Andrew Parker Bowles facts for kids

Brigadier Andrew Henry Parker Bowles OBE (born 27 December 1939) is a retired British Army officer. He is best known as the former husband of Queen Camilla, who is now married to King Charles III.

Early Life and Family Connections

Andrew Parker Bowles was born on December 27, 1939, in Surrey, England. He was the oldest of four children. His parents were Derek Henry Parker Bowles and Ann Parker Bowles. His mother was the daughter of a rich racehorse owner.

His parents were friends with Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Some people even say the Queen Mother was his godmother. When he was a young boy, Andrew was a page at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. This means he helped during the important ceremony.

Andrew Parker Bowles is the uncle of Derek Paravicini. Derek is a blind autistic savant, who is very talented at music.

Andrew also enjoyed sports. He was an amateur jockey and rode his horse, The Fossa, in the 1969 Grand National race. He finished in 11th place. He also played polo with Prince Charles when they were younger.

His Military Career

Andrew Parker Bowles studied at Ampleforth College and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He joined the Royal Horse Guards in 1960.

He served in many important roles:

• In 1965, he was an aide-de-camp to the Governor-General of New Zealand.
• From 1967 to 1969, he was the Adjutant of the Royal Horse Guards.
• His regiment later became The Blues and Royals. He was their Adjutant from 1969 to 1970.
• In 1972, he was a squadron leader during Operation Motorman in Ulster.
• He helped Lord Soames in Zimbabwe from 1979 to 1980. This was when Zimbabwe was becoming an independent country. He received the Queen's Commendation for Bravery for his actions there.

Leading the Household Cavalry

From 1981 to 1983, Andrew Parker Bowles was the Commanding Officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. This was a very important time. During his command, the Hyde Park and Regent's Park bombings happened. These were terrorist attacks that killed and injured soldiers and horses from his regiment.

He was one of the first people to arrive at the scene after hearing the bomb. His quick orders helped save the famous army horse, Sefton.

From 1987 to 1990, he was the colonel commanding the Household Cavalry. He was also Silver Stick in Waiting to Queen Elizabeth II. This meant he was a special advisor to the Queen.

He was promoted to brigadier in 1990. He retired from the army in 1994.

His Ranks in the Army

Here are the ranks Andrew Parker Bowles held:

• January 23, 1962: Lieutenant
• July 23, 1966: Captain
• December 31, 1971: Major
• December 1, 1980: Lieutenant Colonel
• June 30, 1987: Colonel
• December 31, 1990: Brigadier
• December 27, 1994: Retired

Relationships and Family

Andrew Parker Bowles has several godchildren. These include Lady Emma Herbert, a circus trapeze artist. She was a bridesmaid at his first wedding. He is also the godfather to Zara Tindall, who is the daughter of Princess Anne.

Andrew Parker Bowles and Princess Anne dated for a few years starting in 1970. They remained good friends. Their relationship was shown in the TV series The Crown.

Marriages and Children

In 1973, Andrew Parker Bowles married Camilla Shand in a Roman Catholic ceremony. Camilla had previously dated Prince Charles.

Andrew and Camilla had two children:

• Tom Parker Bowles
• Laura Lopes

Their children went to different schools. Laura attended a Catholic girls' school, and Tom went to Eton College. Andrew and Camilla divorced in 1995.

A year after his divorce, in 1996, Andrew Parker Bowles married Rosemary Alice Pitman. She had three sons from a previous marriage. Andrew and Rosemary attended the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005. Rosemary sadly passed away in 2010 due to cancer. Princess Anne and Queen Camilla both attended her memorial services.

In December 2023, news reports said that Andrew Parker Bowles was in a relationship with TV presenter Anne Robinson.

Honours and Awards

• In 2003, he received an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Veterinary College.
• He was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery in Zimbabwe in 1980.

See Also

In Spanish: Andrew Parker Bowles para niños