How Operation Ritz changed the royal family forever

Twenty years ago today, the royal family put Operation Ritz in motion, a top secret plan that changed The Firm forever.

The press had been camped outside for days. Along the footpaths facing the imposing Ritz Hotel in London, dozens and dozens of photographers clamoured for a position, braving the freezing winter temperatures to get their step ladders in the right spot.

As the hour in question approached, the media scrum swelled to 200 journalists and snappers from the UK and overseas. Glaring TV lights lit the scene, with nearby streets thronged with TV satellite trucks, poised to broadcast one history-making moment.

Inside the hotel, Annabel Elliot’s 50th birthday party was in full swing. If you haven’t got a clue who she is, you are not alone. It wasn’t the birthday girl who the paparazzi were there to shoot, but that of two of her guests. A pic of them side-by-side had been dubbed the “most elusive picture in the world”. Now, the world was going to bear witness.

Prince Charles was making his public debut with his longtime girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles (Annabel was Camilla’s sister).

They had arrived separately but for at least 48 hours beforehand, the press had known that Charlie and his former mistress were finally, FINALLY, going to appear in public together when they left the event.

Charles and Camilla making their official couple debut at her sister’s birthday party. Picture: AP

On the surface, it was a really dull moment. Two 50-somethings leaving a party before it gets too rowdy and looking ready for a hot Horlicks and a lie-down. You can watch the footage on YouTube. They exit the hotel together, barely touching and both looking slightly nervous.

During the 15-seconds it took the couple to walk from the Ritz portico to the waiting chauffeured car, the flashbulbs of hundreds of cameras were so blinding that the British Epilepsy Association later encouraged TV stations to not play more than five seconds of the footage.

Charles and Camilla’s momentous car tip. Picture: AP

But the symbolism and meaning of that moment was humungous. Camilla was finally emerging from the shadows into public life as Charles’ significant other — no matter what his mum or his unruly future subjects might think.

That evening was several years in the making, planned with military-level precision by Charles’ hand-picked media consigliore, PR Mark Bolland, a modern-day Machiavelli with a media pass.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of that night and looking back it seems curious, even antiquated, that so much energy and time went into such a brief, pedestrian occasion. So much build-up just to watch two rumpled-looking, middle-aged people get into a back seat.

But rewind to the mid ’90s and the picture was vastly different. Diana, Princess of Wales, was emerging as a modern-day Armani-clad Mother Teresa who was adored by the vast majority of the world. (Also, by the real Mother Teresa.)

There was Di dashing off to New York to auction her old dresses for charity. There she went making mercy visits to spend time with landmine victims in Africa.

Diana nailing post-divorce revenge dressing. Picture: Tim Graham/Getty Images

Diana visiting mine fields in Angola in 1997. Picture: Getty Images

Charles, on the other hand, was about as popular as a pork chop at a vegan convention. He was the big-eared philanderer who dreamt about being a tampon and had once admitted he talked to his plants. Public opinion of him was firmly that he was not only a bit of a weirdo but a tool to boot.

Enter stage left Bolland. Dubbed “Blackadder” by the press, his job was to perform some PR voodoo on Charles’ image and to start to introduce Camilla to the public.

His first attempt at a public “outing” could not have come at a worse time.

In 1997, invitations to a National Osteoporosis Society event, which Camilla helped organise, went out to politicians and celebs. Charles was going to go along too. Diana’s tragic death in August of that year quickly put paid to the couple appearing with 100 metres of each other.

Charles and Diana in 1992. Picture: Arthur Edwards

Charles’ own 50th birthday party was also considered but the presence of his mum, the Queen, nixed that option. (Her Maj wasn’t about to give her public blessing to this particular union)

Similarly the society wedding of Santa Palmer-Tomkinson, the daughter of old friends of both Charles and Camilla was also considered. That was kiboshed when it became apparent the poor bride’s big day would be totally overshadowed by the appearance of two naff middle-aged people in navy.

By early 1999, Charles was reportedly champing at the bit.

“Let’s risk the biscuit,” he is reported to have told Bolland.

Bolland in turn put Operation Ritz into full swing.

Camilla was reportedly prepped for the intense experience and tabloid editors were worded up. Annabel Elliot was in on what Bolland was planning.

Charles and Camilla on their wedding day in 2005. Picture: Alastair Grant/AFP

That night outside the Ritz set in motion the events that bring us to where we are today — the Duchess of Cornwall is the MVP of the royal family, gamely ploughing through a multitude of official events.

(There can be no greater indication of what a great sport she is than the fact she recently cheerfully posed with a donkey and a miniature horse recently in the name of charity.)

She will never be the Princess of Wales but when Charles ascends to the throne, she will be his official consort (her exact title is TBA).

Charles and Camilla, a perfectly imperfect love story. Picture: Clarence House

The consequences of Operation Ritz fundamentally reshaped the royal family and mean Camilla will have an official place in the history books.

So much has changed in 20 years and these days when the now-married couple get in and out of cars, no one really cares, which was the kind of romantic point all along.

— Daniela Elser is a freelance journalist and keen royal watcher. Continue the conversation @DanielaElser