Camilla had 'secret meeting' in Peckham flat with Former Archbishop of Canterbury
Lord Carey recounted how he met with Camilla while appearing on a five-part ITVX series, which chronicles the royal family throughout the Queen’s reign.
The former Archbishop of Canterbury has recalled a 'secret meeting' in a Peckham flat with the now Queen Consort to discuss the future of her relationship with the King.
George Carey recounted how he met with Camilla, before her marriage to Charles, at a south-east London flat belonging to his son, to get to know the future royal.
Lord Carey served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1991-2002 and during his period in office took part in the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 and became the first Archbishop to ordain women to the priesthood.
The revelation features in The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor, a five-part ITVX series, which chronicles the royal family throughout the Queen’s reign.
Lord Carey described Camilla as being a "nice human" and said the future monarch came across as "deeply in love with Charles" during their meeting at the London flat.
Recalling their conversation, he said: “She walked through the front door, we met and had coffee together and I was really struck by her.
“Very nice looking lady, very presentable, very intelligent, we had a really animated conversation.
“And we talked about her relationship with Charles, going way back to when they were teenagers and so on.
"And after she left, I said: ‘Well, there’s no way I could ever treat her as other than a really nice human being who’s deeply in love with Charles.’
“And that affected me in talking to other people behind the scenes and I hoped it had a way forward – I think it did.”
It comes as Camilla's son hit back at claims his mother had played an “end game” to become Queen – saying she “just married the person she loved”.
Tom Parker Bowles, speaking on The News Agents podcast, insisted: “I think change happens but I don’t care what anyone says – this wasn’t any sort of end game.
“She married the person she loved and this is what happened.”
His remarks counter allegations by his stepbrother the Duke of Sussex, who branded Camilla “dangerous” in his autobiography Spare and wrote how she played “the long game”, with a campaign aimed at marriage and “the crown”.
In interviews to promote his book, Harry called Camilla a “villain” and spoke of bodies being “left in the street” during her image rehabilitation.
He described in his memoir how he and the now-Prince of Wales pleaded with their father not to wed the then-Mrs Parker Bowles, saying: “He didn’t answer.
“But she answered. Straight away. Shortly after our private summits with her, she began to play the long game.
“A campaign aimed at marriage, and eventually the crown, with Pa’s blessing we presumed.”
Mr Parker Bowles was asked if there was panic over fears Harry and the Duchess of Sussex would not attend the Coronation and replied: “Nothing to do with me at all, though I did ask if Harry Kane was going as captain of England…
“My mother didn’t know… I don’t know if he’s coming.”
The duke is flying in from the US for the royal event, though his wife Meghan is staying in California.
All five episodes of The Real Crown: Inside the House of Windsor are now available on ITVX.
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