Happy Occasion On A Somber Day: Prince Charles Wed Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, 17 Years Ago Today

Apr 09, 2022 by apost team

April 9 marks one year since the passing of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, but it's also another royal anniversary — the day that Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall were married in 2005. This means that not only did Prince Charles lose his father one year ago but it very, unfortunately, happened to coincide with his wedding anniversary.

Last year, Charles and Camilla didn't publicly acknowledge their anniversary at the time due to the tragic passing of Philip, but over one month later, they released a new photo of themselves and gave many thanks to the public for their anniversary well wishes.

Over the years, Charles and Camilla's relationship has definitely raised eyebrows. The couple was believed to have had an affair while Charles was still married to Princess Diana. During the last few years of Diana's life, it was reported that the alleged affair tormented her. There was even an interview from 1995 where she referenced the affair to a young Prince William.

Tragedy struck when Princess Diana passed away due to a car accident in 1996, and two years later Charles and Camilla began officially seeing each other. Because of Diana's untimely passing, Charles didn't want to overwhelm his family with the sudden inclusion of a new spouse, as Prince Harry and Prince William were still minors when their mother passed. Therefore, Charles decided that it would be best to wait until they were adults to get married to Camilla.

Then, finally, in 2005, the couple married in a private ceremony, despite having dated in public for six years prior to tying the knot. Since then, their relationship has been a stable one, as they've embarked on royal trips together, as well as many official engagements. Let's take a look at their relationship including how they acknowledged their anniversary after Philip's death fell on the day in 2021.

There are slight variations on reports about when Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall first met, although rumor has it that it was in the early '70s. As per the BBC's report, Charles first saw Camilla Shand in 1970 in Windsor Great Park at a polo match. However, as per People's report: 

"When she met the Prince at a party in 1972, Camilla Shand, then a 25-year-old post-ed living in London, told him sassily, 'My great-grandmother was the mistress of your great-great-grandfather. I feel we have something in common.'"

Whichever version is true between the two, there was certainly a spark. In 1971, Charles returned to duty by joining the Royal Navy, which resulted in the dwindling of the courtship he had started with Camilla. According to People's report, "Although the smitten prince courted her for six months, he failed to propose before returning to sea in February 1973." Charles had allegedly decided that he would not marry before he was 30 years old.

As we know, Camilla went on to marry Andrew Parker Bowles, with whom she had two children, and Charles married Princess Diana, with whom he had Prince William and Prince Harry. Then in 1986, as reported by People, Charles and Camilla revived their physical romance after supposedly having an on-and-off connection in the previous years. This happened in spite of both being married and raising their families.

Eventually, both Charles and Camilla's marriages ended in divorce in the mid-'90s and the couple began dating in 1998, two years after Diana's untimely passing. They dated for six years before they were married on April 9, 2005.

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After they got married, Camilla became the Duchess of Cornwall and since then the couple has always been by each other's side. They often go on royal tours together and with Charles the heir apparent to the British throne, in recent years they have been very present in royal engagements.

Sadly, however, Charles and Camilla's 16th wedding anniversary was overshadowed by the sad news that Charles' father, Prince Philip had passed away. At the time, the couple did not make public mention of their anniversary as they usually did, however, one month later they did release a photo and gave thanks to those who wished them a happy anniversary.

The lovely photo of the couple was taken in Oct. 2020 after four life-size elephant sculptures were delivered to the Prince of Wales' Highgrove country estate. On the back of the image, the Duchess of Cornwall included a message that was partly handwritten by herself, which included the signoff, "With best wishes, Camilla."

The photo was of the couple smiling widely at the camera while they were surrounded by two elephant sculptures. The artworks have a deeper meaning for the couple, as they're related to an initiative that was started by the Elephant Family — a charity that Mark Shand, Camilla's brother, co-founded in 2002. Sadly, he passed away in 2014, but the duchess revealed in Oct. 2020 that she thought her brother would be "so proud" of the sculptures, as reported by Hello!. 

It's heartwarming to know that Prince Charles and Camilla received the utmost love and well wishes on their anniversary, despite Prince Philip's death falling on the same day. And to know that they've thanked everyone in such a meaningful way, with a photo that also commemorated Camilla's brother's charity, is truly wonderful. 

Happy 17th anniversary to Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall! What do you think about the way they delayed giving thanks for their anniversary well-wishes following the death of Prince Philip? Let us know and pass this on so others can read about it too.