Prince Charles, reportedly, wanted to marry Camilla Parker Bowles in the 1970s but was unable to do so.

Initial claims revealed that the royal family didn’t approve Camilla because she wasn’t a virgin. And since Prince Charles was the heir to the throne, it was his wife’s duty to him give him a successor.

But in the book Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life, royal author Sally Bedell Smith said that there’s another reason why the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall didn’t tie the knot decades ago.

She said that Camilla’s family didn’t also approve of Prince Charles. And they wanted the mom of two to marry Andrew Parker Bowles instead. The Duchess of Cornwall followed her family’s advice and she wed Andrew.

Since Andrew had the support of Camilla’s entire family, he felt compelled to propose to his then-girlfriend after dating each other for seven years. Prior to their wedding, Camilla sent Prince Charles a letter saying that she was going to tie the knot with Andrew.

Prince Charles reportedly replied to Camilla by asking her not to marry Andrew. However, the dad of two couldn’t do much because he was stationed far away from Camilla.

Shortly after Camilla and Andrew’s wedding pushed through, Prince Charles went in search of a woman that he could marry. Princess Diana happened to be a safe choice for the future king because she was a virgin and she was also stunning.

However, since Prince Charles was more in love with Camilla that he ever was in love with Princess Diana, his feelings for the Duchess of Cornwall lingered in his heart. Prince Charles and Camilla had an affair while they were still married to their respective spouses.

And in a shocking twist, Princess Diana and Andrew were both aware that their partners were having an affair.

After tying the knot in 1981, Prince Charles and Princess Diana announced their separation in 1992. In 1996, their divorce was finalized. And in 1997, the Princess of Wales died following a tragic car crash in Parish.

Following her demise, Prince Charles and Camilla waited for a few years before they made their relationship public. In 2005, the couple tied the knot in a civil ceremony that wasn’t attended by Queen Elizabeth.

Today, Prince Charles and Camilla are still together. And they seem very happy to finally be in each other’s arms.