Fifteen years ago, on Feb. 10, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles announced to the world that they were getting married. They would have never made this official if they didn't receive Queen Elizabeth's approval to finally make their union official.
According to Daily Express, Queen Elizabeth felt that enough time had pass, since the death of Princess Diana, Prince Charles' first wife, so she gave her son the permission to marry his true love. Prince Charles proposed to Camilla with a ring from his beloved grandmother, the Queen Mother.
Prince Charles and Camilla were, previously, carrying on affair with each other as married individuals. Camilla, however, divorced her husband, Andrew Parker-Bowles in 1995 while Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorced a year later.
But, in 1997, Princess Diana died in a tragic car accident and the public became more unforgiving of Prince Charles and Camilla. Her Majesty, apparently, didn't want their union to attract more controversy.
However, royal experts said that the real reason Queen Elizabeth was never in favor of Prince Charles and Camilla's relationship was because she felt her son will put "love before duty." As the heir to throne and future King of England, Prince Charles had a destiny to fufill.
Thus, the Queen chose to skip Prince Charles and Camilla's wedding ceremony, which happened in April of that same year. She was, however, at the reception with Prince Philip.
Meanwhile, during the engagement of Prince Charles to Camilla, Buckingham Palace released a press statement to confirm that the future king's second wife will be titled HRH The Princess Consort when Prince Charles accedes to the throne. People reported, however, that the Prince of Wales might change this ruling when he becomes King.
Prince Charles met Camilla, nee Shand, at a polo match in 1970 and the two instantly had a connection. She, however, did not fit the princess mold, who must be a virgin from an aristocratic bloodline.
Some members of the royal family intervened in Prince Charles and Camilla's relationship until they found the right girl for him to marry in Princess Diana. However, by 1986, Prince Charles and Camilla were seeing each other despite being married with kids.
In a shocking interview, Princess Diana confirmed that there were three people in her marriage to Prince Charles. Queen Elizabeth asked her son and Lady Di to make their divorce official but Her Majesty still did not accept Camilla into the family until 2000 when she attended a lunch with the couple.
Since becoming his wife, Camilla, now the Duchess of Cornwall, has been representing Queen Elizabeth at royal functions. She is also part of the Privy Council, Queen Elizabeth's team of advisors.
