She’s been by Prince Charles’ side for more than 15 years as his wife, and last week the Duchess of Cornwall was granted official approval by the Queen, who announced she’d become Queen Camilla when her husband is crowned King.
In a public statement celebrating her Platinum Jubilee to mark 70 years as monarch, the Queen said it was her “sincere wish” that the Duchess of Cornwall, 74, will be Queen Consort, rather than Princess Consort, as was initially decided when she married Charles, 73, in 2005.
The announcement divided public opinion, but the overwhelming response seemed to be approval. A poll published last week revealed that Camilla’s popularity had significantly increased in recent years, while Prince Harry, Meghan and Prince Andrew – who is facing a civil trial in America over sex-assault charges that he fiercely denies – had seen their likeability drop.
But some expressed anger and outrage at the decision, expressing disbelief that Camilla had gone from “mistress to Queen-in-waiting”, in reference to the reported affair she had with Prince Charles while he was still married to the late Princess Diana.
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Paul Burrell with Diana in 1994 ©Getty Images
In her infamous Martin Bashir interview in 1997, Diana sparked shockwaves when she revealed, “There were three of us in the marriage” in reference to Camilla. Out of respect, when she married Charles, Camilla did not take the Princess of Wales title, but instead became the Duchess of Cornwall.
While royal sources have said that Prince William, 39, and wife Kate, 40, “approve” of his grandmother’s decision to make Camilla Queen, over in America, Prince Harry and Meghan tellingly remained silent. In an interview last week about continuing his mum’s AIDS charity work, fans noticed he didn’t mention the news about Camilla.
And Princess Diana’s “rock” and former butler Paul Burrell, who worked for the royal household for 11 years, says he doesn’t doubt that Prince Harry will be seething.
Paul, 62, tells Closer, “It’ll be like a red rag to a bull for Harry – he’ll be angry. While I don’t think he has disdain for Camilla as a person, I think it’ll rile him and he’ll feel betrayed that she’ll now be Queen when that should have been his mother. He’ll be livid.
“Even though he and Meghan met the news with silence, I think he’ll really have something to say about this and it’ll rehash a lot of childhood trauma.”
Check out: the most shocking celebrity splits
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Cheryl and Ashley Cole
Cheryl and Ashley Cole first met in 2004 and quickly became an A-list couple. Two years later they tied the knot in an extravagant wedding. However, in 2010 following cheating allegations that were splashed across the media, Chez split from her footballer husband.
Lisa Armstrong and Ant McPartlin
Lenny Henry and Dawn French
At the beginning of the decade, Dawn French and Lenny Henry announced they were splitting after 25 years of marriage.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
We still can't believe Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split in 2016 after ten years together and two years marriage. The couple are parents to six children; Maddox, 18, Shiloh, 13, Pax, 16, Zahara, 14, Vivienne, 11, and Knox, 11. Even George Clooney was stunned at the news; well, to be fair he did find out during an interview.
Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green
We thought they'd be a real-life Romeo and Juliet (minus the death) but Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green called it quits after being married for three years. We weren't the only ones who thought they were a power couple; remember when Craig Lawson joked he'd be the next Pro Green and Millie with Camilla Thurlow? Yeah, that didn't last.
Bruce and Kris Jenner
They're the head of the Kardashian/Jenner household but in 2013 the world was shocked when Bruce and Kris Jenner announced they had separated after 23 years of marriage. A year later, Kris filed for divorce and cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason. A month after their divorce was finalised, Bruce publicly came out as a transgender woman – Caitlyn.
Katy Perry and Russell Brand
One of the most heart-breaking celebrity break ups was definitely Katy Perry and Russell Brand, after all, she found out their 14-month marriage ended via TEXT. Their entire split was shown on her documentary Part of Me and remarkably Katy still performed on stage just hours after Russell announced he wanted to end their marriage.
