Why Queen Elizabeth Wanted Camilla ‘Gone’ Despite Being Fond Of Her

Queen Elizabeth was reportedly fond of Camilla Parker Bowles. But even if this was the case, Her Majesty already wanted Prince Charles’ wife gone even before Princess Diana’s death.

In the article she penned for Daily Mail, royal expert Penny Junor said that the monarch’s stand regarding Camilla was not actually personal. But as the mother of Prince Charles, the Queen was protective toward her eldest son.

“It was nothing personal,” Junor said. “She had been very fond of Camilla in all the years she had been married to Andrew Parker Bowles — but it was Camilla who had been responsible, wittingly or not, for all the disasters that had befallen Charles since his marriage,” she added.

The Queen also took some time before she acknowledged Prince Charles and Camilla’s relationship. In fact, Princess Diana consulted with Her Majesty on what she should do with her marriage to Prince Charles. The monarch didn’t want to meddle in the royal couple’s issues.

But in 2000, the Queen eventually came around with her grudging acceptance of Camilla after they were formally introduced to each other. At that time, Princess Diana had already been dead for almost three years. This means that the Queen didn’t immediately accept Prince Charles and Camilla’s relationship after the Princess of Wales’ demise.

The Queen and Camilla’s first meeting took place at the 60th birthday of King Constantine at the heir to the throne’s home in Highgrove. The three royals reportedly sat on the same table.

Three years after the Queen and the Duchess of Cornwall’s first meeting, Prince Charles and Camilla decided to tie the knot. Even though Her Majesty and Camilla’s relationship already improved at that time, the 93-year-old royal still opted to not attend the ceremony.

In recent years, the Queen and Camilla seem as though they get along really well with each other. In 2012, the two female royals sat beside each other on a horse-drawn carriage at the Diamond Jubilee. The Queen has also given Camilla two important honors, namely, the Royal Family Order and the Grand Cross of the Victorian Order.