Camilla Parker Bowles was considered to be the most hated person in Britain after Princess Diana and Prince Charles separated. Diana, after all, was “the people’s princess,” and to many, Camilla was seen as the “other woman” who destroyed their princess’s happiness. Despite the public’s perception, however, Charles and Camilla had their sights set on marriage. “[Camilla] thought the most she could hope for was to someday be the King’s mistress, but now Diana was out of the way and Camilla wanted more,” Lady Elsa Bowker said, according to Christopher Anderson’s book, “Game of Crowns: Elizabeth, Camilla, Kate, and the Throne.”
The prince’s publicity staff worked quickly to devise a plan “to show [Camilla] was a real person with real feelings and interests,” Colleen Harris, Charles’ press secretary, said, according to an adaptation of Penny Junor’s book “The Duchess,” for Vanity Fair. That plan was reportedly called “Operation Mrs. PB,” and its goal was to change the British public’s perception of Camilla, gain the queen’s approval, and pave the way for an official marriage and title.
However, that plan was paused after Diana tragically died. “Camilla’s poll numbers hit all-time lows,” Anderson wrote. 2 years later, the couple finally appeared publicly and resumed the effort to integrate Camilla into the royal family. The hopes of “Operation Mrs. PB” came to fruition in 2005, when the couple finally married and Camilla became the Duchess of Cornwall.