Prince Charles

On April 9, 2005, Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, married Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, followed by a religious blessing at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. The union marked a significant moment in British royal history, as it brought to a close a long and often controversial romantic journey that had spanned decades.

Prince Charles and Camilla’s relationship dated back to the early 1970s, but both married other people—Charles famously to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. After Charles and Diana’s very public divorce and Diana’s tragic death in 1997, his continued relationship with Camilla was met with intense media scrutiny and public criticism. Over time, however, perceptions shifted as Camilla gradually took on more public duties and established a more accepted role within the royal family.

The wedding was originally scheduled for April 8 but was postponed by a day to allow Charles to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II. The ceremony was intentionally modest and low-profile, reflecting both the sensitivities surrounding their past and a desire to keep the event dignified and respectful. Queen Elizabeth II did not attend the civil ceremony but did attend the blessing and later hosted a reception at Windsor Castle .

Following their marriage, Camilla received the title Duchess of Cornwall, choosing not to use the title Princess of Wales out of respect for the late Princess Diana. Years later, in a message marking the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, Elizabeth II expressed her wish that Camilla be known as Queen Consort when Charles ascends the throne—an endorsement that solidified her role in the future of the monarchy.

The marriage of Charles and Camilla is now viewed as a story of reconciliation, resilience, and the evolving nature of the British monarchy in the modern era.