A Look Back at Queen Camilla's First Wedding Dress: The Ceremony and More Details
Long before she became a senior member of the British royal family, Queen Camilla was married to Andrew Parker Bowles. Then-Camilla Shand married the British Army officer on July 4, 1973, more than three decades before she married now-King Charles III.
Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles's wedding was attended by roughly 800 guests, including members of the royal family, including the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. Both Andrew Parker Bowles and Camilla Shand had ties to the royal family.
Camilla Shand arrives at the Guard's Chapel for her wedding to Andrew Parker-Bowles, on the arm of her father Major Bruce Shand on July 4, 1973.
The Wedding Dress
Camilla's first wedding dress featured several trends of early '70s fashion. The white gown included a bias-cut ruffle neckline that mimicked the hem of the floor-length dress. Camilla's gown also included large balloon short sleeves - a practical choice for the summer heat.
The wedding of Andrew Parker-Bowles and Camilla Shand at the Guard's Chapel, London, with members of the Horseguards present on July 4, 1973.
The sleeves included voile fabric that created a semi-sheer and ruffle effect, much like the neckline and hemline of the gown. Camilla wore a long, dramatic veil that flowed behind her dress. Atop her veil, Camilla wore the Cubitt tiara, a piece that was in the future queen consort's family for generations.
After the Wedding
Andrew Parker Bowles, The Rt. Hon. the Lord Soames of Fletching and Queen Camilla attend day two of Royal Ascot 2023 at Ascot Racecourse on June 21, 2023, in Ascot, England.
Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles were married until 1995. The former couple share two children - son Tom, born in 1974, and daughter Laura, born in 1978. Parker Bowles and Camilla are still friends and often will chat with one another at royal events, like Royal Ascot in 2023.
Marriage to King Charles III
Prince Charles , the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, depart the civil ceremony at which they were legally married, at The Guildhall, Windsor on April 9, 2005, in Berkshire, England.
In April 2005, the future queen consort married then-Prince Charles in a civil ceremony, which was followed by a religious service. At the civil ceremony, Camilla wore a silk chiffon dress with coordinated coat, which included woven disk appliqués on the hemline and neckline of the ensemble. She also wore a complementary Philip Treacy wide-brimmed hat with feather details.
Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess Of Cornwall, leave the Service of Prayer and Dedication following their marriage at The Guildhall, at Windsor Castle on April 9, 2005 in Berkshire, England.
For the religious service, the queen consort, then-Duchess of Cornwall, wore a floor-length pale blue and gold embroidered coat over a matching chiffon dress. As opposed to a tiara, she fashioned a wave of gold feathers in her hair. Both looks were designed by Antonia Robinson and Anna Valentine, the latter of which is one of Camilla's go-to designers.
King Charles ascended the throne in 2022, following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II in September of that year. The coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla was in May 2023. The couple has been married for 19 years.
Remembering Queen Camilla's First Wedding to Andrew Parker Bowles [PHOTOS]
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