August Annotations

King Charles & Queen Camilla: Into The Unknown - Review

Her smile is wide as she steps from the car. Her blonde hair glistens in the flashes of popping camera bulbs. Making her way inside to an official function, she grins at her Princely husband who so obviously adores her. Hundreds of cameramen struggle to get the best shot of her elegant evening gown and superb jewelry.

It was Camilla.

Some people still can’t believe that the above describes the former mistress of the Prince of Wales. Since becoming Charles’ wife in 2005, it seems that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is handling the stardom of royal life easily. She looks happy, Charles looks happy, and all seems right in their world. She is the wife that some say the Prince should have had from the start. Instead, the pair have joined together later in their lives. The past is the past, and now they venture into the unknown.

What’s It All About?

This documentary discusses it all - how Camilla was the 5th wheel in the Wales marriage; how she’s perceived as a genuine member of the royal family; the Queen’s feelings about her; and no, she’ll never replace Diana.

It reiterates all the debates, especially the critical issues facing the monarchy and its supporters: Will Camilla accept the mantle of Queen? What will the actual court of King Charles and Queen Camilla be like, versus Her Majesty’s? Will Charles be as concerned about the Commonwealth as his mother is now?

The Known

With Charles, whether you like him or loathe him, you know exactly what you’re getting. The Prince has been in the public eye all of his life for better or worse. Charles allows his opinions to be known (farming, organic food, architecture), talks about why he takes the stand that he does, and his Prince’s Trust and other works speak for themselves.

We’ve even had access to his private life, and even then his actions proved he was more goofy and in love with Camilla rather than some sinister Machiavelli as some would have us believe.

In an interview for “King Charles & Queen Camilla”, Richard Palmer of the Daily Mail notes that Charles was in a “damned if he did, damned if he didn’t” situation regarding Camilla. I agree. The Prince took a stand when it came to love though, and you have to hand it to him: he loves Camilla and he won’t let precedence, the government, or the Queen stop him. It was a lot to go up against, but by God, he did it.

Camilla is “known for hunting rather than caring” the narrator surmises. A cutting remark to say the least. To me, Diana was so good with the public because she desperately needed attention. Camilla is probably just as nice to people, but the fact that she isn’t starved for publicity shows a more well-adjusted personality. Camilla is someone who seems better suited to the high pressure situations of royal life.

Palmer’s observation of Charles’ position between a rock and a hard place could easily be applied to Camilla. Her round of royal duties will be compared, inevitably, to HM and other women in the family (Diana of course, but Anne immediately springs to mind too). If Camilla takes on too much, she’s obviously trying to oust Diana’s memory. If she takes on too little, she will be mocked as being unfit to fill the Queen’s shoes.

What to do?

Watch this DVD (alone or in its set called “Royals Today”) for a nice escape into royal drama. Drink some tea, have a bicky, and enjoy yourself.

I Rate It: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Buy Prince of Wales: A Biography OR

Unusual Nuptials:
The Prince and Camilla To Wed!

The betrothed have known each other for years and have been each other’s confidante through tough times. They both know for certain that they have found their soulmate in one another. They also share the same sense of humor and interests. The bride-to-be wears as her engagement ring a touching family sentiment: it is a ring that once belonged to her fiance’s beloved grandmother. It is all sweet and romantic, for certain, but this is not your usual wedding story.

Then again, what can you expect? This is no ordinary couple. The groom is Prince Charles, 57 years old and heir to the throne of England. The bride is Camilla Parker Bowles, long reviled by much of the public for her relationship with Charles after his marriage to Diana Spencer had failed.

What Went Wrong?

Charles was once seen as a dashing and sporty young prince. He easily charmed lots of girlfriends with the hope to win one as his wife. It was no easy task. Each girl knew what responsibilites lay ahead should they accept any marriage proposal. A few wanted to be with Charles, but failed the test of decorum and discretion needed of a British Princess. Others simply shrugged off the idea of marriage to him.

