Camilla's legacy

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by acdc1

I do think that Camilla's legacy will be different with different generations. For those who remember the 80's and 90's, Charles and Camilla's affair and Charles & Diana's marriage and divorce, Camilla will be known mostly as "the other woman", because, at that time, that's the most well-known thing she was. Of course, some will view her as a conniving homewrecker, while others will see her as a tragic figure.

For many who remember the 80's/90's, as time has gone by, they realise that they were being misled by the media. Many more were never taken in by the lies, so it is unfair, IMO, to say that's the thing she will be remembered for by most. Some of those that blamed Camilla for the breakup of Charles' marriage, have had a chance to experience live for themselves and realised that things are not always as clear as they thought. Of course Camilla was not in the public eye in the 80's anyway, it was during the Panaorama interview that she was brought into the marriage debacle, so we are talking a very short timescale.

For those in the generation who were born in the 90's and today, she will probably be known as the Prince of Wales' wife, and, when Charles succeeds the throne (allowing that he or Camilla do not predecease Queen Elizabeth), she will be known as the Princess Consort or Queen Consort, and for all of the good things she does, charities, etc.

Thats the silly thing, many who were born from '93 would not know the story anyway, only the snippets from mothers perhaps or the colouful books they are given to read. Therefore they will probably view Camilla as the woman married to a happy prince.

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by milla Ca

Sorry, but don´t agree.
I´m sure the ´Diana/ Charles/ Camilla´ story, who seems to be so important for many today, will be more and more stand in the background for the coming generations.

Yes indeed, apart from on here and presumably other forums, and the tabloids with their occasional attack, very few make comparisons between the two women or discuss the old Camilla/Charles/Diana/??? mess.

Camilla´s legacy will be made in the years when she will be Queen. If the reign of King Charles will be successful, popular, great ( and i have no doubt it will be ) then the Queen by his site will play an important role ( like Prince Philip does it now or the late Queen Mother did it) and this time will write her legacy.

Hear, Hear!

[acdc1]

Originally Posted by Skydragon

For many who remember the 80's/90's, as time has gone by, they realise that they were being misled by the media. Many more were never taken in by the lies, so it is unfair, IMO, to say that's the thing she will be remembered for by most. Some of those that blamed Camilla for the breakup of Charles' marriage, have had a chance to experience live for themselves and realised that things are not always as clear as they thought.

I agree with you 100% in this fact. I did not like Camilla before, because I considered her a homewrecker, but when I read into the situation I saw that it was indeed misled by the media, and there were many other facts I had not considered as well (i.e. Diana's affairs). I've come to realize that Camilla really is a good person, and to me, her legacy will be based on much more than what happened twenty or thirty years ago.

[Monika_]

Originally Posted by acdc1

I agree with you 100% in this fact. I did not like Camilla before, because I considered her a homewrecker, but when I read into the situation I saw that it was indeed misled by the media, and there were many other facts I had not considered as well (i.e. Diana's affairs). I've come to realize that Camilla really is a good person, and to me, her legacy will be based on much more than what happened twenty or thirty years ago.

By chance, did you check the chronological order of the events involved before you came to this conclusion? Just wondering...

Originally Posted by milla Ca

Camilla´s legacy will be made in the years when she will be Queen...

I respectfully disagree. A person's legacy does not start when they are 60+. It's a combination of what they have done and accomplished throughout their lives. To state that her legacy will be made when (if) she is Queen, seems to suggest that anything prior to that is insignificant.

Originally Posted by Skydragon

...it was during the Panaorama interview that she was brought into the marriage debacle...

I believe Charles mentioned the subject in the Dimbleby interview in 1994.

[Mermaid1962]

And Morton certainly made very, very strong suggestions in the direction that Camilla was Charles' mistress.

Originally Posted by Monika_

I believe Charles mentioned the subject in the Dimbleby interview in 1994.

[Monika_]

Originally Posted by Mermaid1962

And Morton certainly made very, very strong suggestions in the direction that Camilla was Charles' mistress.

