Camilla announced well ahead of time that she would be wearing her designer of choice Anna Valentine, who designed the off white gown and long jacket she wore for her wedding to Prince Charles in 2005. Valentine has created many dresses for Camilla over the years so her designer choice for the royal wedding wasn’t surprising.
I found the jacket, which was light gray with a kind of pale peach pleated skirt, pretty on camera but “off” somehow, like she was striving to be a little fashion-forward and didn’t hit the right notes. She paired the jacket with an asymmetrical champagne colored hat with ribbon-type accents. It wasn’t a bad look overall.
On CNN, a lot was made of the fact that the crowd cheered for Camilla, and that she was at the wedding and was able to traditionally greet the queen. Much has passed since Diana’s death and Camilla seems to be accepted by the British people. She’s spent many years earning it. I think it’s clear she’s not striving to be a fashion icon like Diana, but she’s well dressed enough and has her own well established sense of style.
Meh!
The Queen kind of snubbed her, which was funny to watch!
She skipped over Camilla and greeted her son first. When she turned to her, Camilla curtsied but the Queen barely acknowledged her before turning away again 😀
Prince Phillip gave her a warmer greeting, and kissed her on the cheek.
For God’s sake, call her the Duchess of Cornwall, or just Camilla if you insist. ‘Parker-Bowles’ is history.
Rottweiler in a dress that I didn’t like.
I can’t help but wonder what is going through Camilla’s mind when she sat in the place which was supposed to belong to the mother of the groom. The son is not Camilla’s bio son, a while ago the man next to her was not her husband, and all the world know that the real mother Diana would have been so happy to be able to witness her own first son’s wedding from Camilla’s seat.
V – It’s so sad that Diana isn’t there. I’m trying not to think about it, but she would have loved it. It’s just not fair.. But I’m sure she’s smiling down on William today!
I actually love Camilla.
That ceiling light over her head is beyond ugly. She’s the one who should wear a thick veil, just to cover her ugly face.
And she looks way older than the queen.
@Iggles
The newly-wed look happy. I guess that’s most important.
@V- You make it sound like her fault that Diana is dead. If Diana were aline, she’d be sitting there. She’s not. People need to get over it.
@Rosanna–I’m with you. She has handled an akward situation with class, and I think hers and Charles’ story is quite romantic.
Everyone is all “poor Diana” which is fair, but from the other perspective, she DID watch the love of her life marry some golly-gee 19year-old virgin because mummy wouldn’t let him choose… That had to feel awful.
Me too, Rosanna. She seems fun.
For goodness sake, it’s not like Camilla killed Diana. Diana is dead and gone and she didn’t die alone people, let’s remember that, she was no saint.
Camilla looks fine. I feel sorry for the woman, having to deal with constant comparisons to a crazy dead woman.
Seriously,
I’d understand the criticism if Diana was alive but was shoved away to the back of the church or something, but it’s not Camillas fault the mother of the groom can’t be present…
And I agree with whoever said Charles and Camillas story is indeed quite fairytale-y. Happiness is not a privilege reserved for pretty people…
Ugh. Sorry, can’t get with the Camilla sympathizing. She and Charles were cheaters. He should have grown a pair and married the woman he loved, not gone along with a farce. Enormous pressure, but their choices — Charles and Camilla’s — were very damaging to their spouses and children. I cannot romanticize the hurt that they caused.
uh, Diana had affairs too.
Seriously?? She did AFTER she realized her husband was in love with someone else and she was trapped in a loveless marriage.
NOT. The. Same. Thing!!
I’m sorry about my last post. I don’t want to start a Diana vs Camilla flamewar. We’ll never ever get an honest account of what happened behind closed doors.
Most of the fashions were blah, and there were some stupid fascinators in the crowd.
I really like Camilla’s outfit and think it suited the and the occasion. Proceedings during Charles’ former marriage aside, she seems like a nice person and William and Harry seem extremely fond of her, which should be good enough for most people here.
As for the “snub” – there is such a thing as protocol! The Queen greeted the Prince of Wales, the next in line for the throne, at a formal occasion first as is correct.
EDIT – deleted the last paragraph.
I love the way Camilla still looks at Charles after all these years. And even Diana’s sons get along with her. This woman mustn’t be that bad – just a person caught in a difficult situation and making some poor choices. It can happen to anybody.
