According to royal commentators, although Elizabeth II initially did not approve of the possibility of marriage between her eldest son Charles and his beloved Camilla, in the end the monarch gave them "full support", recognizing his daughter-in-law and establishing relations with her. Channel 5 released a documentary about how the personal life of the Duchess of Cornwall influenced the biography of the Prince of Wales and his sister, Princess Anne. During it, Robert Jobson, the royal editor of the London Evening Standard, spoke of the similarities between the queen and her daughter-in-law.
“If you look closely at these two women, they have a lot in common,” Jobson told Channel 5. “They both love country life, horses, they share a passion for the countryside. There are many aspects in which they have always found common ground. But I think that before the Prince of Wales married Camilla, the queen, who is in charge as a monarch, had a difficult time over what all this could ultimately mean for the monarchy and its security."
Prince Charles' divorce in the mid-1990s did put the British monarchy at risk. The audience was too attached to Princess Diana and, after her, blamed Charles and Camille for the misfortunes of Her Highness. After the tragic death of the princess, the situation only worsened: the nation did not want to see the happiness of lovers. As a result, the heir and Mrs. Parker Bowles had to postpone the wedding. Popular rejection lasted so long that the bride feared a boycott of the wedding (read also: Nightmare of the Bride: Camille's Greatest Fear of Marrying Charles). Fortunately, in the end, the audience relented and heeded the reasoning. The monarchic crisis was over, and the queen gave public support to her son and daughter-in-law.
On the wedding day of Charles and Camilla, Elizabeth made a speech in which she was glad for the heir, who had finally found family happiness and peace "with the woman he loves." “I think these words speak volumes,” said Katie Nicholl, Royal Editor of Vanity Fair. - The queen spoke about the "obstacles" that they encountered on their way before. It was a difficult relationship. In fact, it was not a relationship that she approved of. But as time went on, the situation changed, and she fully supported them."
Before proposing to Mrs Parker-Bowles, the Prince of Wales had to get his mother's consent. This is required by the Royal Marriages Act 1772. Later the Church of England relented and allowed royals to remarry under certain circumstances. To avoid ambiguity, Charles (as the future head of the denomination) and Camilla (as the future consort) decided to legalize the marriage in a civil ceremony. The modesty and pliability of the Duchess of Cornwall made not only the heir himself but also his mother appreciate her docile nature. In the end, the whims of Charles's first wife were a serious problem for the monarchy (see also: Camilla's main advantage over Diana (according to Charles)).
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