She Knew She Would Be Queen: How Camilla Parker-Bowles Fought For Britain’s Love Using Clothes

1970s. It is one of the first joint photographs of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles. It is said that the first sentence the future queen consort said to the heir to the throne was: “Did you know that my great-grandmother was having an affair with your great-grandfather? Maybe we should try?” It’s unlikely that Camilla imagined then how this joke would end. She wasn’t looking for a serious relationship, Charles didn’t bother with long romances either – he knew that d “Others would come looking for his wife. And he knew Parker Bowles wasn’t on the approved list of suitors.

Unfortunately, she never received approval. At least not for everyone: even after the death of Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II tried to “reason” her son and force him to give up the novel. And when Charles proposed to his beloved, and when they played a marriage, which, it would seem, should have firmly fixed Camilla’s position in society, she was still called mistress in the press.

Camille struggled. The whole world has compared her to Diana for decades – even now, videos are circulating on the internet in which her photographs alternate with those of Lady Di: the 75-year-old Duchess of Cornwall and the eternally young and beautiful princess caught in the Frame. How does it look? “For about a year, I couldn’t go anywhere. It was terrible. This moment was the most unpleasant, you wouldn’t even wish it on your worst enemy. The paparazzi were always following us and hiding everywhere,” she shared.

No matter what Camilla wears, no matter what she says, someone will protest: “But Diana…”. And we’re not exaggerating: When Parker-Bowles divorced her first husband, Andrew, her “revenge image” was seen as an allusion to Lady Dee’s immortal exit.

Chance? It is unlikely: the lowered line of the shoulders of a black dress, a pearl necklace with a large stone, pumps to match the outfit and style – the imitation of Diana can be seen in everything. This is perhaps the most outrageous image of Camilla, after which all intersections with the wardrobe of the deceased princess came to an end. The choice was made: she understood that having become the wife of the heir to the British throne (and things were already going in this direction), she would one day turn into a queen consort. She won’t win human hearts with pity and an incredible sense of style – you have to find your own way.

And Camille was watching. Long, with errors and ups. The bet was made on traditionalism: the queen would hardly have tolerated the antics of the bride, so the protocol was strictly respected. Closed legs, tights even on the hottest days, jewelry coordinated with the Palace, British fashion designers, a noble palette – Charles’s second wife followed the rules. She did not aspire to the title of fashion icon for several reasons.

First, then she wouldn’t have shunned comparisons to Diana, and that’s a painful lesson already passed. Second, age did not allow her and her husband to play favorites of the younger generation: Camilla was 58 when she married the prince, and the world was already going crazy for William and Harry. It was Kate Middleton who needed to actively win the love of British women with her stylish outings in order to help her husband establish himself as the future heir to the throne.

The time to be just a princess, Parker-Bowles had no more. She had to confirm that she was ready to become queen consort. Elizabeth II went to meet her: she discussed with her outfits for important holidays such as Commonwealth Day, so that two ladies would be dressed in the same style or the same palette. They had to visually show the people that the baton of government is passing to another generation – and the Queen approves of that.

After Elizabeth II first confirmed that Camilla would become Charles’ bride, she appeared in an image copied from the Queen – in a purple two-piece suit. Parker-Bowles began wearing the same shade more and more often, noting that she was approaching a new title. And she also began to focus on national details: for example, recently Camilla deliberately gives preference to tartan – a Scottish cage,

In Britain, this is called “the desire to preserve the marriage between the four countries”, that is, to strengthen the bond in the Commonwealth. Stylist Samantha Harman explains, “As Charles and Camilla take on more responsibility, these details in the outfit will make a huge difference to them.”

Now that the couple are officially in charge of Britain, a new era begins for them. Charles has already said that he wants to deviate a little from his mother’s political course, perhaps he also wants to transform the historical image of the monarchy. And the winds of change will immediately touch the wardrobe with her right hand – Camilla Parker-Bowles, from mistress to queen.