The Untold Story of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles' Wedding

The Unseen Real-Life Events

The Crown season 6 brought the Netflix series to a close, and several major details about the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles were left out in the process. In real life, Prince Charles (now King Charles III) married Camilla Parker Bowles (now Queen Camilla) on April 9, 2005, following a 30-year relationship that started when the prince was in his 20s. This affair contributed to his divorce from his first wife, the late Diana, Princess of Wales. From illness to funerals, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles' wedding had a rocky start in real life Over its seven-year run, the Netflix series has been known to omit certain events and details from the show, confusing audiences about which moments from The Crown are fact and which are fiction. Season 6 is one of the worst-rated seasons of The Crown, and the screenwriters focused primarily on adding happier scenes to finish it on a strong note rather than keeping the show historically accurate. While Camilla Parker Bowles and Prince Charles' wedding was long overdue for fans of The Crown, the show left out important details from the wedding that could have added more depth to the series finale and the show overall.

The Crown season 6 main cast consisting of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Anne, and Camilla at Charles' wedding in The Crown finale

The Death of John Paul II Pushed The Wedding Back A Day The Crown Season 6 Doesn't Cover The Pope's Death Prince Charles was set to marry Camilla Parker Bowles on April 8, but due to the death of Pope John Paul II on April 2, 2005, the wedding had to be pushed back to April 9 (via The Guardian). The Royal Family has a long history with the Vatican, with the Queen having audiences with popes on numerous occasions dating back to the beginning of her reign in 1952. Prince Charles also had several audiences with Pope John Paul II, alongside Diana, Princess of Wales, in the 1980s. Therefore, it was only fitting that the Royal Family attended his funeral and paid their respects. Since Queen Elizabeth II was unable to attend the funeral herself to pay her respects, Prince Charles went on his own to represent the Royal Family alongside other world leaders, including Prime Minister Tony Blair and then-President George W. Bush. The queen released an official statement, expressing her condolences to the Vatican (via The Royal Family). Before Prince Charles left for the trip, he attended a mass with Parker Bowles at Westminster Cathedral in London. Parker Bowles could not go to the funeral herself, probably because of her status as a divorced woman with a living ex-husband. The Crown completely skips over the funeral, and there is no mention of the date change or the pope's death. This was interesting because the Royal Family had met with Pope John Paul II numerous times during his papacy. Therefore, it's somewhat odd that there is no mention of him in The Crown. Cutting out the pope's funeral in The Crown serves as a reminder of how the show keeps prioritizing fiction and shock value over facts. Had the show included the funeral, it likely would have extended the length of the episode and taken away from the queen's conflict with her mortality.

Dominic West as Prince Charles and Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker Bowles in The Crown season 6

The Unseen Real-Life Events (Continued)

Camilla Was Sick In The Days Leading Up To The Wedding She Also Had A Lot Of Anxiety Leading Up To The Event Despite looking healthy in the wedding episode of The Crown, Camilla Parker Bowles was sick with sinusitis and unable to get out of bed (via Vanity Fair). She was also very anxious about the wedding, knowing that not everyone in the United Kingdom approved of her marriage to Charles. Parker Bowles had been a long-criticized figure in British culture, and many blamed her for Diana's unhappiness. The Crown showed that Parker Bowles was nervous — but not so much about the wedding. Her nerves in the show were more about how she wanted to make a good impression on William and Harry. It would have been interesting to see how The Crown portrayed Parker Bowles' feelings before the wedding in more detail, as well as her illness, especially since Parker Bowles had to be convinced to get out of bed on the day of the event. In a personal tribute Parker Bowles made to the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, Parker Bowles was nervous to the point where she accidentally put on the wrong shoes before the wedding. Parker Bowles even stated that Queen Elizabeth II helped her feel better. The Crown shows the queen, but the show doesn't even notice or mention the situation. While audiences had seen Queen Elizabeth give her Annus Horribilus speech while recovering from a cold, Parker Bowles had to face the pressure of the British people and the pressure of joining the Royal Family. Anti-Parker Bowles fans did boo the couple in the streets of Windsor in real life (via Good Housekeeping), but it wasn't shown on The Crown in favor of showing Queen Elizabeth's feelings about the future of her reign. Instead, the series focused primarily on the cheers and adulation of the people, ignoring the protesters who were unhappy that Parker Bowles was Charles' bride.

The Crown cast takes an official photo at Prince Charles and Camilla's wedding in season 6 episode 10

Queen Elizabeth II Wearing White Caused Backlash The Crown Doesn't Cover The Public Response To Her Outfit During the service of blessing, Queen Elizabeth II wore a white dress with a matching hat. Although Parker Bowles wore an outfit that wasn't white, the Queen's outfit choice was deemed disrespectful by some (via Newsweek). Some claimed that it was a sign that she didn't approve of the marriage. Because she was the head of the Church of England, the queen was unable to attend the civil ceremony due to both Charles and Parker Bowles being divorced. The Queen did, however, attend the service of blessing and a reception for the couple. The Crown covers the reception, but there is no mention of the Queen's outfit or the reaction of the public. It's possible the Netflix series didn't want to dig into this controversy, or it might not have had time to cover the backlash to the Royal Family. In general, the series skips over public reception, painting a less controversial picture of the people it's portraying. Of course, The Crown is more from the perspective of the royals themselves than the public — so this approach makes sense, even if it doesn't feel fully historically accurate.

The Crown - Young Charles (Josh O'Connor) and Camilla (Emerald Fennell) talking over drinks

In Conclusion

The untold story of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles' wedding reveals the unseen real-life events that were left out in The Crown season 6. From the date change due to the death of Pope John Paul II to Camilla's illness and anxiety leading up to the wedding, there were significant details that could have added depth and authenticity to the portrayal of this historical event. The show's focus on fictional elements and its omission of important real-life events and reactions underscore the need for a more balanced representation of historical accuracy and dramatic storytelling in historical dramas like The Crown. As viewers continue to enjoy the series on Netflix, it's important to remember that while The Crown offers a captivating portrayal of the royal family, it may not always capture the full complexity of historical events and their impact on the individuals involved.

Camilla (Emerald Fennell) smiling while talking to Diana (Emma Corrin) in The Crown.