Charles, Camilla to Wed
by Julie Keller
Feb 10, 2005, 11:25 AM PT
E! Online
After almost four decades of dating, much of which lasted throughout his marriage to the late Princess Diana, Britain's Prince Charles has announced that he will marry longtime love Camilla Parker Bowles.
The couple will tie the knot in a civil ceremony on Apr. 8.
"Mrs. Parker Bowles and I are absolutely delighted," Charles, 56, said in a statement. "It will be a very special day for us and our families."
According to representatives for the heir to the throne, Parker Bowles will not receive the title "Queen" should Charles become king. Instead, she will use the title Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall (one of Charles' titles is Duke of Cornwall).
Despite the media turmoil the Charles-Camilla relationship has stirred over the years, his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, has officially offered her blessings for the nuptials.
"The Duke of Edinburgh and I are very happy that the Prince of Wales and Mrs. Parker Bowles are to marry," Elizabeth said in a statement. "We have given them our warmest good wishes for their future together."
Because they are both divorcés and Camilla's husband is still living (something the Church of England frowns upon), the couple have chosen to forgo a church service in favor of a civil union. But "there will subsequently be a service of prayer and dedication in St. George's Chapel at which the Archbishop of Canterbury will preside," according to Charles' office.
His sons, Princes William and Harry, are both said to be supportive of the marriage, as are several key British figures.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said he is "delighted" with the news, while Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said, "I am pleased that Prince Charles and Mrs. Camilla Parker Bowles have decided to take this important step."
Charles met Camilla in 1970 at a polo match. While they eventually married other people, both have admitted to carrying on their love affair throughout the years. Before she was killed in a car crash in 1997, Diana publicly blamed Camilla for the breakup of her marriage to Charles.
Diana's marriage to Charles was indeed a much larger affair. The two tied the knot in 1991, with their nuptial watched by more than 750 million people worldwide. They separated in 1992 and finally divorced in 1996, a year after Parker Bowles, 57, divorced her husband, army officer Andrew Parker Bowles.
by Julie Keller
Feb 10, 2005, 11:25 AM PT
E! Online
After almost four decades of dating, much of which lasted throughout his marriage to the late Princess Diana, Britain's Prince Charles has announced that he will marry longtime love Camilla Parker Bowles.
The couple will tie the knot in a civil ceremony on Apr. 8.
"Mrs. Parker Bowles and I are absolutely delighted," Charles, 56, said in a statement. "It will be a very special day for us and our families."
According to representatives for the heir to the throne, Parker Bowles will not receive the title "Queen" should Charles become king. Instead, she will use the title Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall (one of Charles' titles is Duke of Cornwall).
Despite the media turmoil the Charles-Camilla relationship has stirred over the years, his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, has officially offered her blessings for the nuptials.
"The Duke of Edinburgh and I are very happy that the Prince of Wales and Mrs. Parker Bowles are to marry," Elizabeth said in a statement. "We have given them our warmest good wishes for their future together."
Because they are both divorcés and Camilla's husband is still living (something the Church of England frowns upon), the couple have chosen to forgo a church service in favor of a civil union. But "there will subsequently be a service of prayer and dedication in St. George's Chapel at which the Archbishop of Canterbury will preside," according to Charles' office.
His sons, Princes William and Harry, are both said to be supportive of the marriage, as are several key British figures.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said he is "delighted" with the news, while Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said, "I am pleased that Prince Charles and Mrs. Camilla Parker Bowles have decided to take this important step."
Charles met Camilla in 1970 at a polo match. While they eventually married other people, both have admitted to carrying on their love affair throughout the years. Before she was killed in a car crash in 1997, Diana publicly blamed Camilla for the breakup of her marriage to Charles.
Diana's marriage to Charles was indeed a much larger affair. The two tied the knot in 1991, with their nuptial watched by more than 750 million people worldwide. They separated in 1992 and finally divorced in 1996, a year after Parker Bowles, 57, divorced her husband, army officer Andrew Parker Bowles.
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