Camilla, di new Queen Consort

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

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She be di love of Charles life, im confidante since dem dey young and im wife of 17 years. And now, she be im Queen Consort.

Di public don dey used to seeing Camilla by her husband side for key national and international events and celebrations, but as she don admit, e no dey easy.

Few women na im don get public gba-gbos like Camilla Parker Bowles.

She be “di oda woman” for di marriage break-up of di century, pipo don endlessly compare her to Diana, Princess of Wales.

Bridesmaids and sisters 4-year-old Camilla and 3-year-old Annabelle Shand, for one wedding

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Camilla Parker Bowles (L), wit her sister Annabel, for one wedding for 1952

For choosing Charles, she stop her life. For years di press attack her, her character and dem relentlessly attack her appearance.

But she weather di storm and gradually cement her position as di most senior female member of di Royal Family.

E do be quite a journey for di woman wey, dem tok say, Prince Charles immediately fall for wen dem meet for dia early 20s.

Full acceptance from Queen Elizabeth II take time, but in her final years her support for Camilla grow.

Di new Queen fit never achieve full acceptance from di public, but as she tok herself, for one interview wit Vogue magazine earlier dis year: “I sort of rise above am and get on wit am. You gatz to get on wit life.”

To marry di heir to di throne fit no be di future wey dem predict for Camilla Rosemary Shand, born on 17 July 1947. Her family na upper-class, wealthy and well-connected, but dem no be royal. 

She grow up for one close-knit, loving environment, dey play wit her brother and sister for one picturesque family estate for Sussex.

Her father, Bruce Shand, retired Army officer, dey like to read her bedtime stories, and her mama, Rosalind, dey carry di children to school, activities, and di beach.

Na very different childhood to dat of Charles, wey get long periods of time without im parents as dem travel di world.

One finishing school for Switzerland prepare Camilla for life as a debutante for London society.

She dey popular, and from di mid-60s she bin dey on-off relationship wit one Household Cavalry officer called Andrew Parker Bowles.

Andrew Parker Bowles and Camilla on their wedding day

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After years of an on-and-off relationship, Camilla marry Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973

For di early 1970s dem introduce her to di young Prince Charles. According to Jonathan Dimbleby, wey write one biography of di prince, “she dey affectionate, she dey unassuming, and – wit all di intensity of first love – im lose im heart to her almost at once”.

But di timing no dey right. Charles still dey in his early 20s and dey pursue a career for di Navy.

E set off on one eight-month deployment overseas for late 1972. And wen im dey away, Andrew propose to Camilla, and she accept.

Why you no wait for Charles to ask? Friends bin don speculate but she never see herself as Queen material.

However di tin be for Charles, dem continue to be a part of each oda lives. Dem dey move in di same social circles, Charles and Andrew play polo togeda, and di couple ask Charles to be godfather to dia first child, Tom.

Photographs of Charles and Camilla for polo meet show one relaxed intimacy.

Charles stand next to Camilla, near parked cars on di edge of one polo match

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Charles, left, and Camilla wey dem first picture together for 1972

By di summer of 1981, Charles don meet and propose to di young Lady Diana Spencer. Still Camilla na part of im life.

For Diana: Her True Story, author Andrew Morton detail how Diana almost call off di wedding two days before e dey due to take place afta she find one bracelet Charles bin don make for Camilla engraved wit di letters “F” and “G” – dia pet names for each oda be Fred and Gladys.

Say Diana struggle wit Camilla relationship wit her husband no dey without question.

Charles insist say dem don only rekindle dia romance wen im marriage don “irretrievably break down”.

But as Diana so memorably tok di now-discredited 1995 Panorama interview “na three of us dey inside dis marriage”.

As both Charles and Camilla marriages dey face kasala, some of di headlines hit dem hard, perhaps none wey pass di details of one late night phone call secretly recorded for 1989 and dem make am public four years later. Charles express im wish to be Camilla tampon make am clear di level of intimacy between dem.

Dem finalise Camilla divorce for 1995. Charles and Diana marriage officially end for 1996.

Na mark of di strength of feeling wey Camilla get for Charles make her chose to be wit am, despite di public hostility and disruption wey e cause to her own family, especially her two children Tom and Laura. 

Tom Parker Bowles don tok about di days wen di paparazzi go hide inside bushes outside di family home for Wiltshire. “Nothing wey anybody fit tok about our family wey fit offend us any more,” e write am for The Times newspaper for 2017, adding: “My mother dey bullet-proof.”

Of those days, Camilla say: “Nobody like make dem dey look am all di time. You just need to find a way to live wit am.