Okay, agreed. But does the time and place of the revelation change the facts in any way?

[Winnie]

I think that time will certainly change people's opinion of Camilla. My parents thought that Mrs. Simpson was awful and destroyed Edward VIII and almost the crown -- my children think that Edward VIII was wonderful and mentality superior to take love over job he never really wanted just because he was born into that family -- me, I don't care either way.

Time changes people's opinion of history

[udyusa]

Sorry but I don't believe that time or place changes anything. What happened happened, and History will not change the facts. Camilla was, and will always be, the mistress. It won't make her 'awful' but it Is a fact. Simple as that.

[Sister Morphine]

I don't think anyone is trying to say that her past will change. You're right in that she is what she is, and that is what she'll always be. But there's more to her than that, there's always been more to her than that and when she's Queen (and she will be), there will be more to her then.


Everyone screws up in life, she's no exception. No one should have behaved in this situation the way they did, but they did and that's that. But you can't keep her shackled to that all her life. You have to be willing to say "You've atoned, let's all move on" and get on with it. I think that's what people are saying. Her legacy when she's passed on should not be merely one sentence: "His Majesty's Mistress".

[TheTruth]

I see the little debate on Mistress Camilla has erupted again. For those who aren't aware of it, Camilla has been married for three years now. It's very unfortunate to see that this subject is the only some seem to remember of. I hope it's not another attempt to start a CCD fight

TheTruth
British Forum Moderator.

[Roslyn]

Are we really going down this path again?

Time to distract everyone with the new, extra-cute smilie:

[ZaJa]

Camilla's legacy is not set in stone. I dislike the idea that she is going to be remembered as the mistress or the wife. Human beings are so complex I hate it when people put others in a box. The wife, the mistress, etc etc. She had had her good moments and her bad ones. Poor judgment and good judgment. No one is just one thing. Her legacy, for those that value the complexity of human life and experience will view her as many things and not just one thing or one period in her life. :)

[Skydragon]

Originally Posted by TheTruth

For those who aren't aware of it, Camilla has been married for three years now.

Three years and three months!

Camilla's legacy will include her charity work and of course the support of Charles, as a man, Prince and King. As a mother and a stepmother to William and Harry, she will be remembered as having supported them in their personal lives, Royal lives and their charitable endeavours. She will probably be remembered as a doting grandparent to all her grandchildren, royal or commoner.

[sirhon11234]

Of course Camilla will be remembered as a doting step-grandparent to Diana's grandchildren.

[CasiraghiTrio]

Originally Posted by udyusa

Sorry but I don't believe that time or place changes anything. What happened happened, and History will not change the facts. Camilla was, and will always be, the mistress. It won't make her 'awful' but it Is a fact. Simple as that.

I don't think there is anything "simple" about the whole story of Charles' first marriage, nor about his enduring relationship with his now-second wife. There are very few details about either story (and still more details which overlap into the other) which are gray and immensely complicated. That is why there are so many opinions about it. That is why people still have debates about it. Because one person's conjecture is Bs to another person. And there so many lies, half-truths, and unaccountable gossip in the pot. The one thing that is 100% certainty is that all three of the principal characters were human, with all the attendant human weaknesses, blindness, and egos. And so the lesson or moral, if you will, I suppose, is that all three deserve our compassion and graciousness.

[Elspeth]

After conferring about the legacy threads, the British moderators have concluded that while the Diana legacy thread has some point, since Diana has been gone for over 10 years, it's really too early to be discussing the legacies of the heir to the throne and his wife. While there might be some interesting things to say on these topics, as usual they're being crowded out by the tit-for-tat of the CCD wars, and the whole moderation team is getting really tired of having to clean up after posters who just want to fight and those who take the bait when it's offered.

Therefore we're closing both the Charles and Camilla legacy threads. The Diana legacy thread remains open as a discussion arena but not as a battleground.

Elspeth
for the British Royals moderation team