“I already have a title. I don’t need another one,” was the icy response to such a question by Lady Wellsley, a descendant of the ‘Iron Duke’ of Wellington.

Out of all of the companions the Prince had had, one woman really did love him. She wasn’t worried about the pressure of being his one and only. That woman was Camilla Shand.

Once a serious girlfriend of the Prince of Wales, Camilla wondered whether she would be seen as a possible bride. Her father was a Calvary officer in the Royal household, and her mother was a member of the Cubitt family who built most of Pimlico and Belgravia. And Charles was completely besotted with her. Approaching his thirtieth birthday, he knew that he was expected to soon find a wife and provide an heir to the throne. He thought he had found “the One” in Camilla. They had the same tastes, interests, and humor, and loved each other very much.

The Prince was nervous however. The Monarchy had certain rules in regards to the suitability of a future Queen. She had to be free of scandal, and if possible, a virgin. She should also be discreet, duty-bound, and be able to deal with the inevitable spotlight. The public worried him most of all. What if they did not accept Camilla as a future queen? She was pretty, but wasn’t exactly beautiful or glamorous in any way. She was also a commoner who did indeed have a past. What to do? He had to marry and get it right the first time. There was no divorce for the heir.

Charles pondered the situation, and carefully considered what he should do. She did not seem to be right for the public image of royalty, but at the same time he loved Camilla more than anything. They would be perfect together, and surely she would have fit in beautifully with the Royal Family in private: she hunted, rode horses, loved the outdoors, and wasn’t a bit pompous.

However, Charles dithered and left the possibility of marriage up in the air. Instead of making his move, he left his beloved and went into the Royal Navy. He wrote to her and proclaimed his affections, but the young Camilla soon decided that she was not going to marry the Prince. She wasn’t exactly lacking for admirers, and subsequently dated several men. In 1973, she wed cavalry officer Andrew Parker Bowles, a longtime suitor. They had two children together: Tom, now 30 and Laura, 25. Charles stood for each as godfather, crushed though he was. He did not understand why she didn’t wait for him. He was used to things happening in his time in his way, and for Camilla to go off and marry someone else hurt him.

The Prince of Wales, one of the most materially privileged men in the world, was now lacking the most important privilege of all: true love of a soulmate. His delicate sense of self was further damaged.

Regardless of the Prince’s mood, his father, Prince Philip, would continue to harangue him. He was almost thirty.

“Get on with it Charles,” the Duke of Edinburgh would say, referring to his son’s search for a wife. “Or there won’t be anyone left.”

With that ringing in his ears, coupled with the recent death of his mentor Lord Mountbatten, Charles’ emotional state was worse than before. He felt helpless, and his chart for his life now seemed undecipherable. He at least had his wonderful granny to love and comfort him, and the Queen Mum was more than happy to attend to the search for a wife for her favorite grandchild. In time, her well-meaning search would prove to be disasterous for him.

Lady Ruth Fermoy, a friend and lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother, had a granddaughter named Diana Spencer. She was eighteen years old, very jolly and full of life. Diana gave Charles the impression that she, too, enjoyed the outdoors and going to Scotland for holidays like he did. Even though there was a huge age difference between the Prince and Diana, the impression she made on Charles was a good and lasting one. Temporarily Camilla slipped from his mind.

Diana was thrilled and a bit awed that she had Charles’ romantic attentions. She had grown up playing with his younger brothers, Andrew and Edward, who were her age. Charles had always been the impressive elder brother, and she just child. Now, she was being considered a serious marital contender.

Lady Diana had a distinct advantage in the contest to becoming Charles’ bride. Her family, the Spencers, were one of the most aristocratic families in Britain. They had been wealthy sheep farmers from centuries past with five lines of descent, mostly through illegitimate children, from King Charles the Second. This pedigree linked her to the Stuart dynasty, Bonnie Prince Charlie, George Washington, and many other historical figures. The fifth Earl Spencer was even Viceroy of Ireland under Queen Victoria.

