This is the story of the marriage proposal that Carlos made before meeting Lady Di
Prince Charles fell in love with other women before meeting his first wife, there was a woman who was present almost from the beginning: Camilla, today the Duchess of Cornwall. Perceived as "the villain" in Lady Di's story for never leaving Carlos even when he was already married, Camilla opened her heart and related her side of the story to Penny Junor, author of the book The Duchess: Camilla Parker Bowles and the Love Affair That Rocked the Crown.
Carlos and Camilla met in the 1970s thanks to a presentation made by Lucía Santa Cruz, a close friend of both. According to Junor's publication, Camilla was already in love with her first husband, the prestigious military man Andrew Parker Bowles, by the time she met Carlos, however, the chemistry between the Crown Prince and her was immediate. They just liked each other from the get-go.
In 1972 Carlos proposed to Camilla in a fit of passion, but she rejected him because she already saw Andrew as the father of her future children. Although the book emphasizes this part, it should be remembered that Carlos could not marry Camilla because she was Catholic, did not possess great ancestry and was known for her "love experiences" prior to marriage. Queen Elizabeth II would have had to be VERY condescending for the legitimate union to be possible.
In 1973, when Camilla was preparing her wedding to Andrew, Carlos found out about the news in the tabloids and wrote her a letter begging her not to marry and to choose him. Again, Camilla turned it down.
By the early 1980s Camilla was already the mother of two young children and Carlos had already passed 30 years of age. The heir to the throne was pressured by his father to choose a princess soon. He was to marry a young, virgin, Protestant girl from a good family. Diana appeared as the perfect candidate.
According to testimonies cited in the book, Carlos "asked permission" from Camilla to take Diana as his wife and she approved. Still discreetly, they maintained their "friendship."
In the controversial marriage between Carlos and Lady Di, Camilla is also considered a victim, since she was harassed by the press and always seen under the stigma of "the other". Despite the fact that Carlos and Diana separated since 1992, the divorce was not official until 1996. The press siege during that time also affected Camilla and her family, which led to her divorce from Andrew Parker Bowles in 1995.
Penny Junor also assures that Queen Elizabeth does not look favorably on Camilla and that she accepted the marriage between her and her son in 2005 very reluctantly.
Each story has its two versions. Probably if the prejudices of the time and the protocol had been less rigorous, the end would have thrown something different from the outcome we know today: a sad Princess, an unhappy prince and a disowned duchess.
