Just In: King Charles ‘obsession’ with Camilla put him to test

King Charles and Queen Camilla’s extraordinary love inspires books as it’s intertwined with the legacy of the People’s Princess, Diana, who was born to captivate hearts with her unmatched charm and compassion for her people.

Royal author Gyles Brandreth chronicled the King and Queen’s tumultuous love story in his 2005 book, ‘Charles & Camilla: Portrait of a Love Affair’, revealing the royal’s devotion to Camilla Parker Bowles

Brandreth explained the decades-old romance in his own words, saying that Charles, then Prince of Wales, put up with Queen Camilla’s smoking habit for years before she finally quit.

He added that Charles’ patience for Camilla’s past nicotine addiction, royal staff felt, considering he has been a ‘fastidious non-smoker’ all his life.

From their first meeting at a polo match in 1970 to their 2005 wedding, the biographer shared his knowledge about the relationship.

This was in 1986, the year that Charles, now 77, and Camilla came back into each other’s lives as the author described it – ‘episode three of the mini-series’ of their affair. By then, Charles love for Camilla had turned into a full-blown ‘obsession’.

While his marriage to Diana had broken down, The Princes feared his title meant he could not ‘escape her’.

Brandreth wrote: “Eventually, in desperation, he rekindled their earlier friendship for fear that if he didn’t, he might go stark, raving mad.”

Explaining Wlliam and Harry’s dad’s absolute devotion to Camilla, he divulged that the Prince even overlooked Camilla’s smoking habit. Such was his love for Camilla that Charles ‘suspended’ his acute distaste for smoking as Ms Berry recalled a ‘collection of ashtrays’ placed around the terrace of Highgrove for the lady.

Then 53, Camilla is believed to have told the friend: ‘It wasn’t so much me giving up on smoking, rather smoking giving up on me.’

Last November, the Queen spoke about her past smoking habit after she was struck down by a nasty chest infection that forced her to cancel a week’s worth of events, including over Remembrance Weekend.

Camilla joined Charles, who is patron of the Film and TV Charity, for a Buckingham Palace reception where she caught up with Emily Mortimer.

When Emily told her ‘she’s still smoking as much as ever’, Camilla is believed to have replied: ‘Oh, she’s still on the fags?’

When the star asked Camilla if she had quit, she told Emily: ‘Oh, yes, I quit 20 years ago.’

Camilla and Charles first met at a polo match. He was 21, and Camilla was 24. Their shared love of polo strengthened their bond. Andrew’s brother lost his heart to Camilla almost instantly, according to biographer Jonathan Dimbleby. Their romance was briefly put on hold when Charles joined the Royal Navy, and Camilla tied the knot to Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973.