King Charles and Queen Camilla will celebrate their milestone 20th anniversary tomorrow. The royal couple had planned to marry on April 8, 2005.
King Charles And Camilla’s Original Wedding Date Was April 8, 2005
Sadly, on April 2, the Vatican announced Pope John Paul II had died, and his funeral would take place on the same day as their intended wedding date.
Then Prime Minister Tony Blair would go to Rome, and he would miss Charles and Camilla exchanging their “I do’s.”
The then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, was also slated to attend the Pope’s funeral. Dr. Williams was meant to bless Charles and Camilla’s nuptials, but he decided to go to Rome instead.
Buckingham Palace announced that the Pope’s funeral would take precedence, and Charles agreed to postpone their wedding by 24 hours.
Charles attended the service in Rome on behalf of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II. He was first introduced to the Pope in 1985 when he visited Rome with Princess Diana.
Charles and Camilla were wed on Saturday, April 9, 2005, which was a departure from royal tradition as royal weddings are supposed to be held on weekdays.
But then again, Charles’s relationship with Camilla had always bucked convention. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also married on a Saturday on May 19, 2018.
Royals typically get married at Westminster Abbey and St. George’s Chapel. However, Charles and Camilla were pronounced husband and wife at Windsor Guildhall. After the ceremony, they had a Church of England Service of Prayer and Devotion at St. Goerge’s Chapel.
The late Queen and Prince Phillip were not a part of the civil ceremony, but they held a reception for the happy couple afterward.
Princes Harry And William Begged Charles Not To Marry Camilla
In Prince Harry’s 2023 tell-all memoir, “Spare,” the Duke of Sussex admitted he and his brother, Prince William, begged their father not to marry Camilla.
Harry spoke of his plea to Charles at the time he was planning to walk down the aisle with Camilla,
“We support you, Pa,”
We said.
“We endorse Camilla,”
We said.
“Just please don’t marry her. Just be together, Pa,”
Harry wrote.
That conversation took place after the two princes formally met Camilla at Highgrove in 1998, a year after their mother was killed in a car crash in Paris.
The brothers feared if their father married Camilla, it would invite controversy. The late Queen also had to come around since her initial disapproval posed a threat to the then Prince of Wales as it could prevent him from being crowned King.
The Queen wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of welcoming Camilla into the family. The Queen disapproved of Charles committing adultery when he was married to Princess Diana.
She was also unhappy that Camilla wouldn’t “leave Charles alone and allow his marriage to recover.” The Queen would often refer to Camilla as “that wicked woman.”
However, she eventually came around in 2000. The Queen permitted them to marry. She also supported Camilla in receiving the title of Queen Consort once Charles became King.
Since Charles became King after the death of his mother, Queen Camilla is seen as one of the most valued and respected members of the royal family.
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