When Diana, Princess of Wales, was walking down the aisle to marry Prince Charles in 1981, among 2,500 guests she was looking for one person – Camilla Parker Bowles, her husband’s ex-girlfriend and his future second wife.

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In 1991, the princess told biographer Andrew Morton that she knew Camila was there and that she was looking for her in the crowd. However, the big question arises, why Camilla was there at all?

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The relationship between Camilla and Diana went well at first, but that was when Charles was portraying Camilla just as an old friend, not an old girlfriend. It was before Diana found out that they had nicknames for each other, Fred and Gladys. Charles even had a bracelet made for Camilla with a blue disc with "G and F" on it, two weeks before he married Diana.

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The princess felt very jealous and suspicious about Parker Bowles. Given the dislike of Camilla, it seems strange that she made the guest list. But it was all thanks to her husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, who played an important role in the wedding procession. He, being the Commanding Officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, oversaw the ceremonial escort that accompanied the couple’s carriage ride through London. 

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But it’s not only that. Camilla and Charles remained close friends, even after breaking their romance in the early ’70s.

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Still, Diana was not simply feeling paranoid about their affair. Charles confessed to adultery in a nationally televised interview where he named Camilla as his mistress. But the Prince defended his actions, saying that he did work to remain faithful to Diana, "until it became clear that the marriage had irretrievably broken down."

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Prince Charles and Camilla wedded in 2005, and she became Duchess of Cornwall.

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Despite the fact that marrying a divorcée was seen as controversial, the Queen, the government, and the Church of England all gave their consent.

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Now, after Charles inherits the throne, Camilla will stand by his side. She may not be Queen officially, but she will always be the queen in Charle’s heart.