Critics are always going to be harsh, especially when you’re compared to someone who died young & beautiful. I think that she’s handled what would have been extremely awkward situations very well, & the fact that she is beginning to win over the British people after being “The Homewrecker” not too long ago proves her class.
Also, @Iggles, I’m sure life isn’t as simple as “growing a pair” when you’re next in line for the throne.
Camilla has found a style that realy suits her. She looked great.
I think she handled herself well and she looked just fine. The past is gone and no-one should be excused for bad behavior no matter what the circumstances and no one is an innocent by-stander, but it is over. Let the ghosts of the past go and stay in peace. Celebrate the present and the future and the couple of the moment-William and Catherine.
Doosh – Maybe not, but we ALL have free will. Edward VIII famously abdicated so he could be with the woman he loved.
Jane – I agree. It’s William and Catherine’s day.
I do think it’s possible to say kind words about Camilla without whitewashing her past.
Nice donut hat.
Nobody said it’s Camilla’s fault to cause Diana’s death. My initial post was to point out the human side of Camilla. I think it should be a hot seat for her — or perhaps not, because she has been aware of her situation for at least 30 years.
Please don’t apply Brangelina vs Aniston logic here which I am aware happened all the times on the site.
Everyone is an adult in the game called love. Happiness is never guaranteed, not even for Kate and Williams.
At least today they are happy.
I think Camilla looks kind of dumpy in this dress. She does look as though she has had some dental work done. Not even going to compare her to Diana, that would be unfair.
I have such a strong visceral reaction of hatred to this woman that I simply cannot be objective. She looks ok – but since I hate box pleats which are on her skirt, I give her an overall C- for this outfit. Enough from me on this horrid woman.
And the reason Camilla wore “white” was why? She looked dowdy and old and like the first whore of England that she is.
I think Camilla looked lovely! I work in a supermarket…and some British customers came in yesterday. I asked them what they thought of Camilla…and to my surprise–they said that many Brits actually “like” Camilla…because they think she is a commoner like them…and knows how to have a good time! They also said that most Brits want “Charles” to be King…before “Prince William”. Interesting!
Tragic. TRAGIC that this woman will be the next queen of England.
They should skip right over Charles to William.
Long live King William!
Camilla automatically becomes Queen Regnant when Charles becomes King, but has expressed a desire to be known as “Princess Consort”, much like her desire right now to be known as “Duchess of Cornwall” even though she is Princess of Wales. Camilla has chosen to be known by these other titles out of respect to Diana’s memory. Camilla knows that Diana held a special place in many hearts so she is trying to be tactful as possible.
Re: Diana, I’m sure she had the best view [of her son and his bride] compared to everybody else in attendance. It is sad that she couldn’t “physically” be at the wedding, but I’m sure she was there in spirit (literally and figuratively).
Re: Camilla … I don’t really have a good opinion of her, but whatever. The past is the past. This day is about Will and Kate. And whatever some of us my feel about the past, it’s great to see the royal family move on from the old scandals and show solidarity in the present.
@jaded. Thank you for explaining that. 🙂
I really like Camilla too, she is very suitable for Charles and she has a lot in common with the Queen–I think they are good friends.
and its not her fault Charles wasn’t allowed to marry her because she wasn’t a virgin.
Meh. Camilla irks me b/c she looks like my dad’s ‘ladyfriend’ who cannot shut her trap for one damn second. She does that nervous talking thing.
I think Camilla looks lovely here. She’s one of those rare women who can wear pale beige-y neutrals around her face and pull it off.
Camilla I don’t trust at all.
Why must you people dog Diana just because a couple of people had something nice to say about her and not Camilla? The past is the past.
I did not like Camilla’s outfit and I think both she and Charles are extremely unattractive but very much in love.
I hope they had a special seat left empty for Diana and made Camilla sit in the corner. Shameless wench!
Also, wasn’t Camilla married already when Charles married…?
She looks like Francis the Talking Mule. And what the hell is that mess on top of her head?
A little blah but appropriate. Not an attractive pair, but it’s good that she and the boys get along, rather than everyone living a life of conflict and anger.
Diana was an innocent. She was totally in love with Charles when she married him, and had no idea she was marrying Camilla too.
