Queen Camilla

Born Camilla Rosemary Shand, King Charles III‘s wife was raised in East Sussex and South Kensington in England. She studied in England, Switzerland and France, officially entering high society in London as a debutante in 1965. Growing up, Camilla was passionate about horse-riding, reading, painting and more, and she worked as a secretary in West London.

In July 1973, she married British Army officer Andrew Parker Bowles. The pair welcomed two children — Tom in December 1974 and Laura in January 1978 — before calling it quits in December 1994 after 21 years of marriage. Their divorce was finalized the following March.

Camilla was introduced to Charles by a mutual friend after years of running in the same social circles. Their relationship ended abruptly after Charles travelled overseas to join the Royal Navy in early 1973. The heir to the British throne went on to wed Princess Diana in July 1981, and the pair’s marriage was highly scrutinized as cheating rumors plagued their relationship. Charles and Diana welcomed sons Prince William and Prince Harry in 1982 and 1984, respectively, before separating in 1992. (The Princess of Wales died in a Paris car crash in 1997, one year after finalizing her divorce from Charles.)

Charles confessed in the 1994 television film Charles: The Private Man, the Public Role that he had an extramarital affair with Camilla. The couple rekindled their spark and got engaged in February 2005. They tied the knot in a civil ceremony two months later, and Camilla assumed the role of Duchess of Cornwall.

Before Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022 at age 96, the monarch announced in February 2022 that she hoped Camilla would step up as Queen Consort when Charles became king. At the time, Elizabeth’s daughter-in-law gushed that she was “very honored and very touched” by the declaration. Charles and Camilla both assumed their new roles in September 2022. In May 2023, Camilla was officially crowned queen during her and Charles’ coronation ceremony.