Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (née Shand, formerly Parker Bowles, born 17 July 1947) is the second wife of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and is the current holder of the title Duchess of Cornwall and of Rothesay. A spokesman for the Department of Constitutional Affairs told the Sunday Times "[Camilla] automatically takes the title Princess of Wales and all the other titles that go with her marriage to the Prince of Wales"although she uses one of her other titles, Duchess of Cornwall, in all parts of the United Kingdom except Scotland, where she is titled as Duchess of Rothesay. This preference of title reflects a desire to avoid confusion with the title closely identified in part of the 1980s and 1990s with the Prince of Wales's first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Early life and first marriage

Born at King's College Hospital, London, on 17 July 1947, Camilla was raised opposite the Plumpton Racecourse, Plumpton, East Sussex by her parents, Major Bruce Shand (a British Army officer turned wine merchant, as well as prisoner of war in World War II and recipient of the Military Cross and Bar) and The Honourable Rosalind Cubitt (1921–1994, eldest child of Roland Calvert Cubitt, Ashcombe): her siblings are her brother, Mark, and sister, Annabel. Camilla attended Dumbrells School in Sussex, as well as Queen's Gate School in Kensington. She subsequently attended the Mon Fertile finishing school in Switzerland and studied at the Institut Britannique in Paris. Following her education, she worked for a year at the offices of designers Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. She also became an avid equestrienne and participated in fox hunting.
On 4 July 1973, Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles, at the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks, London, their bridesmaids including Parker Bowles's goddaughter Lady Emma Herbert. The couple had two children: Tom, born in the year after the marriage, who is a godson of Prince Charles, and Laura, born in 1978; both Parker Bowles children were raised in their father's Roman Catholic faith. Andrew Parker Bowles initiated divorce proceedings against Camilla following the admission by the Prince of Wales that he had conducted a long-term extra-marital affair with Mrs. Parker Bowles; the couple's divorce was finalised on 3 March 1995.



Relationship with the Prince of Wales
The Royal Family of the
United Kingdom and the
other Commonwealth realms

HM The Queen
HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
HRH The Prince of Wales
HRH The Duchess of Cornwall
HRH Prince William of Wales
HRH Prince Harry of Wales
HRH The Duke of York
HRH Princess Beatrice of York
HRH Princess Eugenie of York
HRH The Earl of Wessex
HRH The Countess of Wessex
Viscount Severn
Lady Louise Windsor
HRH The Princess Royal
HRH The Duke of Gloucester
HRH The Duchess of Gloucester
HRH The Duke of Kent
HRH The Duchess of Kent
HRH Prince Michael of Kent
HRH Princess Michael of Kent
HRH Princess Alexandra
v • d • e
The relationship between Camilla and Prince Charles began when they met at a polo match in 1970.Though she became one of the numerous girlfriends of Charles, and he was said to have wanted to marry her, Camilla was seen by royal courtiers as an unsuitable match for the future king.[citation needed] Robert Lacey wrote in his 2002 book, Royal: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, that Charles had met Camilla too early, and that he had not asked her to wait for him when he went overseas for military duties in 1972. Reliable published reports indicate that they renewed their romantic relationship in the 1980s.
The affair became public knowledge a decade later, with the publication of Diana: Her True Story, followed by the Camillagate scandal, wherein an intimate telephone conversation between Camilla and Charles was secretly recorded and the transcripts published in the tabloids. With the extra-marital relationship in the open, Diana gave an interview on the BBC programme Panorama, in which she blamed the relationship between Camilla, whom she privately referred to as "the Rottweiler", and the Prince of Wales as the reason for the break up of her own marriage, saying: "Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded." Though Camilla kept a low profile at this time, she became unpopular by these revelations.However, it was confirmed by Charles in a televised interview with Jonathan Dimbleby that the relationship between him and Camilla resumed during their respective marriages. Following this, the Parker Bowleses announced their own divorce in 1995; they had been living apart for some time, and a year later Andrew Parker Bowles married Rosemary Pitman.
Camilla occasionally became Charles' unofficial companion at events. This temporarily ceased at the time of Diana's death, but Camilla and Charles were photographed in public together in 1999. Though she maintained her residence in Wiltshire, Camilla then moved into Charles' household in 2003, resulting in decorative changes to both homes, though Buckingham Palace was explicit in pointing out that public funds had not been used for the renovations. In 2005, the media reported that Charles had also bought Camilla jewellery and a designer wardrobe. As the future Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the prospect of Charles marrying a divorcée was seen as controversial. Opinion—of both the public and the church—shifted, though, to a point where civil marriage was seen as an agreeable solution.



Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles

On 10 February 2005, it was announced by Clarence House that Camilla and the Prince of Wales were engaged; Camilla had been presented with an engagement ring that had belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The marriage was to have been on 8 April of that year, and was to take place in a civil ceremony at Windsor Castle, with a subsequent religious blessing at St George's Chapel. But, because the conduct of a civil marriage at Windsor Castle would oblige the venue to thereafter be available to anyone wishing to be married there, the location was changed to the Windsor Guildhall. On 4 April it was announced that the marriage would be delayed by one day to allow for the Prince of Wales and some of the invited dignitaries to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II. As Charles' parents did not attend the marriage ceremony (the Queen's reluctance to attend arising from her position as Supreme Governor of the Church of England), neither did Camilla's father; her children, instead, acted as witnesses of the union, as did Prince William and Prince Harry. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh did, however, attend the service of blessing, and held a reception for the newlyweds at Windsor Castle afterwards. Following the wedding, the couple travelled to the Prince's country home in Scotland, Birkhall, and carried out their first public duties as a couple during their honeymoon.





Duchess of Cornwall

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall are
greeted by Tobago Chief Secretary, Orville London.

After becoming Duchess of Cornwall, the duchess automatically acquired rank as the second highest female in the United Kingdom Order of Precedence (after the Queen), and as typically fifth or sixth in the orders of precedence of her other realms, following the Queen, the relevant viceroy, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Prince of Wales. It was revealed, though, that the royal order of precedence for private occasions had Camilla placed fourth, after the Queen, the Princess Royal, and Princess Alexandra.Within two years of the marriage, the Queen extended Camilla visible tokens of membership in the Royal Family; use of a tiara of the late Queen Mother, and the badge of the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II.



                                                                                          President and Mrs Bush greet TRH The Prince of
                                                                                          Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall

Though no details were publicly released, it was confirmed in March 2007 that Camilla had undergone a hysterectomy the same year that marked the tenth anniversary of the death of Diana. According to an announcement by Clarence House, it was the Duchess's intent to attend the anniversary memorial service for Diana, Princess of Wales on 31 August 2007, along with The Prince of Wales, and The Princes William and Harry of Wales. The Duchess withdrew from attending, stating that she wished not to "divert attention from the purpose of the occasion which is to focus on the life and service of Diana." On April 8th 2010, Camilla broke her left leg whilst hill walking in Scotland.


Royal duties
Initially, the Duchess of Cornwall's royal duties involved accompanying the Prince of Wales on his official obligations. Camilla's first solo engagement was a visit to a hospital in Southampton; she attended the Trooping the Colour for the first time in June 2005, making her appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace afterwards. The same year, she made her inaugural overseas tour to the United States, and, in March of the following year, the Prince and Duchess undertook a trip through Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and India. She also conducted the naming ceremony for HMS Astute on 8 June 2007, and, on 10 December, she did the same for the new Cunard cruise ship, MS Queen Victoria, it being said that the Queen had been surprised by Cunard's invitation. The Duchess of Cornwall is the patron of The Royal School, Hampstead, an independent girl's school, as well as President or Patron of a number of other charities, as detailed below.




Titles, styles, honours and arms; Charities and patronages

Titles and styles
Royal styles of
The Duchess of Cornwall

Reference style Her Royal Highness
Spoken style Your Royal Highness
Alternative style Ma'am
17 July 1947 – 4 July 1973: Miss Camilla Rosemary Shand
4 July 1973 – 3 March 1995: Mrs Andrew Parker Bowles
3 March 1995 – 9 April 2005: Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles
9 April 2005 – : Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall
in Scotland: 9 April 2005 – : Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Rothesay
Camilla's style and title in full: Her Royal Highness The Princess Charles Philip Arthur George, Princess of Wales and Countess of Chester, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, Countess of Carrick, Baroness of Renfrew, Lady of the Isles, Princess of Scotland.
Because the title 'Princess of Wales' remains strongly associated with the previous holder of that title, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, Camilla is referred to with the feminine form of her husband's subsidiary title, Duke of Cornwall. Also, unless a specific Act of Parliament is passed in the United Kingdom to the contrary, Camilla will, upon the accession of her husband, legally be queen. However, it has been indicated that when the Prince of Wales accedes to the throne, Camilla will remain styled as Her Royal Highness, with the title of The Princess Consort.Note that this is not the same usage as her father-in-law, HRH The Prince Philip, whose official title does not include the word "consort."



