THE RISE OF QUEEN CAMILLA

Once at the centre of the palace's biggest scandal, the former mistress is now Charles' greatest asset

Earlier this year, the Queen issued a letter confirming it was her "sincere wish" that when the time comes, her daughter-in-law Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall and wife of Prince Charles, should become Queen Consort as Charles ascends the throne. Now that wish, and Camilla's journey, is complete - and what a ride it has been.

IMAGE MAKEOVER

Once called the "most hated woman in Britain" by a UK tabloid, Camilla has spent years rehabilitating her public image, allowing her to go from mistress to Her Majesty.

She was just 24 years old when she first started dating Prince Charles after meeting in 1970 at a polo match, but when Charles was deployed with the navy in 1973, Camilla met and married army officer Andrew Parker Bowles. Charles was said to be devastated.

He married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, but remained friendly with Camilla. By 1986, they had started an affair. It became global news and, in 1992, tapes of a phone call between the lovers were leaked.

When Princess Diana branded Camilla "the third person" in her marriage, she became known as "evil Camilla" by the British press.