February 10 marks 21 years since King Charles (then Prince Charles) announced his engagement to his longtime love Camilla Parker Bowles. The couple faced immense public scrutiny in the lead-up to their engagement, with Camilla in particular being the subject of malicious media coverage. But once she became the future King's fiancée, one major part of Camilla's life shifted instantly.
Speaking to Guides For Brides, former royal butler Grant Harrold revealed that members of The King's staff didn't even know the couple had got engaged. "We were all surprised!" the former Highgrove butler said. "I remember serving him his breakfast and it was like any typical day. I said goodbye to him as he headed off to London and then we all heard about the engagement on the news. I remember thinking: 'He never mentioned this to me at breakfast!'"
Harrold, who served the couple between 2004 and 2011, added, "I also remember as soon as the announcement was made, the next time I saw Camilla she had her own bodyguard. Protection is important for the royals and they don’t waste time."
Until she officially became engaged to Charles, a royal protection officer wasn't assigned to Camilla, and her son Tom Parker Bowles noted in a recent interview that one would have certainly been welcome as their family dealt with press intrusion.
In a 2025 interview with Hello! Parker Bowles recalled "the aggression of the paparazzi, the screaming, the shouting," adding that his mother "didn't have a network to protect her" since she wasn't a member of the Royal Family.
"I remember high-speed chases down the M4 that were incredibly dangerous," Queen Camilla's son said, calling the '90s "the bad days."
