Rhiannon Hendricks
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla's wedding took place on April 9, 2005, in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall. The ceremony was followed by a televised blessing, officially termed a Service of Prayer and Dedication, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, officiated the blessing. The groom's parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, did not attend the civil ceremony but were present at the reception and the blessing.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Wedding | 9 April 2005 |
| Type of Ceremony | Civil ceremony |
| Venue | Windsor Guildhall |
| Couple's Title | King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles |
| Bride's Previous Marital Status | Divorced from Andrew Parker Bowles |
| Groom's Previous Marital Status | Divorced from Princess Diana |
| Bride's Title After Marriage | Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall |
| Couple's First Meeting | Polo match in 1970 |
| Couple's Engagement Announcement | February 2005 |
| Queen's Consent to Marriage | Privy Council met on 2 March 2005 to give effect |
| Queen and Prince Philip's Attendance | Not at civil ceremony but at Service of Prayer and Dedication and reception |
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What You'll Learn
Charles and Camilla's wedding date: 9 April 2005
On 9 April 2005, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles tied the knot in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, just outside of Windsor Castle. The ceremony was followed by a televised Church of England Service of Prayer and Dedication, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, at St George's Chapel.
The groom's parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, did not attend the civil ceremony but joined the couple for the blessing and hosted a reception for them at Windsor Castle afterward. The rest of the immediate royal family were in attendance, including Charles's sons from his first marriage, Prince William and Prince Harry, and Camilla's children, Tom and Laura Parker Bowles.
The civil ceremony was chosen when the Archbishop of Canterbury refused permission for the couple to marry in church due to opposition to the marriage within the Anglican Church. Charles is the first member of the royal family to marry in a civil ceremony in England. The couple's first days of married life were spent on the Balmoral estate in Scotland.
The couple first met in their early twenties in 1970, although there are conflicting reports as to whether they met at a polo match or through a mutual friend, Lucia Santa Cruz. They dated on and off throughout the 1970s, but their relationship ended when Charles joined the Royal Navy. Camilla went on to marry Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973, and Charles married Princess Diana in 1981. Charles and Diana separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996, and Camilla and Andrew divorced in 1995. Charles and Camilla's relationship became public a year after Diana's tragic death in 1997, and they married in 2005.
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The civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall
On 9 April 2005, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles were married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall. This was followed by a Church of England Service of Prayer and Dedication at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
The civil ceremony was a small, intimate affair with just 28 guests in attendance. Notably, the groom's parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, did not attend. However, the couple's children were present, with Prince William and Tom Parker Bowles acting as witnesses. Camilla's other daughter, Laura, was also in attendance, as were Charles' siblings and sons, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, Prince Harry, and Princes William.
The civil ceremony was chosen because the Archbishop of Canterbury refused permission for the couple to marry in the church. This was due to opposition to the marriage within the Anglican Church, as both Charles and Camilla were divorcees. Charles became the first member of the royal family to marry in a civil ceremony in England.
After the civil ceremony, the couple travelled to St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for a more formal religious blessing by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. Camilla wore two different outfits for the two events: a white dress and coat with a wide-brimmed white hat for the civil ceremony, and a long blue-grey coat with gold embroidery and a gold feathered headpiece for the religious blessing.
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The Church of England Service of Prayer and Dedication
On 9 April 2005, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles had a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall. This was followed by a Church of England Service of Prayer and Dedication at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
The Service of Prayer and Dedication was attended by 800 guests and all the senior members of the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh did not attend the civil ceremony but held a reception for the newlyweds at Windsor Castle after the Service of Prayer and Dedication. The marriage formalised the relationship between Charles and Camilla, and she became known as "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall".
The Service of Prayer and Dedication was led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. During the ceremony, Charles and Camilla joined the congregation in reading "the strongest act of penitence from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer":
> We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, Which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed, by thought, word and deed, Against thy Divine Majesty, Provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us.
The Archbishop of Canterbury had refused initial permission for the couple to marry in church due to opposition to the marriage within the Anglican Church. Both Charles and Camilla had been married before, and in the case of Camilla, her ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, was still alive. However, the Archbishop of Canterbury later approved their marriage, calling their arrangement "consistent with Church of England guidelines concerning remarriage".
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Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's absence
On 9 April 2005, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles were married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall. This was followed by a Church of England Service of Prayer and Dedication at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
The civil ceremony was a small affair, with just 28 guests in attendance. Notably, the groom's parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, were not present. This was because, as both Charles and Camilla were divorced, it was decided that it would not be appropriate for the Queen, as the head of the Church, to attend the wedding.
However, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip did publicly share their support for the marriage when the engagement was announced, and they did attend the Service of Prayer and Dedication and hosted a reception for the newlyweds at Windsor Castle afterwards. The Queen also appointed Camilla to the Royal Victorian Order on their seventh wedding anniversary.
The civil ceremony was chosen when the Archbishop of Canterbury refused permission for the couple to marry in church, due to opposition to the marriage within the Anglican Church. This was because, at the time, the Church of England did not support second marriages if a spouse was still living. However, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, did approve their marriage, calling their arrangement "consistent with Church of England guidelines concerning remarriage".
The wedding was described by the media as "A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups".
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Camilla's title: Duchess of Cornwall
On 9 April 2005, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles were married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, followed by a Church of England Service of Prayer and Dedication at St George's Chapel. The groom's parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, did not attend the civil ceremony but were present at the Service of Dedication and held a reception for the couple at Windsor Castle. The marriage formalised the relationship between Charles and Camilla, and she became known as "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall".
The Duchess of Cornwall title was automatically given to Camilla after her marriage to Prince Charles. This title was bestowed upon her by Queen Elizabeth II. As the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla acquired the rank as the second-highest woman in the British order of precedence, after Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen also altered the royal order of precedence "on blood principles" for private occasions, placing the Duchess fourth, after the Queen, Princess Anne, and Princess Alexandra.
Camilla's first solo engagement as Duchess of Cornwall was a visit to Southampton General Hospital. She attended the Trooping the Colour for the first time in June 2005, making her appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace afterward. To further extend tokens of membership in the royal family, the Queen lent Camilla the Greville Tiara, which previously belonged to the Queen Mother, and granted her the badge of the Royal Family Order of Elizabeth II.
On 9 April 2012, Camilla and Charles's seventh wedding anniversary, the Queen appointed Camilla to the Royal Victorian Order. In 2015, Charles commissioned a pub to be named after Camilla, situated at Poundbury village. The pub opened in 2016 and is named the Duchess of Cornwall Inn. On 9 June 2016, the Queen appointed the Duchess as a member of the British Privy Council. On 1 January 2022, she made Camilla a Royal Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
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Frequently asked questions
The couple got married on 9 April 2005.
They had a civil ceremony because they were both divorced. The Archbishop of Canterbury refused to let them marry in church due to opposition to the marriage within the Anglican Church.
The groom's parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, did not attend the civil wedding ceremony. They were present at the Service of Prayer and Dedication and held a reception for the couple in Windsor Castle afterward.
