Born July 17, 1947, the daughter of Major Bruce Shand and Rosemary Cubittwealthy landowners, was educated in the best private schools, first in London, then in France and Switzerland.
Upon his return to the UK, the gossip press attributed him to relationships with coveted bachelors such as Kevin Burke, the son of an aircraft manufacturer, or Rupert Hambro, a member of the extremely wealthy Hambro banking family.
He even has some ties to the royal family: great-granddaughter of Alice Keppel, one of King Edward VII’s mistresses, great-great-grandfather of Charles, Camila would have used this anecdote to approach the prince in 1970asking him if he was “tempted” to follow in his ancestor’s footsteps.
No “ambition to be a princess”
But their relationship was short: Carlos entered the Royal Navy and Camilla, tired of waiting, married one of her admirers, Major Andrew Parker Bowles, with whom she had two children.
A few years later, she herself would encourage the Prince of Wales to marry Diana. But, when both were still married, they resumed their relationship. The press even published their scandalous intimate telephone conversations.
Camila never had the ambition to be a princess, duchess or queen
After the divorce of Carlos and Diana, in 1996, Camila, divorced a year earlier, was able to start appearing publicly with Carlos. But the death of the princess in a car accident, in August 1997 in Paris, relegated her to the shadows again.
For many Britons, she was “the other one”, who had shattered the fairy tale.
Little by little, however, he managed to leave that image, imposing himself with the prince until in 2005 his situation was consecrated with his wedding in Windsor in the presence of the queen.
The ceremony drew a crowd of 20,000 who cheered the couplewho as Isabel II grew older multiplied her trips and royal commitments.
“Camila never had the ambition to be a princess, duchess or queen. She simply wanted to be with the Prince of Wales,” said Penny Junor, Charles’s biographer, on the occasion of their tenth wedding anniversary in 2015.
People realize that Camila is ideal for Carlos
Getting accepted by the royal family, and especially by Charles’ sons, Princes William and Harry, was not easy.
“The boys loved their mother and knew what she thought of Camila. But he could also see how lonely his father felt and how this woman set his heart on fire again.Junor added.
With a sense of humor, simplicity and ease, he gained popularity and visibility by committing himself to causes such as violence against women or the defense of animal rights.
And many ended up acknowledging the positive impact it has had on their husband.
“People realize that Camila is ideal for Carlos, and they both work wonderfully together,” she recently explained to AFP royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams.