When Prince Charles married
his second wife Camilla, all eyes were on the royal couple. However, one
very important person was missing at the nuptials – his mother, the Queen.
Prince Charles and the Duchess
of Cornwall tied the knot in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, Berkshire
followed by an official religious blessing at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor
Castle on 9 April 2005.
Camilla – an ex-girlfriend who
had met the royal in 1970 and dated him before going on to marry Andrew Parker
Bowles three years later – had been making appearances alongside the Prince for
some time after they finally went public with their rekindled romance.
The Queen and Prince Philip
did not attend the civil wedding ceremony but did join the service of
blessing. The reason? According to the Telegraph, the Queen bowed out
because of her role as head of the Church of England, which discourages
divorce. This prominent role meant she would have had to uphold the Church’s
values.
It’s believed her duties
outweighed familial obligations when making this decision. Prince Charles and
Camilla had a civil ceremony rather than a wedding in the Church of England as
they were both divorcees.
However, the Queen and the
late Duke of Edinburgh hosted a reception for the newlyweds at Windsor Castle
later that day, showing that they very much approved of the union.
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The Queen seen on Prince Charles and Camilla’s wedding day
Although it is customary for
guests to avoid any white clothing, to prevent upstaging the bride, Her Majesty
was pictured on the day in a creamy white coat and hat with a subtle yellow
fleck. It could have been because Camilla had changed into a coloured wedding
dress for the occasion, so it didn’t clash with her look.
It was a departure from the
usual bold colours the monarch has worn to other nuptials, including her
summery lemon outfit for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding and her
radiant lime green look for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s big day.
The day marked the second
wedding for Prince Charles and Camilla – between 1973 and 1995, the Duchess
was married to Andrew Parker Bowles, with whom she shares children Laura and
Tom, while Charles was married to his late wife Princess Diana from 1981 and
1996, during which time they welcomed Prince William and Prince Harry.
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The Queen shares a close bond with Camilla
Meanwhile, earlier this year,
the Monarch publicly backed the Duchess of Cornwall to become Queen
consort when Prince Charles accedes to the throne.
In a poignant message to mark
the 70th anniversary of her own accession, Her Majesty renewed her 1947 pledge
“that my life will always be devoted to your service,” but urged the
public to support her son and heir and his wife when her remarkable reign
finally comes to an end.
The monarch, 95, said: “I
remain eternally grateful for, and humbled by, the loyalty and affection that
you continue to give me. And when, in the fullness of time, my son Charles
becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support
that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time
comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal
service.”
Until now, the Duchess of
Cornwall was expected to be styled Princess Consort when her husband becomes
King, a decision announced when the couple married in 2005.
