An awkward first meeting with their dad's mistress and a surprise friendship with an exiled royal.
No wonder Prince Harry reportedly "can't stand" Camilla.
Charles met Camilla Parker Bowles – then Camilla Shand – in 1972, according to People.
The pair hit it off, but their playful relationship came to an end after Charles entered the Royal
Navy that same year.
Though the two were undoubtedly romantically interested in one another, the separation
put a strain on their connection, and by 1973, Shand was married to Andrew Parker Bowles.
When Charles returned from the Navy, his relationship with his old flame continued, even throughout
his courtship and eventual marriage to Lady Diana Spencer.
"But he also leaves a veritable trail of swooning females."
Even though he was married, Charles and Parker Bowles frequently saw one another and had
a years-long affair, which Diana was often suspicious about.
Following her separation from Charles in 1992, the princess gave one of the most famous soundbites
of the decade in a BBC interview in 1995:
"Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."
The media frenzy caused by this love triangle was relentless.
Even years after their divorce, the paparazzi followed every aspect of Diana's life, which
unfortunately led to her tragic death in a car accident in 1997.
Following her death, both Charles and Parker Bowles were determined to have their relationship
formally accepted by the public, which began with an awkward first meeting involving a
teenaged Prince William in 1998.
Just two months prior to Princess Diana's death, both Prince William and Prince Harry
met their father's longtime mistress.
As the boys were getting older and the divorce with Diana had already occurred, King Charles
thought it would be appropriate to introduce his future spouse to her soon-to-be stepchildren.
What could go wrong?
"This is the last thing that I ever wanted to happen.
I'm not a total idiot."
According to the Daily Mail, William did not have any desire to meet Camilla Parker Bowles.
The then-15-year-old was always stuck in between his parents' volatile relationship, and when
Charles revealed it was Parker Bowles whom he considered to be his long lost love, William
was not receptive to it.
Despite this, the young prince met Parker Bowles on June 12, 1998 at St. James' Palace,
per The Irish Times.
The meeting allegedly did not go as smoothly as Charles would have wanted, and by the end
of their 30-minute conversation, Parker Bowles reportedly said,
"I really need a gin and tonic."
Camilla Parker Bowles undoubtedly walked into a sticky situation.
Her involvement in the life of Charles arguably led to his toxic relationship and subsequent
split with Princess Diana in 1992, so it would be justified for Prince William and Prince
Harry — the children caught in the fallout of the love triangle — to be cold and angry
toward the woman who caused so much damage.
However, Harry once took a different approach regarding his stepmother.
In a 2018 biography of the prince titled, "Harry: Conversations with the Prince," Harry
revealed the nature of their relationship, and essentially rejected any previous notion
that it may have been bumpy.
According to Express, Harry explained:
"She's not a wicked stepmother.
Look at the position she's coming into.
Don't feel sorry for me and William, feel sorry for her."
The Duke of Sussex additionally noted that he and William love Parker Bowles because
she has made, and continues to make, their father happy.
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said "I do" in 2018, Markle was allegedly close with
Camilla Parker Bowles.
While most of the royal family took a while to warm up to Markle, Parker Bowles reportedly
immediately took to her.
In a 2018 Vanity Fair interview, an inside source said:
"They clearly really like each other.
There is real warmth and support.
Camilla has been very helpful to Meghan."
The pair also spent time together when Markle was acclimating to royal life, with Parker
Bowles often taking her to lunch and giving her advice.
The relationship between the two did not remain as it was for long.
In 2020, Harry and Markle relinquished their royal duties and essentially stepped away
from life in the spotlight.
Making the decision to go public and air out their dirty laundry was definitely a controversial
one, and prior to their departure, Parker Bowles tried to coach Markle through the harshness
of being a royal.
An insider told the Daily Mail,
"She was very sensitive to Meghan and provided her with support, advising her to ride out
the storm and that it would all pass — but ultimately Meghan didn't listen."
In March 2021, the couple's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey about the difficulties
they experienced both in and out of the public eye with the royal family only stirred the
royal pot even more.
"I just wish that we would all learn from the past."
All siblings are at least a little different, and Prince William and Prince Harry are no exception.
Among their many differences, the two share contrasting opinions about their stepmother,
Camilla Parker Bowles.
According to the Daily Mail, William has kept his distance from Parker Bowles over the years,
but nonetheless has been publicly supportive of her, especially after hearing the news
of his stepmother becoming queen consort after his father's ascension to the throne.
A palace source told the outlet in February 2022, not long after the queen's announcement:
"He is not particularly close to his stepmother but they get on perfectly well and are quite
the blended family now.
He also respects his grandmother and her judgment more than anything in the world."
On the other hand, Harry is a bit more closed off to the notion of "Queen Camilla."
In contrast to other reports that they get along fine, Tina Brown, royal biographer and
author of "Palace Papers," told The Telegraph,
"Harry ... can't stand Camilla, he doesn't want Camilla to be queen, he's very angry
that it's happening.
He has not made his peace with it and he probably never will."
After reigning for over 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022.
"Uh, no, the Queen has died, and long live the King."
For the greater portion of 2022, the Queen remained out of the spotlight and made limited
public appearances, which made people curious as to how her son would eventually follow
in her footsteps.
The death of Queen Elizabeth made Charles, who was next in the line of succession, the
United Kingdom's new monarch, and his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, Queen Consort.
Prince William and Prince Harry were reportedly not very excited to learn of their stepmother's
then-upcoming title change when Queen Elizabeth made the announcement back in February 2022.
According to Express, neither brother formally congratulated Parker Bowles upon hearing the
news and ultimately showed their disagreement with the decision.
Royal biographer Andrew Morton explained to The Daily Mirror's "Pod save the Queen" podcast
"The fact that neither William nor Harry seem to have sent effusive congratulations to that
position does tend to make you feel that it is one of the few things that the two brothers
agree on — that being that neither of them are overly enamored by [Camilla]."