An aristocratic Protestant from a wealthy family, Diana also had no public scandal attached to her name and no lovers ever publicly ‘outed’. Charles had finally found his wife. In February of 1980, Charles proposed to Diana, and that summer they publically announced their engagement. Diana was to be the Princess of Wales, and sported a large oval sapphire surrounded by diamonds as her engagement ring. The Windsors were overjoyed, as was Diana’s family.

The Queen was extremely happy over the betrothal, having known the difficulties that Charles had in finding the best partner for himself and the Monarchy. Her Majesty had known Diana as a child and her father, Johnnie Spencer, had been an equerry to King George VI and the Queen herself. The Queen Mother was also very jubilant, even though it was not the original Spencer girl she had planned on. All seemed well, and a happy married life seemed to be around the corner for the Prince of Wales.

Pre-wedding ‘Jitters’

Diana realized what she was letting herself in for. Admirably, she tried to put the best face on it all, but her nerves were weakening. She was going to be put under enormous pressure, and could simply no longer do what she wanted to do with her own time. For a nineteen-year-old, this must’ve been unbearably difficult to come to terms with, especially when her soon-to-be-husband was not always around to help calm her. Palace staff were dispatched to help her learn about her new role and place in the monarchy, but Diana had already decided that she was not going to go through with any of it.

“It’s too late to back out now, Duch,” said her sisters, calling her by her nickname. “Your face is already on the tea towels.”

Diana was locked into the marriage. If it had been an ordinary man, perhaps she could’ve changed her mind and went her separate way. This was the future king she was marrying, and could not escape. Diana knew she and Charles would not work out, yet they had to marry each other since the world knew about them dating. When it came down to brass tacks, he either had to propose or drop her, as anything further would have been seen to compromise Diana’s reputation. Since she seemed suitable, Charles wanted her to be his wife. She was starry eyed at the thought of being a princess. But now the reality set in.

The emotional and mental instability that had plagued Diana for years was becoming more evident. Back when the thrill of the chase made her happy and outgoing, her emotional problems were able to be hidden. Charles had no idea who he was marrying. Now her nerves were on edge and depression set in. Courtiers were not sure what to do with her, but felt that her mood swings and sudden strange attitudes were only pre-wedding jitters. Diana tried to convince herself that is all it was, too, but she knew in her heart that she was not right for Charles or this way of life.

The only one that had personal knowlege of Charles’ preferences, habits, and tightly scheduled life was Mountbatten. Perhaps if he had seen Diana, he would have turned Charles in another direction, knowing that they wouldn’t be compatible. The marriage of a 30 year old with a rigorously scheduled existance to a 19 year old who was used to getting her own way would make a volatile situation. But with Philip pushing for Charles to “get on with it”, the Queen’s anxiousness that her heir would end up like the Duke of Windsor, the Queen Mum’s preference for an aristocratic insider, and no Mountbatten to combat it all, the Prince felt forced to choose Diana.

Starting Over

I feel that now is the time to start fresh. It has been an appropriate amount of time to start anew. Why can’t Charles be allowed happiness the way Diana was with Dodi Fayed? Diana and Dodi were always shown as the glorious, happy couple who wholeheartedly deserved each other. He liked to impress and please, and she loved attention. They were a match made in heaven. Diana seemed to be perfectly content spending time with him and involving her sons in their new life. All this when Dodi’s father was well-known for corruption and buying Harrod’s only to - in Mohammed Fayed’s words - “p*ss on the British”. The public seemed happy with the Di and Dodi coupling regardless.

Charles never had a string of women during or after his marriage like Diana had men. He knew he had lost the one woman he had ever loved in Camilla, and after he and Diana’s relationship died out, Charles set out to regain what he had let slip away. The Prince and Princess should have properly divorced in the eighties and went on with their separate lives, but at the time it just did not seem comprehendable for an heir to the throne to do so, and neither Charles nor Diana thought there was a way out.

