The Unofficial British Royal Family Pages

Sunday 13 February 2005

Charles & Camilla: A Royal Wedding Like No Other

Talk about an anti-climax. It really is about time that Charles and Camilla married as they�ve been living as man and wife for some time now. I think we all knew it wouldn�t happen while the Queen Mother was still alive. Following her death, I was sure it was just a matter of time. 

Frankly, it took longer for Charles to propose than I thought it would. Admittedly, I have no appreciation for all of the palace politics and bureaucracy. And there�s the public hostility the prince and Camilla have to contend with. But various polls and public figures, not the least of which is the Archbishop of Canterbury, suggested support for the nuptials some time ago. To be honest, it was ridiculous to see a 56-year-old man, who will one day be head of the Church of England, �shacking up� with his mistress because he thought getting married would �look bad.� Totally ridiculous. 

Now that the date has been set and the ring given, the upcoming royal wedding is shaping up to be unlike any other. But in a different way than you might think. I doubt there will be secret visits to the dressmakers covered by an anxious press. Nor will we see carriage rides or crowds in the street. No, this royal wedding will be different because it will unite the truest and most stalwart royal soul mates in modern history. Perhaps not since Victoria and Albert have we had a �married� royal couple who are so devoted to each other. Sure, we�ve had an abundance of illicit royal romances between royal and commoner. And the Duke and Duchess of Windsor married but their union was tainted by exile and complete rejection by the British people. This is the first time in years that true love has come this close to the throne. 

I, for one, wish them both well. If you�ve read my past columns, you�ll know that I�m a die-hard Diana fan but I truly believe she would see this as the natural course of things. And I�m almost positive that the princess would have married again had she lived. If she had re-married, wedding bells for her ex-husband and his lover would have rung long ago.  

Let�s hope that Charles and Camilla�s marriage means that the British monarchy is becoming more human. Let�s hope that William and Harry will be allowed to live as normal human beings who make mistakes and deserve second chances, regardless of what protocol dictates. Best wishes to the happy couple! Let love rule.

- Stephanie