Camilla and The Public

[ysbel]

Part of the reason Camilla was so trashed in the media is that she made no efforts to defend herself - a wise decision as it turns out.

I can imagine the damage she could have inflicted if she had gone into a public war with Diana. Being Charles' lover, she probably knew more about Charles and Dianas relationship than most anybody. Given some of the things written about her, she was probably tempted several times to let out some damaging info on Diana.

But she would have lost Charles in the bargain and she was not going to do that. Now she's weathered the storm and people can judge her for herself. Some people are never going to forgive the affair and I respect that. But I think now whether she is harshly or favorably judged, it will be on her own merits and not what some tabloid has cooked up.

 

[Skydragon]

Part of the reason Camilla was so trashed in the media is that she made no efforts to defend herself - a wise decision as it turns out.
But I think now whether she is harshly or favorably judged, it will be on her own merits and not what some tabloid has cooked up.

She should be ok this week, it is Williams turn to be trashed by the tabloids!

 

[tiaraprin]

She should be ok this week, it is Williams turn to be trashed by the tabloids!

That isn't funny.


P.S. By the way, I'm back!! AND I was not suspended contrary to what has been bandied about! Having a very ill Mother is no easy thing.

 

[Saragli]

I was wondering where you went. I hope your mother is doing well. No tabloid trashing is funny but every royal will get there share including william.

 

[tiaraprin]

Thank you Johnny

 

[Duchess]

welcome back tiarapin. hope your mother is doing better.

I like camilla and always have, she's totally natural. have we seen charles looking this happy and this relaxed....EVER? even during his engagement and the early days of his marriage to diana i don't think he was so at ease as he is now.

 

[Skydragon]

That isn't funny.
.

It was a light hearted comment, posted with a British sense of humour, I'm sorry that you found it so offensive!

 

[Little_star]

Personally, I don't think anyone really cares about Camilla anymore. The fact is we've accepted her as part of the Royal fabric and that's not going to change.
If Diana were still alive then it would be very different, but she's not and the fact that even her 2 sons seem to have accepted her must have an enormous impact on people.

 

[Idriel]

Personally, I don't think anyone really cares about Camilla anymore.

Well we care.
Seriously, you have a point. The general attitude toward Camilla, and the whole BRF save for William and Harry, is apathy. That's actually better that the public rebellion and Apocalypse that was announced when the engagement new broke down, but that's not particularly healthy neither.

 

[Skydragon]

Well we care.
Seriously, you have a point. The general attitude toward Camilla, and the whole BRF save for William and Harry, is apathy. That's actually better that the public rebellion and Apocalypse that was announced when the engagement new broke down, but that's not particularly healthy neither.

I thought that Little star meant very few people object to Camilla any more, not that no one cares, perhaps I misunderstood.
The guardian cares as well, they are actually defending her now , Charles and Camilla seem to have risen in the popularity stakes as more and more people are meeting them and telling their friends and family how nice she truly is and how happy Charles appears to be!

http://shopping.guardian.co.uk/clothes/story/0,,1627343,00.html

 

[ysbel]

I think in the past even most Brits didn't really CARE about individual royals but they respected them as a whole for supporting the general concept of the monarchy as being part of traditional British values.

The level of interest now is about the same as when I started watching royals in the 70s. The only difference was I don't remember a strong republican movement.

 

[Little_star]

I thought that Little star meant very few people object to Camilla any more, not that no one cares, perhaps I misunderstood.

Exactly, as a general rule people have moved on, they no longer percieve Camilla to be the woman who ruined Diana's marriage.

 

[Genevieve]

Exactly, as a general rule people have moved on,t hey no longer percieve Camilla to be the woman who ruined Diana's marriage.

I think as time passes on from Diana's death and more of her friends are coming out of the woodwork to talk about her, people are starting to realize how unstable Diana was and that some of her claims and allegations about both Charles and Camilla were unfounded, false, exaggerated or misperceptions on Diana's part.

Also as people see more of Camilla out and about and as a solid and supportive wife to Charles and a hard working consort, they do lose that image of her as "the other woman."

People are starting to see other sides of Camilla and aren't as stuck on the image that Diana created of Camilla as the pitbull who ruined her marriage.

 

[love_cc]

Charles made the toast: thanks my daring Camilla who has been with me during the thin and the think and whose precious optimistism and humor have seen me through. So touching. He means it. Camilla has been with him for 34 years since they first met. He has been the Prince of Wales for 35 years and Camilla has been there for 34 years. She is the constant supporter behind him during so many years. I think once people learn to see Camilla's support for Charles and they will gradually accpet her and even like her.

Charles was wrong to marry Diana because he was not in love with her and commited the adultery, but his love for Camilla and Camilla's for him were the precious emotions in nowadays. They are still with each other whatever happens. They deseved their happiness finally.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Charles made the toast: thanks my daring Camilla who has been with me during the thin and the think and whose precious optimistism and humor have seen me through. So touching. He means it. Camilla has been with him for 34 years since they first met. He has been the Prince of Wales for 35 years.

