Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip Skipped King Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles 2005 Civil Wedding For This 1 Reason
King Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles celebrated their 19th anniversary on April 9. However, in 2005, the couple faced challenges regarding their wedding. This included the the absence of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip from their legal wedding ceremony. The monarch and her husband felt attending was inappropriate; here’s why.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip skipped King Charles’ civil wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles
After a decades-long relationship King Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles wed in a civil ceremony on April 9, 2005, at Windsor Guildhall. There were 28 guests at the ceremony, including Prince William and Prince Harry. But the groom’s parents were not among them.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip skipped the civil ceremony as the queen believed it wasn’t appropriate to attend it. As the United Kingdom’s Queen, Elizabeth was also head of the Church of England. Therefore, she didn’t deem it appropriate to attend the wedding of two divorced people, even if one was her son.
Did Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attend King Charles’ and Camilla Parker Bowles’ church blessing?
Later that same day, Prince Philip and Camilla Parker Bowles had a Service of Prayer and Dedication at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. The Church of England’s official website details what that type of service means for a married couple.
It says, “The Church of England service is called a Service of Prayer and Dedication, often known as a blessing. It is a simple service acknowledging the commitment between husband and wife during a civil ceremony and asking for God’s blessing and guidance in your new life together.”
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attended that ceremony, which was held later the day the couple legally married. They hosted a wedding reception for the newlyweds at Windsor Castle.
King Charles Butler shares thoughts on the day
King Charles’ former butler, Grant Harrold, told Cosmopolitan UK that despite rumors to the contrary, Queen Elizabeth supported King Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles’ relationship because she sensed how happy her son was.
Harrold says, “The biggest misconception about the wedding is that the Queen didn’t enjoy it or wasn’t supportive; it’s complete nonsense.” He added that Elizabeth was “really happy” for her oldest son.
However, “We talked about twenty-odd years ago, and then Charles was a divorcee marrying a Catholic. All the things that have lost monarchy in the past, so possibly the Queen felt that being a traditionalist, she didn’t want to be at the blessing for personal reasons because her faith was very strong,” Harrold said.
Queen Elizabeth paid for and attended the couple’s reception
The BBC quotes a spokeswoman for the royal family, who weighed in on rumors that Queen Elizabeth was planning to “snub” King Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles on their wedding day. They clarified the monarch’s attendance and her participation in the day.
“The queen and the rest of the royal family will, of course, be going to the service of dedication at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle,” the spokeswoman said. “She is very pleased to be giving the wedding reception at the Castle.”
The spokeswoman continued, “The Queen’s prime concern is that the civil ceremony should be as low-key as possible, in line with the couple’s wishes. The Queen is attending the service of dedication and paying for the reception—this is not a snub.”
Queen Elizabeth made a memorable and funny toast to her son and his wife during the reception. This moment was recreated for the final season and last episode of Netflix’s The Crown.