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom had only known each other for three weeks before they tied the knot. Yes, really. They lasted four years before the Keeping Up with The Kardashians star filed for divorce. However, in 2015 she withdrew the file after Lamar suffered a drug overdose and she had to take control of his health decisions. There were reports that the pair would reunite but in 2016 their divorce was finalised.
Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries
Kim appeared to have followed in the footsteps as her younger sister Khloe when she got engaged to Kris Humphries after just seven months. She documented her 'dream' wedding on Keeping Up with The Kardashians but their relationship didn't last and they split just 72 DAYS after their wedding. Their breakup was also documented on their show.
Stormzy and Maya Jama
We're still devastated about Stormzy and Maya Jama splitting, tbh. They were the dream team and had been together for four years – despite being very private they appeared in Vogue magazine together and the grime artist dedicated a song to her. However in August 2019 they called it quits and the TV presenter unfollowed him on Instagram.
Seal and Heidi Klum
Seal and Heidi Klum renewed their wedding vows every year on their anniversary however after a seven-year marriage they called it quits. The A-list couple are parents to four children; Leni (who Heidi had from a previous relationship, but Seal adopted) and during their relationship they also welcomed Henry, Johan and Lou into the world.
Gary Lucy and Natasha Gray
After dating for 10 years and then being married for four, Gary Lucy and Natasha Gray called time on their marriage. The pair confirmed the news in a statement saying, "This was a very difficult decision, but was reached mutually and amicably. No other parties are involved."
Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick
Another KUWTK break up – this one more surprising than the others – was Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick. The pair had been together for nine years and during that time they welcomed Mason, Penelope and Reign. They'd split a few times throughout their relationship – which included Scott doing to rehab and cheating allegations. However in 2015 they split for good.
Perrie Edwards and Zayn Malik
Little Mix's Perri Edwards and One Direction's Zayn Malik were X Factor sweethearts. They supported each other's career, posted adorable snaps and even got a puppy together. The singers then got engaged but two years later – following cheating accusations and after Zayn quit One Direction – it came to light that he ended their relationship. While she claimed he dumped her via text, he denied it.
Chris Pratt and Anna Faris
Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced they were splitting back in 2018 and a few months later their divorce was finalised. At the time they released a statement, saying: "We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed. "Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward."They went on to say they "still have love for each other".
Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan
Step Up stars Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan called it quits after being married for eight years. At the time they insisted they'd "lovingly chosen to separate as a couple". During their relationship they welcomed their daughter Everly into the world.
Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk
We were devastated in June 2019 when one of the hottest A-list couples – Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk – split after four years together. Apparently the parents to their daughter Lea De Seine hadn't "been good for a few months".
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes dated for seven years and were married for six but in 2012 it came to light that she had filed for divorce. He later spoke out and admitted he "did not expect" the turn of events.
Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
Friends star Jennifer Aniston and her husband Justin Theroux called it quits after being married for two years. At the time they said the "decision was mutual and loving" and it appeared to be the truth because a year later to paid tribute to his ex-wife to celebrate her 50th birthday.
Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom
Victoria's Secret model and Hollywood actor Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom broke up after six years together. After being married for three years they announced they'd been "amicably separated for the past few months" before confirming their relationship had ended.
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
Another couple who took the world by surprise were Twilight stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. They met on the set of the vampire phenomenon back in 2009 and fell in love. While we all thought it would last, it didn't. Their relationship hit a rough patch in 2012 when Kristen's affair with her married director Rupert Sanders was exposed by paparazzi. Robert forgave her and they tried to make it work but they split a few months later.
Fergie and Josh Duhamel
After eight years together Fergie and Josh Duhamel announced their split. Fast forward two years and Fergie filed for divorce.
Matt Leblanc and Aurora Mulligan
In news that shocked Friends fans the world over, In February 2022 it was reported that Matt LeBlanc - best known for playing Joey Tribbiani on the show – had split from his girlfriend of six years, Top Gear producer Aurora Mulligan.
