Prince Charles took the world by surprise when he admitted his infidelity to Princess Diana in an interview in 1994. That time, the Prince of Wales revealed that the reason behind the breakdown of his marriage to Diana was his secret affair with his ex-lover, Camilla Parker Bowles. While many expected Camilla’s family and friends to sympathize with Prince Charles, they did not. In fact, they were just as exasperated as the public and went as far as calling Prince Charles an “absolute pig.”

In Camilla’s biography titled “The Duchess: The Untold Story,” royal author Penny Junor revealed how Camilla’s family had actually reacted upon hearing Prince Charles’ revelation. “Friends at the time said Camilla had begged the prince not to speak to Dimbleby, but that was not true — although it is true to say that she was annoyed with him,” he wrote. “A friend of Camilla said at the time, ‘Frankly, Charles has behaved like an absolute pig and landed Camilla right in it,’” he added.

Junor said that Camilla’s friends were in fact one with the public in placing Prince Charles in hot water. According to him, Camilla’s friends thought it was unfair for Camilla to be in that position after all the support she had given him over the years. Simon Parker, Camilla’s brother-in-law, also said at the time that the Prince of Wales would never have their sympathy.

“You can’t go back and blame your upbringing, or your parents, as he has done,” Simon told Prince Charles. “That is wrong and very hurtful. Even if you feel like it, you don’t go around talking about it, particularly if you’re a member of the royal family,” he added.

Prince Charles’ bombshell interview led to public outrage and a significant drop in his public standing. Aside from his confession of the affair, what added to his damaged image was his allegedly poor relationship with his parents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

After Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla went public, Camilla’s husband at the time, Andrew Parker Bowles, immediately started divorce proceedings against his wife. Two years later, Princess Diana left Prince Charles to start her own string of extramarital affairs.

Prince Charles and Camilla
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, attend the opening of a new terminal at the Owen Roberts International Airport on March 27, 2019, in George Town, Cayman Islands. Phil Noble - Pool/Getty Images

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