Poem Written For Prince Charles and Camilla's Wedding Day

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain's Poet Laureate Andrew Motion has written "Spring Wedding," a poem commemorating the marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles:

I took your news outdoors, and strolled a while

In silence on my square of garden-ground

Where I could dim the roar of arguments,

Ignore the scandal-flywheel whirring round,


And hear instead the green fuse in the flower

Ignite, the breeze stretch out a shadow-hand

To ruffle blossom on its sticking points,

The blackbirds sing, and singing take their stand.


I took your news outdoors, and found the Spring

Had honored all its promises to start

Disclosing how the principles of earth

Can make a common purpose with the heart.


The heart which slips and sidles like a stream

Weighed down by winter-wreckage near its source --

But given time, and come the clearing rain,

Breaks loose to revel in its proper course.


Motion, asked about how he approached the writing of the poem, was quoted in the Press Assocation as saying: "This relationship has, as all the world knows, had all kinds of difficulties and trials and tribulations to deal with.

"I thought, rather than address that directly, as might be appropriate in a piece of journalism, in a poem it would be more interesting and richer to treat it in terms of this image of the stream with certain obstacles near the source, but with the passage of time beginning to run clearly in its proper course.

"That is how I feel about the whole wedding."

Charles and Camilla Visit the U.S.

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will travel to New York, Washington and San Francisco on their first joint official royal tour, palace officials say.
Officials announced brief details of the long-awaited overseas trip to the United States, which will take place in early November, on the Prince of Wales's Web site.

The couple will also attend a meeting with Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the United Nations and a lunch and dinner with U.S. President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush at the White House.

Prince Charles has been overseas on royal engagements on his own since the couple's wedding at Windsor in April, but it will be the royal couple's first royal tour together.

The prince's Web site says that the royal couple's trip was aimed at "highlighting some of the many links which bind the two countries together and have done for many years."

"It will also focus on the vital importance of the economic relationship, and the exceptional range of cultural, environmental and community links between the two nations," the statement says.
"Sustainability will be another important theme of the tour, in areas such as housing and education, and farming and food sourcing."

The U.S. has traditionally been considered "Diana-territory," the UK's Press Association reports.

The late Diana, Princess of Wales was hugely popular across the Atlantic and aides will be closely monitoring the American public's response to see how Camilla is received, PA says.

As part of the PR strategy, Charles has already been interviewed for the U.S. news program CBS's 60 Minutes for a show to be screened during his visit.

The couple will not be staying at the White House. A Clarence House spokesman told PA: "The Prime Minister doesn't when he goes. It's not normal to stay there."

Details of where Charles and Camilla are staying have not been released for security reasons, along with the exact dates of their visit.

It has been reported that they will visit Ground Zero -- the site of the 2001 terror attacks, PA says. No decision has yet been taken on whether they will travel to hurricane stricken New Orleans.

Camilla will have to overcome her fear of flying as she embarks on the busy schedule across America. She made her own whirlwind four-day trip to New York in September 1999 which was largely regarded as part of the PR strategy aimed at securing her public acceptance, PA says.
Camilla was accompanied by two of Charles key aides at the time -- spin doctor Mark Bolland and former valet Michael Fawcett -- and the trip was dubbed her "first royal tour" by the tabloids.

She was introduced to key figures in New York society and dined with Hollywood stars Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones.

When the late Princess of Wales visited the U.S. on an official tour with Charles in 1985, she famously danced with film star John Travolta at a White House dinner hosted by the then President Reagan.

Two months before she died, the Princess travelled to the U.S. in June 1997 on a Red Cross mission as part of her campaign to ban landmines.

The heir to the British throne briefly visited the States in June 2004 for the funeral of former President Ronald Reagan in Washington.

He was rumored to have been due to travel to America in 2001 but cancelled following the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Charles's last official tour to the country was in 1994, although he has made a number of private visits since then.

From CNN.com http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/10/05/charles.us/

The Most Underrated, Greatest Love Story Of Modern Times

by Mimi Tanner

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles have loved each other for over thirty years. Their love story is the greatest love story of our time. It’s a wonder that more people do not see it this way. Although the public loved the late Princess Diana dearly, this does not diminish the great love story that belongs to Prince Charles and his true love, Camilla Parker Bowles.

Whenever they are together in public, you can see in their faces how deeply in love they are. After over thirty years, they want to be together all the time. How many couples can say that?

Some people want to scorn Prince Charles, but I have long thought that he is wonderful. In his younger days, he entered an ill-advised marriage with Diana, in large part because the woman he truly loved, Camilla Parker Bowles, had already married someone else while Charles was away. The beautiful, innocent Diana seemed like a good choice, and she was indeed a lovely person. But sadly, Charles and Diana had nothing in common except their two sons. Charles and Diana were such vastly different people that their marriage was hopeless before it even started.

Throughout their marriage, Charles maintained his friendship with Camilla Parker Bowles, and eventually they did commit adultery. Of course, this is not anything to be condoned. In fact, their own wedding ceremony contains a centuries-old prayer for forgiveness.

It is not hard to "forgive" Charles and Camilla for their sin, because their adultery was not borne of lust, but instead of genuine, lasting love. Camilla is the love of Charles' life. Prince Charles is the love of Camilla's life! Now they are finally going to be able to make this legal, and live openly together as a married couple - after more than thirty years of waiting. HOW ROMANTIC IS THAT??

