Charles and Diana

[zeap]

Not old-fashioned at all Warren, just pratical!

 

[HRHAmy]

They did love each other like what I've believed all along.

http://www.theroyalist.net/content/view/212/1/

 

[Iluvbertie]

If my husband had a mistress and refused to give her up, he wouldn't be my husband for too long after that.

Actually, if my husband had a mistress, he'd be shown the front door and be served with papers not too long after. Period. End of story

When I was a little girl I would have agreed with you but if my mother had done that she would now be a lonely woman. Instead she is with the man she has loved since she first met him - aged 15 - why? Because she is a deeply devoted Christian and forgave him his mistresses.


They are extremely happy now as he adores her just as much as she adores him.

 

[auntie]

When I was a little girl I would have agreed with you but if my mother had done that she would now be a lonely woman. Instead she is with the man she has loved since she first met him - aged 15 - why? Because she is a deeply devoted Christian and forgave him his mistresses.


They are extremely happy now as he adores her just as much as she adores him.

I can't speak for your parents, but I think it's against human nature, to be forgiving of a husbands constant infidelity, more likely a fear of being alone, or financial or emotional dependence. Yes many people do go wandering around in their youth and when they are old and dependent on another they know who to come back to. (not to the mistresses of course).
On the other hand if we have to be open minded we can think about King Albert II and Queen Paola, jwho in later years reconciled, ah well.

 

[maryshawn]

In her book, Diana's friend, Lady Anabel Goldsmith, said Diana never asked her for advice but, if she had, she would've given her the advice her attorney gave her: Would you rather be an unmarried woman with children or a married woman? Lady Anabel chose the latter, even though her husband effectively had three different families throughout their marriage. It's hard to say; divorce seems like a comparatively easy solution but it takes a greater toll than you can imagine, in so many ways--raising children being just one of them.

I think--as stated earlier--Diana was so terrified of divorce she married the "one man from whom divorce would be unthinkable." And I do think there was love there. They have two great sons.....and I still give Prince Charles high marks for fighting to go to Paris, collect her body and make sure she was given all the proper respects throughout her funeral. This was no easy struggle; he had to battle his mother, his father, various family members and a whole bunch of courtiers. So, in addition to his shock over her death and having to help his sons, Charles had to engage in fighting to make sure his ex-wife was appropriately honored in death. It would've been far easier to shrug and say "whatever." My personal regard for him went way up in my eyes for doing what he did.

When I was a little girl I would have agreed with you but if my mother had done that she would now be a lonely woman. Instead she is with the man she has loved since she first met him - aged 15 - why? Because she is a deeply devoted Christian and forgave him his mistresses.


They are extremely happy now as he adores her just as much as she adores him.

 

[maryshawn]

That was one of Simone Simmons' latest revelations in her new book...the one where she says Diana was with JFK Jr,...... I am inclined not to believe a word of it as, when questioned on the BBC about the accuracy of some of her statements, Ms. Simmons broke down and said she "never meant to hurt anyone" and wasn't "totally sure" of some of what she'd written. I think one book by Ms. Simmons was one book too many but two? I read it in an hour and it was gossipy and rehashes of things she'd written in Book 1. So, I attribute this particular "grading" thing to Ms. Simmon's (and her editors) desire to sell books. She's so distasteful to me now, I find writing her name grating!

I can understand that during a bitter relationship breakdown many things are said in anger, but I don't think that commenting on "the wedding night" scores one any points.
.

 

[Queen Mary I]

It's hard to believe that it was 24 years ago today that the "fairytale" wedding of Charles and Diana took place. Of course, as we all know, there was anything but a fairytale ending. But, in spite of all the fighting, the tears, the ugly rumours, the affairs etc., there were some good times, as I hope these pictures show ...

Photo Source for these 3 posts: Rex features/Alpha/Photographers International/Syndication International/Tim Graham/Jayne Fincher

I've just been browsing through these older threads. Erm I've never seen that photograph of Charles and Diana on the beach chair.
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=174525&d=1122687066
Rather playful and er intimate moment *blush* . Btw Prince Charles doesn't have a half bad physique. edited to add-this could be the Cuban Egg Nog talking!

