Meet Queen Camilla's first husband Andrew Parker Bowles

Although King Charles and Queen Camilla are now happily married, their wedding in 2005 wasn't the first time that either of them had walked down the aisle.

Charles was previously married Princess Diana, whom he tied the knot to in 1981, while Camilla had gotten married to Andrew Parker Bowles eight years earlier. Andrew and Camilla were married for 22 years and even welcomed two children together, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes.

Following their divorce, the former couple have remained close, but what do you know of Camilla's first husband? Read on to find out everything you need to know about Andrew Parker Bowles…

Early life

Andrew was born on 27 December 1939 to Derek and Ann Parker Bowles. He grew up with three younger siblings, Simon, Mary and Richard, the latter who sadly died in 2010.

Andrew came from an aristocratic family, with his father being the great-grandson of the Earl of Macclesfield while his mother was the granddaughter of millionaire and racehorse owner, Sir Humphrey de Trafford.

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Due to these links, his parents were friends with the Queen Mother, and Andrew reportedly served as a page during the late Queen's coronation.

Career

Andrew was educated at the Benedictine Ampleforth College and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and following his graduation, he joined the Royal Horse Guards.

The father-of-two served in the military for a total of 34 years, rising through the ranks and eventually obtaining the rank of Brigadier in 1990, four years before he eventually retired.

Highlights of his career involved being awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery in Zimbabwe and for three years he was the colonel in charge of the Household Cavalry, even serving as the late Queen's Silver Stick.

Relationship with Camilla

Andrew met Camilla Shand in the late 1960s, with the pair being introduced by the military man's younger brother, Simon. The couple had an on-off relationship, during which time Andrew reportedly also dated Princess Anne. On Andrew and Anne's courtship, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith noted that it couldn't have been "very serious between Anne and Andrew because Andrew was Catholic".

Andrew and Camilla didn't get engaged until 1973, a move that Sally claimed was "forced" by the couple's fathers and Andrew's cousin when the trio published an engagement notice in The Times newspaper.

Their wedding

The couple walked down the aisle on 4 July 1973, with the Queen Mother, Princess Anne and Princess Margaret among the 800 guests who packed into the Guards Chapel in Wellington Barracks, before a reception was held at St James's Palace.

For the ceremony, the bride wore a pie-crust collar white gown with long sleeves and a ruffled hem. She also wore the Cubitt-Shand tiara, from the family's jewellery collection; Camilla's daughter Laura would wear the same tiara at her own wedding.

Following their marriage, the couple moved into Middlewick House in Wiltshire and they would go on to welcome two children: Tom Parker Bowles in 1974 and daughter Laura Lopes in 1978. However, cracks began to form in the pair's marriage and on 3 March 1995, the pair divorced.

A statement at the time said: "Throughout our marriage we have always tended to follow rather different interests, but in recent years we have led completely separate lives."

Second marriage to Rosemary Pitman

Andrew found love shortly after his divorce from Camilla and just a year later he walked down the aisle with Rosemary Pitman. The couple stayed together until Rosemary passed away from cancer in 2010. Camilla was said to have been "deeply saddened" by Rosemary's death and attended her funeral.

What is he doing now?

Following his marriages, Andrew has kept a relatively low-profile, however, he is still seen at events such as Royal Ascot where he is often spotted with Anne. Although their relationship never went anywhere, the pair remain close friends and Andrew is even the godfather to Anne's daughter, Zara.

In December 2023, it was revealed that Andrew was now dating former The Weakest Link presenter Anne Robinson, with the pair keeping their romance secret for eight months.

Speaking to HELLO!, a source said: "They've been having an affair for about eight months. It's an extraordinary match as they're from very different backgrounds, and Anne has a reputation for being quite bossy.

"The Brigadier goes down to spend the night at her place and although their friends have known about their relationship, they've all managed to keep it out of the public eye - until now."