In what some call a fairytale, and others call a royal farce, Queen Camilla marked 20 years of marriage to King Charles III on Wednesday. During a whirlwind state visit to Italy, the Queen offered what she described as the “secret” to their marriage: laughter, friendship—and barely seeing each other.
“Like ships that pass in the night, really,” she quipped to reporters outside an elementary school in Rome, referring to the King’s and her demanding royal schedules. “We whizz past each other.”
The monarchs, both in their seventies, spent their anniversary in separate engagements before appearing together at a formal state banquet in Rome’s Palazzo Quirinale. Their celebration was a public affair—full of royal fanfare—but for many Britons and Americans alike, it brought back memories not of romance, but of betrayal.
“Twenty years. Who could believe it?” Camilla remarked with a chuckle. “We just laugh at the same things and get on with it.”
But while the Queen offered a rosy picture of her relationship, critics online weren’t buying it.
“She laughs because she won,” posted one social media user. “The other woman got the crown.”
A Royal Romance Many Still Haven’t Accepted
Charles and Camilla’s history is long, complicated, and to some, scandalous. The two first met in 1970, years before either married. Though they went on to wed other people—most famously Charles marrying Princess Diana—their romance never truly died.
Even before Diana’s tragic death in 1997, whispers of an ongoing affair between Charles and Camilla were public knowledge. British tabloids dubbed her the “Rottweiler,” and Diana herself famously said, “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”
Despite a long and bruising PR battle, Camilla eventually joined the Royal Family officially on April 9, 2005, when the couple married in a modest civil ceremony in Windsor. What followed was two decades of image rehabilitation—and persistent disapproval from critics who believe Camilla should never have worn the crown.
A Marriage of Duty… or Convenience?
During the Italy visit, Camilla reflected on the demanding nature of royal life, admitting they rarely spend quiet time together. “You don’t have time to say anything,” she joked, saying they would exchange gifts later “when we dig into our pockets.”
She hinted the King’s gift might be something made of china—the traditional symbol of a 20th anniversary—but added sarcastically, “Dream on!”
Charles, meanwhile, appeared stiff but cordial during the state banquet. The visit is his first major foreign engagement since revealing his ongoing battle with cancer earlier this year.
“Camilla’s always been there for me,” he told Italian dignitaries during a brief toast. “Even when times have been… complicated.”
A Divided Public
Though royal supporters praise Camilla for standing by Charles through his health struggles, her approval ratings remain far lower than those of Princess Diana, even decades after Diana’s death.
Polls show a significant portion of both British and American respondents still view Camilla unfavorably—especially among older demographics who remember the media circus of the 1990s.
“They can toast all they want,” said Jane Matthews, a Londoner visiting Rome during the royal tour. “But for many of us, Diana was the real queen. Camilla’s just filling the seat.”
Anniversary or PR Opportunity?
The royal couple’s Italian visit included school appearances, meetings with parliament, and a glitzy dinner full of pageantry. But the spectacle raised eyebrows.
“It’s a PR push, plain and simple,” said royal commentator Angela Moore. “Charles is trying to normalize Camilla’s role while the public is still uncomfortable with it.”
Indeed, while the Queen gushed about “sunshine, food, and air” in Italy, some saw it as tone-deaf during a time of political unrest and economic instability back home in the UK.
As the royal couple toasted to 20 years of matrimony beneath the chandeliers of an Italian palace, the contrast was stark: a monarch fighting for legitimacy, and a Queen Consort many still refuse to accept.
Whether it’s love, duty, or survival that binds them, one thing is clear—Queen Camilla isn’t going anywhere. And for critics, that may be the bitterest toast of all.
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Camilla is not the queen in many eyes. She is still considered as a home wrecker and a gold digger. She is not fit to wear any crown.