Queen Elizabeth Once Called Camilla a 'Wicked Woman'— But Diana’s Nickname for Her Was Even Worse
Prince Charles’s affair was not a secret, and the public was well aware of the tension between Diana and Camilla.
The royals, like any family, have their private nicknames for each other. During the height of Prince Charles's affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, Queen Elizabeth once called the latter a 'wicked woman'. However, the Queen's label was nowhere near as brutal as Princess Diana's harsh nickname for Camilla — 'Rottweiler'. The name, a reflection of Diana's anguish, showed just how much she blamed Camilla for the crumbling of her marriage to Charles.
The revelation came from Simone Simmons, a close friend of the late Princess. Simmons explained that the name was rooted in Diana's belief that once Camilla sinks her teeth into someone, she doesn't let go, as reported by the Daily Express. In her book Diana: The Last Word, Simmons wrote, “She (Diana) tackled Charles about the relationship but never got a proper answer. He didn’t deny being with Camilla, and he didn’t lie. Instead, he became tongue-tied and refused to reply to her questions." She added, “It was a childish way of dealing with the situation. But then neither Charles nor Diana was being very grown up about things."
Simmons further disclosed that Diana, feeling increasingly overwhelmed, made a series of anonymous calls that led to more trouble. Simmons claimed Diana called Camilla late at night, hanging up as soon as the call was answered. According to Simmons, the former Princess of Wales struggled to push Camilla out of her mind. Camilla, too, had a bizarre nickname for Diana — 'mad cow' as she believed Diana had little right to complain about her affair with Charles, given her own history with lifeguards.
In his 2018 book, Rebel Prince: The Power, Passion, and Defiance of Prince Charles, author Tom Bower revealed that the explosive 1995 Panorama interview had Camilla labeling Diana the name. This incident followed Diana’s dramatic confrontation with Camilla at a party, where she accused her of destroying her marriage. She reportedly said, “'I know what’s going on between you and Charles, and I just want you to know that.'” In response, Camilla allegedly said, “‘You’ve got everything you ever wanted. You’ve got all the men in the world falling in love with you, and you’ve got two beautiful children; what more do you want?’”
Diana allegedly clapped back, “‘I want my husband. I’m sorry I’m in the way, and it must be hell for both of you. But I do know what’s going on. Don’t treat me like an idiot.'” Diana's distress led to an ongoing battle with depression and an eating disorder. Charles’s affair was far from a secret as the media got their hands on leaked private phone calls.
Charles and Camilla first met in 1971, but their brief affair couldn’t lead to marriage. As Charles enlisted in the military and Camilla married Andrew Parker Bowles, they parted ways before finding their way back to each other.
