Andrew Parker Bowles has spent decades in the public eye, not for seeking attention, but because his personal life has repeatedly crossed paths with the British royal family. As a retired British Army officer, a former romantic partner of Princess Anne, and the first husband of Queen Camilla, Andrew Parker Bowles occupies a curious place in modern royal history: close enough to the Crown to matter, yet independent enough to have built a distinguished career of his own. This article looks at who Andrew Parker Bowles really is, from his early years through to his military service and family life today.
Who Is Andrew Parker Bowles?
Andrew Parker Bowles was born Andrew Henry Parker Bowles on 27 December 1939 in Surrey, England. He was the eldest of four children born to Derek Henry Parker Bowles and Ann Parker Bowles (née de Trafford). His mother came from serious wealth and social standing; she was the daughter of Sir Humphrey de Trafford, a multimillionaire racehorse owner, and she later became a Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.
The Parker Bowles family were well connected to the royal household long before Andrew’s name became linked with Camilla or Princess Anne. His parents were reportedly close friends of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and Andrew himself served as a page boy at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, a detail that shows just how embedded this family was within royal circles from the very start.
Andrew Parker Bowles Young: Education and Early Years
Looking at Andrew Parker Bowles young, before the military career and the royal headlines, gives useful context for understanding the man he became. He was educated at Ampleforth College in Yorkshire, a well-regarded Catholic boarding school, before moving on to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to train as an army officer.
This upbringing was steeped in tradition, discipline, and Catholic faith, the de Trafford family were known recusants, meaning they had remained Roman Catholic through centuries when it was unusual to do so in England. That religious background later shaped his 1973 wedding, which took place in a Catholic ceremony rather than an Anglican one.
A few things stand out about Andrew Parker Bowles young:
- He was commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards in 1960, beginning a military career that would span more than three decades.
- He served as Aide-de-Camp to the Governor-General of New Zealand between 1965 and 1966, an early sign of his suitability for prestigious ceremonial roles.
- He was known as a talented polo player, a sport closely tied to royal and aristocratic social life, and this is actually how his connections to the royal family deepened.
Princess Anne and Andrew Parker Bowles: An Early Royal Romance
Long before he married Camilla Shand, Andrew Parker Bowles was romantically involved with Princess Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II. The relationship between Princess Anne and Andrew Parker Bowles began around June 1970 and continued for a few years, fuelling public speculation at the time that the pair might marry.
Their romance never led to an engagement. Princess Anne went on to marry Captain Mark Phillips in 1973, the same year Andrew Parker Bowles married Camilla Shand. Interestingly, both relationships stayed cordial in the decades that followed, Zara Tindall, Princess Anne’s daughter, was even connected to the Parker Bowles family through social circles in later years, reflecting how tightly woven this aristocratic world remained.
It’s a piece of royal trivia that often gets overlooked: Andrew Parker Bowles dated a future princess, then married a future queen consort. Few people outside the royal family circle can claim that kind of dual connection.
Marriage to Camilla Shand
On 4 July 1973, Andrew Parker Bowles married Camilla Rosemary Shand in a Roman Catholic ceremony at the Guards Chapel in London. At the time, Camilla had previously been linked romantically to Prince Charles, so their wedding brought together two people who had each dated a member of the royal family.
The couple had two children together:
| Child | Born | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Tom Parker Bowles | 1974 | British food writer and critic |
| Laura Parker Bowles (now Laura Lopes) | 1978 | Art curator |
Andrew Parker Bowles and Camilla remained married for over two decades, though their relationship became increasingly strained as Camilla’s connection with Prince Charles resurfaced and intensified during the 1980s. The couple eventually divorced on 19 January 1995, a split that received considerable media attention given the royal connections involved.
Notably, it was in the garden of Bolehyde Manor, a property once owned by Parker Bowles, where Prince Charles is said to have proposed to Lady Diana Spencer, a strange twist of fate given how the story later unfolded.
Military Career and Achievements
Away from royal gossip, Andrew Parker Bowles built a genuinely accomplished military career that deserves recognition in its own right. He served in the British Army from 1960 to 1994, eventually reaching the rank of Brigadier.
Key highlights of his service include:
- Commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards in 1960, later serving with the Blues and Royals and the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
- Queen’s Commendation for Bravery, awarded in 1980 in recognition of his conduct.
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), appointed in 1982.
- First responder to the Hyde Park bombing in 1982, one of the IRA attacks that targeted the Household Cavalry.
- Colonel Commanding the Household Cavalry and Silver Stick in Waiting to the Queen, a senior ceremonial role that placed him close to the monarch on state occasions.
This combination of ceremonial duty and genuine bravery under threat is part of why Andrew Parker Bowles is respected by military historians, not simply remembered as a footnote in royal romantic history.
Life After the Army and Second Marriage
After retiring from active service in 1994, Andrew Parker Bowles didn’t step back from public life altogether. He remained connected to equestrian and charitable circles, including work as a trustee of the Animals in War Memorial Fund.
A year after his divorce from Camilla, he married Rosemary Pitman (née Dickenson) on 2 February 1996 at Chelsea Register Office. Rosemary had previously been married to Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Pitman. This second marriage lasted until Rosemary’s death in 2010. More recently, Andrew Parker Bowles has been reported to be in a relationship with journalist and broadcaster Anne Robinson, a pairing that has drawn its own share of media curiosity.
Frequently Asked Questions About Andrew Parker Bowles
Was Andrew Parker Bowles married to Camilla before she became Queen? Yes. He was married to Camilla Shand from 1973 until their divorce in 1995, decades before she became Queen Camilla through her marriage to King Charles III.
Did Andrew Parker Bowles date Princess Anne? Yes, the relationship between Princess Anne and Andrew Parker Bowles began in 1970 and lasted a few years before both went on to marry other people in 1973.
What rank did Andrew Parker Bowles hold in the British Army? He retired with the rank of Brigadier after a military career spanning 1960 to 1994.
Are Andrew Parker Bowles and King Charles III on good terms? Public reporting suggests a civil, if understated, relationship, shaped by their shared history through Camilla and decades of overlapping royal and military circles.
Who are Andrew Parker Bowles’s children? He has two children with Camilla: Tom Parker Bowles, a well-known food writer, and Laura Lopes, an art curator.
Final Thoughts
Andrew Parker Bowles is far more than a supporting character in someone else’s royal story. His life combines genuine military distinction with a personal history that happens to intersect with two major figures in the British monarchy. Understanding Andrew Parker Bowles young, his upbringing, education, and early romance with Princess Anne, helps explain how he became such a consistent presence at the edges of royal life, long before Camilla’s marriage to Charles made headlines around the world.
Whether remembered for his bravery during the Hyde Park bombing, his ceremonial role guarding the Queen, or his complicated romantic history, Andrew Parker Bowles remains a genuinely interesting figure in modern British history. If you’re researching the wider Parker Bowles family or the royal connections surrounding Queen Camilla, exploring Andrew Parker Bowles’s full story is a natural next step worth taking.
