Queen Camilla’s first love Kevin Burke, who she met during her days as a fun-loving debutante, dies aged 77
Queen Camilla’s first love Kevin Burke, whom she met during her days as a fun-loving debutante, dies at 77
She is happily married to King Charles, but before Queen Camilla’s love story with His Majesty began, there was another man who won her heart.
I hear the Queen, 76, may be wracked with nostalgia as I can reveal that her first love, Kevin Burke, has passed away at the age of 77.
The pair met during the Queen’s halcyon days as a funky debutante, where she was adored by a slew of male admirers from the high society soirees she would frequent.
Mr Burke died earlier this month, with the family asking for donations to the British Heart Foundation.
His funeral will take place in September.
Heartbreak: Queen Camilla’s first love, Kevin Burke, has passed away at the age of 77. The pair met during the Queen’s halcyon days as a fun-loving debutante
The young Milla Shand, as she was known, is said to have met Kevin, the then 19-year-old son of Sir Aubrey Burke, deputy chairman of the aircraft manufacturer, Hawker Siddeley, shortly after her coming-out party in Knightsbridge in 1965.
What followed was a whirlwind of glittering soirees set against the backdrop of the swinging sixties, where Mrs Milla Shand, at seventeen, was the life and soul of the party.
Although their affair was short-lived, Mr. Burke was very happy to talk about his former flame, reminiscing about their time together in Jessica Jayne’s biography: The Duchess of Cornwall her story and secrets.
“Every night we had two or three cocktail parties to go to and a dance and a few dances to choose from on the weekends in the country,” he revealed.
“It was the most fun, and I had the best and most fun partner you could wish for. Camilla was immensely popular and although she wasn’t a beauty, she was attractive and sexy.’
Indeed, so popular was Milla, it wasn’t long before she moved away from Mr. Burke, leaving him heartbroken.
Childhood: Young Milla Shand (Camilla, right) is said to have met Kevin shortly after her coming-out party in Knightsbridge in 1965. Pictured: Camilla with her mother Rosalind Shand in 1965
Fun: Kevin described his relationship with Camilla before her love story began with King Charles (pictured), saying, “It was the most fun, and I had the best and most fun partner you could wish for”
“I stayed with Camilla all year. I suppose we were in love and then she dumped me. Why? Well, the short answer is she had a ball in London,” he revealed.
She later married her first husband, the former army officer Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973 with whom she had two children, Tom and Laura. They divorced in 1995.
After becoming a chartered accountant, Kevin Burke finally settled down at the age of 42.
His first marriage to advertising executive Peta Baker lasted 14 years, ending in 2001.
He then married former headhunter Luisa Fairey, to whom he became a father for the first time at the age of 58.
When he spoke he said, “It was unexpected, but I’m a lucky fellow.”
Kevin leaves behind his ‘dearly loved’ son Max.