After his first marriage to Princess Diana , King Charles (then the Prince of Wales) and Camilla Parker Bowles were legally married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, a short distance from Windsor Castle, but the groom’s parents were not among the 28 guests invited to the ceremony.
King Charles (then Crown Prince) married Camilla Parker Bowles
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Queen Elizabeth is head of the Church of England. She chose not to attend the weddings of two people who were divorced from their previous partners. Charles was married to Princess Diana from 1981 to 1996, while Camilla was married to Andrew Parker Bowles (with whom she has son Tom and daughter Laura) from 1973 to 1995.
The civil ceremony in Windsor was less glamorous than other royal weddings. Charles wore a suit instead of his military uniform, while Camilla wore a white coat over a silk chiffon dress and a white hat. The Guardian reported that up to 20,000 people attended the wedding.
British royal family takes wedding photos at Windsor Castle
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The absence of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip from the Windsor Guildhall wedding was revisited in the sixth and final season of The Crown (which will air on Netflix in two seasons in late 2023). The final episode saw the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh watching live television coverage of the wedding as they prepared to attend the service at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle later that day.
King Charles and Queen Camilla then left the church arm in arm and posed for wedding photos at Windsor Castle. The photos were taken by photographer Hugo Burnand, who also photographed the couple on their coronation day in May 2023.