Honours
Appointments
30 October 2007: Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II
Decorations
2005: Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan



Honorary military appointments
The Duchess of Cornwall holds the following military appointments:
United Kingdom
Royal Colonel of the 4th Battalion of The Rifles
2008: Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Halton
Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Leeming
Commodore-in-Chief of the Naval Medical Services
Commodore-in-Chief Naval Chaplaincy Service
Lady sponsor of HMS Astute




Arms
On the duchess' 58th birthday, Clarence House announced that Camilla had been granted by the Queen a coat of arms for her own personal use. It was reported that the Queen, Charles, and Camilla all took a "keen interest" in the arms' creation, and they were prepared by Peter Gwynn-Jones, Garter Principal King of Arms.
Arms of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
Notes
The Duchess' coat of arms impale the Prince of Wales' main coat of arms to the dexter, with her father's coat of arms to the sinister, all surmounted by her husband's coronet as heir apparent. Aside from the invention of a boar supporter (reflected in her paternal arms) for the sinister side, Camilla's coat of arms is entirely consistent with the historical heraldic arrangement for a married woman who is not herself a heraldic heiress.

Supporters
Dexter: a lion rampant gardant Or imperially crowned Proper; sinister: a boar Boar Azure armed and unguled Or langued Gules and gorged with a Coronet composed of crosses formy and fleurs-de-lys attached thereto a Chain reflexed over the back and ending in a ring all Or.
[edit]Charities and patronages
The Duchess of Cornwall is President or Patron of a number of charities. They include:
Animal Care Trust (under the umbrella of The Royal Veterinary College) (Patron)
Barnardo's (President)
British Equestrian Federation (Patron)
Brooke Hospital for Animals (President)
Community First (Patron)
Cornwall Community Foundation (Patron)
Cowbridge Physic Garden Trust (Patron)
Crathie Opportunity Holidays (Patron)
De La Warr Pavilion, The (President)
Desert Rats 7th Armoured Division Thetford Forest Memorial Association, The (Patron; Honorary Member)
Devon County Agricultural Association, The (President)
Dispensaire Francais, Le (Patron)
Ditchling Museum (President)
Elmhurst School for Dance (Patron)
Emmaus UK (Patron)
Fan Museum, The (Patron)
Friends of Lacock Church Appeal (Patron)
Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum (Patron)
Georgian Theatre Royal, The (Joint Patron with The Prince of Wales)
Girl's Friendly Society (Patron)
Helen & Douglas House (Patron)
Holfords of Westonbirt Trust, The (Joint President with The Prince of Wales)
Kennel Club Charitable Trust, The (Patron)
Langford Trust for Animal Welfare (Patron)
London Chamber Orchestra (Patron)
Maggie's (President)
Marwari Horse Society (Patron)
Moorland Mousie Trust (Patron)
National Osteoporosis Society (President)
New Queen's Hall Orchestra (Patron)
Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (Patron)
P.G. Wodehouse Society of the Netherlands, The (Patron)
Public Catalogue Foundation, The (Patron)
Public Catalogue Foundation's Cornish Catalogue (Patron)
Royal British Legion Women's Section, The (Life Member)
Royal National Hospital For Rheumatic Diseases (Patron)
Royal School Hampstead, The (Patron)
Scotland’s Gardens Scheme (President)
Scottish National Equestrian Centre (Patron)
Scottish Women's Rural Institute, The (Ballater branch) (Honorary Member)
Shelterbox (President)
Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, The (Patron)
St John's Smith Square Charitable Trust (Patron)
Tetbury Film Society (Patron)
Theatre Royal Bath, The (Patron)
Trinity Hospice (Patron)
Unicorn Theatre for Children (Patron)
Upper Deeside Art Society, The (Patron)
War Memorial Trust (Patron)
West of England School and College for young people with little or no sight (Patron)
Wilts and Berks Canal Trust (Patron)
Wiltshire Bobby Van Trust (Patron)



Children

Name Birth Marriage Issue
Tom Parker Bowles 18 December 1974 10 September 2005 Sara Buys Lola Rosalind and Freddy Parker Bowles
Laura Rose Parker Bowles 1 January 1978 6 May 2006 Harry Marcus George Lopes Eliza, Louis and Gus Lopes



