The Duchess: Camilla Parker Bowles and the Love Affair That Rocked the Crown

Review

''Thoroughly well-written, this is a believable portrait of a woman who did not seek publicity or a royal role but instead to support the love of her life, Prince Charles.'' --(Library Journal (starred review))

''A witty, colorful portrait of Camilla as human that should offer food for thought for Anglophiles and those seeking an antidote to her toxic reputation.'' --(Kirkus)

Product Description

In the first in-depth biography of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall -- the infamous other woman who made the marriage of Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana ''a bit crowded'' -- esteemed royal biographer Penny Junor tells the extraordinary story of the woman reviled as a pariah who, thanks to numerous twists of fate, became the popular princess consort.
As Camilla's marriage to Charles approached in 2005, the British public were upset that the woman reviled for wrecking the royal marriage would one day become queen. Sensitive to public opinion, the palace announced that, when Charles eventually acceded to the throne, Camilla would be known as the princess consort. Yet a decade later, British public sentiment had changed.
Junor contends that, though Camilla played a central role in Charles and Diana's acrimonious and scandalous split, she also played a central role in restoring the royal family's reputation, especially that of Prince Charles. A woman with no ambition to be a princess, a duchess, or a queen, Camilla simply wanted to be with the love of her life. Junor contends that their marriage has reinvigorated Charles, allowing him to finally become comfortable as heir to the British throne.

About the Author

Penny Junor is a British journalist, broadcaster, and author who has covered the royal family for nearly thirty years. She is the author of previous biographies of both the Prince and the Princess of Wales, their two sons, and two British prime ministers, as well as the coauthor of Patti Boyd's #1 New York Times bestselling autobiography Wonderful Tonight.