I don’t think Camilla is a deep thinker. Otherwise she would pull that silly hat down clear over her face.
@jaded
Charles has indicated that he wishes Camilla to be addressed as “Queen of England” when he is King, and the way in which she was named upon their civil ceremony leaves this option open.
He insists on castle employees treating her with the same deference and obeisance that they show him, the future King of England.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1331296/Camilla-Queen-Charles-breaks-year-silence-future-role-second-wife.html
Anna Valentine’s clothing is always well-mannered but too lady-like and boring. But maybe that’s the look Camilla is going for.
And I am really tired of Philip Treacy’s hats. He’s repeating himself with the same old silhouettes and trims (the toque, the boater, the off-the-face model) while inflicting humiliation with his ridiculous “fascinators”.
Camilla will always have to fight the ghost of Diana. Diana was so beloved and really made an impact.
Yes, Camilla was already married when Charles and Diana got hitched. Story goes that Camilla got tired of waiting for the ever dithering Charles to make up his mind, so she upped and married someone else. Wish he’d had the b@@@s to marry her in the first place. It would have alleviated a lot of heartache. I actually kind of like Camilla. She is apparently very down to earth.
MEH! She is so unattractive!
I never cared for Camilla, but even I have to admit, the story is kind of tragic/romantic. The adulterous relationship wreaked havoc on those involved, but it must be wonderful for the two of them, who loved each other for so long, to finally be together.
@Angie — thank you !! i second that opinon 🙂
She’s a middle-aged woman. She’s dressed fine. I loved the special Prince Charles did on living green and about our resources on the planet. If she makes him happy, that’s fine.
I loved loved Princess Diana, a special woman, but also very flawed, too. Her sons have accepted Charles’ wife, so it’s not my business to go back and rehash what was done to Diana when she was so young. More than anything, Diana loved that heart surgeon (the love of her life), who wouldn’t marry her because of his religion and, also, not wanting to live in that fishbowel type of existence. But how sad. If he hadn’t broken it off after several years together, she wouldn’t have ended up rebounded with that dope Doty, and she would be alive.
@Iggles, you’re right about it not being the same thing as to why Diana had affairs with single men after Charles emotionally abandoned her. BUT, and a big but, she, also, had an affair with a married man, Oliver Hoare, who eventually ended it. I think he was an art dealer. There was no excuse for that. She then stalked him by telephone. He not knowing it was her had his phone tapped or traced the harassing calls and he and his wife were stunned to find out it was Diana. Then it was hushed up really quick.
Meh, she’s never been a stunner anyway.
Camilla looked very nice…she looks like she always looks. No wonder when she uses the same designer all the time. But she knows her own style well and always looks well-dressed.
None of them are saints. Sorry to disagree with most of you but I don’t find anything romantic about cheating. On either side. Grow the hell up and marry the right person. And once you’ve made the right choice, make the choice right and work hard at it. I realize that people can’t control their partners and keep them from cheating, but you can work on YOU. It’s a lofty ideal , to be sure, but totally worth it if you’ve got 2 people who are 100% committed to working it out, come what may.
@Iggles:”Edward VIII famously abdicated so he could be with the woman he loved.”
REALLY? Now that’s damned romantic. To love a woman so much that you’d give up your title and consequent wealth? It makes me hot and bothered just thinking about it. I don’t know who in their right mind wants a sissy-douche of a guy who’d leave his wife for them. Speaks volumes about their self-esteem, their self-respect and their “throw in the towel” attitude. I’m sorry but I can’t think of a bigger turn-off as a woman.
Tore up from the floor up. Yuck.
a mega MEH. The whole thing reminded me of Diana. Who should have been there, not this cow. I know Di made bad choices, but this woman made her miserable for years, now here she sits. MEH MEH MEH.
I thought Camilla looked fantastic, and seems more at ease wearing fancier clothes. Her designer did her proud again. She knows exactly what suits her. I especially adore the embroidery/applique (?) detailing on her coat! Echoes a bit of Waity’s skirt.
Camilla has definitely improved in her appearance since she became Duchess of Cornwall, and she looked quite elegant at the wedding.
