Camilla is the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2023β ), wife of Charles III. While her affair with Charles during his marriage (1981β96) to Princess Diana caused controversy, Camilla eventually gained public acceptance. She is known for her self-deprecating humor and easy-going nature.
Born Camilla Rosemary Shand, she dated Prince Charles in the early 1970s. Marriage was not considered, because Charles was too young, and some in the monarchy viewed Shand as an unsuitable bride. Objections included the fact that she was not aristocratic. She later married Andrew Parker Bowles, and the couple had two children. During this time they remained in the princeβs circle of friends. By 1986 she and Prince Charles had resumed their relationship. In 1994, two years after separating from Diana, Charles publicly admitted to having an affair. In 1997 Diana died in a car crash.
In the ensuing years a campaign was launched to ease Camilla into public life and rehabilitate her image. Eventually the couple gained widespread acceptance, and on April 9, 2005, Charles and Camilla wed. She took the title duchess of Cornwall. She initially stated she did not wish to be called queen, but Elizabeth II later announced that Camilla should be queen consort when Charles took the throne. In 2022 Elizabeth died, and Camilla was crowned queen on May 6, 2023, during the coronation of her husband.