Charles and Camilla married in 2005 ©Getty Images
Paul worked for Princess Diana from 1987 until her death in 1997, witnessing the breakdown of her marriage to Prince Charles, as Camilla entered the fold.
He says, “My initial encounters with Camilla were difficult for me. The first few times I met her, Diana would be leaving Highgrove Gardens [Charles’ Gloucestershire residence] on a Sunday night to take the boys back to London for school on Monday, and the minute she left, Camilla would come in the back door. That was my first impression and, of course, that didn’t sit well with me.
“I admit I wasn’t happy when I heard she’d be Queen Consort. The real Queen was Diana, and it always will be, and I think there should have been respect paid to her. But saying that, Camilla is pleasant, chatty, friendly and a great support to Charles, and I think she’ll make a great Queen for him.”
Last year, Harry signed a multi-million pound deal with publishers to release a tell-all memoir which will “tell his truth”, due to be out later this year.
william and Kate approve of Camilla ©Getty Images
Closer had previously reported how Paul believed Harry wouldn’t hold back about the divorce scandal in his memoir. He said, “He’ll no doubt go in depth about his feelings after his mother’s death, and the subsequent events. After the reports she was involved in his parents’ marriage and then stepped into Diana’s shoes as Charles’ wife, I suspect Camilla will be in his sights, so I’d say Harry’s set to reveal any Camilla secrets. He’s already said he enjoys The Crown, which painted Camilla as the ‘wicked stepmother’ in a way. Charles will be livid if he does go there.”
Now Paul adds, “I think this recent news will have rehashed old feelings and brought back unhappy memories and childhood trauma. And it’s likely that it’ll be in his book. I really think Harry will tell the world what he thinks and feels about Camilla, and the divorce scandal, as that hit him extremely hard. It’s a huge deal he signed, so he’ll have to deliver the goods and give as much personal detail as possible. I’m sure we’ll have TV interviews from Harry and Meghan, and more bombshells, teasers and titbits leaked into the press in the build-up to the book’s release, too.”
He adds, “Of course, Meghan will support him through it. She knows PR and she knows Hollywood and she knows how it works and what people want. She, like Harry, has also had parents who went through a messy divorce, so knows how it feels and I’m sure it’s something they can both relate to.”
The Queen issued a statement about Camilla ©Getty Images
Meghan’s biographer Andrew Morton wrote in his book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess that Camilla had actually been a support to Meghan, 40, when she began dating Harry, 37, and came into the royal fold, saying that the divorcees had bonded over “a love of sustainable organic food, classical music, architecture, fine wine and yoga.”
But bridges were reportedly burned when Harry and Meghan hit out at the whole royal family last March during an interview with US TV host Oprah Winfrey, where they accused a member of the royal family of making racist remarks about the colour of their unborn baby’s skin. They also claimed they were refused help when they reached out about Meghan’s suicidal thoughts.
In a podcast interview later on, Harry criticised his father’s parenting, saying that he’d passed on a “cycle” of “genetic pain and suffering” to him.
While Harry and Meghan have never directly taken shots at Camilla, reports claimed she’d “never forgive Meghan for what she did to the Prince of Wales”.
GET THE BEST CELEB INTERVIEWS IN CLOSER MAGAZINE EACH WEEK ©Closer magazine
Paul says, “While I know that Charles and Camilla are both strong Christians – and that Harry will always be Charles’ son and Camilla’s stepson – I don’t think they will be welcoming Harry and Meghan back with open arms when they become King and Queen.
“Privately, they would probably forgive and forget,
and would prioritise their family bond. But publicly, they won’t accept Harry and Meghan back into the royal fold. Charles and Camilla’s focus will be on William and Kate, and their children, and rightly so. William and Kate are the future of the monarchy. The best Harry and Meghan can do now is just to live their lives; this is not their world any more.”
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