Public scrutiny of the royal family has always been particularly intense for its female members. Queen Camilla is among those who faced the spotlight most in recent years.
Queen Camilla was born Camilla Rosemary Shand on July 17, 1947, in London, England. Her father, Bruce Shand, was a British Army officer, and her mother, Rosalind Cubitt, came from a wealthy British aristocratic family.
In 1973, Camilla married British Army officer Andrew Parker Bowles. They had two children together, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, before divorcing in 1995.
Camilla’s relationship with King Charles III began in the early 1970s before they married. However, they went their separate ways, with Charles eventually marrying Princess Diana in 1981.
Following Princess Diana’s death in 1997, Charles and Camilla resumed their relationship, and they were married in a civil ceremony on April 9, 2005. Following their marriage, Camilla became known as the Duchess of Cornwall. Despite initial public scrutiny due to the circumstances of their relationship, Camilla gradually won acceptance from the British public through her charity work and public appearances.
As a full-fledged member of the royal family, Camilla has taken on numerous charitable roles, focusing on issues such as literacy, animal welfare, and empowering women. Over the years, Camilla has earned respect for her dedication to royal duties and warm demeanor in public engagements.
Upon marrying Charles, Camilla became stepmother-in-law to Catherine, the Princess of Wales, commonly known as Kate Middleton. Although many may think their relationship has been overlooked because many have tied Kate with Diana, surprisingly, they have a pretty solid relationship. People have been discovering the depth of their relationship through the years, even highlighting their striking similarities.
