Why King Charles and Queen Camilla Were Denied Their Dream Royal Wedding
Charles and Camilla’s 2005 wedding came with strict rules, forcing them to change their plans and give up the ceremony they had wanted.
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s marriage was already controversial, and to add to that, they were reportedly denied the chance to have their dream wedding. Although both had been married before, they wed in a civil ceremony in 2005. Charles was previously married to Princess Diana until their divorce in 1996, while Camilla was formerly married to Andrew Parker Bowles.
That was partly because the couple had hoped to get married at St George’s Chapel, but their plans did not work out that way. They instead held a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, with the Registrar presiding. Afterward, Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, led a service of blessing for the newlyweds at St George’s Chapel. However, church rules surrounding remarriage after divorce prevented him from conducting a full wedding ceremony for them there.
As per HELLO!, when Williams was later asked about the decision at an Oldie magazine literary luncheon, his response was simple: “Those were the rules.” Years later, Richard Eden also asked him whether he believed he had made the right call, but Williams stood by the decision, replying, “That was the decision we made, yes.”
These rules could have made things even more complicated for Charles and Camilla. Whether a divorced couple can remarry in the Church of England is ultimately left to the discretion of the individual vicar, meaning a different vicar could have agreed to marry them altogether. But Williams was willing to preside over their blessing.
The Church of England website states, “Every vicar will want to help you, though there are some who don’t feel able to offer a wedding to couples where one or both of the partners has been divorced… Even if it is not possible to do your wedding, they may offer a blessing service after a civil wedding.”
St George’s Chapel has become a popular choice for royal weddings over the years. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh married there in 1999, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also chose the chapel for their wedding in 2018.
Charles married Camilla on 9 April 2005 in a civil ceremony that neither of his parents attended, though both joined the couple at a Windsor Castle reception. As Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the late Queen felt it inappropriate to attend the civil service because both Charles and Camilla were divorced.
