Queen Camilla: Everything we know about her ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles and his second wife

On 6 May, alongside her husband King Charles III, Camilla will be crowned Queen at the coronation. The then-Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles married in 2005. Her former husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, has been invited to attend the historic occasion at Westminster Abbey, with his grandsons serving as Pages of Honour to their grandmother, Camilla.

So who is Andrew Parker Bowles? Here’s everything we know.

Who is Andrew Parker Bowles?

Andrew was born in 1939 to Derek Henry and Ann Parker Bowles, who were close friends of the Queen Mother.

In 1953, when he was 13-years-old, he secured his position in Royal circles by serving as a Page of Honour at the late Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.

Andrew attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In 1960, he was commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards. In 1980, he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery in Zimbabwe.

He rose up the ranks until he was promoted to brigadier in 1990, hence the nickname the 'brigadier'. Andrew became director of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps from 1991-1994. He served in the military for 34 years.

Andrew met Camilla in the late 1960s and it’s believed they dated for a few years before getting married in 1973. The Queen Mother, Princess Anne, and Princess Margaret all attended the wedding, with the reception held in St. James's Palace.

Andrew and Camilla had two children, Thomas and Laura, and were married for 22 years before announcing their divorce in 1995. At the time, they described it as a 'private matter'.

Read more ⋙ Queen Camilla: Royal fans outraged over bizarre claim her title will change if King passes away

Andrew's second wife, Rosemary Parker Bowles

The next year, Andrew married Rosemary Pitman,who he had known for many years as he was an officer in the same regiment as her first husband, Hugh Pitman. She had three sons with Hugh: Henry, William, and Tom.

Andrew and Rosemary lived in Brokenborough. Her son Henry said about his late mother:

She was very involved in village life and her great passion was gardening.

She was a qualified garden designer and worked professionally. She always had a real passion for it ever since I can remember.

I think she would have been very proud of the gardens she had designed, both at her own homes and at other people’s.

Tragically, Rosemary Parker Bowles died from cancer in 2010.

Nowadays, Andrew occasionally attends Royal Family events. In October 2022, he represented Queen Camilla at the funeral for John Bowes-Lyon. He has also represented Princess Anne on at least five separate occasions, with whom he enjoys a close friendship. Andrew is even the godfather of her daughter, Zara Tindall.

Read more:

⋙ Queen Consort Camilla and Princess Anne had a rocky past, claims royal biographer

⋙ Royal Family's controversial decision regarding Queen Camilla's ex-husband raises eyebrows

Sources used:

Sky News: 'Who is Queen Camilla's ex-husband, and who are the Parker Bowles family?'

Town and Country Mag: 'Who Is Camilla's First Husband, Andrew Parker Bowles?'

Gazette and Herald: 'Rosemary Parker Bowles'