Finding a way to deal wit di criticism become even more difficult for 1997 afta Diana death. Publicly, Charles focus on im sons William and Harry, and Camilla retreat out of view.  But dia relationship continue.

Charles position be say Camilla dey non-negotiable for im life, and so dem begin one carefully choreographed campaign to rehabilitate her for di public eye. E start wit one late-night departure from di Ritz Hotel for 1999 wia dem bin dey celebrate Camilla sister 50th birthday. Six years later, dem marry for one small, civil ceremony for Windsor Guildhall. 

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles dey comot di Ritz Hotel togeda for 1999

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Charles and Camilla make dia first official appearance as a couple as dem leave one party together for 1999

Any concerns wey di couple fit get say di crowd go react negatively to di newly-weds no follow, as well-wishers greet dem wit cheers and applause.

But for many years di debate continue ontop whether dem go ever sabi her as Queen.

While legally entitled to use di title, di official line don be say dem go instead sabi her as Princess Consort, as a way to appease pipo wey blame her for di breakdown of Charles marriage to Diana.

In di end, di Queen settle di mata, wen she tok for 2022 say na her “sincere wish say, wen dat time come, Camilla go dey known as Queen Consort”.

Dis na confirmation say Camilla bin don earn her place by Charles side. Dem effectively end any public debate.

If di Queen fit first dey wary of Camilla, dat go even be di case and more for Prince William and Harry.

Both get to deal wit di very public break-up of dia parents’ marriage, and den di death of dia mother wen William be 15 and Harry just 12.

Charles and Camilla on their wedding day

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The couple married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on 9 April 2005

For 2005, few months afta dia wedding, an almost 21-year-old Harry say Camilla na “wonderful woman” wey don make dia papa very happy.

“William and I love her to bits and get on really well wit her.”

Little na im don come out of di mouth of either brothers about dia feelings for Camilla since dat year.

However, watching di interactions and bodi language between William, im wife Catherine, and Camilla for public engagements – e get one warmth and familiarity wey suggest relations, wit di Cambridges at least, dey good.

Camilla with her son Tom and daughter Laura

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Camilla with her son Tom and daughter Laura from her marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles
Camilla with the Queen, Prince Philip, Princess Kate and Prince William at the christening of Princess Charlotte

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Camilla has become a key member of the Royal Family at events like the christening of Princess Charlotte in 2015

Now for her mid-70s, Camilla life revolve around supporting her husband and her family. Her Windsor relations fit generate di headlines, but away from di spotlight Camilla na very happy grandmother of five. She don keep her Wiltshire home, Ray Mill House, wia she dey escape to go relax.

“She get very close and supportive family, and a close group of old friends,” her nephew Ben Elliott tell Vanity Fair magazine. “She adore her husband, children and grandchildren.”

Camilla don also make her own mark for areas about wia she feel passionate:

  • raising awareness about osteoporosis, wey afflict her mother and grandmother
  • pointing one spotlight on difficult subject like domestic abuse, rape and sexual violence
  • dey try to pass on a love of books inherited from her father wit one book club on Instagram 

Maybe because she come to royalty late in life, she dey almost embarrassed by all di paparazi wey surrounds her. 

While covering one charity reception for Clarence House, I spot di duchess dey poke her head round di corner at di top of di sweeping staircase, checking if evribodi don ready. she come down and give one enthusiastic hug and kiss to di charity chief executive. 

During lockdown, di duchess speak of her sadness say she no fit give her grandchildren a “huge hug”. As restrictions ease, she clearly enjoy how she fit get back to her physically demonstrative self.

King Charles and Princess Consort Camilla

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Dem dey regularly see Charles and Camilla together for public engagements

Watching her work a room, e dey clear say she fit put pipo at dia ease. She bin don tok am openly say she no dey too like making speeches, but she don grow her confidence over di years.

Charles and Camilla have now been married for 17 years. In public, their connection is obvious. A shared look, a laugh – rarely is there an event where at some point they do not appear to be sharing a private joke.

“Dey love and respect each oda and laugh at di same thing,” Oga Elliott tell Vanity Fair.

Dem dey live lives of luxury but under di most intense scrutiny, and di pressure dey unrelenting.

“E always dey nice to get somebody on your side,” Prince Charles tell broadcaster CNN in di run-up to dia 10th wedding anniversary. “She na big support and dey always sees di funny side of life, thank God.”

“Sometimes e be like ships wey dey pass for night,” she tok of dia life together, “but we always sit down togeda and have a cup of tea and discuss di day. We dey get a moment.”

Di role of king na solitary one – and Charles reluctance to give up Camilla na because im sabi say she be di only pesin wey fit provide di companionship e need for di role im dey take on.