Ancestry

According to genealogist William Addams Reitwiesner, the Duchess of Cornwall's ancestry is predominantly French, English, Dutch, and Scottish. Through her French lineage, Camilla's maternal line great-great-grandmother was Sophia Mary MacNab of Hamilton, Ontario, who was herself the descendant of 17th century immigrants to Quebec, daughter of Sir Allan MacNab, and wife of William Coutts Keppel, Earl of Albemarle. Their son, George, was husband to Alice Edmonstone, who was the mistress of King Edward VII, himself the great-great-grandfather of Prince Charles: thus, Camilla and Charles are ninth cousins once removed. Through her mother she is a descendant of Zacharie Cloutier.This same lineage makes Camilla a distant relation of Celine Dion and Madonna, while her bloodline is also connected to King Charles II, through his illegitimate son, Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond; Thomas Cubitt, prominent Victorian architect; and, through the Earl of Albemarle, Judith Keppel, the first winner of the top prize on the television game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire?. Through Charles II of England and Scotland, Camilla is also related, although distantly, to Diana, Princess of Wales.
[hide]Ancestors of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

[hide]Ancestors of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

16. Hugh Morton Shand               8. Alexander Faulkner Shand                       17. Edrica Faulkner               4. Philip Morton Shand                             18. Charles Coates               9. Augusta Mary Coates                       19. Sarah Clegg Hope               2. Bruce Shand                                   20. Henry Harrington               10. George Woods Harrington                       21. Eliza Woods               5. Edith Marguerite Harrington                             22. Frederick Stillman               11. Alice Edith Stillman                       23. Ann Endle               1. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall                                         24. George Cubitt, 1st Baron Ashcombe               12. Henry Cubitt, 2nd Baron Ashcombe                       25. Laura Joyce               6. Roland Cubitt, 3rd Baron Ashcombe                             26. Archibald Motteux Calvert               13. Maud Marianne Calvert                       27. Constance Peters               3. Rosalind Maud Cubitt                                   28. William Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle               14. George Keppel                       29. Sophia Mary MacNab               7. Sonia Rosemary Keppel                             30. Sir William Edmonstone, 4th Baronet               15. Alice Edmonstone                       31. Mary Elizabeth Parsons

Source:wikipedia
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Kate Middleton

Catherine Elizabeth, "Kate" Middleton (born 9 January 1982) is the girlfriend of Prince William of Wales. Since their relationship first began, Middleton has received widespread media attention and there has been constant speculation that they will eventually marry.
Born in 1982, Middleton grew up in Berkshire, and after attending Marlborough College went to the University of St Andrews. She met Prince William, also studying there, in 2001. They soon started a relationship, media attention quickly followed, and in 2005 her lawyer complained of harassment. In April 2007, it emerged in the press that William and Middleton had split up. They continued to be friends, and later in 2007 the pair reunited. Since then, Middleton has attended many high-profile royal events. She has been admired for her fashion sense, and has been placed on numerous 'best dressed' lists.

Early life

Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born on 9 January 1982 at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, the daughter of Michael Francis Middleton (born 23 June 1949) and Carole Elizabeth (née Goldsmith; born 31 January 1955). Middleton, an airline pilot, and Goldsmith, an air stewardess, had married on 21 June 1980 at the Parish Church in Dorney, Buckinghamshire. Kate Middleton's paternal family came from Leeds in West Yorkshire, and her great-grandmother Olivia was a member of the Lupton family, who were active for generations in Leeds in commercial and municipal work.Carole Middleton's maternal family, the Harrisons, were working class labourers and miners from County Durham. In 1987, the Middletons founded their own company, Party Pieces, a mail order firm that sells party supplies and decorations. They have since become millionaires.
Kate Middleton grew up in Bucklebury, Berkshire, and attended St. Andrew's School in Pangbourne, Berkshire followed by Marlborough College in Wiltshire.
Michael and Carole Middleton have two other children, Philippa "Pippa" Charlotte (born 6 September 1983)and James William (born 15 April 1987). Pippa Middleton, a graduate of the University of Edinburgh, has received press coverage since her sister became famous, with focus on her relationships and lifestyle.


