Former Palace Staffer Had an Encounter With 2 Female Royals at King Charles and Camilla’s Wedding But Didn’t Recognize Either of Them
King Charles III and Queen Camilla (formerly known as Camilla Parker Bowles) were married more than 20 years ago. And in marking the two decades that have passed since they tied the knot, some of their former staff members have been recalling memories from their royal wedding.
One of those staffers is Jack Stooks. He was the monarch’s senior gardener at the royal’s Highgrove estate for 21 years. He also attended his former boss’s wedding and is now sharing his memories from that day and the princesses he had an encounter with but didn’t realize who they were.
Here’s more on that and one of the most touching moments from the big day.
The royal ladies Stooks spoke to but didn’t recognize
The now-king and queen said “I do” on April 9, 2005. They had two ceremonies, one civil ceremony and one marriage blessing at St. George’s Chapel.
Speaking on behalf of JeffBet, Stooks remembered: “On the day of Charles and Camilla’s wedding, we were bused up to the venue from where we had parked. Those coaches were very interesting, we were mixed in with all the celebrities who had been invited. We then queued up outside St. George’s Chapel to get in for the ceremony.”
Stooks then relayed a story about the two royals he spoke to but didn’t recognize because he’s “not great with faces.”
“I actually spoke to Princess Eugenie and [Princess] Beatrice for a while, but I did not recognize them,” he admitted. “They then said to me, ‘Do you know where our dad is?’ and I had no idea who they were, so I called another guest over. He then informed me that it was Eugenie and Beatrice! I then asked them whether their mother was nearby and we could find her instead, and they said, ‘No, she wasn’t invited!’”
Their mom, Sarah Ferguson, had not been invited to the wedding as she and Charles were thought to be at odds at the time since he felt she had always taken Princess Diana’s side over Camilla’s in the past. Also, Prince Philip had been at the wedding and after Fergie’s toe-sucking scandal embarrassed the royal family, he preferred not to be in the same room as the Duchess of York.
Stooks recalls one of the most memorable moments that day
Stooks also talked about one of the most memorable moments from their wedding day.
He said that after the service at the chapel, guests went up to Windsor Castle for canapés and that’s where the late Queen Elizabeth II gave a very “touching” speech that showcased her bond with her oldest son.
“The queen’s speech was really funny and she made reference to horses when she said that after everything they had endured, her son was home and dry with the woman he loved,” Stooks recalled (per Fruity King). “It was also very touching. It was clear how happy she was for Charles and Camilla, and Charles was grinning from ear to ear.”
