The Real Reason Camilla Parker Bowles Never Wanted To Be Queen

When King Charles III and Queen Camilla's affair became public in the early 1990s, Camilla endured a lot of scorn and ridicule, particularly in the form of unflattering commentary that cast her as frumpy compared to a more glamorous Princess Diana. Unfortunately, these lingering comparisons with Diana continued to haunt Camilla for decades. Initially, to assuage public sentiment, the royal family declared Camilla would be styled as "princess consort" (via Today) when her husband Charles became the monarch. 

Of course, that all changed in February 2022 when Queen Elizabeth declared her preference for Camilla to become "Queen Consort" (via X, formerly Twitter). However, according to Tom Quinn, Camilla reportedly wasn't jazzed about becoming queen earlier in her marriage to Charles. In an excerpt in The Times from his book "Yes Ma'am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants," Quinn recounted, "One member of staff told me that at one point, Camilla hated the idea of being queen and would regularly say to Charles, 'Can't we get away from all this protocol? It's all bollocks.'"

The Firm can be replete with all kinds of restrictive rules, and Camilla, like other royal spouses, had a learning curve. When Camilla got frustrated with the intricacies of royal decorum, Quinn noted in his book that Charles reportedly told her, "You're doing it [becoming queen] for me, darling." Luckily for Camilla, there are opportunities for flexibility, too. Charles has broken protocol for decades, including taking the occasional selfie, and Camilla's flouted this rule a couple of times herself.

Despite her reported past reservations, Queen Camilla is thriving in her royal role. After marrying King Charles III in 2005, Camilla racked up experience for almost two decades before he ascended to the throne. Beyond making royal appearances and working with charities, Camilla mentally prepared herself for becoming queen. In addition, Camilla's innate characteristics helped her overcome any misgivings as her perspective evolved. "Her attitude is immensely positive to carrying on, to keeping going," author, actor, and former politician Gyles Brandreth explained to The Times in July 2022. He spoke about how she was ready for the new challenge and continued, "Somewhere there has been a sea change. 'This is what I am doing, and I am actually going to do this with a will.'"

However, even though she's moved up in rank, there are still times when Camilla's attempts to ditch protocol are thwarted. For instance, while at an event at the University of London in November 2024, Camilla wanted Anne, Princess Royal to have the spotlight and walk into a room in front of her. Instead, Anne was resolute about royal rules, so Camilla had to take the lead. 

Formal events aside, Camilla's family refuses to treat her as royalty, so they can provide balance and likely make it easier for her to deal with situations when adherence to protocol is required. Similarly, Camilla and Charles help each other find harmony as they navigate royal responsibilities. "[Camilla] gives Charles confidence, she lightens him up and makes him laugh and she's interested in him," journalist and author Penny Junor explained to Hello! This shared sense of humor is also a secret to Charles and Camilla's wedded bliss.