Charles has been Prince of Wales for 47 years not 35.

He was created Prince of Wales in 1958 but invested in 1969. The Queen announced the creation of her son as POW during the Commonwealth and Empire Games on 1958 in Cardiff. Charles was in his headmaste's study at the time watching it on TV. The investiture took placeduring the summer of the year in which he turned 21 but by then he had been POW for 11 years.

He was referred to as POW from 1958 onwards.

The investsiture is not a necesarry part of becoming Prince of Wales. There were two such investitutes in the 20th century (1911 and 1969) but before that I don't know of any. Certainly George V was never invested and nor was Edward VII. George V was created POW in 1901 and Edward VII in 1841 (as an infant but never went through a formal investiture).
.

 

[Little_star]

I think as time passes on from Diana's death and more of her friends are coming out of the woodwork to talk about her, people are starting to realize how unstable Diana was and that some of her claims and allegations about both Charles and Camilla were unfounded, false, exaggerated or misperceptions on Diana's part.

Actually I don't think it's that at all. People just aren't interested anymore and the main reason for that is because Diana is dead. If she had still been alive today I sincerely doubt whether Charles and Camilla would have married. Camilla will never ever have the same affection from the public as Diana had regardless of how supportive she is of Charles and how contented they may seem together.

"Also as people see more of Camilla out and about and as a solid and supportive wife to Charles and a hard working consort, they do lose that image of her as "the other woman." "

Primarily because she has been accepted into the Royal Family over recent years.

"People are starting to see other sides of Camilla and aren't as stuck on the image that Diana created of Camilla as the pitbull who ruined her marriage."

Camilla will always be known asthe one who helped destroy Diana's marriage becuase that's exactly what role she played. But, over time people have cared less and less about that.

 

[una]

Camilla will always be known asthe one who helped destroy Diana's marriage becuase that's exactly what role she played.

Diana's marriage was destroyed by her mental illness and the couple's incompatability. Camilla was incidental to the destruction- if she had never been born, the marriage would have broken down just the same. The impression that Camilla was partly to blame came from Diana (and Morton), who focussed her irrational jealousy on Camilla in the early days. Later on, Diana used Camilla as a tool to get out of her marriage with her reputation intact.

 

[Little_star]

Diana's marriage was destroyed by her mental illness and the couple's incompatability."

What mental illnesss would that be then? Aside from bulimia?

"Camilla was incidental to the destruction- if she had never been born, the marriage would have broken down just the same."
Possibly, but then that is purely speculative. If Camilla wasn't there ready and willing to jump into bed with Charles then he and Diana may have had a better shot at their marriage. After all, if there was no Camilla the chances are he would have been in love with Diana and not interested in anyone else.

"The impression that Camilla was partly to blame came from Diana (and Morton), who focussed her irrational jealousy on Camilla in the early days. Later on, Diana used Camilla as a tool to get out of her marriage with her reputation intact."
No, it comes from the fact that Charles and Camilla continued their affair, not long after his marriage to Diana. and Diana's reputation was hardly intact her own sexual indiscretions were wll-known to everyone.

 

[Lady Marmalade]

I think she is doing a good job so far, very gracious.

 

[ysbel]

Welcome back Lady Marmalade.

 

[ysbel]

I hope we can discuss Camilla's role with the public without rehashing a lot of old arguments of why we think the Charles-Diana marriage broke down. We're talking about the public's changing relationship to Camilla and not necessarily what actually happened in the marriage because the public's perception at any one time may not exactly match what actually happened in the marriage.

I know this is a fine distinction, but its a difference between discussing what the overall public thinks as opposed to what we as individual members think. I think as far as what individual members think, we've all discussed this and beaten it to the ground.

ysbel
British forums moderator

 

[Little_star]

I think she is doing a good job so far, very gracious.

Absolutely.

 

[Skydragon]

the main reason for that is because Diana is dead. If she had still been alive today I sincerely doubt whether Charles and Camilla would have married. Camilla will never ever have the same affection from the public as Diana had regardless of how supportive she is of Charles and how contented they may seem together.

In fact Camilla and Charles were stepping out in public together before Diana's death and were being accepted. It was Diana's untimely end that caused a lot of the resentment from some quarters.

Camilla is doing a wonderful job as wife to the Prince of Wales, including showing us all a different man from the one we all thought we knew. Just as she has been accepted by the Royal Family, she is being accepted by the public.

 

[Little_star]

In fact Camilla and Charles were stepping put in public together before Diana's death and were being accepted. It was Diana's untimely end that caused a lot of the resentment from some quarters.
Camilla is doing a wonderful job as wife to the Prince of Wales, including showing us all a different man from the one we all thought we knew. Just as she has been accepted by the Royal Family, she is being accepted by the public.

