Camilla's first whirlwind US trip with 'spin doctor' to secure public image
The official start of King Charles and the Queen Consort's relationship was always a topic of debate and interest.
And it was the job of two skilled professionals to bring Camilla out of the shadows and into public acceptance after Diana, Princess of Wales' tragic death in 1997.
As a part of a campaign to aid her growing popularity, Camilla's fate was put in the hands of PR experts Mark Bolland and Peter Brown, who worked hard to improve her image.
One of the earliest ways they did this was with a short, but cleverly orchestrated, trip to New York City in 1999.
Camilla was pictured at the Carlyle Hotel during her visit (1999 Ron Galella, Ltd.)While The King and Queen Consort have now carried out countless royal tours around the world, the start of their global image was carefully controlled.
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The-then Prince of Wales had hired a London-based public relations firm to help redesign his image following Princess Diana's death, as he was determined to have Camilla by his side.
One of the early steps saw his two 'spin doctors', Mark Bolland and Peter Brown, organise a solo trip to New York City for Camilla where she was pictured at an upmarket cocktail party and at a series of social lunches.
The trip was heralded as a success as a number of society figures praised the-now Queen Consort for her dignity, manners and poise.
Mark Bolland was often referred to as the couples 'spin doctor' (Getty)
The couple made their official debut as a couple in the same year (Getty)Love the royals? Sign up for the Mirror's daily newsletter to get all the latest news on the Queen, Charles, Kate, Wills, Meghan, Harry and the rest of The Firm. Click here to sign up .
At the time of the cocktail party in Manhattan, US-based PR expert Peter Brown told the New York Times that he was involved in rehabilitating Camilla's image on a personal level, rather than a professional one.
''I did it as a friend,'' he said. ''I got involved because I know them very well and they asked me to help. Camilla hadn't been here for many years and she thought she'd like to visit.''
''There was a certain amount of concern about how easily it could be achieved, and I said New York's a wonderful place, the people are very open minded and hospitable.
"The real point was that it could be done easily and without a fuss, and she clearly had a relaxed, wonderful time.''
The royal couple met President and Mrs Bush At The White House in 2005 (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press)While this was the first visit to the U.S for Camilla in a bid to increase her popularity, the plan worked as the couple married six years later at Windsor Guildhall.
Just seven months after that, the pair carried out their first joint royal tour in the States where they visited New York, Washington D.C., New Orleans and San Francisco.
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The-then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were heralded as "a down-to-earth royal twosome" by the Washington Post during their visit which lasted from November 1st - 8th.
The couple's visit started in New York where the pair paid their respects at Ground Zero, unveiled a British Memorial Garden at Hanover Square, met with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and attended a reception at the Museum of Modern Art.
The couple then went on to Washington D.C. where Charles laid a wreath in front of the capital's World War II Memorial as over 80 US and UK veterans watched on.
For the final leg of their tour, the couple visited San Francisco and were again warmly received by everyone they met.
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