Queen Consort Camilla Receives The Brooch Princess Diana Was Given By The Queen Mother On Her Wedding Day

Sep 21, 2022 by apost team

The year 2022 was a big year for Queen Elizabeth II, who in February celebrated 70 years as Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 Commonwealth realms. This is not only a milestone for her but for the entire world, as she was the first British ruling monarch to reach the seven-decade mark. In fact, she had already made history as the second longest-serving monarch ever. Sadly, on Sept. 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II passed away at her home Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Following her death, her son, once Prince Charles, immediately became King Charles III. 

Decades ago, King Charles III was married to Princess Diana. Sadly, the couple divorced in 1996. Shortly after, Princess Diana lost her life more than two decades ago. Despite this fact, she remains as relevant to the hearts and minds of her supporters as she was the day she died. Her style and elegance, the drama that unfolded in her life, and her philanthropic efforts are still regularly discussed. 

One of the most controversial topics discussed regarding the royal family is the extramarital relationship King Charles III shared with Camilla Parker-Bowles. And now, a new twist in the plot has been uncovered regarding the love triangle that once scandalized the British royal family. Camilla, who is now the wife of King Charles III, has been spotted wearing a piece of jewelry that was once a gift to Princess Diana from Queen Elizabeth II. The wedding gift was given to Diana 41 years ago. Read on to see what piece of jewelry Princess Diana once wore but has since been passed on to Camilla.

According to Royal UK, Camilla, Queen Consort, was born as Camilla Rosemary Shand on July 17, 1947. She is the daughter of Major Bruce Middleton Hope Shand and the Hon Rosalind Maud Shand. Camilla also has one sister, Annabel Elliot, and a brother, Mark Shand. Sadly, the latter passed away in April 2014.

Camilla proved to be a lover of reading during her childhood. She also appreciated being surrounded by animals as she grew up with cats and dogs. Camilla also learned how to ride a pony through Pony Club camps.

The future Queen Consort attended Dumbrells School in Sussex during her younger years before moving on to attend Queen’s Gate School. She also studied in Switzerland and Paris, proving to be very worldly from an early start in life.

She met Andrew Parker Bowles in the late 1960s and engaged in an on-again, off-again relationship with him for many years. However, the pair’s engagement was announced in 1973. They married on July 4, 1973, at the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks, in London. At the time, Camilla was 25 years old, while her then-husband was 33. It was a highly appreciated society wedding that included many royal guests, including Princess Anne, Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

However, this was not the fairytale relationship that the couple had hoped for, and Camilla and Andrew filed for divorce in December 1994 after 21 years of marriage. They had already been living separately for many years prior to this filing. Their divorce was finalized in March of the following year.

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Even though Camilla’s first marriage ended in heartbreak, she soon found a new love. It wasn’t long before Camilla found herself involved with the royal family, although the beginning of her relationship with them had not been off to the best of starts.

King Charles III and the Queen Consort of the United Kingdom's relationship has definitely raised eyebrows over the years. The couple had an affair while King Charles III was still married to Princess Diana, and during the last few years of her life, it was reported that the alleged affair tormented the late princess.

Then tragedy struck when Princess Diana passed away due to a car accident in 1997. Following this, Charles and Camilla began officially seeing each other two years after Diana's death. Because of Diana's untimely passing, Charles did not want to overwhelm his family with the sudden inclusion of a new spouse. Prince Harry and Prince William were still minors when their mother passed, and Charles decided that it would be best to wait until they were adults to get married to Camilla. 

Camilla and Charles finally did get married in 2005, and the small, intimate ceremony was attended by his children as well as the late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip. Queen Elizabeth II sadly passed away on Sept 8, 2022, at her home in Balmoral Castle.

Camilla has been a loyal partner to Charles and has taken on her royal duties with grace and enthusiasm. It is certain now that Camilla is a beloved part of the royal family. 

Despite the controversy surrounding Camilla and Charles' marriage, both of them have shown that they have nothing to offer but love. Over the years, people have still speculated about the couple's relationship with the rest of the family members, but especially with William and Prince Harry.

Upon King Charles III and Camilla’s engagement in February 2005, a statement from the palace was released in which questions about Camilla's status and title as queen were addressed. 

The statement, released on Feb. 10, 2005, announced their marriage and immediately mentioned that Camilla would be using the title "HRH The Duchess of Cornwall." 

It clarified that since Charles was next in line after Queen Elizabeth II, "It is intended that Mrs. Parker Bowles should use the title HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales accedes to The Throne." Harper’s Bazaar noted that Camilla actually had the opportunity to pick up the title "Princess of Wales," but since the beloved, late Diana was bestowed that title, Camilla avoided it.

Although through the majority of Camilla’s life, she was known as the "other woman," True Royalty TV producer Juliet Rice explained to Fox News, "There’s been this historical misconception about Camilla because of the circumstances surrounding King Charles III's marriage to Princess Diana.”

Rice went on to add:

“There’s a lot of misconceptions about what really went on there and throughout all that coverage, the ‘80s and beyond, she’s never said a word. We didn’t talk to her about that, but it was nice to see her as a human, a relatively normal human being.”

Even though the royal family and some media outlets have worked hard to prove that Camilla could be just like any other woman, she most certainly is not. She is the Queen Consort, meaning she has plenty of responsibilities on her plate. However, she also gets to attend some wonderful events in the process of being a member of the royal family.

