Camilla Parker Bowles

Camilla was born Camilla Rosemary Shand to Rosalind and Major Bruce Shand, a British Army Officer. She grew up in a large country estate with her two siblings in Plumpton and fraternized with royalty from very early on.

At a very young age she learned to ride a pony and also learned how to hunt. She would often accompany her great uncle and her father for excursions.

She attended the famous Queens Gate School in South Kensington before joining finishing schools in Switzerland and the Institut Britannique in Paris.

Camilla worked as a part time secretary in the West End and thereafter worked at a decorating firm for a brief period of time.

During this time, she became a successful equestrienne and participated in fox-hunting.

In the 1960s, she met her future husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, who was a lieutenant in the Blues and Royals. They courted each other for a couple of years but broke up as Andrew began dating Princess Anne.

Around this time, Camilla and Prince Charles reportedly met at a polo match in the 70s and eventually began dating. But, the relationship ended after Charles travelled overseas to join the Royal Navy and Camilla eventually married Andrew on July 4, 1973. The wedding was attended by over 800 guests and it is speculated that even Prince Charles was invited but could not attend for reasons unknown.

Despite being married, Camilla renewed her romantic relationship with Charles in 1979, but it soon ended after he married Princess Diana in 1981. The affair became public much later with the publication of ‘Diana: Her True Story’ in 1992.

In 1994, Prince Charles spoke about his relationship with her in a television interview and Diana confirmed all speculations when she stated ‘Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded’. This dented Camilla’s public image and the revelation made her largely unpopular.

On March 3, 1995, after 22 years of marriage, Camilla and her husband filed for an ‘amicable’ divorce and there were many speculations as to why the marriage ended. It is believed that the ensuing relationship with Prince Charles was perhaps the reason behind the divorce.

She was presented the Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan in 2005.

She was appointed as the Member of the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II on October 30, 2007.

She holds the military appointment as Colonel in Chief for The Royal Australian Corps of Military Policy, which was conferred upon her in 2012.