Now, Charles should be allowed his marriage to Camilla. The Prince has made several concessions and has jumped through hoops in order to make his new marriage acceptable to the public. To forgo a church wedding; to accord to Camilla a lesser style than that to which she would be entitled as his wife; and his delay of a full seven years after Diana’s death. Most importantly, William and Harry like Camilla and her children, and accept her as their father’s permanent partner. They are glad that Prince Charles has finally found happiness. We should be, too.

© 2005 MandysRoyalty.org

Official Stance on Diana & Charles: Analyzing the facts and dealing with them

Family and Personal Backgrounds

Lady Diana Spencer was from one of the oldest aristocratic families in Britain. She was raised with luxury and privilege, brought up within the royal circle. The Spencers were known for their royal associations and were the epitome of a Court family: Diana’s father was an equerry to HM King George VI and the present Queen, and Diana’s great-aunt had been a Woman of the Bedchamber to the Queen Mum. Diana played with Princes Andrew and Edward when they were young, as they were all the same age. She and brother Charles even made Christmastime visits to Sandringham to see the Queen.

When Diana came of age, she took some money she had inherited and moved into her own apartment in London with some flatmates. She lived the unburdened bachelorette life in complete anonymity with her friends.

Prince Charles, on the other hand, could not lead his life however he wanted. He had to construct a life for himself within the confines of the Monarchy and in the public eye. The Prince was indeed raised in privilege, but due to his position as heir to the throne, he was responsible for more than just his own personal wants.

In order to “toughen” Charles, his father sent him to spartan boarding schools that tested one’s mental and physical stamina to the limit. Charles, who never really took to that sort of life, instead leaned towards cultured interests such as art, books, and gardening. When he was older, he came to appreciate the physical tests that came with serving in the Royal Navy: how to navigate ships, fly helicopters, and most importantly, he learned how to work in a team. He got to know many people outside of his circle of aristocracy.

Charles, as the crown prince of the people of the UK and Commonwealth, has to be informed, intelligent, and publicly aware. He has had many admirable accomplishments in projects concerning foreign affairs, the environment, and Britain’s role on the world stage. Diana wasn’t raised to think of the nation, and it was hard for her to adapt to that line of thought once married. Thus the problems started…

Love and Marriage

Many years ago, Charles fell in love with Camilla Shand. He couldn’t decide whether he should marry her as she wasn’t, as some have said, an ideal candidate for a future queen. She had a “past”, didn’t have model good looks, and was a tomboy. Charles debated his feelings of love and considered whar the public’s and establishment’s feelings would be towards her. He had been raised with the purpose of serving his country, so many important decisions like marriage had to be made with the country and monarchy in mind. Would they accept Camilla? Charles returned to the Navy and decided to think about it a bit more. While he was away, Camilla decided to marry Andrew Parker-Bowles. Deeply saddened, the Prince realized his marriage prospects would no longer include the former Miss Shand.

Charles decided to focus anew for finding an ideal woman. It was not easy. There didn’t seem to be any girls who would give up their wealthy, free lifestyle for that of a life of tradition and duty. Poor Charles; in his mind their feelings were justified. Who would want to marry him? He was a daunting prospect to the Ladies of the realm, not a desirable one.

Then he met a girl who seemed to be a great match - Sarah Spencer. She was a strong willed, outgoing girl with an impeccable pedigree. She was the daughter of Earl Spencer, the aforementioned equerry to HM King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.

They dated for a time, but then one day Sarah publicly announced that she would never marry Charles. She pointedly told the press she would never marry someone she didn’t love, “whether it was the dustman or the king of England”. The hint was dropped. Crushed, Charles moved on.

Charles felt that things were a bit hopeless. Soon that view would be turned around with a meeting in a hay field. He struck up a friendship with Sarah’s younger sister, Diana, while out at a shooting party. She had had a girlish crush on Charles’ younger brother Andrew, who was her age, and once thought she might marry him. Now Diana was starting to wonder if perhaps it was Charles who might be ‘the One’.

