Camilla, Queen Consort

Camilla, Queen Consort
Mark Tantrum · CC BY 4.0 · source
Name	Camilla
Title	Queen Consort of the United Kingdom
Reign	8 September 2022 – present
Corotation	6 May 2023
Spouse	Andrew Parker Bowles (m. 1973; div. 1995), Charles III (m. 2005)
Issue	Tom Parker Bowles, Laura Lopes
House	House of Windsor (by marriage)
Father	Bruce Shand
Mother	Rosalind Cubitt
Birth name	Camilla Rosemary Shand
Birth date	17 July 1947
Birth place	King's College Hospital, London, England

Camilla, Queen Consort. Camilla Rosemary Shand, now Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, is the wife of King Charles III. Her journey from a controversial figure within the British royal family to a dedicated senior working member has been marked by significant public service and a gradual reshaping of her public image. She assumed the role of queen consort upon the death of Elizabeth II and was crowned alongside Charles at Westminster Abbey.

Early life and family

Camilla Rosemary Shand was born at King's College Hospital in London, the eldest child of Bruce Shand, a decorated British Army officer, and Rosalind Cubitt, a member of a prominent landowning family. Her paternal grandfather, Philip Morton Shand, was an architectural writer, while her maternal grandfather was Roland Cubitt, 3rd Baron Ashcombe, linking her to the Cubitt family of builders and the aristocratic Cavendish family. She was raised with her younger siblings, Annabel Elliot and Mark Shand, at the family's homes in Sussex and London. Educated at Queen's Gate School in South Kensington, she also attended finishing schools in Switzerland and France, developing a lifelong passion for equestrianism, literature, and history.

Marriage and family

In 1973, Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles, a cavalry officer in the Blues and Royals and a friend of Charles, Prince of Wales. The couple had two children: son Tom Parker Bowles, a food writer, and daughter Laura Lopes, an art curator. During this period, Camilla maintained a friendship with Prince Charles, which later developed into a romantic relationship, a situation that became a focal point of intense media scrutiny during the breakdown of both their marriages. Following her divorce in 1995 and the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, her relationship with Charles remained largely private for several years. After widespread public and institutional consultation, their engagement was announced in 2005, and they were married in a civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall, followed by a service of blessing at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Public role and charitable work

As Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla undertook a robust schedule of royal duties, supporting the Prince of Wales and championing her own charitable interests. She became president or patron of over 100 organizations, with core focuses on literacy, osteoporosis, sexual violence support, and animal welfare. She founded her own charity, The Duchess of Cornwall's Charitable Fund, and is a passionate advocate for literacy through her work with the National Literacy Trust and by promoting reading via her online book club, The Reading Room. Her longstanding work with SafeLives and Rape Crisis England & Wales has aimed to support survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault, drawing on her own family's experiences. She has also served as Colonel-in-Chief of several British Army regiments, including the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada.

Queen consort

Upon the accession of Charles III on 8 September 2022, Camilla automatically became queen consort, a title confirmed by the late Elizabeth II earlier that year. Her coronation alongside the King took place at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. As queen consort, she continues her charitable work while undertaking state duties, including hosting state visits at Buckingham Palace, attending the State Opening of Parliament, and representing the monarchy at events like the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance. She has accompanied the King on official tours to France, Kenya, and other Commonwealth nations, and maintains a close working relationship with other senior royals like William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales.

Titles, styles, and arms

Throughout her life, Camilla has held several titles. From birth, she was styled as Miss Camilla Shand. Upon her first marriage, she became Mrs Andrew Parker Bowles. After marrying Prince Charles in 2005, she was formally styled as Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall (using the secondary title of the Duchy of Cornwall in Scotland, she was known as The Duchess of Rothesay). Upon the King's accession, she became Her Majesty The Queen Consort, a style simplified to Queen Camilla for general use. Her personal coat of arms, granted in 2005, incorporates the arms of her father, Bruce Shand, with those of the Duchy of Cornwall, and is differenced by a label of three points, the centre point charged with a royal crown and the outer points each with an escallop from the Shand arms.

Category:British royal consorts Category:House of Windsor Category:People from London