King Charles III's Full Dating History That Includes His Cousin

King Charles III's had a history of romantic relationships before finding his happily ever after with Queen Consort Camilla. He dated different women in the upper class of society, although nothing worked out.

King Charles III famously made headlines throughout his rocky marriage to the late Princess Diana. However, after their public divorce, he is now happily married to the love of his life, Queen Consort Camilla.

Before he got his happily ever after, Charles had a few other women in his life, including his blood-related cousin.

Davina Sheffield

Davine Sheffield was reportedly seen as the perfect match for Prince Charles at the time. She was industrialist Lord McGowan's granddaughter and Samantha Sheffield's cousin, now married to former Prime Minister David Cameron.

However, Davina was already in a relationship with James Beard when the now King asked her out. According to royal expert Penny Junior, "[Charles] was so persistent that she eventually succumbed, and the boyfriend soon fell by the wayside."

Their relationship ended when Beard publicly revealed that he and Davina "lived in sin" together before Charles came into the picture. At that time, the royal tradition was strict about a future King's bride being "intact" before marriage.

Caroline Longman

Caroline Longman connected with Queen Elizabeth II long before she met King Charles III. She was the late Queen's goddaughter and the daughter of Lady Elizabeth Lambert, Queen Elizabeth's close friend and bridesmaid at her wedding.

She became King Charles III's girlfriend in the '70s. The duo was famously photographed together in his Aston Martin and at polo matches. Their relationship ended, although their close family ties remained until the '90s.

Amanda Knatchbull

As he was single again, King Charles III dated Amanda Knatchbull, his cousin. In his book, "Battle of Brothers," Robert Lacey revealed that the then Prince was "very fond" of Knatchbull and had a strong bond with her. Lacey wrote:

"Over the years, the two cousins did grow close, developing a mutual respect and friendship that has lasted to the present day."

Although it may seem unorthodox to enter into a relationship with a family member, dating a cousin was quite ordinary for royals during the European dynastic era.

At that time, the royals perceived marriage as a political union rather than a romantic one. In fact, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were relatives of Queen Victoria's lineage.

However, when King Charles III proposed in 1979, his cousin politely rejected his hand in marriage. "'The surrender of self to a system,' she explained, was so absolute when joining the royal family, it involved a loss of independence 'far greater than matrimony usually invites,'" Lacey wrote.

Another royal author, Jonathan Dimbleby, said that Knatchbull's decline changed the King's mind, believing that no one should make the same sacrifice.

Sabrina Guinness

Sabrina Guinness was a beautiful blonde heiress of a billionaire brewery family. She had several similarities with King Charles III that made them quite the match, including their love for polo, fly fishing, and theater.

At one point, Princess Margaret revealed that their relationship was "serious – a word not often used by the royal family unless describing exactly that. However, during one interview, Guinness said that her then-lover was not yet ready for marriage. In less than a year, their relationship was over.

Lady Jane Wellesley

King Charles III got together with the Duke of Wellington's daughter, Jane Wellesley, in 1973. Like many of his other women, Wellesley was from the upper class of society. However, although they seemed to get along quite well, Wellesley realized King Charles III's heart was elsewhere with another woman.

The most famous of King Charles' relationships is the woman he married and turned into a princess, Diana. Dubbed "The People's Princess," Diana was engaged to the then-crowned Prince at 19 years young.

The pair reportedly went out on 12 dates before the royal asked for her hand in marriage. As she said, their relationship ended in 1974 due to the media's frenzy. However, royal experts think his Majesty's love was really with his now wife.

Anna Wallace

Anna Wallace could have been King Charles III's wife, as he asked for her hand in marriage not once but twice. However, she turned him down both times.

It turned out that the King was not the man Wallace desired. "Charles had taken [Anna] to two successive balls and then danced with Camilla for most of both evenings," Penny Junor wrote in her book, "The Firm."

"Anna dumped him with the words: 'No one treats me like that — not even you,'" Junor wrote. Before Charles met Princess Diana, the duo decided to part ways in 1980.

Sarah Spencer

Sarah Spencer, Princess Diana's older sister, first crossed paths with then-Prince Charles in 1977 and dated while in their 20s. When asked if she would marry her lover in the future, Spencer reportedly said:

"[I wouldn't marry him] if he were the dustman or the king of England."

The duo was known for their fleeting romances, which made it no surprise that their relationship only lasted a short while after the interview. Although their romantic relationship ended, the two stayed connected.

During a pheasant hunt, Spencer introduced the King to his younger sister, Diana. Spencer takes credit for playing cupid at that moment.

Diana Spencer

The most famous of King Charles' relationships is the woman he married and turned into a princess, Diana. Dubbed "The People's Princess," Diana was engaged to the then-crowned Prince at 19 years young.

The pair reportedly went out on 12 dates before the royal asked for her hand in marriage. The proposal was not as romantic as many women would want. Diana ever burst out in laughter after King Charles III popped the question, but Diana gave him a sweet yes.

"I think that was probably just her nerves," Ingrid Seward, a royal editor, said in the documentary "Charles and Di: The Truth Behind Their Wedding." "She didn't think it was the most romantic of proposals, but she had the proposal."

Unfortunately, their marriage was plagued with misfortune even during its early years. Princess Diana reportedly hated that her then-husband was always reading and painting throughout their honeymoon, whereas she wanted more communication in their relationship.

"She hated the countryside, hated his family's passion for horses and dogs, hated the rain that poured down remorselessly; and she felt that her husband was avoiding intimate contact," Junor revealed in her book.

Throughout their marriage, King Charles III was said to have been in an affair with his current wife, Queen Consort Camilla. The King and Diana's relationship eventually ended in divorce, followed by a tragic accident that took the life of Princess Diana.

Camilla Parker Bowles

In his Majesty's eyes, Queen Consort Camilla was always the end game, his most prized possession. The duo dated in the '70s but parted ways and married different people.

However, although unhappy with their marriages, they stayed connected and endured press scrutiny. Finally, in 2005, they tied the knot in what seemed like a wedding the public did not want to attend.

Queen Consort Camilla faced backlash in the past years. Still, she remained loyal and dedicated to the crown, always following her duty. She has since won the hearts of some, but many still favor the late Princess Diana.

Social media users were divided when King Charles III was crowned following the sad death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth. While some acknowledged Camilla as the Queen Consort, others explicitly said they favored Diana.

Now that she has earned a new title, the Queen Consort still has time to win over more people's hearts.