Contrary to what has been thought for many years, the then Prince Charles had a first great love before meeting Camilla Parker Bowles. The young woman was a Chilean national named Lucia Santa Cruz.
Lucia was known to be an important woman in the life of Prince Charles before his relationship with Camilla, she was a cultured and educated woman, with a degree in History and a Masters in Philosophy from the prestigious Oxford University. Although the relationship ended early, the story between Charles and Lucia has always aroused curiosity.
Prince Charles’ first love was not Camilla, it was Lucia Santa Cruz
According to some biographies of Prince Charles, he organized a dinner to meet Lucia, who was then the daughter of the Chilean ambassador in London, Victor Santa Cruz. The two began their relationship after their dinner. It is said that the prince even went so far as to take her on a visit to Balmoral Castle.
“It was the first love of his life,” the late Lady Elizabeth Anson, cousin of King Charles and friend of Santa Cruz, would say years later.
Lucia left an imprint on Prince Charles’ life. According to some reports, she was the kind of intelligent and sophisticated woman to whom Charles was attracted. Not only did they share cultural and educational interests, but the two were also very similar in terms of family background.
However, despite their good relationship, their romance went no further. Nevertheless, they remained very good friends. Then in 1971, Lucia introduced Charles to a young Camilla Shand.
This is how Lucia Santa Cruz herself told it in Catherine Mayer’s biography. “My father was ambassador in London for five years and then went back to Chile. I stayed and happened to live in the same building as Camilla. She was on the second floor and I was on the second floor. We became very close friends because I was alone and she was very generous and kind to me. […] I will never forget those first Christmases: I spent them with her family.”
The rest is history. Charles and Camilla began a love story that was interrupted by their respective marriages: Camilla to Andrew Parker Bowles, and Charles to Lady Diana Spencer. Decades later, in 2005, they were able to consecrate their love with an intimate wedding at Windsor.
