The Reasons Why Prince Charles Did Not Marry Camilla First

Camilla Parker Bowles, now the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles’s second wife, had to endure some negative publicity, especially when Princess Diana pointed her out as one of the reasons for the failure of her marriage with Prince Charles in a 1995 BBC interview.

The implication was that Prince Charles still loved Camilla dearly that he continued to have a relationship with her even during his marriage with Princess Diana. But following this reasoning further opens up another question — if Prince Charles loved Camilla so much, why did he marry Diana instead of Camilla in the first place?

Many Felt Camilla Was Not Suitable For Charles

A lot of people close to Charles thought that Camilla was not suitable for Charles. One reason is that Camilla did not come from a “sufficiently aristocratic background.”

Another reason is that in those times, there was this expectation about the “prerequisite virginity of a royal bride.” Camilla, on the other hand, was considered too experienced to make the cut.

“In a case like yours, the man should sow his wild oats and have as many affairs as he can before settling down,” even Lord Mountbatten expressed his position on the matter in a letter to Charles. “But I think for a wife he should choose a suitable attractive and sweet-character girl before she has met anyone else she might fall for.”

Prince Charles Served Overseas

Charles met Camilla in the summer of 1971, through the introduction of the Chilean historian Lucia Santa Cruz, their mutual friend. Unfortunately, just as Charles was getting to know Camilla more, events conspired to separate the two lovers. Charles was scheduled to depart for an overseas stint with the Royal Navy on board the HMS Frigate in January 1973. In Charles’ absence, Camilla reconnected with her ex, Andrew Parker Bowles.

Andrew Was Forced To Propose

While Andrew and Camilla were dating, they might not have ended up marrying sooner if not for the intervention of some people. It was Camilla’s father and Andrew’s brother who sped things up a bit.

They published an engagement notice for the two in “The Times” on March 15, 1973, without notifying Camilla and Andrew beforehand. As such, Andrew was pressured enough to propose.

Meanwhile, Charles arrived after his naval duties, but it was too late. He arrived just a few days after Andrew and Camilla’s engagement was announced and was understandably shocked when he learned of the engagement.