I completely agree with what you're saying. So far, Camilla has done a good job and at the end of the day unlike most Royal marriages there's a very strong likelihood that this one will last. However some of the public's acceptance of Camilla is down to apathy, they just don't really care anymore one way or the other.

 

[Skydragon]

I completely agree with what you're saying. So far, Camilla has done a good job and at the end of the day unlike most Royal marriages there's a very strong likelihood that this one will last. However some of the public's acceptance of Camilla is down to apathy, they just don't really care anymore one way or the other.

A lot of the people I speak to say they have totally changed their perception of Camilla now they have met her or seen her with Charles. She is winning them round and I find it hard to accept that any poll of 1000 people could represent anyone except the 1000 people they ask. (I am not saying that is what you are personally saying)
A lot of people that my daughters know, just say 'they are alright, just leave them alone'.
I think it fairer to say that they are not the most important thing in most peoples lives nowadays!

 

[una]

What mental illnesss would that be then? Aside from bulimia?

Depression, Anxiety, bulimia, self-harming, and very likely Borderline Personality Disorder. She had psychiatric/psychotherapeutic treatment on and off from the first months of the marriage until her death.

... it comes from the fact that Charles and Camilla continued their affair, not long after his marriage to Diana..

Diana and Charles had years to make their marriage work before Camilla came back.

I hope the moderators will allow this, not in the spirit of rehashing, but because this sort of misperception is an important part of how the public relate to Camilla. Many may be apathetic towards Camilla now, but if (when?) something goes wrong in future, the label " marriagewrecker" will rise again.

 

[love_cc]

Charles is a difficult person to live with but Camilla has been always capable to smooth his moody swings and calm him, encourage him and support him. Camilla will be a good wife for Prince Charles and people will get to warm them. I do find the affections between them touching. Charles's friends always say Charles is a very gentle and caring person, Camilla is a very natural and down-to-earth person. Time is a good healer and people will get to learn their natures. The tabolits has vailied them for so many years and led the all arguments based on Diana's opionions or media's likes. Time to get record straight.

 

[ysbel]

Depression, Anxiety, bulimia, self-harming, and very likely Borderline Personality Disorder. She had psychiatric/psychotherapeutic treatment on and off from the first months of the marriage until her death.
Diana and Charles had years to make their marriage work before Camilla came back.

In the spirit of truth, only the bulimia, post-partum depression and some self-harming were ever substantiated. Earlier here on the forums, people complained that some members used every thread an opportunity to bash Camilla, and a lot of people stayed away from the British forums. Now that that has calmed down, to post some of Diana's problems in every thread is not the way to go.

Besides eight years after her death, I would say the effects of Diana's problems on Camilla's acceptance by the public would not be so much.

Charles is apparently very happy with Camilla, he looks happier with Camilla. With or without emotional problems Diana was a very different woman than Camilla. What I hear people saying is that he got his first marriage wrong because Diana was not his type of woman but at least he got his second marriage right because it looks like Camilla is his type of woman.

The truth behind the acceptance of C&C I think may lie in the fact that with the divorce rate so high, a lot of people's own marriage records don't allow them to throw too many stones at C&C because they would be then throwing stones at themselves. The people that report the news and write the stories for the press have their own skeletons in the closet. Charles is not the only person to have been badly mismatched in his first marriage, and if you look at royals and the aristocracy, he's also not the only man to have married his mistress.

People are less likely to be judgmental if the judgments can come back on them. They have their own scars and skeletons in the closet; plus they're older which causes them to sometimes be more magnanimous than before.

So let's continue to keep the thread focused on current perceptions of Camilla (and Charles).

 

[lizz70]

Think you are so right about this ysbel. Diana and Charles had very very different interests, opinions and lifestyles, so even without Camilla, it would more than likely have gone down the pan. They had nothing in common.

It seems that at heart, Prince Charles is a country gentleman who likes country pursuits. Camilla is a countrywoman at heart. Personally I think she is great for him. He looks so much more relaxed, especially when he is dealing with the public. I think the little gestures he does for Camilla are touching and it is like they both show each other they are there for the other. In short they are a team.

She is coming across more and more as her own person and seems quite warm, down to earth and has a good sense of humour. I really hope that as time goes on and more and more of Camilla's real personality comes out, that people will stop confusing who she really is with what was written down in Andrew Morton's book.

 

[HRHAmy]

I've been watching Camilla and seeing her doing more with the people is great and she seems to be doing a good job from my point of view. But Camilla and Diana have very different personalities and that comes out in public engagements, even though I think Camilla is trying and generally having a good time with it I think that Diana had a more approachable and common quality about her. I also think it was mostly in part of the age difference, Diana started so young that she connected with the younger crowd and Camilla is very much older and although she has a laugh and a hand shake with the kids, she doesn't seem like she's getting the connection to me. She seems to do good with the older folks. If I had to cretique her, I would say she would need to work on her deamenor with the kids, be more open and playful.