King Charles’ affair with Camilla during his marriage to Princess Diana is one of the key storylines in the latest season of The Crown, showing how the late Princess found out her husband was being unfaithful and recreating her infamous “three people in her marriage” interview.
Charles and Camilla dated before the now-King met his first wife, however it didn’t work out. They remained close friends but soon rekindled their romance, which didn’t go unnoticed by the heartbroken Diana. She found gifts Charles bought for his mistress in his office and knew they used secret nicknames for each other.
But Diana wasn’t just going to sit back and watch her marriage fail, and once confronted Camilla at a party in what she later described as the “bravest moment of her marriage”.
Diana’s former royal protection officer, Ken Wharfe, accompanied her to a party hosted by Camilla’s sister.
While Camilla and Charles knew most of the other guests, Diana’s friends didn’t attend and partygoers were surprised when she walked in.
Speaking earlier this year, Mr Wharfe told ITV : "Diana didn't have any particular friendships at that party but when we arrived there, it was almost like freeze-framing a scene in a movie because there was this surprise that Diana had even arrived.”
The party was in full swing, and within an hour Mr Wharfe heard his boss calling his name.
He said: "I went out and there was Diana, who said 'you've got to come with me, I can't find my husband or Camilla'. Now, I couldn't say no, clearly this woman was in some distress, and eventually we found the prince and Camilla sat on a sofa in the basement of this property just talking."
He claims Diana went over to Camilla and offered her a stark warning, to which the future Queen Consort gave a stuttered reply.
He said: "I didn't know quite what Diana was going to do at that point but, with a great deal of confidence, Diana just went up to both of them and said to Camilla 'please don't treat me like an idiot, I know what's going on'.
"And Camilla sort of said something, to which still to this day I have never really understood what she meant by that is 'well you know, you have two wonderful boys'. Well, it was an incredible moment for me and certainly for them as well.
"That was a defining moment in their life because I think at that point... this was an indicator the end was nigh."
Diana and Charles announced their separation in 1992 and their divorce was finalised in 1996. The King married Camilla in April 2005, and she became Queen Consort following Queen Elizabeth II’s death earlier this year.
- Season five of The Crown is on Netflix now.
