Charles and Camilla Set to Wed
February 10, 2005
Clarence House, Charles's residence in London, said the civil wedding would take place on April 8 at Windsor Castle, the royal family's weekend retreat west of London. A subsequent service of prayer and dedication at the castle's St George's Chapel will be led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the Church of England.
"Mrs Parker Bowles and I are absolutely delighted. It will be a very special day for us and our families'," said Charles, 56, before going out to look at wedding rings in London's financial district.
Clarence House said the wedding would be "a largely private occasion for family and friends" in marked contrast to Charles's gala wedding to Diana at St Paul's Cathedral in July 1981.
Happy reaction
In a statement, Queen Elizabeth II said: "The Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Philip) and I are very happy that the Prince of Wales and Mrs Parker Bowles are to marry."
"We have given them our warmest good wishes for their future
together." Charles's sons by his marriage to Diana, who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997, Prince William, 22, and 20-year-old Prince Harry, were also "delighted", royal officials said.
News of the engagement ended years of speculation as to whether the heir to the throne would -- or could -- ever tie the knot with Parker Bowles, who is notably less popular with the British public than the more glamorous Diana.
Clarence House said Parker Bowles, 57, would not be called queen once Charles becomes king but would be known as the Princess Consort. After her marriage she will also carry the title of Duchess of Cornwall.
No religious ceremony
The fact the wedding ceremony itself will be a civil affair is a nod to the Church of England, which does not recognise marriage between divorcees. Both the prince, who as king will be the supreme governor of the Church of England, and Parker Bowles are divorced.
Nonetheless, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams said he supported the union, which was "consistent with Church of England guidelines concerning remarriage".
Although marrying a long-term mistress is highly unorthodox for a British prince, there are no constitutional barriers.The only laws governing royal weddings, both from the 18th century, say only that they must have the monarch's consent and that the proposed spouse is not Roman Catholic, neither of which are issues in this case.
Public perceptions
Far more troublesome for the couple will be winning over the British public. Many consider Parker Bowles to blame for the break-up of the marriage of Charles and Diana, who divorced in 1996. Diana, who remains extremely popular almost eight years after her death, famously quipped that there were "three people" in her marriage.
While she is reportedly charming and lively in person, Parker Bowles is a much more aloof figure than Diana was, with little apparent interest in her public image and a fashion sense largely shaped by her outdoor country life.
"Obviously people's feelings about Camilla are very much
entangled to those of Diana," said royal biographer Robert Lacey. "It is pretty clear that people are not enormously enamoured by Camilla. People in the future will say that when you compare her style with Diana's, it is very different."
Charles first met Parker Bowles in 1970, but their relationship ended when he entered the navy and she married another suitor, army officer Andrew Parker Bowles.
Although this first marriage lasted until 1995, Parker Bowles continued to see the prince during his stormy marriage to Diana, a long love affair cemented by a mutual love of country pursuits such as polo and fox hunting.
On the streets of London, many people accepted the prospect of the union, but without apparent joy. "It is about time they got married as he was obviously never going to give her up," said Arthur Mills, 69, a retiree shopping along London's Bond Street with his wife Jane, who nodded her head in agreement. "She is no comparison to Diana," he added.
Jean Holt, a housewife from Essex, east of London, was also nenthusiastic. "I loved Diana, so I don't want Charles to be king, especially with Camilla as his wife."