Queen Elizabeth was incredibly fond of her daughter-in-law Camilla.
Despite their close bond, the late Queen chose not to attend a birthday party held in Camilla's honor before her marriage to then-Prince Charles.
In July 1997, Charles hosted an extravagant celebration for Camilla's 50th birthday at Highgrove, marking the first joint event for the couple after Charles' divorce from Princess Diana. This event was seen as an attempt to bring their relationship into the open.
However, the Queen and Prince Philip did not attend the party on July 18, 1997, nor did any of Charles' siblings or Princess Margaret. It remains unclear if Charles tried to convince his mother to attend, as depicted in Netflix's 'The Crown.' The guest list of 80 people has remained largely secret, but it is known that the attendees enjoyed canapés, a five-course meal, cake, and dancing.
At the time, Princess Diana was on holiday in the South of France with young Prince William and Prince Harry.
Eight years later, Charles and Camilla married in a civil ceremony. Again, the Queen and Prince Philip did not attend the wedding but were wholly supportive of the newlyweds. The wedding was held in two parts: the official marriage at the Guildhall and a Service of Prayer and Dedication at St. George's Chapel, followed by a reception at Windsor Castle.
As head of the Church of England, the Queen decided it was not appropriate for her to attend the wedding of two people who had each divorced their previous partners. However, she helped celebrate their special day.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold, who worked within Charles' household for seven years and attended the ceremony in Windsor on April 9, 2005, revealed that the late monarch organized important wedding details, including the flowers and the couple's wedding rings. She even gave a comical speech at the reception.
Grant said: "The biggest misconception about the wedding is that the Queen didn't enjoy it or wasn't supportive. It's complete nonsense. Her appearance at the reception was a joyful one and was seen as an olive branch to Charles and Camilla, her blessing of the marriage. The royals don't do things lightly, and she would not have attended if she hadn't been happy to.
"I remember walking to St George's Hall for the reception, where they had drinks. The Queen had not attended the actual service, but she gave a speech at the reception, which was seen as a big sign of her approval of the marriage.
"The Queen was amazing at the wedding, she gave a very funny speech, and she was really happy, as was Prince Philip. She compared their relationship to a Grand National horse race. She was a great comedian and had a way with words."
