Camilla, Queen Consort
Camilla (Camilla; née Shand; formerly Parker Bowles; born 17 July 1947) is the wife of King Charles III, and the current Queen consort of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth of Nations since 8 September 2022 following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
| Camilla | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Camilla in 2018 | |
| Queen consort of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms | |
| Tenure | 8 September 2022 – present |
| Born | Camilla Shand 17 July 1947 King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | |
| House | Windsor (by marriage) |
| Father | Bruce Shand |
| Mother | Rosalind Cubitt |
| Education | |
| Signature | |
 | |
Early lifeEdit
She was born Camilla Rosemary Shand in King's College Hospital, London. She grew up in Sussex. She has a sister, Annabel Elliot (born 1949) and had a brother, Mark Shand (1951-2014).
From 1973 to 1995, she was married to Andrew Parker Bowles. They had two children.
Marriage to Prince CharlesEdit
Prince Charles, later Charles III, and Camilla married each other on 9 April 2005, and she started to be called Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall. When their engagement was announced, it was also said that she would not be known as The Princess of Wales, although she legally held this title as the wife of The Prince of Wales. This decision was made due to the popularity of Prince Charles' first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, who held that title from 1981 until her divorce in 1996, from which time she was styled as "Diana, Princess of Wales". Charles and Diana divorced the year prior to her death.[1] The relationship between Camilla and Prince Charles began when they met at a polo match in 1970.[2] Camilla was seen to be an unsuitable match for the future king.[3]
The Duchess took many visits, mostly in Great Britain — often with Prince Charles, but sometimes on her own. She lives at Clarence House, which is a part of St James's Palace in London (very close to Buckingham Palace). She lives there with King Charles and his sons, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
FamilyEdit
Camilla was married once before, to Andrew Parker Bowles — from 1973 until they divorced in 1995.[4] The couple had a son, Tom and a daughter, Laura. Tom is married to Sara, and they have a daughter, Lola, born in 2007 and a son, Freddy, born in 2010. Laura is married to Harry Lopes, and has a daughter, Eliza, born in 2008 and two sons, Gus and Louis, born in 2009.
Queen consortEdit
Camilla became Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the other commonwealth realms as consort of Charles III on the 8th September 2022 following the death of her mother in law, Elizabeth II. Despite public opposition to her being called Queen as the consort to the King (because of public preference to the late Diana, Princess of Wales) it was announced that she would take the title following the wish of Elizabeth II. Camilla will be crowned as Queen (there is no need for the word "consort" in practice) alongside her husband, the King, at their coronation, which is set to take place on 6th may 2023. It should be noted that Camilla was legally and constitutionally already entitled to be automatically styled as Queen as the wife of the King irrespective of the announcement by the late Queen Elizabeth II. This has been the case for the legal spouse of a King for hundreds of years. Diana, Princess of Wales, lost her legal right to be Queen on her divorce from Charles in 1996, a year before her death.
TitlesEdit
- 1947–1973: Miss Camilla Shand
- 1973–1995: Mrs Andrew Parker Bowles
- 1995–2005: Camilla Parker Bowles
- 2005–2022: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall
- in Scotland: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Rothesay
- 2022–present: Her Majesty The Queen (this is the correct form of address. There is no need for the use of the word "Consort" in practice. This was also the case for previous Queen consorts).
Camilla was also legally The Princess of Wales as the wife of The Prince of Wales from her marriage in 2005 until 8th September 2022. However, it was decided that she would not use this title in practice out of deference to the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ The Duchess of Cornwall
- ↑ Jackson, Ben (11 March 2009). "Camilla's clinch for Charles' first love". The Sun. Retrieved 6 August 2012.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Edwards, Anne (2001). Ever After: Diana and the Life She Led. St. Martin's Paperbacks. pp. 85-86. ISBN 978-0312978730.
- ↑ "A Royal Romance Interactive Timeline". CBS News. 18 March 2005. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
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