It's almost impossible to discuss the relationship between Princess Diana and Camilla Parker
Bowles without also talking about the man they both loved: Prince Charles.
Camilla and Charles first met in the early 1970s and began dating soon thereafter, but
they broke up after Charles left to serve military duty for about eight months.
Camilla ended up getting engaged to Andrew Parker Bowles while Charles was away.
Princess Diana met Charles in the late 1970s when the future king was dating her sister,
Sarah.
Charles and Diana began their own relationship in 1980, although many believe that Charles
and Camilla had been continuing with their relationship even while Camilla was married.
Of course, almost everyone knows how things turned out — Charles and Camilla were unable
to stay away from one another, putting Diana in an awfully sticky spot.
The highly publicized nature of Charles and Camilla's eventual affair didn't exactly help
things, either.
Despite the way things ended up between them, however, Princess Diana and Camilla Parker
Bowles actually kicked things off on the right foot.
In her book The Duchess, royal author Penny Junor recounts that Diana actually spent quite
a bit of time at the home of Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles at the beginning of her relationship
with Prince Charles.
Some reports suggest that Diana even helped out with Camilla and Andrew's children and
that Diana allegedly sought life advice from Camilla.
Camilla was also on hand the first time Charles and Diana showed up in public together, an
act that was likely deeply appreciated by the then-camera-shy 19-year-old Diana.
The two women would continue as friends up until the time of Diana and Charles' engagement.
At that point, Diana began to grow suspicious of the true nature of the relationship between
her friend and the man she was set to marry.
The days and weeks leading up to her wedding were tough for Princess Diana.
Penny Junor has described Diana as being "obsessed" with Camilla Parker Bowles, writing:
"She became jealous — obsessing about Camilla Parker Bowles — suspicious, turning against
people she appeared to like, convinced they were out to get her."
Princess Diana later admitted as much in her biography.
In that book, Diana admitted that she and Prince Charles had terrible fights about Camilla
and that, before their wedding, she overheard her husband and his ex-girlfriend having an
intimate conversation.
Diana wrote:
"I once heard him on the telephone in his bath on his hand-held set saying: 'Whatever
happens, I will always love you.'"
And sure enough, Charles and Camilla reportedly began secretly seeing one another in 1986,
two years after Prince Harry was born.
Camilla was also still married to Andrew Parker Bowles at the time.
Princess Diana later recounted what happened after she found out that Camilla and Charles
were sneaking around.
During her interviews with biographer Andrew Morton, Diana admitted that she confronted
Camilla herself, explaining:
"I was terrified of her.
I said, 'I know what's going on between you and Charles and I just want you to know that.'"
Diana claimed that Camilla pushed back, asking her what more she could want when "all the
men in the world" were in love with her.
Diana reportedly had a simple reply:
"I want my husband."
Eventually, the truth was confirmed by Charles himself.
In 1994, he came clean and admitted he and Camilla were in an extramarital relationship.
While Charles and Diana had separated in 1992, it's likely that she still felt some animosity
towards Camilla two years later — when Charles admitted that Camilla was very important to
him, saying:
"She has been a friend for a very long time — and will continue to be a friend for a
very long time."
When Martin Bashir interviewed Diana on television in 1995, he asked Diana outright if Camilla
was a "factor" in the destruction of her marriage.
Diana, true to form, had a reply that continues to reverberate throughout royal circles, and
which tells you everything you need to know about how she felt about Camilla.
"Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."
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