British royals news reveals that Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles have had quite the history and romance over the years. Charles and Camilla first met in 1970, but they didn’t marry until 2005. And the questions are often asked – Why didn’t Charles marry Camilla in the first place, soon after they first met? And why did the Charles and Camilla choose to marry so many years after their divorces from their first spouses?
Well, according to Town & Country magazine, when Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles met in 1970, they were immediately smitten with each other, but Camilla was in an on-again, off-again relationship with Andrew Parker-Bowles, whom she later married.
A relationship between Charles and Camilla did blossom, but at the time Charles was still young and he wasn’t ready for a more serious relationship. Charles was also about to deploy with the Royal Navy, so the couple may have thought that their relationship didn’t make good sense at that time.
Also, Camilla was not considered to be an appropriate match for Charles, given that she had “seriously dated” in the past. As Charles’ biographer wrote, “The conventions of the time called for the heir to the British throne to marry a woman who at least appeared to be virginal.”
Prince Charles’ family then stepped in to play matchmaker for him, and he started dating Sarah Spencer, Diana Spencer’s sister. Prince Charles then met Diana, and the two fell for each other and married in 1981.
Charles and Camilla began an affair in 1986 which became public knowledge and a royal scandal. And by the mid 1990s, Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorced, as did Camilla Parker-Bowles and Andrew Parker-Bowles.
So, why didn’t Charles and Camilla get married at this point? Well, it all had to do with the rules of the Church. According to the rules, Charles could become king even though he was divorced from Princess Diana, but he couldn’t remarry and still remain heir to the throne. Thus, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles could not marry.
However, in 2002, the rules of the Church changed, such that Prince Charles could be remarried and still become King. So, in 2005, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles finally got married, choosing not to have a big royal wedding and instead opting for a civil ceremony. The marriage was subsequently blessed by the church.
So it seems that various factors prevented Charles and Camilla from marrying throughout the years, but in the end they were able to wed and they’ve been thriving since. Be sure to check back here at CDL for more British royals news and updates.
