How Prince Charles' Life Changed Forever Following This Key Moment

Before he even married Princess Diana in 1981, Prince Charles already had a key moment during his bachelorhood, which he didn’t know would tremendously change the course of his life years later. This moment was when he met Camilla Parker Bowles for the first time in 1978.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana married in a lavish wedding ceremony in 1981. Considered one of the most watched moments of the decade, billions of people around the world witnessed the royal event through their television screens as they celebrated the end of the British royal heir’s bachelorhood.

Before he settled down, the Prince of Wales entered into several relationships, the most known of which were with Lady Sarah Spencer and Camilla Shand. As written in the book “Prince Charles: The Passions And Paradoxes of An Improbable Life,” Prince Charles’ life before marrying Princess Diana was “a career bachelor.” He seemed to be enjoying his dating life so much that when he reached 30, some actually thought he would not marry at all.

According to royal author Sally Badell, one moment during Prince Charles’ bachelorhood turned the tables for him. Interestingly, it wasn’t when he married Princess Diana. Instead, it was a moment at the Queen’s 1978 Royal Ascot party, when Camilla Shand, now the Duchess of Cornwall, joined the celebration and instantly changed the mood of Prince Charles.

“The only time Charles brightened up was on the second day, when the Tryons and Parker Bowleses came to lunch,” said Badell, adding that the prince completely changed after meeting Camilla albeit for a brief time. “They were not often alone together but they talked frequently and at length on the telephone after that, and in the process their feelings for each other developed,” she added.

Prince Charles didn’t know that meeting and getting to know Camilla would change the course of his life years later. They continued their affair even after being married to somebody else and eventually left their spouses to fight for their love.

Today, Prince Charles and Camilla have been married for more than 14 years already. Despite the criticisms they received following the scandal they had caused to the royal family more than 20 years ago, Prince Charles and Camilla have both managed to keep their relationship strong and unbreakable. If Prince Charles hadn’t met Camilla that fateful day of 1978, his life would have been totally different by now.