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Prince Charles' second royal wedding 'was a hell of a party' – insider

The royals had a private wedding reception

charles camilla wedding
Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
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Despite the fact that they had both previously been married, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall made sure their nuptials in 2005 were celebrated properly with friends and family.

LOOK: 11 rarely-seen royal wedding photos: From Princess Eugenie's first dance to Sarah Ferguson's honeymoon

The royal couple got married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, Berkshire, followed by a service of blessing at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The latter was attended by the likes of the Queen and Prince Philip, who also hosted a reception for the newlyweds at the royal residence later that day – and one wedding guest has revealed it was "a hell of a party."

WATCH: 7 of the most expensive royal weddings of all time – who takes top spot?

Former royal butler Grant Harrold, who worked for Prince Charles for seven years, told Slingo that he was surprised when he received a "personal invite" to Charles and Camilla's wedding.

"I hadn’t been there long enough [as staff] to go, but I got a call from Clarence House saying the Prince and the Duchess would personally like to invite me to the wedding," he said.

MORE: Why the Queen didn't attend Prince Charles and Camilla's wedding

READ: Meghan Markle's rarely-seen engagement ring from ex-husband is not unlike Prince Harry's

camilla charles wedding day 2005

The newlyweds following their blessing in 2005

Speaking of the big day, Grant said it was a "joyous occasion" attended by several celebrities and royals.

"It was amazing! An amazing day, an amazing venue. There was a blessing, then they had the reception at Windsor Castle and that was a hell of a party. It’s not like your average party, there's the Queen, there's Princess Anne, Prince Edward, there’s Stephen Fry. Every time I turned around there was another [famous face]. 

"It was a joyous occasion and great fun. I was outside when you saw William and Harry chasing after the cars as they drove off."

charles camilla royal wedding guests

Charles and Camilla's wedding reception at Windsor Castle was attended by the likes of the Queen and Princess Anne

William and Harry, whom Charles welcomed with his late wife Princess Diana, were 23 and 21 at the time of their father's second wedding. Meanwhile, Camilla shares children Tom and Laura Parker Bowles with her first husband Andrew Parker Bowles, to whom she was married from 1973 to 1995. 

Charles and Camilla met at a polo match in 1970 and briefly dated before they married their ex-partners. Their first official public 'date' was a joint appearance in 1999.

On 10 February 2005, Clarence House made the official announcement that Charles was to marry Camilla on 8 April that year. However, their actual wedding took place on 9 April – it was postponed for one day so that the Prince of Wales could represent his mother the Queen at the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Vatican City.

Camilla looked beautiful in a cream silk chiffon dress by Anna Valentine and Antonia Robinson and a wide-brimmed straw hat by Philip Treacy, before changing into a pale blue chiffon gown with a long-sleeved, gold-embroidered coat over the top.

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