camilla charles wedding

Why Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla were forced to change wedding date

The royal wedding was postponed by one day

Deputy Lifestyle Editor
April 8, 2022

Months of meticulous planning go into a royal wedding, so why didn't Prince Charles' second wedding with the Duchess of Cornwall go ahead when it was originally intended to?

MORE: 23 breathtaking royal wedding dresses that will go down in history

On 10 February 2005, Clarence House made the official announcement that Prince Charles was to marry Camilla Parker Bowles, the daughter of the late Major Bruce Middleton Hope Shand and the late Hon Rosalind Maud Shand, on 8 April that year. 

WATCH: Most stunning royal wedding dresses of all time

However, their actual wedding took place on 9 April – it was postponed for one day so that the Prince of Wales could represent his mother the Queen at the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Vatican City.

Speaking of how the slight delay impacted their flower arrangements, royal florist Simon Lycett told HELLO!: "We always try to have our flowers be on point for the actual day and time of the event. There was a bit of a white-knuckle ride to try and make sure that everybody was keeping everything fresh and perfect."

SEE: Best photos from Prince Charles and Camilla's royal wedding

READ: 7 royals who had to make last-minute changes at their wedding

Charles and Camilla got married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, Berkshire, followed by a service of blessing at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The latter was attended by the likes of the Queen and Prince Philip, who also hosted a reception for the newlyweds at Windsor Castle later that day.

The royal couple were due to marry on 8 April 2005

The bride looked beautiful in a cream silk chiffon dress by Anna Valentine and Antonia Robinson and a wide-brimmed straw hat by Philip Treacy, before changing into a pale blue chiffon gown with a long-sleeved, gold-embroidered coat over the top.

It was also reported that their wedding almost didn't go ahead for another reason – Camilla was feeling unwell on the morning of her big day.

According to Vanity Fair, Duchess Camilla was suffering from a serious bout of sinusitis, which meant her friends were worried she wouldn’t be well enough to walk down the aisle. 

They had a civil ceremony followed by a service of blessing at St. George's Chapel

Lucia Santa Cruz, the woman who introduced Prince Charles and Camilla to each other, said: "She was really ill, stressed.

"She literally couldn’t get out of bed."

Luckily, the wedding did go ahead, but their anniversary is now a bittersweet occasion as 9 April is also the day Charles' father Prince Philip passed away.

Camilla met the royal in 1970 and dated him before her first marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles three years later. She welcomed children Tom and Laura Parker Bowles with Andrew before the couple split in 1995. Prince Charles, meanwhile, had sons Prince William and Prince Harry with Princess Diana.

RELATED: Why the Queen wore white on Duchess Camilla's wedding day

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