Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, turns 74 on July 17.
At times Camilla has been one of the most controversial members of the British royal family.
However, after working hard for the nation over time, views have softened towards her.
Here we look back at the woman who is set to become Queen consort – and potentially Queen – when HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales becomes the monarch.
Below is everything you need to know about Camilla’s changing relationship with the royals.
1970
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Camilla is widely reported to have met Prince Charles for the first time at a polo match at Windsor Great Park.
The duo bonded over their love of the posh game and the outdoors.
While unconfirmed, Camilla is said to have joked about her great-grandmother having an affair with King Edward VII.
Charles and Camilla briefly dated but after the future king left for service in the Royal Navy, things fizzled out.
By the time he returned eight months later, Camilla was already engaged to someone else.
1973
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Camilla married Army cavalry officer Andrew Parker Bowles in July 1973.
Despite moving on romantically, Camilla remained close to Charles – even asking him to be her son Tom’s godfather.
1981
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On July 29, 1981, the world watched as Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
As she walks down the aisle, Diana can be seen glaring to her left and right.
She later told how she was looking for Camilla – who she knew was at the packed venue.
During their honeymoon, Charles is reported to have worn cufflinks gifted to him by Camilla – sparking upset from his new wife.
1984
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By 1984 Charles and Diana have had two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Despite putting on a public display of unity, it is from this point on that the relationship begins to break down.
Two years after the birth of Prince Harry, Charles is said to have rekindled his romance with Camilla.
1989
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It’s reported that a distraught Diana confronted Camilla at a party and called her out on her ongoing romance with Charles.
Diana claimed that Camilla told her “it was alright for her” as she had “two beautiful children”.
1992
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By June 1992 the royal marriage was hanging by a thread behind closed doors.
At breaking point as her marriage lay in tatters, Diana decided to air her side of the story via biographer Andrew Morton.
His book Diana: Her True Story sent shockwaves through the establishment and around the globe.
While Diana initially denied helping Morton, it was later confirmed she secretly recorded tapes for him with her account of the past few years.
The book tells of Diana’s jealously over Camilla, sparking widespread public anger against Parker Bowles.
Just a few months later it was announced in the House of Commons by Prime Minister John Major that Charles and Diana would separate.
Despite going their separate ways, at this point, the couple were not seeking a divorce.
1993
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Camilla and Charles are rocked by a leaked phone call which is dubbed by the media as “Camillagate”.
The phone call was said to have been recorded in 1989 and both Charles and Camilla can be heard gushing to each other.
1994
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With his popularity taking a noise-dive, Charles allows Jonathan Dimbleby to film him for a year in the hope to get things back on track.
During a sit-down interview, Dimbleby asked if Charles was “faithful and honourable” during his marriage to Diana.
Charles replied that he was “until it became irretrievably broken down, us both having tried”.
Speaking about Camilla, he added she was a “great friend of mine”.
He said: “She has been a friend for a very long time—and will continue to be a friend for a very long time.”
1995
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By this time Camilla is seen as the reason for the breakdown of the marriage and the main source of unhappiness for Diana by a large portion of the public.
In a now iconic interview, Diana told Martin Bashir on BBC’s Panorama: “Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”
And in 1996, following Diana’s interview, Her Majesty The Queen ordered Charles and Diana to divorce amid a battle now dubbed the War of the Wales’.
1997
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Princess Diana, 36, tragically dies in a car crash in Paris.
As the globe mourns the loss of the young royal, upset turns to anger.
Many across the UK see Camilla as the catalyst that broke Diana and Charles marriage and eventually led to her tragic death.
It’s reported that The Queen was ‘ruthless’ when it came to trying to protect The Crown.
Speaking on Channel 5 documentary The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty, journalist Richard Kay said: “The public were still madly in love with Diana and Diana’s memory and every time they heard mention of Camilla it brought back a bad memory.
“The Queen was utterly ruthless. In that period she and Philip made it absolutely clear that Camilla was not welcome and they would not be seen with her.”
1998
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To celebrate Prince Charles turning 50, Her Majesty The Queen host a party for him at Buckingham Palace, to which Camila was not invited.
Biographer Penny Junor said: “The Queen knew precisely how damaging Charles’ relationship with Camila had been for the Monarchy.
“Charles was being told by his mother the way the whole situation is solved is that Camila must go. “
Despite The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh cutting her adrift, less than 18 months after Diana’s death, he openly deified his mother and monarch.
1999
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In November 1999 Prince Charles and Camilla went public with their relationship.
HRH’s camp is said to have tipped off the media about a photo opportunity at The Ritz hotel.
Charles and Camilla were seen leaving the Piccadilly hotel together after attending the birthday of Camilla’s sister.
From here on Camilla is slowly brought into the royal fold.
2003
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Charles and Camilla move into Clarence House.
In a sign that The Firm are wary about the relationship and public perception, The Royal Family make it known that no taxpayer money will be used to redecorate Camilla’s rooms.
2005
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35 years after they first met, Charles and Camilla announce they are engaged.
On April 8 they marry in a low key civil ceremony which saw Prince William act as the best man.
Despite being the mother to the groom, The Queen does not attend.
However, she does attend the reception.
In another nod to the public mood, it is announced that Camilla won’t be given the title of Princess of Wales – keeping the late Princess Diana as the only Princess of Wales.
Instead, she is given the title of Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall.
2010
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Despite keeping out of scandal and attending hundreds of events to represent the Monarchy, public mood is still negative of Camilla.
When asked by Brian Williams if she would become Queen of England ‘if an when you become the monarch,’ Prince Charles replied: “That could be”.
Public anger is swift, and so is Buckingham Palace’s reply.
They insist that “nothing has changed” and Princess Consort is still the intended title for Camilla.
2017
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Ahead of her 70th birthday, Camilla gives a rare interview to The Daily Mail.
When asked about her affair with Charles and the media attention it brought, she replied: “It was horrid.
“It was a deeply unpleasant time and I wouldn’t want to put my worst enemy through it. I couldn’t have survived it without my family.”
2021
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Camilla is now regularly seen alongside Her Majesty The Queen at royal engagements.
She joined Her Majesty and the Duchess of Cambridge in June at the Big Lunch at the Eden Project.
According to YouGov, Camilla’s polarity stands at 36%.
This puts her 10th on the list of royals.
In comparison, public support for Prince Charles is at 45%.
Meanwhile, The Queen’s popularity is at 76%.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
