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Caught Consorting with The Prince!

The Duchess of Cornwall, whose name was Camilla Parker Bowles prior to her marriage to The Prince of Wales, is the second wife of the heir to the British Throne.

The Duchess of Cornwall is the daughter of Major Bruce Middleton Hope Shand and the Hon. Rosalind Maud Shand. She was born Camilla Rosemary Shand on 17th July 1947 at King’s College Hospital, London, the eldest of three children. Camilla has a sister, Annabel Elliot, and a brother, Mark Shand.

The Duchess was first educated at Dumbrells School, a co-ed school in Sussex, and then attended Queen’s Gate School in South Kensington. She also attended Mon Fertile finishing school in Switzerland and studied at the Institut Britannique in Paris.

On July 4, 1973 at the age of 26, Camilla married Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles at the Guard's Chapel, Wellington Barracks. The couple had two children, Thomas Henry and Laura Rose, born in 1974 and 1978 respectively. The marriage was dissolved in 1995. The Prince of Wales is godfather to Tom Parker Bowles.

Camilla and Prince Charles met in the early 1970s, becoming friends and then romantic partners. Following the death of Princess Diana in 1997, their relationship was made public, and the two were married at the Guildhall in Windsor in a civil ceremony on April 9, 2005. Camilla then became the Duchess of Cornwall (the Duke of Cornwall is one of the many titles held by Prince Charles).

As The Duchess of Cornwall, Her Royal Highness undertakes public duties for her own charities, and acts in support of her husband, The Prince of Wales, in his work and role as Heir to the Throne.

In her role as President of the National Osteoporosis Society, The Duchess has visited many bone units and hospitals across the country to raise awareness about the brittle bone disease.

When The Prince of Wales accedes to the British Throne, The Duchess will be known as Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall.