Camilla Parker Bowles experienced intense public criticism once her relationship with Prince Charles was disclosed.
She hid from the public and was mistreated. Angela Levin, a royal expert, said, “She was constantly called nasty names like ‘rottweiler,’ and it must have come as a great surprise that people were so vile about her.”
Charles and Camilla first met at a polo match in 1972, and they briefly dated before Charles joined the Royal Navy. Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973, but her relationship with Charles persisted.
Princess Diana and Camilla got along at first, but tensions soon grew.
Charles and Diana separated in 1992, and then divorced in 1996. In 1989, a private phone call between Charles and Camilla leaked, sparking a scandal.
Camilla’s public image gradually improved, and Queen Elizabeth indicated her desire for Camilla to be referred to as Queen Consort. Despite her earlier problems, Camilla is now a respected member of the Royal Family.
