The reason Charles and Camilla’s wedding was rescheduled - and it's got nothing to do with protocol

King Charles and Queen Camilla’s wedding was rescheduled for a sad reason and it had nothing to do with protocol.  

• The King and Queen’s wedding was planned for April 8 but was moved to April 9.  
• King Charles attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II on his original wedding date and returned to marry Queen Camilla the next day.
• This royal news comes as Princess Anne overwhelmed a young fan as he revealed he bought new shoes for a special meeting at Buckingham Palace.   

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding and that of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might have become truly iconic in the minds of many fans in recent years, but these weren’t the only royal nuptials to have captured the world’s interest. The King and Queen Consort tied the knot on April 9, 2005 at Windsor Guildhall and will celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary this year. 

Although they very nearly would’ve marked this special occasion a day earlier if their original wedding date had been kept. It might come as a surprise given the meticulous planning that goes into every detail at royal weddings but the date wasn’t their first choice.  

King Charles and Queen Camilla’s wedding was rescheduled from their original day, April 8, to April 9 for a heart-breaking reason. Whilst some might speculate that royal protocol lay behind this decision, it actually wasn’t anything to do with their status as divorcees, historic royal tradition or anything similar that might come to mind. 

Instead, their big day was pushed back by a day so that the groom - who was then first in the royal line of succession - could attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II. The decision to move their long-awaited nuptials to April 9 was announced a few days earlier by Clarence House. 

As per The Guardian, the statement declared, “As a mark of respect, His Royal Highness and Mrs Parker Bowles have decided to postpone their wedding until Saturday.”

He represented the late Queen at the service which was attended by dignitaries from around the world, including European monarchs and the then-US President George Bush. Another attendee was the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, Rowan Williams, who had been due to pronounce a blessing on King Charles and Queen Camilla’s wedding day. 

After the royal wedding was rescheduled, he later led the Service of Prayer and Dedication as planned on April 9. This was the part of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s wedding that Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attended, as well as the reception afterwards at Windsor Castle hosted by the delighted monarch. 

However, the couple’s big day was a royal wedding Queen Elizabeth missed as she wasn’t present at their civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall when they officially tied the knot. The rescheduling of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s wedding showcased their commitment to royal duty at this challenging time. 

In 2020 the couple’s anniversary was marked with a new photo of the couple. Since then, very sadly, this day has likely become tinged with immense sadness as Prince Philip passed away on April 9 in 2021. 

Perhaps King Charles and Queen Camilla now take a moment to reflect upon happier memories of their times with him as well as of their wedding day when this date comes around. This year they will be marking their 18th wedding anniversary shortly before they are both crowned at the King’s coronation in May.