Camilla Parker Bowles Said it Must Have Been ‘Difficult’ for Queen Elizabeth to be a ‘Solitary Woman’ in her Leadership Role
Newly appointed queen consort of the British royal family Camilla Parker Bowles, married into the House of Windsor in 2005. She wed King Charles III after an on-and-off relationship that spanned 35 years. However, the queen consort believes it must have been “difficult” for Queen Elizabeth II to be a “solitary woman” in her leadership role.
Camilla Parker Bowles and King Charles II married in 2005
Charles and Camilla met for the first time in 1970 at a polo match. People Magazine reported Parker Bowles first said to Charles, “My great-grandmother was the mistress of your great-great-grandfather. I feel we have something in common.” That comment began a personal relationship that continued until Charles left on assignment with the royal navy.
The couple went their separate ways romantically for a brief period after Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973. Charles continued to look for lasting love and a future queen, marrying Diana Spencer in 1981. However, the longtime friends remained very close. Their relationship culminated in an affair despite both being married to other people.
Later, in 1995, during an interview with BBC One’s Panorama, Diana broke her silence about Camilla and Charles’s affair, saying, “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.” Camilla divorced her husband in 1995. Charles divorced Diana in 1996.
Following Diana’s death in Aug. 1997, Charles and Camilla took over a year to make their relationship public. The couple moved into Clarence House in 2003, and in 2005, wed at a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall.
The queen consort added Queen Elizabeth II ‘carved out her own role’ in the monarchy
“She’s got those wonderful blue eyes that when she smiles, they light up her whole face. I’ll always remember that smile, you know, that smile is unforgettable.”
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 18, 2022
– Her Majesty The Queen Consort pays tribute to Her Majesty The Queen: pic.twitter.com/Txlzr6NGHG
In the video, the queen consort honored the late monarch. She said she never remembered a time when Queen Elizabeth wasn’t a presence in the lives of the commonwealth
“She has been part of our lives forever, I’m 75 now, and I can’t remember anybody except the Queen being there,” she explained.
“It must have been so difficult for her to be a solitary woman, and there weren’t women prime ministers or presidents. She was the only one. So I think she carved out her role.
“She’s got those wonderful blue eyes that, when she smiles, light up her whole face. I will always remember her smile. That smile is unforgettable,” Camilla shared.
Camilla Parker Bowles said Queen Elizabeth’s private time was ‘essential’
The queen consort explained in the same video that Balmoral, where the queen died at the age of 96 on Sept. 8. was a place where the monarch could truly relax.
“She made a rule that she had her private time and her private passions and then her public role. I think that is very important that the diary is planned out, so you know when you’re on duty and when you’ve got to do things,” Camilla explained.
“Then when she went up to Scotland in August, that was the moment where it was her enjoyment.”