Even though the Spencers and Windsors had been closely tied together for many years, the heiress and the Prince were only just beginning to know each other on an adult level. They began talking, and eventually the nineteen-year-old Diana would find herself as the top candidate for Princess of Wales and future queen. She had gone hunting with him, listened to him speak of books he’d read, and fished on the River Dee. Diana had made it seem that she was really involved with all sorts of outdoor and intellectual pursuits, just like Charles. She desperately wanted him to like her, and wanted to be a fairy tale princess with a charming prince for a husband.

Diana was excited to think that she had bested her elder sister for the Prince of Wales’ affections. Her natural sense of entitlement and competitiveness gave her a rush of exhilaration at this thought. She was also giddy with the tidal wave of publicity she was receiving. She was ready to marry Charles, and when presented with a tray of rings, picked out the biggest engagement ring she could lay hands on. Diana was going to be the Princess of Wales!

Charles was over the moon that both his family and the public approved of Diana. He felt he had made a wonderful match. Soon, the facade that Diana had built up around herself would begin to crumble.

As the wedding day approached, the princess-to-be started to lose her nerve. She suddenly realized what was going to be expected of her. Courtiers and other members of the Royal Household had instructed her on various aspects of royal life and the position of Princess of Wales. They gave her books about previous Princesses of Wales, namely Alexandra and Mary, and helped Diana to set up her own office.

Daydreams were over; the work was beginning. Diana realized that her own wants had to be placed aside most of the time, in order to help represent Queen and country. She panicked. She wasn’t ready to accept that royal duties would dictate her schedule. She was also really bored by Charles and his interests, his friends, and the Monarchy itself. She couldn’t go on pretending, but she was stuck now. Invitations were sent, dresses being made, and tea towels created. Unlike the other aristocratic girls Charles dated, Diana was not aware of what a royal wife would have to do, strangely enough, and therefore did not know how to decline before getting in over her head.

Throughout the rest of their married life, Diana would fight Charles and the Royal Family. She wandered away from her husband and started hobnobbing with celebrities, lunching in fashionable restaurants, and spent thousands of pounds on her personal appearance: coifs, makeup, manicures, and personal trainers. Then there were Diana’s astrologers, vacations, and colonic irrigations. Charles and the Queen were not amused by her excessive spending habits, nor were they keen on her abuse of royal privilege and the media. They tried to get her to curb her spending on such flights of fancy, but Diana refused to listen. She felt that she deserved every luxury she could find, and for a while the Queen allowed her everything but the kingdom itself in order to keep her happy. Diana was, after all, the mother of the Queen’s grandsons, and the mother of the future king. Her Majesty let Diana run the gamut for a while in the early years, believing that she was still adjusting to royal life.

Funny, it looked like Diana had a pretty royal, aristocratic life already by being born a Spencer. Yet she still had to “adjust”? After a while, I think the Queen got fed up and realized that Diana was simply not going to be mature enough to handle royal life and protocol. She was heartbroken.

Charles, in the meantime, had no idea what to do with the mood swings and illnesses that Diana had and decided to turn to a friendship with Camilla Parker-Bowles in order to seek advice. He had never known anything like bulimia before. He had been sweet and caring towards Sarah Spencer when she revealed she had anorexia, but even then he still did not fully understand those types of illness. No one in his family, nor in his group of friends, had ever experienced anything like it before, so it was quite foreign to him.

At first, Charles believed Diana’s mood swings needed to be helped. He, too, decided to just let Diana do whatever she wanted until she adjusted. Princess Margaret, the Queen’s own sister, also agreed with this tactic. Bolstered by his aunt, Charles called in the best psychoanalysts and psychiatrists he could find as well. Then he realized that he could not get her to settle into the royal routine happily no matter what he did. He tried for years to work things out with Diana, especially with their children in mind. In the end, Charles eventually gave up. Diana had even started taking lovers, and so Charles decided that if she could not stand him that much, he would take up a relationship elsewhere, too. Since he could not establish a normal relationship with his wife, he re-established one with Camilla, a longtime friend and a woman his own age who shared many interests. He loved her deeply, and stuck by her.

