How will King Charles and Queen Camilla celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary?

As King Charles continues to undergo treatment for cancer, it is likely that he and Queen Camilla will celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary quietly tomorrow (9 April, 2024). Although their 19th wedding anniversary is of course a cause for celebration for the couple, the date marks the third anniversary of his late father, the Duke of Edinburgh’s death.

The late Duke of Edinburgh passed away on 9 April 2021 at the age of 99. The Palace said on the day that "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband. "The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss."

King Charles and Queen Camilla who first met at a Windsor polo match in 1970, married at  Windsor Guildhall, and then Prince Charles became the first member of the British royal family to marry in a civil ceremony. As she was not marrying in church, Queen Camilla did not opt for a tiara, but wore a headpiece by Philip Treacy; her outfit was designed by Anna Valentine and Antonia Robinson. 

As well as King Charles’s sons Prince William and Prince Harry in attendance, they were joined by Camilla’s children, Laura and Tom (Parker Bowles) in attendance. Laura Parker Bowles became Laura Lopes when she married a year later. Well-known celebrities at the wedding included Joanna Lumley, Jilly Cooper and the designer Valentino Garavani. 

Did Queen Elizabeth 11 and the Duke of Edinburgh attend Charles’s wedding to Camilla?

Queen Elizabeth 11 and the Duke of Edinburgh did not attend the then Prince Charles’s wedding to Camilla at Windsor Guildhall but they did watch their religious blessing at St George's Chapel. Both Prince Harry/Meghan Markle and Princess Eugenie/Jack Brooksbank wed at this venue. 

In previous years, King Charles and Queen Camilla have continued with their royal duties instead of choosing to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Hello! Magazine reported that “Back in 2019, on their 14th wedding anniversary, they made an unannounced visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to re-open Hillsborough Castle following its £20 million makeover. 

The then Prince Charles said in a speech at the time: "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm enormously grateful to you all for coming such a long way to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It's incredibly good of you."