4 Things Queen Camilla Was Allowed to Do at Her Wedding That Princess Kate Wasn’t

When Queen Camilla married King Charles, she knew she would one day sit on the throne as a future Queen Consort. Likewise, Princess Kate stepped into a similar role when she married Prince William in 2011. However, both wedding ceremonies were starkly different. The two women had very different introductions into the royal fold, and Camilla was allowed to do a few things that Kate wasn't.

Camilla and Charles legally married in a small civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall, while William and Kate had an extravagant Christian wedding at Westminster Abbey. The young couple also read traditional religious vows from the Book of Common Prayer, although they chose to leave out the word 'obey'. In many ways, the 2011 wedding was not just a celebration of William and Kate's union but a ceremony fit for the future Head of the Church of England.

Camilla and Charles had a private civil ceremony, attended by around 28 guests, according to reports. The guest list naturally included their children, William, Prince Harry, Laura Lopes, and Tom Parker-Bowles. On the other hand, Kate and William's wedding was televised all over the world and reportedly attended by a whopping 1,900 guests. A global spectacle does appear to be more special on the surface. However, given Kate's grounded and relatively humble upbringing at Bucklebury Manor in the close-knit Middleton family, she may have preferred an intimate ceremony that Camilla was allowed to have.

Camilla opted to wear a bold and elaborate hat for her 2005 wedding instead of a traditional tiara. However, Kate wore the Cartier Halo tiara for her 2011 wedding. New York Post reported that the young bride initially wanted to wear flowers in her hair on her special day, but Camilla advised against it. The Queen Consort suggested that a tiara would be a more appropriate choice, although she could get away with it on her own big day.

Since Charles and Camilla had an intimate civil ceremony, the pair did not have the pressure to put on a show for the crowds. They could take in their special moment, which was years in the making, without worrying about playing their royal roles. But that was not the case for William and Kate. The wedding very well could be considered their first royal duty, with the pressure of not taking the wrong step likely weighing heavily on their shoulders. On the other hand, Camilla and Charles' wedding was structured around the couple and their preferences rather than for the monarchy.