Diana and Charles drifted further and further apart. She traveled extensively, promoting charities everywhere and giving the perfect photo opportunities to journalists. For swanky events, she dressed in in low-cut gowns. She even telephoned journalists as a “friend of the Princess” so that they would turn up at the most unexpected places, splashing her photos across the newspapers the next day. Diana tried to outdo her husband and the Queen to show them that she would not be held back by rules and traditions. She wanted things her way, and she wanted to be the star.

The Queen advised Charles and Diana to divorce. It was no good trying to keep up appearances. The public knew all too well that Diana was bored to tears by royal life and Charles. She said as much in the Panorama interview and her book. The marriage came to and end in 1996.

Knowing that the worst was behind them, Charles and Diana were actually able to mend some fences and remain on good terms. As the mother of his children, Charles knew Diana was an important part of their family life and wanted things to be as cordial and happy as possible to give William and Harry stability.

Diana started dating Dodi Fayed, son of notorious business tycoon Mohammed al-Fayed. She kept up with her charities and various commitments, and spent as much time with her sons as possible. She frequently included them in her yacht trips with Dodi and the Fayed family. Having Dodi bolstered Diana’s confidence and sense of security, and with that came her acceptance of Camilla as Charles’ companion.
Meanwhile, Charles’ and Camilla’s relationship continued to blossom. The Prince of Wales promoted his organic food “Duchy Originals”, spoke out in support of UK farmers, and devoted much of his time and energy into “The Prince’s Trust” for the youth of Britain. Things were going smoothly between the prince and princess, but horrifically everything came crashing down on the night of August 31, 1997 when Diana died in a fatal car accident in Paris.

Today, Charles is working as hard as ever, but puts in a lot of time with both of his sons. He always remembered how lonely he felt when his parents traveled extensively, so Charles makes sure that he is in constant contact with his sons. He is always there for them, especially when he had to help William and Harry adjust to life without Diana.

The boys have also accepted Camilla as a part of their father’s world. Even though their mother has passed away, they still have a life to live and time is short - no time for petty insecurities and grudges. They both realize that Camilla makes their father happy, and upon meeting her they found her to be a pleasant person. The princes were friends with her children also, and they all get along very well.

Looking back, Charles should never have married Diana, because he was expecting someone who would help him in his duties and support him. He should’ve realized that a nineteen year old might not be on the same level as a thirty year old. However, because the public and the monarchy wanted someone without a past, who was pretty and an ideal princess-figure, Diana seemed the most suitable.

Camilla will not be another Princess of Wales nor queen. Public mood dictates that there has already been one Princess of Wales for the Prince, and there shall not be another. Camilla is a central figure in Charles’ life however, and should there be a marriage, she will act in the capacity of consort regardless. We must accept her, as even Diana herself did.

©2004 MandysRoyalty.org

The Prince’s Trust - Betrayed!

Prince Charles’ letters to government ministers were leaked to the press recently, revealing the future sovereign’s interest in taking a part in British life. People everywhere have joined in the debate over this; some are against his letter writing, but thankfully there are many in his defense.
St. James’ Palace said that unnamed Whitehall sources were leaking the Prince’s letters, and complained about the lack of ‘complete confidentiality’. St. James’, along with other royal aides, have defended Charles’ right to discuss issues with ministers and write them with concerns. These concerns have been labelled as ‘interfering’ in politics, however.

‘If he wants to be involved in politics, then he should consider standing for election,’ declared MP Ian Davidson. Otherwise, Charles, sit quietly and do nothing. Apparently that’s what’s being implied.

If the Prince did sit idly by, however, then he would be condemned as ‘good for nothing’. It’s the old double-standard rearing its ugly head once again. We witnessed this type of controversy during the Wessex work crisis. So what is HRH supposed to do? Stand back, or take an active role in helping his country? It seems that either way he will lose due to fussy, anti-monarchist sentiment.

