- Bruce Shand and Rosalind Shand were Queen consort Camilla’s parents
- They got married in 1946 a year after the World War II
- Asides from Camilla, they have two more children; Sonia and Mark
Queen consort Camilla’s Parents, Bruce Shand and Rosalind Shand were married for almost half a century which saw the birth of their three children and six grandchildren. Though they were not royals, their parents had a strong connection with royalty.
While Queen Elizabeth’s death has drawn attention to the royal family, Bruce and Rosalind whose daughter is now Queen consort of the United Kingdom are not left out of the fray.
Who are Queen Consort Camilla’s Parents?
Bruce Shand was an Officer in the British Army
Camilla’s father Bruce Shand was the son of Philip Morton Shand (father) and Edith Marguerite Harrington (mother). However, his parents separated when he was three years old and his father went on to marry thrice while his mother remarried a golf course designer, Herbert Chares Tippet who became Bruce’s stepfather. He reportedly had no relationship with his biological father until he turned 18.
Details about his educational pursuits were not recorded. However, he explored many files and can be described as a man of many hats. His most remembered duty was as an officer in the British Army, rising to the ranks of a major. Unfortunately, he was captured by the Nazi forces during the second world war in 1942 and was taken to Germany as a war prisoner.
Howbeit, he escaped from captivity and returned to Britain in 1945 to continue his duty but his wounds made him unfit for service thusly he retired on the 25th of April 1947 when he was 30 years old.
Rosalind Shand was Born into a Wealthy Family
The mother of Camilla, Rosalind Shand was born to very wealthy parents (Roland Cubit and Sonia Cuit) and had everything at her beg and call. Though they were not royalties, their lineage had a strong bond with the royals.
Her father Roland Cubit became the 3rd Baron Ashcombe after his father Henry Cubitt died. Similarly, Rosalind’s mother Sonia was the daughter of the Hon. George Keppel and Alice Frederica Keppel who was said to be the mistress and confidante of King Edward VII.
Though from a rich family, Rosalind was busy as an adoption agency worker. She was also a volunteer worker at the Chailey Heritage Foundation which took care of children with disabilities.
The Queen Consort’s Parents Met at the End of the Second World War
The exact time and date Bruce Shand and Rosalind Shand met and fell in love are not known but records have it as 1945. If true, it means that they met after he escaped captivity. After courting for a while, the pair got married the following year precisely January 2, 1946, at St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge in London.
The pair enjoyed many years of marital bliss which saw the birth of their three children Camilla Rosemary Shand, Sonia Annabel Shand, and Mark Roland Shand.
Their First Child is the Most Famous
Bruce Shand and Rosalind Shand’s first daughter is the most famous of all her siblings and now goes by Camilla, Queen consort of the United Kingdom. She was born on July 17, 1947, a year after her parent’s marriage and she’s currently 77 years old.
Camilla is currently married to King Charles III of England but they do not have children together. However, Camilla has two children; Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes from her first marriage to Andrew Parker Bowels.
Their Second Child, Sonia Annabel Shand is an English Interior Designer
Though the second child of Bruce and Rosalind is not as famous as her sister Camilla, she excels in her own rights as an interior designer and antique dealer. She was born in Lambeth, London on February 2, 1949, and is currently 75 years old
Sonia is married to Simon Elliot and they have three children together; Benjamin Williams Elliot, Alice Rosaline Irwin, and Katie Catherin Elliot.
Read Also: Harry Lopes is Laura Lopes Husband And Queen Consort Camilla’s Son-In-Law
The Couple’s last Child Died in 2014 following a Head Injury
Mark Roland Shand is the couple’s youngest child who was born on June 28, 1951. He was active as an English travel writer and conservationist until his unfortunate death on April 23, 2014.
Mark died at the age of 62 following a head injury he sustained from a fall at the Rose Bar of the Gramercy Park Hotel. He was survived by his wife Cilo Goldsmith and daughter Ayesha.
Queen Consort Camilla’s Parents Died of Debilitating Health Conditions
Bruce Shand and Rosalind Shand enjoyed many years of marital bliss until health issues began to set in. Camillia’s father died in 2006 at the age of 89 following a long battle with cancer.
He was preceded by his wife Rosalind who suffered from osteoporosis and died at the age of 72 in 1994.
Even though Queen Consort Camilla’s parents did not live long enough to see her become queen, they witnessed her marriage to King Charles III, the birth of their grandchildren, and reportedly had fulfilled lives.
