Queen Camilla Revealed What Helped Her Through Her Darkest Days: "I Couldn't Have Survived..."
Queen Consort Camilla’s relationship with King Charles III was once the biggest scandal in town. Camilla was the target of immense public criticism. Leaked phone calls, TV confessions of infidelity, and Princess Diana's bombshell memoir painted a damning picture, casting Camilla as the main villain. However, the public's opinion eventually changed, and she began to win their support. In 2017, Camilla revealed the one thing that got her through those difficult days.
As reported by the Mirror, she said, "It was horrid. It was a deeply unpleasant time and I wouldn't want to put my worst enemy through it. I couldn't have survived it without my family." Two years after Diana died in 1997, she and Charles stepped into the spotlight together for the first time at Camilla’s sister Annabel Elliot’s 50th birthday celebration at The Ritz in London. In August 2003, the pair took another significant step by moving into Clarence House together. Their journey reached a royal milestone in 2005 when they finally got married with the late Queen's blessing, as reported by TODAY.
If Diana hadn’t tragically lost her life, Camilla’s path to being accepted as a future queen might have been a far less uphill battle. Diana's sudden passing cast a dark shadow over the couple. The idea that they would ever be seen together in public seemed impossible at the time. In her infamous 1995 interview, Diana candidly described her marriage to Charles as a little crowded, involving three. The release of a leaked private phone call between Charles and Camilla in early 1993, which confirmed the affair had already sparked public fury.
Despite Charles's obvious commitment to Camilla, Queen Elizabeth II's long-standing refusal to accept her was another significant obstacle the couple had to overcome. Later, the late Queen accepted an offer to attend King Constantine of Greece's 60th birthday celebration at Charles's house, Highgrove, where Camilla was also present. Harpers Bazaar reported that this meeting was a major turning point that indicated a change in the monarchy's stance. Meanwhile, Prince Harry revealed in his controversial memoir Spare, that he and his brother Prince William, had 'begged' their father not to marry Camilla.
The royal couple faced a new challenge in 2024. At the London Clinic, Charles underwent a major surgery in January to treat an enlarged prostate. Camilla was by his side during the trying days. A few weeks later, on February 5, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer. No additional information was made public regarding the condition, including the type and stage of the cancer. However, despite everything that life has thrown at them, Charles and Camilla have kept going, surviving every storm together and finding joy along the way.
