How old is Camilla and what was her maiden name before she married Charles?
We find out a little more about Camilla, who will become Queen of England after Charles III’s Coronation on 6 May.
Camilla Rosemary Shand was born on 17 July 1947, in London, England, to Bruce and Rosalind Shand which makes her 75 years old. Her parents grew up on an estate in Plumpton, Sussex. Her father was Vice Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex and a successful wine merchant.
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She was romantically involved with Prince Charles for a brief time between 1970 and 1971 after being introduced by a mutual friend, Lucia Santa Cruz. Camilla married her first husband Andrew Parker-Bowles in July 1973. The couple had two children, Tom (born 18 December 1974) and Laura (born 1 January 1978). Camilla and Parker-Bowles divorced in March 1995 after 21 years of marriage. After her second marriage to Prince Charles in April 2005, she took the official title: the Duchess of Cornwall.
Traditionally, when a woman marries a member of the British royal family, she gets the female version of her husband’s title. For example, Meghan Markle became the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry was given the title of Duke of Sussex when they got married in 2018.
What is Camilla’s official title with Charles as King?
Even before Charles married Camilla in 2005, he was reported to regard her as Princess Consort, and would not automatically become Queen, when he eventually ascended to the throne - even though she would legally be Queen consort. However, in 2018, Clarence House removed the statement about Camilla being styled as Princess consort. The matter was raised in Parliament. Constitutional Affairs Minister Christopher Leslie said in a statement that the marriage of Charles and Parker Bowles “would not be morganatic” – in which the spouse of inferior status has no claim to the status of the other. Lawmaker Andrew Mackinlay stated that, “This is absolutely unequivocal that she automatically becomes queen when he becomes king.”
In February 2022, former monarch Queen Elizabeth II expressed her “sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service”. When her eldest son Charles III is crowned King of England in Saturday’s coronation, Camilla will become Queen, leaving her old title of Queen consort behind.
Why did Camilla not take the title Princess of Wales?
When Lady Diana Spencer married the former Prince of Wales, Prince Charles in 1981, she became the Princess of Wales. They separated after 15 years of marriage and reached a divorce settlement in August 1996.
When Prince Charles and Camilla wed in 2005, Camilla could have been referred to as HRH (Her Royal Highness) The Princess of Wales. However, she announced that she did not wish to be called princess and instead, opted for the title of Duchess of Cornwall (one of Charles’s junior titles) while the Prince and Princess of Wales titles were passed on to Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The title of Duke of Cornwall is traditionally held by the eldest son of the reigning British monarch.