What Was King Charles and Queen Camilla's Wedding Really Like?
On April 9, 2005 then-Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles, a full 35 years after the couple first met. Understandably, the nuptials feature in the final season of The Crown, but what was the big day really like for Camilla and Charles?
The wed in a civil ceremony
Though he was the heir to the throne, Charles's second wedding was a far more subdued event than his internally-watched 1981 wedding to Princess Diana. Yet the wedding was no less historic for the royal family.
Both Charles and Camilla had previously been divorced, and Camilla's former husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, was still alive. For much of history, the Church of England had a major taboo against remarrying after a divorce, in particular, to someone whose former spouse was still living. Since the monarch also serves as the head of the Church of England, this rule has essentially made it impossible for members of the royal family to marry divorcees for centuries—King Edward VIII famously abdicated the throne in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. However in 2002, the Church softened its view on the subject, ultimately paving the way for the future King Charles to wed his longtime paramour.
That didn't mean that everything was straightforward for the couple's nuptials, though. While they were allowed to marry, they decided to wed in a small civil ceremony rather than a religious celebration, making Charles the first British royal to marry in a civil ceremony (his sister, Princess Anne, married her second husband, Timothy Laurence in a Presbyterian service rather than the Church of England.)
The ceremony was held at Windsor Guildhall, outside of Windsor Castle (but technically off of royal grounds) with just 28 guests in attendance. After the civil service, the couple journeyed to St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for a more formal religious blessing by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams.
Camilla wore two different looks for the duo of events—a white dress and coat with a wide-brimmed white Phillip Treacy hat for the civil service, and a long blue-gray coat with gold embroidery and a gold feathered headpiece for the religious ceremony. Following the wedding, she officially took up the title of Duchess of Cornwall.
There were some notable exceptions to the guest list.
Among the well-wishers were Charles's siblings, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward, as well as his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. Camilla's children with her first husband, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, were also there to support their mother, with Tom and Prince William serving as witnesses for the service.
Two notable absences? Charles's parents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, neither of whom attended the civil ceremony. Though the royal couple publicly shared their support for the marriage—Buckingham Palace shared their "warmest good wishes for their future together," when the engagement was announced—it was ultimately decided that it wouldn't be appropriate for the queen, as the head of the church, to attend the wedding of two divorced people. Nonetheless, they did get in on the celebrations; the Queen attended the blessing service at St George's Chapel, and later hosted a special reception for the newlyweds after the wedding.
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