 

[love_cc]

I think both Charles and Diana misjudged each other's charater during the courtship. They realised things after the engagment and they had big worries about the marriage but neither was brave to call it off. They had good intentions about their marriage and made efforts to make the marriage work. But they failed everything. Both Charles and Diana were too weak to stick with the marriage and took lovers to satisfy their needs for love. So Charles had Camilla and Diana had James Hewitt and others.
It was better for them to remained civiled in the marriage until the sons grew up but Morton's reveal destoyed most of the hopes and the 1996 interview was the last straw.
It was a pity that the true influencial persons, Queen Mother, Queen, Camilla, Diana's father and Diana's grandmother, neither had the hindsight about this doomed marriage. Either of them was against the marriage and Charles may not propose Diana and there would be no engagement and no pain at all.

 

[pollyemma]

I think both Charles and Diana misjudged each other's charater during the courtship. .

that's the understatement of the year!

 

[grace100]

happy times

from corbis

 

[msleiman]

I have been reading alot of post saying that Charles still has pictures or Diana up! I also read one post that one day the royal record will prove that Charles really did love Diana. Does any one have statments that he has made are know about if he still keeps pictures of her.

 

[Gremlin]

I hope that history will show that Charles did love Diana. Sometimes marriages just don't work, and it's sad for everybody involved. Of course this particular marriage was under the watchful eye of the world from start to finish and that probably didn't make things easier! Even though I sometimes still get mad at Charles for the failure of this marriage, I suppose that Diana too had her input in the events. Don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE fan of Diana, To this day I still keep a picture of her (one of the Testino set) in my living room, I just think that it's probably too easy to just blame one person. The fact that I get mad at Charles is for, probably, stupid reasons. I always wanted to see Diana in person, and if this marriage would have lasted, I would have gotten my chance when Willem Alexander and Maxima got married (I'm Dutch!) ANd other things as well, I love great royal gatherings, especially for weddings, and we have had so many great weddings in the past few years that Diana would have attended as Princess of Wales. These thoughts sometimes creep into my mind, and then I'm sad about all those missed opportunities! Anyway, I hope that Charles is very happy now with Camilla (although I really do not wish for her to become Queen, but that's a whole other discussion)

 

[sesa]

In his own way he did love her. He showed that when he moved his wedding band to his pinky finger (under his signet ring)instead of removing in permantely. He kept it there until the day he announced his engagment to Camilla. You do not do that when you do not care for the other person involved. In my opinion, he loved her and then just came to care for and about her. (I'm not sure where I read this, I think it was an article w/pictures in Hello!) I thought it was touching when I read this. I have always thought of Charles as a cold fish, someone with no feelings, but this was very touching. With this one gesture, he proved that he did love her, and cared for her, otherwise it would have been removed when they seperated and put in a drawer to be forgotten. At least for me, this gesture spoke volumns in regrds to his feelings towards Diana.

 

[corazon]

The last night I see one of my old videos and i see charles and diana in australia 1983, when they visit a radio, charles said something in secret to diana and when he back he see diana with a smile and he look really pround of his wife, i am really confused in this moment about the image.

 

[Avalon]

I always thought that Prince Charles did love Lady Di. Just they were too diffenert and their marriage didn't work.
Someone, who marries because he has to and not because he truly loves, does not look at his bride the way Charles looked at Diana on their wedding day, does not so lovingly hug her or hold her hand, which he did on numerous occassions.

 

[iowabelle]

I would hope that Charles has a few photos of Diana around, especially as a signal to his sons. Although we all know that the marriage ended disastrously, it would be very cold of him to banish all of her images from homes he still shares with his sons.

 

[Squidgy]

The last night I see one of my old videos and i see charles and diana in australia 1983, when they visit a radio, charles said something in secret to diana and when he back he see diana with a smile and he look really pround of his wife, i am really confused in this moment about the image.

Corazon, I think Charles was just helping Diana out. They were being asked questions by school children. And I think one child asked if William had a favourite toy. I believe Charles whispered in her ear to talk about a little plastic whale that he got. So then Diana went on to talk about the whale. I hope that's what happened. I'm just relying on my memory here.

 

[corazon]

yeah, charles face was....like he feeling pround of his wife, remember?