Their love has stood the test of time, pressures, and problems. The worst incident of all was when their very private words became public. That was indeed a scandal, but unfortunately, this is a reality of having such a public life. Did this embarrassing event stop them? Of course not. Has public scorn and ridicule stopped Prince Charles from being true to his love, Camilla Parker Bowles? No. Prince Charles is utterly devoted to Camilla, now and forever.

To the inestimable credit of Prince Charles, Camilla Parker Bowles is not some twenty-something babe. If the Prince wanted to, he could find many such "babes" to date and marry. But the Prince is not like that. He loves a real woman - a woman who is in her fifties. A woman who is attractive but who is not a supermodel - she's the real thing. He adores her because of who she is on the inside as well as the outside. They are soulmates and the love of each other's lives.

What was all this talk that Princess Diana would jinx the wedding day from beyond the grave? What utter nonsense. In spite of Diana’s resentment toward Camilla during her marriage, at this point, the Diana most people remember would have moved on long ago. She would wish now Charles well in his marriage to the woman he adores.

There was also idle gossip that things like bad weather on the wedding day would be laughable, and a sign that the marriage was to be scorned. Why? Why should Charles and Camilla endure any more of this? They so obviously love each other. They have waited eight years since the death of Princess Diana. Is that not long enough?? They have in essence waited until the children grew up. Prince Charles and his love Camilla deserve our highest well wishes and joy.

We should all wish Prince Charles and his lady Camilla the very greatest happiness. Finally, after all these years, they are to be married. Bravo!!

Timeline of Their Story

Prince Charles and Camilla have known each other for over three decades. They met for the first time at a Windsor polo match in 1970. At that time, Camilla's name was Camilla Shand. Reportedly, Camilla jokingly mentioned that her maternal great-great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, was the long-time mistress of Charles's great-great-grandfather, Edward VII, and said,"My great-great-grandmother was your great-great-grandfather's mistress, so how about it?"

The two became close but were separated when Charles joined the Royal Navy in 1971.

Two years later Camilla married Army officer Andrew Parker Bowles. However, the friendship between Prince Charles and Camilla continued.

Camilla divorced in 1995. Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, and Diana was killed in a car crash in 1997.

Prince Charles and Camilla continued to keep their relationship low-key, hoping for eventual public acceptance. They are finally married now.

Copyright 2005 Mimi Tanner. All Rights Reserved.

Biography of Camilla Parker Bowles

Biography of Camilla Parker Bowles (Click Here)

Camilla invited a grandmother to her wedding who has been a fan of hers for many years.

"The Queen might have snubbed Camilla Parker Bowles but she seems to have found a fan in a 73-year-old grandmother. The granny who launched a 'Be nice to Camilla' campaign nearly a decade ago, has received an invitation to the Prince of Wales’ wedding blessing. 'I cried all day to think just because I’d tried to be ordinarily kind and caring I’d made Camilla Parker Bowles feel grateful enough to invite me,' she was quoted as saying."
Source.

An Open Letter To Camilla Parker Bowles More support for Camilla!

Prince Charles was willing to postpone the wedding one day for the Pope's funeral - but not one day more! He waited long enough to marry Camilla Parker Bowles.

Prince Charles And Camilla - TRUE LOVE CONQUERS ALL - Guest Article!

This is a special guest article:

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

Prince Charles Said "I Love Camilla"

This week marks the first week of married life for Charles and Camilla. One newspaper touted this as "The End of the Affair." Some were disappointed that Charles did not kiss Camilla in public, but he has too much class to hand the tabloids a feeding frenzy when they are in his business enough as it is. He did say, in a toast, "I love Camilla!"

The Associated Press quotes comedienne Joan Rivers:
"It was so obvious how happy they were, that just radiated from the whole room," said the comedian Joan Rivers, who attended the party. "There was no formality, no reception line, they mingled. ... It was so fabulous, it was really like a family and friends get-together."
"When Charles made his toast a whoop went up when he said 'I love Camilla,' that's what made it truly different and special," Rivers said in a telephone interview.
Source: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/11362455.htm

"Brits Warm To Charles and Camilla"

Presently, the newlyweds are spending the week at Birkhall, a hunting lodge on the Queen's Balmoral estate in Scotland. "The Prince has described the early 18th-century home on the royal Balmoral estate as 'a unique haven of coziness and character'. He reportedly learned to fish in the River Muick, which flows at the bottom of Birkhall's sloping garden. Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, bought Birkhall in the 19th century and it became the Balmoral residence of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who died in 2002, leaving it to Charles."
Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/10/world/main687032.shtml


For some nice pictures of the Prince and Camilla, including one when they were much younger, go to: http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/1/hi/uk/4412131.stm

The Wedding Day Is Here - BRAVO!

"Just Married" - Thirty-four Years Later
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1258&storyid=2941884

If you want The details of what Camilla wore and who did her hair & make-up today:
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1258&storyid=2941780

Charles and Camilla have the support of their children in their upcoming marriage:
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/050405/w040524.html

A Thirty-Year Love Affair That Survived Scandal and Scorn
from the Guardian Unlimited

A Love Lived In Public and In Private
from the Guardian Unlimited

The Official Website of HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales
http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/