Name: Charles and Camilla Age: 56 and 57 Nationality: British Claim to fame: The couple who loved and lost, then loved again.
It took them more them more than 30 years, marriages to different people, two children each and a lot of emotional drama and public disdain to finally seal their love with marriage vows. Prince Charles and his long-time girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles finally got married last Saturday. In what was the most unconventional British royal wedding of modern times, the middle-aged couple became man and wife in a small civil ceremony that was attended by fewer than 30 guests while the groom’s parents stayed away. Prince William and Tom Parker Bowles, Camilla’s son, were there as witnesses.
They had to settle for a civil wedding because the Church of England, which Charles will one day symbolically head as king, disapproves divorcees remarrying. But the religious blessing led by the Archbishop of Canterbury demonstrated the Anglican hierarchy’s approval of the union. The blessing ceremony was broadcast live and drew about 800 guests, including the Queen and Prince Philip, Prime Minister Tony Blair and Camilla’s ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles.
Since the wedding plans were announced two months ago, there had been many mishaps that had led to many changes. First there were arguments over the legality of the marriage as an 1836 law barred royals from marrying in civil ceremonies, until it was decided that a 2000 human rights law, interpreted loosely, superseded the old law. Then the plans for a Windsor Castle wedding had to be shelved when they realized licensing the palace for their nuptials would force the Queen to let commoners wed there too. Then Charles parents announced that they would not attend the wedding, and there was debate over what title Camilla would take and finally the death of Pope John Paul II and his funeral that forced the wedding to be postponed for a day.
Never before has a future king married a divorced woman; never before has a woman married a Prince of Wales and taken a lesser title than princess. Though officially the Princess of Wales, Camilla will be known as the Duchess of Cornwall in deference to enduring public affection for Diana. When Charles is crowned, she will be queen but the palace has announced that she will use the title Princess Consort. However, it remains to be seen if Charles will ever be the king as most Brits favour the Queen passing over Charles to make his son, Williams the future king. Charles and Camilla met in their early 20s and quickly became romantically involved, but they made no commitment before he went to sea with the Royal Navy. It was then that she married Parker Bowles but they remained close friends, and when Charles’ marriage to Diana was in trouble, they resumed their affair. Some say the fairy tale marriage ran into trouble because of Camilla. After years of public and media criticism, and ridicule, Charles and Camilla’s affection for each other appears to have been accepted to some degree by the public, though the British still don’t approve of someone else taking Diana’s place.
It took them more them more than 30 years, marriages to different people, two children each and a lot of emotional drama and public disdain to finally seal their love with marriage vows. Prince Charles and his long-time girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles finally got married last Saturday. In what was the most unconventional British royal wedding of modern times, the middle-aged couple became man and wife in a small civil ceremony that was attended by fewer than 30 guests while the groom’s parents stayed away. Prince William and Tom Parker Bowles, Camilla’s son, were there as witnesses.
