In pictures: Queen Camilla when she was young - first marriage to early romance with Charles
Charles and Camilla reportedly met at a polo match in the early 1970s
Before she became Queen, Camilla was a spirited debutante with a sharp wit, a love of horses, and a natural ease that caught the eye of the then Prince Charles.
Their decades-spanning relationship has captured the public’s imagination for over half a century.
Long before their marriage in 2005, Camilla and Charles’s story began at a polo match in the early 1970s.
As the newly crowned Queen Camilla stands beside King Charles in a new chapter of British history, we look back at her early years and the powerful, complicated romance that started it all.
Young Queen Camilla meets young King Charles
Camilla and Charles were first introduced by mutual friend Lucia Santa Cruz at a polo match in Windsor Great Park in the 1970s.
While some accounts claim Camilla cheekily joked, “My great-grandmother was your great-great-grandfather’s mistress, so how about it?”, royal historians confirm the real spark was far simpler: shared humour, effortless conversation, and a rare comfort between them.
“He loved the fact that she smiled with her eyes as well as her mouth,” royal biographer Penny Junor claimed. “She was natural and friendly, not overawed by him. In short, he was very taken with her.”
The couple began dating soon after, but fate and the Royal Navy sent Charles away to sea. When he returned, Camilla was engaged to another man.
In July 1973, Camilla married cavalry officer Andrew Parker Bowles, a match approved by both families.
Despite her new role as a wife and mother, she and Andrew welcomed two children, Tom and Laura, Camilla and Charles remained close. So close, in fact, that Charles became godfather to Tom.
Camilla enjoys getaway during first marriage
During her marriage to Andrew, Camilla was seen enjoying time with friends and on getaways.
In a photo from 1982, seen above, Camilla and some friends return to Heathrow after a trip to Italy.
Queen Camilla on holiday in her younger years
In another holiday snap from 1992, Camilla was seen smoking on a sun lounger during a trip.
According to reports, Camilla gave up smoking a few years before marrying Charles in 2005.
Camilla wows in strapless black dress in the 90s
In 1992, Camilla turned heads in Windsor as she arrived at the Windsor Horse Show Ball wearing a striking strapless gown featuring a sweetheart neckline and a voluminous, Gothic-inspired skirt. She elevated the dramatic look with a dazzling emerald choker.
At the time, she attended with her husband, Andrew.
Camilla enjoys tennis
Later in 1994, Camilla was seen enjoying a spot of tennis during a getaway to Portugal.
The photos were captured in 1994, just months before she and Andrew announced they were divorcing.
Queen Camilla poses in 1995
In 1995, a casually dressed Camilla posed alongside British sculptor Sophie Ryder and two of her striking artworks.
The photo offered a glimpse into Camilla’s off-duty charm; she was seen in an oversized forest-green cable-knit jumper, straight-leg jeans, and sturdy walking boots, embodying her country-girl roots.
Having split her childhood between a grand country estate in East Sussex and a townhouse in South Kensington, Camilla has always felt most at home in the countryside.
Camilla’s other hobbies included horse riding
It wasn’t just tennis that Camilla was a fan of. She also enjoyed horse riding.
As seen in this photo from 1995, Camilla smiled as she rode a horse with a helmet on.
Charles and Camilla’s first public appearance
It wasn’t until 1999 that Charles and Camilla made their first public appearance as a couple, leaving a birthday party at The Ritz for Camilla’s sister. More than 150 photographers waited outside.
The tide of public opinion began to shift. They married in 2005 in a small civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, and the public’s opinion of Camilla slowly began to change.
On May 6, 2023, Camilla was crowned Queen Consort beside her husband during his historic coronation.
Now known as Queen Camilla, she stands as one of the most enduring figures in the royal family, a woman who weathered decades of judgment to be with the man she loved.
In a message marking her platinum jubilee, the late Queen Elizabeth II herself expressed her wish for Camilla’s future title. “It is my sincere wish that, when the time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”
Camilla will celebrate her 78th birthday on July 17, 2025.
Read more: King Charles and Queen Camilla’s ‘unconventional’ love story from first meet to low-key wedding
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