Royal Devastation: Prince Charles 'CRUSHED' After Camilla Heartbreak
Over the years, the royal family has been surrounded by drama and controversies in their personal lives despite trying to keep things private.
From Prince Charles and Diana's marriage, the feud between the younger generation of the royal family, down to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's resignation as senior members of the British monarchy, it appears that they cannot escape from the prying eyes of the media and the public.
One of the biggest controversies in the royal family is the Prince of Wales' relationship with his now-wife Camilla Parker Bowles.
Royal experts have claimed that the heir to the throne underwent severe emotional turmoil when he found out that Camilla married Andrew Parker-Bowles in 1973.
In a Channel 5 documentary titled "Charles and Camilla: King and Queen in Waiting," royal experts Dickie Arbiter and Katie Nicholl shared how Prince Charles was left heartbroken when he learned about the news involving Camilla.
"Charles was in his 20s and was having to do military service because he would one day go to be commander in chief. He then joined the navy to follow his father, grandfather, and two great grandfathers," Arbiter explained.
"I think it was very important to him to fulfill that role because that was what was expected of him."
In 1973, Prince Charles joined HMS Minerva for a seven-month voyage in the Caribbean as part of his naval service career. The Prince of Wales served in the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976.
Arbiter then explained that Camilla went on with her life after she found out that Charles was busy doing his duties as the future king.
"Like a lot of young ladies, they don't like their men disappearing out of their lives. Prince Charles did disappear out of her life and she married army cavalry officer Andrew Parker Bowles," Arbiter said.
Meanwhile, Nicholl pointed out that Prince Charles felt "crushed" after receiving the devastating news.
"One can only imagine that Charles would have been feeling pretty crushed by this news. He had gone away to serve and hoped that Camilla would wait for him. He certainly thought the relationship had legs, even if his family didn't," she said.
The heir to the throne was in the West Indies when he learned about Camilla's engagement. He immediately wrote to his great uncle Lord Mountbatten and expressed his disappointment that "such a blissful, peaceful and mutually happy relationship" has come to an end.
Princess Diana vs Camilla Parker-Bowles
Although Camilla and Prince Charles eventually ended up together after the couple married on April 9, 2005, they had to endure scandalous and controversial issues along with the late Princess Diana.
To recall, a bombshell biography by Andrew Morton titled "DIANA: Her True Story - In Her Own Words" revealed that prior to Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding in 1981, she was aware of the involvement of Camilla as she once overheard her then-fiancé on the phone professing his love to another woman.
Moreover, the People's Princess also referred to Camilla as the "third person" in her marriage.