Back in September 2021, Camilla and Kate Middleton exuded elegance and glamor as they attended the premiere of the James Bond film “No Time To Die” at London’s Royal Albert Hall. They were accompanied by their very dapper-looking spouses, who looked very handsome in tuxedos.

Many people were astonished by the sheer elegance and grace the royals displayed at the premiere. According to PEOPLE, James Bond actor Daniel Craig was quite impressed by the outfit and told the duchess, "You look jolly lovely."

As a working royal, Camilla has made sure to use her platform for good. She has worked hard to help others in several ways. While she was Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla carried out many public engagements, typically alongside Charles. She is also a patron, president or member of several charities and organizations. Some of the social issues Camilla has worked to raise awareness about include animal welfare, poverty, literacy and sexual abuse. She has also campaigned to raise awareness of osteoporosis, a systemic skeletal disorder that can lead to bone fragility.

And while Camilla has proven that she is a very valuable member of the royal family and has worked hard to cement herself as a step-mom for William and Harry, she has never forgotten her life before marrying Charles. In fact, she has two children from her previous marriage.

Camilla has two children, a son and daughter named Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes (born Laura Parker Bowles), with her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles. Following her divorce from Andrew, Camilla wed then-Prince Charles and became the Duchess of Cornwall. At the time, Camilla took a different title than the proposed title of "Princess of Wales" because the beloved late Princess Diana was bestowed that title.

According to Express, royal biographer Penny Junor noted in her biography, "The Firm," written about Prince Phillips and the royal family, Camilla's biggest concern was her step-sons, William and Harry. 

"A not insignificant part of the reason why they had waited until 2005 to announce their engagement was a sensitivity towards the boys," Junor wrote. "They didn't want to foist a stepmother on William and Harry before they had fully grown up."

The Queen Consort connected instantly with her new step-sons. Harry commented on his relationship with his stepmother in his book "Harry: The Biography of a Prince," written by Angela Levin,

"To be honest, she's always been very close to me and William. She's not a wicked stepmother. Look at the position she's coming into." He also added: "Don't feel sorry for me and William, feel sorry for her."

Although her new step-sons welcomed Camilla with open arms, their relationship with their new step-siblings was the complete opposite. According to The News, royal author Katie Nicholl wrote about how King Charles III and Camilla's affair affected their children in her 2010 biography "Harry and William."

"William and Laura used to have terrible fights over who was to blame for their broken homes," Nicholl wrote.

Despite the rocky start to their relationship, William and Harry have grown to love their step-siblings and vice versa. The siblings all attended each other's weddings, and in 2011 Laura's daughter Eliza was a bridesmaid in William and Kate’s wedding.

Camilla's children have shied away from the public eye but have excelled in their respective fields. Her son, Tom Parker Bowles, is a famed British food critic, writer, and cookbook author. In 2005, a couple of months after his mother married King Charles III, Tom married his long-time girlfriend, Sara Buys. They have a daughter and son, Lola and Frederick.

Camilla's daughter, Laura Lopes, is an art curator. In 2006, Lopes married former Calvin Klein model Harry Lopes. On her special day, Laura wore a dress by Anna Valentine, the same designer who designed Camilla's wedding dress when she married Prince Charles. The couple now has three children; Eliza and twin boys Gus and Louis. 

In an interview with Good Morning Britain, as per Cosmopolitan, Tom explained why he and his sister stayed out of the royal spotlight, stating he and his sister were "not quite part of the royal family, to be honest."

"My mother married into it. She's part of it," he further explained. "We're the common children. We're just on the side."

Although the Queen Consort's children enjoy their privacy, they occasionally make red carpet events to support their family. When Camilla, then-Duchess of Cornwall, was installed as the Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter by the late Queen Elizabeth II, her children made a rare appearance.

While Camilla has certainly found her footing in the royal family, it has not always been without backlash, especially in matters involving the late Princess Diana.

Years after his divorce and Princess Diana's passing, in February 2005, King Charles III announced that he was engaged to Camilla after living with her at Clarence House since 2003. King Charles III and Camilla were married on Apr. 9, 2005, in a civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall. 

The iconic piece of jewelry that once wore on his previous wife is made of emeralds, diamonds, and rubies. Diana wore the piece as a pendant. Camilla now wears the piece of jewelry as a brooch.

Following the controversial divorce that took place between Princess Diana and King Charles III, the piece of jewelry remained in the British Royal House. In the years following the death of Diana, the jewelry was regarded as one of the greatest treasures left behind by the princess. 

It is not uncommon for royal family members to wear jewelry pieces that belonged to deceased family members. But the history shared between these two ladies has caused some outrage with people who remain loyal to Princess Diana. It is unclear whether or not Camilla will continue to wear the jewelry now that enough people are paying attention. But what is clear is that the supporters of Diana will voice their displeasure in a way that cannot be ignored by Camilla each time they see her wearing the jewelry.

Wearing Princess Diana's jewelry is one of the few things that the two women had in common. Harpers Bazaar once noted that Camilla actually had the opportunity to pick up the title "Princess of Wales," but since the beloved, late Diana was bestowed that title, Camilla avoided it.

Do you think it is proper for Camilla to wear a piece of jewelry that once belonged to Princess Diana? Are you surprised that King Charles III or no other member of the royal family counseled her against wearing the jewelry in front of the public? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones.