What Really Happened In The Infamous Tampongate Call Between King Charles And Queen Camilla

For decades, the tumultuous and notorious romance between them has been a subject of great interest. The scandal wasn’t just any affair, but it involved a royal figure, Prince Charles, who had an extramarital relationship with Diana, a widely beloved princess. When news broke that Camilla was the third party in their union, she didn’t win many fans; instead, for years, she earned the title of “the most hated woman in Britain.”

What is the controversial Tampongate Call between King Charles and Camilla?

In the early part of the decade, Charles III, later to become king, went out with Camilla for a while. Later in the late 1970s, they had a short-lived romantic involvement. After Charles and Princess Diana’s separation in 1992, gossips swirled that he had been unloyal in their marriage. The suspicions were fueled when authentic records of King Charles and Camilla’s private phone calls surfaced in the British media.

In 1989, the controversial conversation between Charles and another woman first took place. However, it wasn’t until 1993 that this discussion gained significant media attention. Before the transcript of their conversation was leaked, the idea of Charles’ infidelity towards Princess Diana was met with disapproval from the public. The explicit nature of the call only served to intensify the situation further.

The phone conversation that was leaked, now known as “Tampongate,” was named after Charles expressed his desire to live in Camilla’s pants and reincarnate as her tampon. “Oh, God. I’ll just live inside your trousers or something. It would be much easier!” said Charles to Camilla. To which, she laughed and replied, “What…are you going to turn into a pair of knickers? Oh, you’re going to come back as a pair of knickers.” Interrupting her, Charles said, “Or, God forbid, a Tampax. Just my luck!” And Camilla responded, “You are a complete idiot! Oh, what a wonderful idea.”

Reaction to the scandal

The origin of how the transcript reached the media is uncertain – it may have been hidden for years before being made public – but either way, the reaction from the public was fierce and disapproving. As Ken Wharfe noted in his book “Guarding Diana,” the backlash against the Prince was intense. Even those who had previously supported him and the monarchy were taken aback, with some going so far as to question his suitability for leadership.

According to Harper Bazaar’s account, in his biography, Howard Hodgson revealed that the king still feels profoundly ashamed and regretful for the distress he inflicted on his mother and for the harm caused to his and Camilla’s children.