Relationship with Prince William

Middleton's unsubstantiated status as the girlfriend of Prince William brought her widespread media coverage in the UK and abroad, and she was often photographed on her daily outings. On 17 October 2005, she complained through her lawyer about harassment from the media, stating that she had done nothing significant to warrant such publicity.
In February 2006, it was announced that Middleton would receive her own 24-hour security detail supplied by the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department. This fueled further speculation that she and Prince William would soon be engaged, since she would not, otherwise, be entitled to this service. No engagement occurred, and Middleton was not granted an allowance to fund this security. However, media attention greatly increased around the time of Middleton's 25th birthday in January 2007, prompting warnings from both Prince Charles and Prince William and from Middleton's lawyers, who threatened legal action. As a result, two newspaper groups, News International, which publishes The Times and The Sun, and the Guardian Media Group, publishers of The Guardian, decided to refrain from publishing paparazzi photographs of her.
Middleton attended at least one event as an official royal guest, Prince William's Passing Out Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on 15 December 2006.
Despite no official engagement, Woolworths prepared commemorative merchandise to be ready should an engagement announcement occur.



End of relationship and reconciliation

On 14 April 2007 The Sun newspaper broke a 'world exclusive' suggesting that Prince William and Kate Middleton had split up.Other media outlets such as the BBC confirmed the story as the day progressed. The couple decided to break up during a holiday in the Swiss resort of Zermatt.
Clarence House made only one comment about the relationship's end, according to The Times, stating, "We don't comment on Prince William's private life." Newspapers speculated about the reasons of the split, although these reports relied on anonymous sources. The original report in The Sun quoted a "close friend of the couple" as saying that Middleton felt William had not been paying her enough attention. The paper highlighted reports that William had been spending time with other young women, and said the Prince, aged 24 at the time of the split, felt he was too young to marry.
A report in the Daily Mail blamed a desire by royal courtiers not to "hurry along" a marriage announcement, and William's desire to enjoy his bachelor status within his Army career. The Mail also suggested that William's friend Guy Pelly encouraged the Prince to take a "careless approach" to relationships. The same article suggested that Middleton had "expected too much" in wanting William to demonstrate his commitment to her.
In June 2007, Middleton and Prince William insisted they were "just good friends" following reports of a reconciliation. Middleton and her family attended the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium; however, she and William sat two rows apart. Since then, the couple has been seen together in public on a number of occasions, and according to several news sources including the BBC and the Daily Mail, have now "rekindled their relationship". Middleton also joined William and Charles on a deerstalking expedition at Balmoral and attended the wedding of William's cousin, Peter Phillips even though William, due to a prior commitment, did not. On 16 June 2008, Middleton attended the event of William's investiture into the Order of the Garter along with the Royal Family.
In April 2010 a report in the Daily Mail citing Tina Brown speculated that an engagement between Middleton and Prince William will be announced on June 3 or 4, and that a wedding will take place in November 2010. This has been denied by other sources close to the Royal Family.



2006 - present

In November 2006 Middleton accepted a position as an assistant accessories buyer with clothing chain Jigsaw.
In September 2007 it was reported that Middleton was planning to give up her job as an accessories buyer to become a professional photographer. Some months later, it was announced that she intended to take private classes with internationally renowned photographer Mario Testino, who had taken several well-known photographs of Diana, Princess of Wales, and her sons. Middleton and Testino apparently were introduced by Prince William. Testino later denied that Middleton was going to be working for him or had ever worked for him. In December 2007, it was also reported that Middleton had moved in with Prince William at Clarence House, the residence of the Prince of Wales in London. Clarence House later denied this.
On 17 May 2008, Middleton attended the wedding of Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly, which Prince William missed to attend the wedding of his close friend. On 19 July 2008, Middleton attended the wedding of Lady Rose Windsor and George Gilman. Prince William was away on military operations.
On 28 February 2010, The Times reported that Kate Middleton was pursuing an invasion of privacy suit against a photographer called Niraj Tanna of Ikon Pictures who took pictures of her over Christmas, although they were never published in Britain.



Fashion icon

Middleton has been featured in numerous best dressed lists. Middleton was selected by The Telegraph as the "Most Promising Newcomer" in their 2006 list of style winners and losers. Tatler placed her at #8 on their yearly listing of the top ten style icons in 2007. She was also featured in People Magazine's 2007 best dressed list. Middleton was named as one of Richard Blackwell's ten "Fabulous Fashion Independents" of 2007. In June 2008 style.com selected Middleton as their monthly beauty icon. In July 2008 Middleton was named to Vanity Fair's international best dressed list.
Source:wikipedia
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