Prince William's graduation from St Andews, June 2005

[Meredith]

Okay, I'm no princess, but my story is rather similiar to William's. My father cheated on my mother with his boss' secretary. He humiliated my mother to the point she tried to kill herself.

My parents split when I was 5, one year later my father and his 'lover' moved in together. It's been 21 years and nowadays I'm good friends with her - who was the woman responsible for the wreck of my parents marriage - my mother ENCOURAGED this friendship.

I lost my mother at the age of 16 and not a day goes by without me thinking about her, missing her. I supposed that William missed Diana terribly during his graduation ceremony. I know I did miss my mom while I was going through my own graduation ceremony.

Bottom line is, it is better to cultivate a good relationship. Camilla is Charles' wife now, William and Harry had enough time to get used to this situation before she became an official member of the Royal House. She's their step-mother and never will take the place of Diana in their hearts, but that doesn't mean that the boys can't show affection to her.

Living in bitterness is bad. It makes you feel bad, it provokes illnesses. Besides, it could create a terrible environment for Charles, because he would be faced with the terrible choice: my sons or my wife?

Please, as someone who's lost her mother and has her father married to the woman responsible for the ending of his wedding, I think I can say that Wills is doing the best for him as a person and for the institution that he's part of that is known as the British Royal Family.

[Elspeth]

People who think that William can only like his mother or that to like Camilla is to disrespect his mother's memory are really being unfair to him, to make him only choose one maternal figure in his life.

Yes - I think that a lot of the people who demand that William ignore Camilla or try to make sure she doesn't appear at events focused on the boys are actually indulging their own dislike of Camilla and veneration of Diana rather than really being concerned about William and his future.

[BeccaLynn07]

Good point Genevieve, and Meredith (I'm so sorry...I'm glad you shared because it gives a different point of view to a lot of people, and might open up their minds a bit, even thought that must be hard to deal with let alone share with everyone. I salute you for it!).

[corazon]

I understand his opinions, but I remember to read when william gave tissues to her mother after a fight with charles. well, the reason for the fights was camilla. in a personal opinion, I hate camilla for every diana's tear , by the form in which she was deceived. and Wills knows that
is very good for wanting to live peacefully the present, but it can forget the pain a loved near person?

[Elspeth]

I don't think any of us know what William thinks about this whole business or whether he really thinks his mother was completely blameless, or what. While he was growing up, Diana's side of the story was getting out to the press more effectively than Charles's side, and a lot of people took her side because it appeared to be the only one. William knows a lot more about his family life than any of us do; whatever his motive for being friendly to Camilla, it's a far more civilised approach than being openly hostile.

[houri]

it wasn't only camilla fault but also it is fault of his father

if william forgive her , that just because he forgive his father before .

[HMQueenElizabethII]

But i think it seems that The Duchess still can not win the Queen's acceptance.We can see that although the Duchess has been at some Royal events like Trooping the Colour,or Royal Ascot and now Prince William's Graduation Ceremony but the Queen does not look at or smile or talks to the Duchess.

[cute_girl]

I agree with your opinions,it's certainly better for the boys and Camilla to live in peace,but still seeing Will being very friendly with the woman who broke down her mother's world and ambitions is very disgusting to me.

[corazon]

I agree with you.

[Alexandria]

Originally Posted by cute_girl

I agree with your opinions,it's certainly better for the boys and Camilla to live in peace,but still seeing Will being very friendly with the woman who broke down her mother's world and ambitions is very disgusting to me.

But Charles was just as responsible for his affair with Camilla during his marriage to Diana, and Diana was just as responsible for hers and Charles' marriage ending -- so why single Camilla out and insist that William's (and Harry's) acceptance of Camilla be "disgusting" or a sacrilige to Diana and her memory? To say that Diana's unhappiness was Camilla's fault is not accurate -- Diana's unhappiness was also Charles' doing as well as her own. So to insist that William and Harry dislike Camilla for the sake of their mother's memory because Camilla is the one who ruined her marriage is to also say that the boys should hate their father.

