On 9 April 2005, after more than 30 years of a well-known and often controversial relationship, Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at Windsor’s Guildhall. It was a historic moment for the British monarchy, marking the union of two people whose relationship had long been at the centre of public scrutiny and royal drama.
The wedding was modest by royal standards. Over 20,000 members of the public gathered outside the venue to cheer the couple, while the actual ceremony was attended by just a handful of close family and friends. Following the civil wedding, a religious service of blessing took place at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. The Queen and Prince Philip were not present at the civil ceremony, but they did attend the blessing and hosted a reception for the newlyweds at Windsor Castle afterwards.
The path to this moment had been far from smooth. Charles and Camilla had first met in the early 1970s and shared a close bond before Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. Throughout Charles and Diana’s famously troubled marriage, rumours of his ongoing relationship with Camilla persisted. Diana herself famously said in a 1995 interview, “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.” The affair and its aftermath deeply damaged public perception of both Charles and Camilla, especially in the wake of Diana’s tragic death in 1997.
For years, Camilla faced harsh media criticism and was widely blamed by the public for the breakdown of Charles and Diana’s marriage. Many Britons were sceptical — even hostile — towards the idea of her becoming a senior royal. The decision for her to take the title Duchess of Cornwall rather than Princess of Wales was seen as a nod to public sensitivities surrounding Diana’s legacy.
However, over time, public sentiment began to soften. Camilla gradually earned respect for her quiet dedication to royal duties, charitable work, and support of Charles. As their public image rehabilitated, the couple became more widely accepted as a steady, devoted pair within the royal family.
Now, two decades after their wedding, the couple serve as King Charles III and Queen Camilla, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.
Also read: ON THIS DAY: Queen Elizabeth II ascends to the throne (1952)
With information from BBC