Diana was no saint, but neither is Camilla an evil witch (nor Charles the hero). The fact that Diana’s own sons have accepted Camilla as their stepmother after everything that’s happened shows their love and respect for their father – and this I think has gone a long way towards helping the Queen and the public accept her, too.
*shakes fist at Hellen* Sacrilege!
Oh come off it, ye don’t actually believe Edward VI abdicated just because he wanted to be with Wallis Simpson do ye? The same man who used to tear through showgirls like a dose of salts? Well, you know what they say: the couple that gets-courted-by-Nazis-to-be-installed-as-puppet-monarchs-after-a-successful-invasion-of-Britain-by-Germany together, stays together
Although I like Charles and quite like Camilla, lets not over-romanticise them. Or Diana for that matter. Yes, she did marvellous work, but if your friend at the age of 19 got married to her sister’s much older ex-boyfriend- who had also been out with every single eligible woman in Europe, btw – and who’d she’d spent very little time with, you’d roll your eyes at her complaints that her life wasn’t a fairytale. Every single one of them had/has some serious flaws, but they pulled together to raise a pair of pretty decent lads – nazi uniforms aside.
OM.. of course Diana should have been there.. but she DIED. and Camilla didn’t kill her. She and Charles were DIVORCED when she DIED and if she had been alive she would have been sitting there.
Goodness. How is it Camilla’s fault Diana was killed in a car accident. Diana is not a saint. and she too was unfaithful in the marriage. The bottom line is two people married the wrong person for them. and in the end one of them got to have second chance.
Those two men who are Diana’s sons get along well with this woman. Perhaps because they know something that some don’t.
It has been 10 years. Let it go. This woman is not the reason Diana is not present at the wedding of her son. She died in a car accident. Camilla was not driving.
Charles has always loved Camilla, was literally forced to marry Diana by his old bossy Queen mother. I loved Diana, but she was always outshining Charles, and he despised all the attention bestowed upon her. Charles and Diana were incompatible on so many levels. I think Camilla has tried to be very respectful to Diana’s memory and keep Charles happy in his old age.
I am sorry but the very site of her just makes me want to gag, especially at the Royal Wedding to Diana’s son.
The skirt of her dress was not at all flattering.
Comment number 4: it’s not Camilla’s fault Diana has died, and I think William and Harry are very fond of her. Should she have stayed away from the wedding and left the chair beside her husband empty because Diana is dead? Wouldn’t have been a good look. Comment 29: Camilla will not be the Queen of England, she will be the King’s ‘consort’ but not the Queen. Yes, Charles is pampered and rich, but he has spent his whole life preparing for the role of King, so it would be kinda mean if they passed him over. Camilla is not a Supermodel, but I think Charles sees more in her than whats on the outside. Rumour has it she’s a really nice lady.
Charles and Camilla’s love story is amazing! i’m glad they finally got married. I think she looks beautiful and people’s judgements are based on a team Di vs team Camilla! If anything, the Queen and royal family have always supported Camilla more than Diana because she behaved like blue blood and was the height of discretion when it came to dealing with the press.
“Story goes that Camilla got tired of waiting for the ever dithering Charles to make up his mind, so she upped and married someone else. ”
The story I heard was that while Charles was performing his naval service, Camilla was told that he would never be allowed to marry her because she wasn’t a virgin, so she married Andrew Parker-Bowles before Charles got back. Maybe there are all kinds of stories.
“REALLY? Now that’s damned romantic. To love a woman so much that you’d give up your title and consequent wealth? It makes me hot and bothered just thinking about it.”
Considering how it affected the people around him, I’ve never seen it as romantic. There was a healthy dose of selfish there, if you ask me.
hahahaha…I can never look at this woman without remembering someone saying they wanted to be her tampon….LMAO. And he was royalty too!!! I still get a kick out of that one!
@Newbie–Don’t get too excited over Edward VIII.
He gave up none of the wealth, and kept a title. Basically, he was just exempt of all the more difficult duties of a king.
Not to say their story wasn’t romantic in its own way (I like to think it was), but he hardly gave up anything he wanted. If anything, it’s been suggested he used Wallace Simpson as an excuse to abdicate. And England is lucky he did–He was openly pro-Hitler.
I just think life gets difficult. I had a wedding planed to the last detail, with my fiance’s relatives already booked to Canada from England, Russians booking flights, dress, cake, dinner, hotel rooms for 75, and new home all ready to go. And then I left my wonderful fiance.
