Among the 2,000 guests handpicked for the coronation of Charles III, will be a face (a little) known to the British: that of Andrew Parker Bowles, the ex-husband of Queen Consort Camilla.
As confirmed by the
Times
on Sunday April 23, the retired soldier received his invitation to attend the coronation of his first wife alongside the new King of England at Westminster Abbey.
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Unwavering support
Although they divorced in 1995 after 22 years of marriage, Queen Consort Camilla (75) and Andrew Parker Bowles (83) remain very close friends.
“[Andrew] organizes so many things for her.
They have lunch together all the time.
He is by his side, ”says a friend in the columns of the
Sunday Times
.
Proof of Camilla's confidence in him: Andrew Parker Bowles made a commitment for the first time on behalf of the queen consort, on October 18, at the funeral of John Bowes-Lyon, first cousin of Elizabeth II.
Camilla's closest friend, the Marchioness of Lansdowne, says of their relationship: “Everyone loves Andrew.
He's a real charmer, but he always behaves terribly badly."
Indeed, the former officer's reputation precedes him.
He is notably described as someone “a bit of a thug” and “very naughty with women”.
It has often been suggested that he was one of author Jilly Cooper's inspirations for the character of Rupert Campbell-Black, a womanizer and central figure in many of her best-selling books.
That said, Camilla did not hold a grudge against her ex-husband.
In April 2005, he was even among the guests of his wedding with Charles at St George's Chapel in Windsor, accompanied by his second wife, Rosemary Pitman (deceased in 2010), his longtime mistress and whom he had married in 1996 .
“Andrew calls to tell her when she made a mistake and she calls to tell him when he misbehaved.
In adversity, they kept a very good family ethic.
It helps them with their children and grandchildren.”
As a reminder, the former couple had two children: Tom Parker Bowles, 48, food writer, restaurant critic and godson of the king, and Laura Lopes, 45, gallery owner.
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Close to the Windsors
Nicknamed “The Brigadier” among his friends and in royal circles, Andrew Parker Bowles, who served in the Blues and Royals (a squadron of the Household Cavalry), has been at Court for decades.
Before becoming Camilla's husband, the Briton was Princess Anne's first serious boyfriend.
The youngest daughter of Queen Elizabeth II would have had a brief romance with the soldier, whom she remained close to (Andrew is the godfather of his daughter, Zara Tindall).
It is not uncommon to see the duo during horse races, in particular that of Royal Ascot.
When he was young, Andrew Parker Bowles was also a close friend of Charles.
Both played polo on the same team and shared a passion for horse racing, both training as amateur jockeys.
Thus, in July 1981, during the marriage of Charles to Diana Spencer, Andrew Parker Bowles, who was then commander of the Household Cavalry mounted cavalry regiment, had accompanied the car of the newlyweds on horseback after the ceremony.
Page at the Coronation of Elizabeth II
On May 6, Andrew Parker Bowles will in any case be one of the rare people present at the abbey to have also attended the coronation of Elizabeth II, on June 2, 1953. At the age of 13, he had served as page to Lord Simonds, then Lord High Chancellor, to whom he had borne the crown.
In video, Charles III and Camilla received in ball gowns at Bellevue Palace in Berlin