As Prince Charles’ marriage to Princess Diana was practically over, the Daily Mirror published the transcript of a racy phone conversation secretly recorded between Charles and his then-woman-on-the-side Camilla, which shed light on their relationship. Mostly, it revealed that they were “very into each other”.
Charles and Camilla began their romantic relationship in the 1970s before carrying on with their affair into the 80s and 90s. We can only imagine how mortified they must have been when they discovered their steamy chat was splashed across the tabloids for everyone to read (and cringe). Let’s take a look at one of the most scandalous royal stories of all time.
The affair
Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla was common knowledge, thanks to the publication of Diana, her true story by Andrew Morton in 1992. That book is the closest we will ever get to having an autobiography by Diana, even though friends later said she regretted giving away so much of her personal information.
So the fact Charles and Camilla were having an affair was old news by the time the Camillagate tape scandal erupted in 1993.
Camilla wasn’t the first woman in her family to have a royal affair; her great-grandmother, Alice Keppel was once the mistress of Prince Charles’ great-great-grandfather Edward VII.
The recordings
Why were the recordings – which were actually made four years before they were leaked – also referred to as “tampon-gate?” Well, that’s because Charles told Camilla he wanted to be her tampon. Yes, that’s correct.
This is what he actually said:
Charles: “Oh God. I’ll just live inside your trousers or something. It would be much easier.”
Camilla: “What are you going to turn into, a pair of knickers? Oh, you’re going to come back as a pair of knickers.”
Charles: “Or, God forbid, a Tampax. Just my luck!”
This exchange was followed by jokes about Charles turning into an entire box of tampons and of being “chucked down the lavatory.”
Diana’s reaction
Princess Diana’s former personal protection officer, Ken Wharfe, later wrote in his book Guarding Diana: Protecting The Princess Around The World that Diana described the phone conversation as “sick.”
Wharfe wrote: “She told me that she had been genuinely shocked by some of the baser comments, particular the Prince’s tampon reference. ‘It’s just sick,’ she said repeatedly.
The recording of the steamy phone call was believed to have been made by a radio enthusiast who was using a hi-tech scanning device.
He managed to leak it to the Daily Mirror which published a transcript of the intimate conversation: the rest of the British tabloids followed, with headlines ranging from
“Camillagate” to “Charles and Camilla: the tapes.”
A major scandal
The scandal was so huge that many in Britain questioned whether Charles’ reputation could ever be repaired. How could the monarchy survive such a scandal?
Andrew Morton’s book had already damaged Charles’ reputation but the Camillagate tapes made things a whole lot worse.
The actual source of the tape was never revealed. The Daily Mirror claimed the tapes came from “an ordinary member of the public.”
But others believed it was far more sinister.
According to James Fanton, author of Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy, some people suspected members of Britain’s security service were involved. This has never been proven but is still alive as a long-standing conspiracy theory.
The British media were absolutely scathing about Camilla; she was labelled a “homewrecker” and much was made about how she was perceived as being less attractive than Diana.
It wasn’t until 1994 that Charles spoke about his relationship with Camilla, telling the BBC’s Jonathan Dimbley: “Mrs Parker Bowles is a great friend of mine… a friend for a very long time. She will continue to be a friend for a very long time.”
Charles also admitted that his relationship with Camilla was rekindled after his marriage had “irretrievably broken down” in 1986.
Shortly after the tapes were leaked to the media, Prime Minister John Major confirmed “personal issues” between Diana and Charles, as he announced their formal separation.
Charles and Camilla were later married in 2005.