Camilla Parker Bowles Just Took On This Important Royal Duty
Today, Prince Charles, next in line to become the King of England, is today happily married to Camilla Parker Bowles. But as many know, Camilla and Prince Charles didn't have the easiest road to happily ever after — particularly because much of their relationship was conducted while Charles was still wed to the late Princess Diana, per Town & Country.
Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles first met in 1970, and although the pair began dating then, Camilla became engaged once Charles was called to serve in the Royal Navy. Prince Charles, of course, then went on to wed Princess Diana in 1981, but by 1986, Charles and Camilla had begun their affair, per Charles' authorized biography (via Town & Country). "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded," Princess Diana famously told journalist Martin Bashir in 1995 (via The Seattle Times).
After Princess Diana and Prince Charles divorced, Charles and Camilla began their relationship in earnest. But when Prince Charles and Camilla finally wed in 2005, the queen didn't attend the wedding — only the reception afterward. Still, Queen Elizabeth seems to approve of her son's second marriage, and Camilla has now taken on a new royal duty.
Camilla's new royal duty
With time and age, the queen became more gentle towards Camilla Parker Bowles, who originally wasn't seen as a suitable match for Prince Charles, given her status as a divorcee, per Biography. An honor recently bestowed to Camilla comes ahead of Remembrance Sunday, the British equivalent of Veteran's Day, on November 14, per People. Camilla partnered with royal wreath makers on the elaborate poppy wreath that Prince Charles will lay during a public ceremony at Cenotaph, proceedings previously led by his late father, Prince Philip. Camilla also laid a Cross of Remembrance as part of the ritual to honor the country's fallen soldiers on November 11.
And in 2016, the queen named Camilla, as well as Prince William, to her Privy Council, an honor reserved for her most senior advisers, per Express. With this honor, the Duchess of Cornwall will have the privilege of being present for the moment Charles is named King of England.
As Prince Charles readies himself to assume the royal crown, it makes sense that Camilla is taking on new royal responsibilities as well.