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Before becomingQueen Camillathrough her marriage toKing Charles, Camilla (née Shand) was firstwed to Andrew Parker Bowlesfor over two decades.
The pair were married from 1973 to 1995 and, during that time, welcomed two children:son Tomanddaughter Laura. They also have five grandchildren, three grandsons and two granddaughters, between their kids.
After divorcing, they each remarried — Camilla tied the knot with Charles in 2005 while Andrew married Rosemary Parker Bowles (née Pitman) in 1996 — but the two remained close friends.
So who is Queen Camilla’s first husband? Here’s everything to know about Andrew Parker Bowles and his former marriage with the royal.
He has ties to the royal family
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According to royal biographerSally Bedell Smith, Andrew’s father, Derek Parker Bowles, was good friends withQueen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
Bedell Smith wrote of their friendship in her book,Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life, calling Derek a “racing enthusiast and jovial character.”
She also detailed how at age 13, Andrew served as a page in thecoronation of Queen Elizabeth, which she called “a mark of royal esteem.”
He served in the military
Andrew served in the military for 34 years, from 1960 to 1994. He held several positions throughout his career, eventually rising to the rank of brigadier. At the time of his retirement, he was serving as director of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.
In 1980, Andrew was awarded The Queen’s Commendation for Bravery in Zimbabwe, an honor bestowed on individuals for acts of courage that merit national recognition.
He dated Queen Elizabeth’s daughter Princess Anne
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In aninterview withEllemagazine, Bedell Smith shared thatPrincess Anneand Andrew had their first date at the Royal Ascot in June 1970, just before the royal turned 20.
According to her writings inPrince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life, Bedell Smith said that thepair had much in common, including their equestrian skills, but that their romance was unlikely to go the distance. With Andrew being Catholic, he was an improbable match for the royal.
After their relationship fizzled out, Andrew and Princess Anne remained good friends and are still frequently spotted at events together. Andrew is even a godfather of Princess Anne’s daughter,Zara Tindall(née Phillips).
He and Camilla got engaged after her relationship with Prince Charles ended
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The two went their separate ways, and Camilla reconnected with Andrew, accepting his marriage proposal whilePrince Charleswas stationed aboard in the Caribbean.
Though these events were dramatized during season 3 ofThe Crown— which showed members of the royal family intervening to drive Camilla and Charles apart — historian Hugo Vickers wrote inThe Crown Dissectedthat there is some fact in the depiction of how Camilla ended up engaged to Andrew.
“It is accepted that at that timeCamilla was in love with Andrew Parker Bowles, a good-looking cavalry officer, who knew when to strike. Meanwhile, the young Prince of Wales was too unsure of himself to make up his mind. There was no need for any palace plot,” he explained.
He married Camilla in 1973
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He shares two children with Camilla
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Tom, a food writer and critic, has two children — daughter Lola and son Freddy — with his ex-wife Sara Buys.
Laura is married to Harry Lopes and has three children: daughter Eliza and twin boys, Gus and Louis. She’s made a name for herself as anart curatorand managedEleven Fine Artfor 10 years.
He and Camilla divorced in 1995 after her affair with Prince Charles
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Around 1978-1979, approximately five years into Andrew and Camilla’s marriage, Camilla beganengaging in a romantic relationshipwith Charles again. Though Andrew was apparently aware of the affair, he reportedly didn’t intervene.
“Andrew was in no position to complain; and when he discovered what was going on, he wisely didn’t make a fuss,” an excerpt fromThe Duchess: The Untold Storyrecalled. “Some would say that a part of him actually quite enjoyed the fact that his wife was sleeping with the future King; he might have felt differently had Charles been a traveling salesman.”
Their relationship continued through Charles' marriage to Princess Diana, though after private conversations between Charles and Camilla while they were still married to their respective spouses were leaked to the press in 1992, things quickly fell apart.Prince Charlesand Princess Diana officially announced their separation later that year.
Three years later, Andrew and Camilla announced their intention to divorce, saying that their differing interests led to the pair living separate lives. The divorce was finalized in 1995, the same year that Diana gave acandid interview to BBC’sPanoramain which she said, “Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”
He got remarried shortly after the divorce
The year following his divorce from Camilla, Andrew got remarried to Rosemary Parker Bowles (née Pitman) in 1996. Rosemary, a garden designer, had also been previously married and shared three children with her ex-husband.
Despite their divorce, Andrea and Camilla remained friendly and reportedly spent time together with their respective spouses over the years. Andrew and Rosemary even joined Camilla and Charles atSandringhamon numerous occasions, according totheGazette and Herald,
Andrew and Rosemary remained married until her death from cancer in January 2010 at age 69. Speaking to theGazette and Heraldafter his mother’s death, Rosemary’s son Henry Pitman reflected on her final days with her family, saying, “She was very pleased to have made Christmas and then Andrew’s birthday, his 70th, just after Christmas, and subsequently the birth of his grandchildren.”
He remains close to the royal family
Andrew lives a relatively quiet life these days, though he has remained close to the royal family and occasionally represents them at services and events.
In October 2022, he formally represented Queen Camilla at John Bowes-Lyon’s funeral, a cousin ofQueen Elizabethand a relative of Andrew on his mother’s side. According to thecourt circular, the official record of royal engagements that are carried out, he has represented Princess Anne on several different occasions as well.
Andrew is also often seen at events with his good friend, Princess Anne, including the Royal Ascot and Cheltenham Festival.
source: people.com
