Camilla and Charles-True Love Conquers All
by Kristen Houghton
Charles, Prince of Wales, is finally getting to marry the love of his life, Camilla Parker-Bowles.
He’s waited thirty-five years to make their union legal and I for one am happy for him and her.
He’s loved her since he was eighteen years old and neither Mummy Dearest, the Queen, nor bad publicity and public censure made him forsake her. That is true love.
Alan disagrees.“He cheated on his wife.”
“Diana? Well, yes, what you say is true but…”
“But nothing. He was married to her, he had children with her, he cheated and that’s that.”
“But he has loved Camilla since they were teenagers. You’ve loved me since you were seventeen, remember? You do REMEMBER don’t you?”
"That’s different.”
“How is that different?”
“I married you. Do you REMEMBER?”
“So what are you saying? He had to forget the love of his life because he was, in actuality, forced to marry someone who was deemed “suitable” by the Queen?”
“Yes. If he loved her so much he should not have married Diana. He should have stood up to his mother and said he wanted to marry what’s-her-name.”
“Camilla.”
“Yeah, her.”
“He wasn’t able to for dynastic reasons.”
“What? What do you mean, for dynastic reasons? Oh, that Tudor Scholar thing again.”
I sigh. He is not an aficionado of the intricacies of the royal families of Britain. I am. In college I was a Tudor Scholar meaning that I studied everything there was to know about the Tudor dynasty including all the delicate finagling over suitable marriage partners, none of which included love. Alan’s specialty in college was American history with the Civil War being his field of expertise. Big difference there, believe me.
Charles married Diana Spencer-Churchill because she was “more noble” than any of the other women who were scouted as possible matches for a prince. Simply speaking, “more noble,” means that her lineage included more lords, ladies, dukes, and duchesses, than anyone else. The fact that she was damned good-looking and would hopefully give birth to beautiful children was also a big plus. Not as big a plus as the noble lineage, but still up there in importance.
When Charles, then in his early twenties, had mentioned that he wanted to marry Camilla Shand, his beloved uncle and mentor Lord Mountbatten pointed out two important facts that he believed disqualified her. Besides being sixteen months older than the Prince, Camilla “had been around.” She wasn’t “virginal” a big requirement for a royal bride. The young prince allowed himself to be dissuaded.
But Charles never really stopped loving Camilla. He refused to give her up. Through her marriage and his own they still managed to have their lovers’ trysts. Romantic that I am, I think their love ranks right up there with the big love stories of the centuries.
Besides, let’s face it, being a prince, Charles could have had a slew of mistresses just like past members of royalty have done. He could have married someone thirty years younger like Donald Trump did, but he stayed with Camilla. Whatever she is or is not in the minds of the public, she’s no fresh-faced young girl in her twenties out to rob a wealthy old man. Camilla is, after all, fifty-seven. For some strange reason that alone is a comfort to me. She has wrinkles and sagging like the rest of us, and Charlie, bless him, still loves her and wants her as his wife.
How sweet is that?
To really love someone as much as Charles does Camilla is a tribute to undying devotion. Not since Diane de Poitiers, mistress to Henri II of France has there been such a show of devotion by a married prince. Henri loved Diane so much that he refused to leave her bedroom and go to his new Italian wife on their wedding night. Diane, herself, who was fifteen years his senior, had to persuade him to sleep with his young wife Catherine de`Medici, in order to produce an heir. He did produce heirs but always returned to Diane’s house for warmth, wit, and comfort.
What is it that makes a man love a woman so much? Believe or not it has little to do with sex, even though that is more than likely fantastic. It has to do with feeling comfortable together, making each other laugh, and, something your mother told you which happens to be true, sharing the same interests. It has to do with complementing each other, each half making the other one whole, being soul-mates. Great sex is a by-product of such a relationship.
I wish Charles and Camilla happiness. True love and devotion is a gift. I say, good show, Charlie and Cammie, the hell with what the rest of the world thinks. It is after all, your life.
Content copyright © 2001-2005 by Kristen Houghton. All rights reserved. This content was written by Kristen Houghton. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission.
Visit Kristen's website: http://www.bellaonline.com/Site/marriage
No comments:
Post a Comment