As soon as hailed as ‘London’s greatest—and busiest—lover,’ Andrew Parker-Bowles, now 86, has transitioned right into a extra dignified function, intently aligned with the British royal household. His colourful previous, even inspiring the character of Rupert Campbell-Black in Jilly Cooper’s novel “Rivals,” has given method to a lifetime of royal service.
Earlier this week, Parker-Bowles stepped into the footwear of Princess Anne, representing her on the memorial service for Discipline Marshal Lord Guthrie held on the Guards’ Chapel in London. This isn’t his first time filling in for the Princess Royal; their friendship spans a long time, marked by a number of such situations.
The historical past between Andrew and Princess Anne is well-documented. Their relationship, which started when Anne was 19, was even dramatized within the third season of “The Crown,” depicting a fictitious scene the place the duo enjoys a post-encounter Bloody Mary. The true-life affair started after they met at Royal Lodge, the Queen Mom’s residence in Windsor, throughout Andrew’s tenure as adjutant within the newly fashioned Blues and Royals regiment.
Regardless of the age distinction and Parker-Bowles’ repute as a infamous charmer, the chemistry between him and the younger Princess was simple. Their bond, which began amid the formalities of royal life, has clearly stood the check of time, evolving right into a friendship that continues to serve the royal household with grace and dedication.
In actual life, they bought collectively after an opportunity assembly at Royal Lodge, the Queen Mom’s dwelling at Windsor, when Andrew was adjutant within the newly fashioned Blues and Royals regiment, a former ADC to the Governor-Normal in new Zealand.
Regardless of his repute as a practiced seducer, and the age hole, the attraction between the Princess and the soldier was intense.
Certainly, many consider it was revenge that fuelled Camilla’s decided makes an attempt to seduce Prince Charles: if Andrew was going to have the Queen’s daughter as his lover, she would have Her Majesty’s son.
She had no hassle attracting Charles, however was mentioned to be really in love with Andrew – whose Catholic religion meant he was by no means husband materials for Anne.
The connection fizzled out when he was posted to Germany and he reunited with Camilla. In July, 1973, they had been married on the Guards Chapel in Wellington Barracks, Central London.
Regardless of their divorce 22 years later, Queen Camilla has maintained a robust and shut friendship with Andrew – and he even had a particular invitation on the visitor record to the Coronation in Could 2022.
On the age of 86, Andrew Parker-Bowles (pictured center) has slipped into a brand new and fairly extra edifying function as a right-hand man to the royals. He’s ‘joined on the hip’ along with his ex-wife, Queen Camilla, and a loyal good friend to his sister-in-law Princess Anne
Princess Anne and Andrew Parker-Bowles (each pictured in 1971) are previous buddies and Andrew even quickly ditched Camilla to embark on a fling with Anne when she was 19
Camilla was famously Charles’s mistress throughout her marriage to Andrew, whereas the latter is described by buddies as having been ‘very naughty with ladies’ all through.
However it appears any variations have been put apart because the pair are ‘joined on the hip’, as one insider has beforehand put it – claiming they’re always in contact and make a terrific crew.
The creator Tina Brown has claimed it was Andrew, fairly than Charles, who was the love of Camilla’s life. Regardless of the fact, the person Brown describes as ‘a strolling pink gin’ is claimed to stay considered one of her chief confidantes.
‘They’re joined on the hip,’ in response to a good friend. ‘He arranges a lot for her. They’ve lunch collectively the entire time. He’s proper in there. He was all the time, and nonetheless is, Camilla’s co-conspirator.’
The Marchioness of Lansdowne, considered one of Camilla’s Queen’s Companions, has mentioned: ‘Everyone loves Andrew. He’s an actual charmer however he’s all the time terribly misbehaving.’
She mentioned of his enduring bond with Camilla: ‘Andrew will ring her up and inform her when she’s bought one thing flawed and he or she’ll ring him up and say when he’s misbehaving.
‘By way of adversity they’ve stored a extremely good household ethic. It helps with their youngsters and grandchildren.’
Often known as ‘The Brigadier’ in reference to his former profession as a military officer who served with the Blues and Royals and was awarded a Queen’s Commendation for Bravery in Zimbabwe, Andrew has moved in royal circles for many years.
Anne and Andrew’s relationship fizzled out when he was posted to Germany and he reunited with Camilla. In July, 1973, they had been married on the Guards Chapel in Wellington Barracks, Central London (pictured on their marriage ceremony day)
Many consider it was revenge that fuelled Camilla’s decided makes an attempt to seduce Prince Charles: if Andrew was going to have the Queen’s daughter as his lover, she would have Her Majesty’s son. Pictured: Camilla and Charles in 1975
Tina Brown has claimed it was Andrew who was the love of Camilla’s life. Regardless of the fact, the person Brown describes as ‘a strolling pink gin’ is claimed to stay considered one of her chief confidantes. Pictured: Anne, Camilla, Charles and Andrew at Royal Ascot in 2024
As a 13-year-old, he served as a web page to Lord Simonds, then the Lord Excessive Chancellor, on the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
‘My mom was a great good friend of the Duke of Norfolk,’ he recalled. ‘The Lord Chancellor had no youngsters so Bernard Norfolk recommended me to Lord Simonds. I’ve to say that he was the nicest man alive and gave me a really good set of cufflinks.’
He described a sword battle through the gown rehearsal, saying: ‘All of the pages had these little swords. If a gaggle of bored small boys all have swords, you understand what’s going to occur.’ He additionally performed polo on the identical crew as Charles when each males had been younger and rode within the Grand Nationwide in 1969, coming eleventh.
He first met Camilla within the late Nineteen Sixties they usually dated on and off for a number of years earlier than marrying in 1973.
In response to Andrew’s cousin John Bowes Lyon, the couple had been pressured into making the dedication when each their fathers printed an engagement discover for them in The Occasions.
‘His hand publicly pressured, Andrew proposed to his girlfriend of practically seven years,’ wrote the creator Sarah Bedell Smith.
‘Camilla was very a lot in love with [Andrew],’ Bowes Lyon informed Smith. ‘Her mother and father had been very eager that Andrew ought to marry her.’
The Queen Mom, Princess Anne and Princess Margaret all attended their marriage ceremony, and the reception occurred in St James’s Palace.
As a commanding officer of the Family Cavalry, Andrew accompanied the newly married Charles and Diana on horseback following their marriage ceremony in 1981 – however the marriage was not a trustworthy one on both facet.
In response to royal creator Penny Junor, Andrew was ‘by no means be wanting alternatives to be untrue’ when spending his weekdays in London, the place his regiment was based mostly.
The Day by day Mail’s Richard Kay wrote in 2017: ‘All too usually, the ladies had been certainly buddies of his spouse, and confirmed scant loyalty to her by succumbing to his charms.’
However the royal professional claimed that ‘Andrew’s affairs had been only a reality of life and never one thing Camilla usually spoke about’, noting how there ‘was by no means a tense ambiance within the couple’s dwelling’.
Tina Brown later claimed that Camilla solely resumed her affair with Charles as a result of she was offended at her husband’s infidelities.
Andrew and Camilla divorced in 1995, saying in a press release that ‘all through our marriage we have now all the time tended to observe fairly completely different pursuits, however in recent times we have now led utterly separate lives.’
The next 12 months, he married his long-term mistress Rosemary Pitman. They had been collectively till Rosemary handed away in 2010 of most cancers, aged 69.
On the time of her dying it was reported that Camilla was ‘deeply saddened’ by the information.
Andrew was a visitor at Charles and Camilla’s marriage ceremony in April 2005, attending their service of blessing at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