I also don't think that Camilla is an ambitious woman at all. I don't think she married Charles simply for the title (otherwise she would've fought harder to be called Princess of Wales and Queen, not just a consort despite public opinon).

I think it's great that William and Harry accept Camilla as they do. It shows tremendous respect for their father and the choice he's made in his life to be with Camilla, as well as the maturity of the boys -- that even though Camilla was part of the reason for their mother's unhappiness, she does make their father happy, and that loving both parents equally, their father's happiness is just as important as their mother's happiness were she alive.

[selrahc4]

Originally Posted by HMQueenElizabethII

But i think it seems that The Duchess still can not win the Queen's acceptance.We can see that although the Duchess has been at some Royal events like Trooping the Colour,or Royal Ascot and now Prince William's Graduation Ceremony but the Queen does not look at or smile or talks to the Duchess.

I watched the video clip of Prince William's graduation available at bbc.com. My player didn't render it very clearly, but it looked like there was a sequence showing The Queen greeting The Duchess of Cornwall where the Duchess curtsied and I believe they did the cheek-to-cheek thing.

Did anyone actually see this on television?

[Britters]

Such a big day in William's life. Accomplishments have been made that we should be discussing, instead we are discussing whether Camilla belonged at the ceremony or not...

It seems people of the world are more hurt and stung by the fact that Camilla and Charles are married then the people who matter most, William and Harry, and everyone in their families. It simply amazes me how long people can hold a grudge against someone they don't know.

[ElisaR]

Originally Posted by selrahc4

I watched the video clip of Prince William's graduation available at bbc.com. My player didn't render it very clearly, but it looked like there was a sequence showing The Queen greeting The Duchess of Cornwall where the Duchess curtsied and I believe they did the cheek-to-cheek thing.

Did anyone actually see this on television?

It can be seen also in the Internet video clip. The Duchess kissed the Queen on both cheeks and then curtsied. It is low quality, so I didn't notice the fact when I saw the clip two days ago.
Check the clip again. The correspondent comments the kiss and this helps to catch the moment.
After the Queen, Camilla kissed the Duke of Edinburgh.

Page with video link: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4120776.stm#

[Georgia]

I think people have to remember that while we've only had since Febuary to get used to Charles and Camilla 'official' relationship, William and Harry will have had a lot longer. Of course William is going to invite Camilla to his graduation. Had Diana been alive and Charles and Camilla married she would have still been there. These are people who are living their lives, doing ordinary things like graduations just as thousands of families do every year, many with stranger set ups than the royals i.e. two set of step-families, aunts that brought children up, foster carers, biological parents, carers etc. The list could go on. All of those people 'get on with it' Why should our Royal Family be any different.
In fact at Peter Phillips graduation both his father and step father were there. Similarly when Zara Phillips competes both her step father and step mother and sister Stephanie have been known to be present.

[Elspeth]

I think people have to remember that while we've only had since Febuary to get used to Charles and Camilla 'official' relationship, William and Harry will have had a lot longer.

This is a very good point. I think there's a lot of projecting going on - people want William and Harry's behaviour to reflect the way those people feel rather than the way William and Harry are likely to feel.

Unfortunately, whether Camilla was there or not, she was going to be the talking point rather than William's achievements in graduating with a good degree.

[Florence]

Originally Posted by corazon

unbelievable, I do not understand to wills. he venerates to diana but he does this...............:(

Well, I think William is an intelligent young man and he has understood that his father is deeply in love with Camilla PB and can't live without her, so he has more or less accepted her,what he feels deep in this heart is another story :p

And also, what else do you want him to do ? He can't shake her hand in front of all these people, so he kisses her when he sees her but that doesn't mean he's forgotten his mother.

[micas]

Wonderful pics!!!!!!

[rchainho]

Originally Posted by rchainho

Prince William MA welcomes stepmum Camilla into The Firm Thursday, 23 June 2005

The Scotsman, June 23 2005
LAURA ELSTON

http://www.royalarchive.com/index.ph...d=888&Itemid=2

[ingenue]

congratulations wills. :)

[sriwadee]

Some news reported that he got Bachelor degree,( 4 years) but some news reported th