If you've got royals on the brain lately, I don't blame you. The upcoming wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry has me on royalty overload, too. But this is hardly the first time we've been obsessed with the Windsors. There was, of course, Prince William and Kate's wedding, which kickstarted my vintage hat obsession. But the really good royal drama started before them, with the romance (and extramarital affairs) of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. Just looking at them, you may not guess that they could ever be scandalous, but add Prince Charles and Camilla's astrological compatibility and suddenly "Camillagate" — as it was to become known as — suddenly makes a lot more sense.
If you're not familiar with this little episode of British royal drama, it all began when an Australian tabloid released a leaked six-minute phone call between Charles and Camilla. Although it was released in 1993, it was actually recorded in 1989 when both Charles and Camilla were married to Princess Diana and Andrew Parker Bowles, respectively. The recording was of a bedtime conversation, and the content was explicit. So, not only did it confirm the rumored affair between the two, but it was humiliating to the royal family. In fact, it was so embarrassing that it threatened to prevent Charles from ever being king. As we now know, they weathered the scandal, and eventually were able to be together officially, but at the time it was spicy stuff.
While the tape offers some pretty... let's call it illuminating insights into what outwardly seems like a very composed and proper couple, so too do their astrological signs and compatibility. Prince Charles is a Scorpio (born Nov. 14, 1948) and Camilla is a Cancer (born Jul. 17, 1947), a pairing of water signs that can go one of two ways: incredibly deep and passionate, or catastrophically toxic. In the case of Charles and Camilla, it was basically true love at first sight.
Charles and Camilla first met at a polo match in 1970. Right away, the two of them connected over a shared sense of humor and love of the outdoors, and they began dating afterward.
It’s common for Scorpio and Cancer to fall into a relationship quickly when they connect, because both are water signs who, behind their carefully constructed walls, share a deep emotional well, making them highly compatible. Typically, both signs are guarded and terrified to be vulnerable, so when they actually find someone they feel safe with, it can create an instant spark and a bond that is hard to break. Scorpio in particular has trouble revealing their emotions at first, but Cancer, being largely ruled by its emotions, has the unique ability to help bring out the softer, more sensitive side of Scorpio. For a sign that struggles to feel vulnerable, when they find a partner that allows them to be, it can be very addictive.
Shortly after they started dating, Charles left to serve in the Royal Navy. By the time he returned eight months later, Camilla was already engaged to Andrew Parker Bowles, whom she married in 1973. Camilla and Charles maintained a friendship while Charles was romantically linked to a few other women before finally marrying Diana in 1981. They had two sons, Princes William and Harry, but the relationship was rocky and, by 1986, he had begun an affair with Camilla.
The Cancer and Scorpio match is a particularly passionate and compatible one in the bedroom. Scorpios are powerful and passionate and able to easily separate the physical act of sex from a deeper connection, but when paired with a Cancer who is ruled by the heart, Scorpio is able have a deeper, more emotionally based sexual experience. It's powerful for both partners, who can finally let down their walls and be fully enmeshed with another person.
In 1995, Camilla and Andrew divorced and Charles and Diana followed suit in 1996. Camilla and Charles began laying the groundwork for their relationship to become official, but this was put on hold in 1997 when Diana died tragically in a car accident. In 1998, Charles and Camilla resumed their relationship, and in 2005, the couple who first met and fell in love in 1970, were finally married.
When Scorpio and Cancer click, they are emotional soulmates, and that bond is one that is hard to break. It can last for decades, as was the case for Camilla and Charles.
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