and the two married in 2005.
Because Princess Diana was such a beloved fixture, people around the world weren't very fond of Camilla or her relationship with Prince Charles, and it took years for the public to accept her into the royal family. But it seems that time may have finally come.