For my current partner (Zelda2).
Am I proud that that’s how it turned out? Of course not. I am sad for my former fiance/would-be-inlaws, and worry occasionally that Zelda2 won’t get a fair shake from people who wanted me with the Limey. And had I had more pressure to go through with the wedding, I probably would have, just to spare people’s feelings. But I never would have been able to live long without going back to Zelda2. Life would have been unimaginably awful.
Unfortunately, life is rarely black and white. Obligation and love are both very strong feelings, each with their own merits, and life is not a plucky film, where you just have to do the right thing and it all works out. Sometimes there is no “right” thing, and you just have to spin what you’ve got.
So I actually feel for the people in the situation rather than villifying them. Diana may have done a lot for charity, but she was also well known to be a press manipulator, so we will never really know what happened on the inside without her spin on it. Charles and Camilla are keeping it private (as they should, and as Diana should have, IMO)
Some of the comments here really sound to be bordering on some crazy.
Anyvalium, I think she is looking quite lovely (always like her hair! not too overdone) and her stepsons clearly have a warm relationship with her.
The dress is fine but does nothing for her. In some photos, the pleats and embellishment at the hip make her look bigger than she is. She’s not as matronly as this design makes her out to be. but i notice she looks fine in other photos, so it probably looked great in person. I think the immediate family looked great–but poor Princess Anne, what possessed her to wear that mess of a print coat?
Yeah I think it’s better that Charles and Camilla were able to have their happily ever after. The British public are probably more happy that they are happy together than to have another bad/sad ending royal love. And who doesn’t like seeing an old couple who love each other?
Love Camilla. Looks like a lot of fun, and I think she’s paid her dues. Get over it, people.
How do we know for sure that Diana’s boys get on with her. We will never know what’s in their hearts.
As for Camilla and Charles, have you not heard they live separate lives. With her in her home and Charles in his because they can’t stop quarrelling and she’s sloppy and he’s finicky neat.
So much for their fairly tale romance. May they stay married and keep each other as miserable as they kept Diana for the rest of their lives.
The woman is not attractive, and this wedding was not about her. Obviously, she is not mother of William, but she was mistress of William’s father while Diana was married to Charles. I find her and Charles disgusting.
Camilla stay home and be a “tampon” for your ugly Prince Charles. You two belong together: a real bloody mess. No one wants to look at some hag wearing an ugly dress who is as ugly on the outside as they are on the inside.
A friend of mine nailed it: Camilla looks exactly like Nick Nolte in drag!
I like Camilla. She’ll never be beautiful, but she dresses nicely, and it’s not her fault that Diana’s dead. God, she died 14 years! Yeah, it’s sad that she’s gone, and that she wasn’t able to see her sons grow up, but unless you knew her personally, get over it.
Thats strange. Thats not what I read. I read that Camilla was booed, not cheered, when she arrived at the Abbey. So which version is correct?
As for Camilla and the affair, I could forgive that after all this time, HAD Camilla not been ACTIVELY INVOLVED in getting Diana for Charles. Camilla had been advising Charles on a woman to marry and assisting Charles in his bid to get Diana to marry him. Camilla became FRIENDS with Diana. Yet she knew that Charles didn’t true love Diana. She, with Charles, lead Diana on to believe that Charles loved her. Camilla watched the whole thing, knowing Diana had no clue that Charles didn’t love her. What Camilla did to Diana, was cruel. Handpicking her for Charles, and letting Diana fall for Charles and letting her think Charles loved her. What type of a woman would knowingly encourage a woman in love to marry a man that didn’t love her? Camilla was despicable on a few levels, and her handpicking Diana knowing Charles didn’t love her was worse than the later affair itself. What friend encourages a friend to enter a loveless marriage?
She will never be forgiven by the British public, or by many others.
She doesn’t have the greatest fashion sense, but she does try. This particular hat I didn’t like at all. Looked like a straw hat which was totally inappropriate for the event. It was very unflattering on her.
She looks constipated.
i dont like camila, she steal prince prince charle. becasue prince charle ex girlfriend camilla . he too slow get marriage this camilla. It first place . im very sorry for Diane. diane very pretty face and tall ,slim.