Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles

4/04/05: Due to the funeral of Pope John Paul II on April 8, 2005, the Prince and Camilla postponed their wedding so that Prince Charles could represent his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, at the funeral.

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales: November 14, 1948 at Buckingham Palace.

Camilla Rosemary Shand Parker Bowles: July 17, 1947 in London and educated in London, Switzerland, and France.

Charles and Camilla met in 1970 at a polo match near Windsor. They were introduced to one another by an old girlfriend, Lucia Santa Cruz. A couple for a time before they married others, their relationship has been described as a 35-year love affair and the triumph of first love.

The 200 year old Royal Marriages Act requires a royal couple to receive the formal approval of the bridegroom's mother, which can only be granted after she has consulted with the prime minister.

After receiving this approval, Charles proposed on bended knee and gave Camilla a royal family heirloom as an engagement ring.

The ring is a platinum, classic design band with a square-cut central diamond and three diamond baguettes on either side. The engagement was announced on 2/10/05.

Charles and Camilla were married on April 9, 2005. It was a civil ceremony at Guildhall in Windsor, followed by a blessing by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The reception was at the castle's state apartments. More Details about the Wedding

The royal term for a best man is "supporter" and although it is tradition for an heir to the throne to have two supporters, there was not a best man at the wedding ceremony.

Saying it was not a snub, the Queen did not attend the civil wedding to help keep the wedding low key.

Although there wasn't many commemorative royal wedding items sold, a copy of Camilla's ring was made available through WH Smith. In exchanging Welsh gold wedding rings, Prince Charles and Camilla honored a royal tradition started in 1923 by the Queen Mother Elizabeth.

Wedding Attire:

Designer Robinson Valentine was asked to design Camilla's wedding outfit. Philip Treacy was reportedly hired to design her hat.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams stated on 2/10/05, "These arrangements have my strong support and are consistent with Church of England guidelines concerning remarriage, which the Prince of Wales fully accepts as a committed Anglican and as prospective Supreme Governor of the Church of England."

However, there are those that claimed the royal couple couldn't marry anywhere but at a church under a section of the 1836 Marriage Act.

Charles and Camilla honeymooned at a Scottish hunting lodge, Birkhall, on the Balmoral estate beside the River Dee near Aberdeen.

Previous Marriages

Prince Charles married Diana Spencer at St. Paul's Cathedral on July 29, 1981. They had 3,500 invited guests at their wedding. They were divorced on August 28, 1996. Lady Diana was born on July 1, 1961 in Sandringham, Norfolk, England. She died in a car accident in Paris, France on August 31, 1997.

Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles in July, 1973. They divorced on March 3, 1995.

Prince Charles:

• HRH Prince William of Wales born on June 21, 1982. Mother, Diana.

• HRH Prince Henry of Wales (Harry) born on September 15, 1984. Mother, Diana.

Camilla Parker Bowles:

• Tom Parker Bowles was born on December 18, 1974. Father, Andrew. He is the godson of the Prince of Wales. Tom, a food writer, married Sara Buys, a fashion journalist, on September 10, 2005. More on their wedding.

• Laura was born in 1979. Father, Andrew.

Charles and Camilla lived together for more than a year at Clarence House in London, the Prince's official residence. Charles also has an organic farm, Highgrove Estate, in the Cotwolds in Gloucestershire.

Titles:

Although originally announced that Camilla would receive the title of Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall and if Charles becomes King, her title is Her Royal Highness Princess Consort and that she would not be Queen, the Constitutional Affairs Minister Christopher Leslie has stated that when the Prince of Wales becomes King, Camilla Parker Bowles would automatically become Queen.

Hobbies & Occupations:

Charles: horses, hunting, art, published writer.

Camilla: watercolour painting and hunting.

They share a love of horses.

Miscellaneous:

The royal invitation to the wedding was sent to some 800 guests. The guests were asked to not use cell phones or cameras and the couple has asked for no wedding gifts.

Henry VIII was the first divorced man to be king. Charles would be the first king married to a divorcee.

King Edward VIII had to abdicate the throne to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson.

Camilla Parker Bowles is the great-granddaughter of Alice Keppel who was the royal mistress of Edward VII, the great-great-grandfather of the Prince of Wales.

Other Royal wives Who Were Not Queens:

• Sophia Dorothea of Celle married to George I.

• Caroline of Brunswick married to George IV.

_{Source:Guardian}

The Queen Mother did not approve of Charles' relationship with Camilla and in 1995 she banned Camilla from the royal residences.

Camilla will not use the official title of Princess of Wales because of the strong feelings many have toward Diana.