The feeling here is that Charles is simply voicing opinions on things that certain people don’t want to hear. They complain, trying to make it seem as though he is ‘interfering’ in politics. If it is dubbed as a political thing, an area where royals must stay out of, then that means Charles may shy away from writing more.

Nice trick, but let’s look at the reality of the situation: the Queen, in her capacity as monarch, is sent official government documents in the famous red boxes every day. She also meets weekly with the Prime Minister to keep abreast of what is happening. Elizabeth does not interfere, she keeps things to herself and does not take sides publicly. The Queen is completely discreet, and advises or consults where needed. Isn’t Charles doing just that? Were it not for the leak, his letters would be private, consulting and advising ministers as his position requires. As he is the future king, what is wrong with his actions?

A spokeswoman for the Prince spoke up on the issue, saying ‘It’s part of the Royal Family’s role to highlight excellence…and draw attention to issues on behalf of us all. [Charles] takes an active interest in all aspects of British life and believes that…part of his role must be to highlight problems and represent views in danger of not being heard.’

Charles is trying to help Britain retain its greatness by trying to help make a better life for his future subjects and bringing light to issues that may otherwise go unnoticed. He has the Prince’s Trust, an organization that has helped many young people enhance their skills in order to obtain jobs. The Trust also funds young people who are trying to start their own business. The Prince of Wales is also famous for his support for and involvement in organic foods, the environment, and countless other causes that affect everyone.

It has been said that if Charles were truly a man of the people, he would toss aside all titles and trappings and work for the common good on his own. We have to look at this rationally though! Charles has been raised to respect the position he was born into, and he knows that kingship will one day be his destiny. As Prince of Wales or king, he will have much more influence for the good of the people. You can’t deny that.
So I say: Good show, Charles! Don’t let anyone push you around just because they don’t care for your opinion. Show them how it’s done!

©2002 Mandy’s British Royalty”

Charles & Camilla:
A Match Made in Heaven?

Camilla is in the picture to stay. Even though some still think of her as an ‘usurper’ to the late Princess of Wales, there are just as many now who believe her to be an asset to Charles and to the Monarchy in general. She is an asset mainly due to her positive affect on the Prince. Just because she is not a supermodel or is without sweet demure looks, it doesn’t mean she is unsuitable. And as far as being an asset to the Monarchy in general, I’m sure you would agree that a blissful Prince means a blissful and sucessful Monarch.

They have much in common, and are about the same age. She is aristocratic and loves the countryside as much as he does. Charles loves Camilla with all of his heart, and the joy and contentment shows when he is out in public with her. Who would want to deprive the Prince of some happiness? In the time following the death of Diana, the public (around 75% or so) did not want Camilla as the Prince of Wales’ girlfriend or especially as the future Queen. Now that more time has passed, however, the acceptance percentage for Mrs. Parker-Bowles has gone up quite a bit and people are saying that Charles should marry her AND become king. This is quite significant and a good sign for the relationship.

If Her Majesty allows them to marry if they so choose, then there really isn’t anything that can stand in their way. A green light from the Queen means that everything is satisfactory. It has been rumored that the Prince of Wales would not marry Camilla if the Queen Mother didn’t approve, but it seems that it is the Queen herself who has the final say in it all. One naturally assumes that Her Majesty has most likely consulted her mother in these matters, (who, it has been said, liked Camilla) and I think both women have come to the conclusion that the Prince and Camilla are probably going to be a positive match for each other. Elizabeth knows full well the controversy of her son’s relationship and probably disapproves of it in some aspects, but it is his life and she would not want to cause any friction. She sees him happy, and as I said, a content and strong King with a good partner is what the Royal Family and the country will need.

Most importantly, William seems to have accepted her into his father’s life. It is my understanding that it was he who invited Camilla along on a family vacation in the Mediterranean in 1999. Not only is it a future king giving his consent, but it is a son who has lost his mother, yet now wants his father to have companionship and love. A child embracing a parent’s significant other is indeed a big step for them all, and with a situation as healthy as this one seems to be so far, I think their futures look very bright indeed.

©2002 Mandy’s British Royalty”