 

[Ygraine]

Charles may have loved Diana but I do not beleive he was in love with her he had his other woman for that.He had no right to marry anybody if he was truly in love with Mrs Parker Bowles is Charles capable of being faithful to any woman
Charles should be made to forfeit his place in line to the throne just as his Uncle Edward had to abdicate to marry Walllis Simpson Charles is a greedy man who expects to have his cake and eat it too

 

[Queen Amina]

Ygraine,

I disagree with you, Chares should have to foreit his inheritance just because you don't approve of the person he loves. Unlike uncle Eddy Charles bowed to family pressure and married the girl that was chosen for him and they both suffered as a result. Charles had affairs and Diana had affairs and I will be the first person to hold up my hand and say I am no fan of Diana's but I won't blame her for the failure of that marriage. That marriage was doomed from the start, Charles and Diana were too different. He was still inlove with CPB and she was still living in a little girl fantasy world and no one in her family had the decency to let her know the reality. They may have loved each other but love alone won't keep two people together.

And as for having his cake and eating it too, he is that lucky, no one is.Charles had to wait for a long time to marry Camilla and that itself was an up hill battle he has suffered for it and so now he really appreciates it. Just because the fairytale didn't end the way you wanted it to doesn't mean you (and i mean people in general) can dictate how another person lives their lives no matter how entiled to do so you may feel.

 

[Ygraine]

He can't change the rules by which his family have lived for centuries.I think Diana was well rid of him and I don't think many people saw that marriage as a "fairytale" for long.
It's history and precedent

Charles is not a private citizen and cannot behave that way his family made the rules and he has to abide by them Edward had to abdicate so will he

 

[Queen Amina]

Ygraine

Edward had to abdicate because Wallis was TWICE divorced and his family didn't make the rules, the church did. The same church that was founded when Henry VIII who couldn't keep it in his pants divorced his rightful and faithful wife and married his mistress like two seconds later. So the church is in no position to tell anyone how to conduct their marital affairs.

 

[redfox6]

Actually, his mother, Queen Mary, was dead set against it, as was Prime Minster Stanley Baldwin and a portion of Parliment. The church was the third party in that mess. You are right, the church was founded on divorce, so I don't know what their beef is. Part of the problem was not only was she divorced, she was an American and certainly not prime material for a king. The problem with Charles and Diana is that they had little in common and he didn't just have a mistress, he loved his mistress with all his heart. If Diana were as power hungry as some propose, she would have stuck with this mess and still been Queen Consort and very much outshone Charles. She really wanted to be loved and that he could not give her. It was not his fault, his parents, his grandmother and others insisted that they have the "proper" bride. He was a pawn in this mess. He needed love, too. His book says he got little from his parents. It is all very tragic and Diana lost her life. So, in the end he got his way, but with a great deal of pain.

 

[Queen Zenobia]

Looking at the pictures of them together in happier times I have to admit that they made a striking handsome couple!

 

[Lady Night Stalker]

I think at first Charles and Diana really were in love. Over the years we have always heard Diana's side of the story how she was a woman scorned, cast aside for Camilla, mistreated by everyone yada yada but there are two sides to every story and Charles has never come out like Diana did to discuss went wrong with the marriage but I suppose that's just how the royal family. they don't go around spreading their business to the whole world. So I think Charles was really denied his chance to share his experience. I have seen all the movies, documentaries, the reports, books, etc and if one observes closely I think one can better understand Charle's story. Even though the movies and books tell her story they also sort of show how unstable she was at certain points and her own insecurities.

Charles and Diana were never very honest with each other. They both lead the other on and that just proved disasterous. As it has been said Diana was right for England but not for Charles. But its not heard to understand how Diana felt. I mean when you get married you are supposed to always put your spouse first not you friends. Charles didn't understand this and just expected Diana to deal with it and she refused to put up with it and really could any woman? Could you honestly have expected her to just said "do what you want, I don't care?" Hell no, she did what any self respecting woman would have done. I also don't think she quite understood what it meant to be a member of the royal family because it was so restricting.

 

[ysbel]

Charles is not a private citizen and cannot behave that way his family made the rules and he has to abide by them Edward had to abdicate so will he

In a certain sense, I agree with you but that is exactly what happened when Charles married Camilla. Unlike redfox, I don't think Charles got his way; or Camilla either. From all accounts, they were perfectly happy with their relationship without the marriage. I don't think Camilla wanted to be a public figure. But the Queen, quite rightly, insisted that if they were going to continue the relationship, they had to get married.

As far was Edward VIII was concerned, there's enough evidence that he didn't want to be King and with his political leanings, the Parliament and Cabinet didn't want him to be King either. The marriage to Wallis gave all parties an easy escape from each other.

 

[Christo's Girl]

I was just thinking about Charles and Diana and what I missed about them as a couple. I miss reading about those huge tours they used to take. Remember when they would be gone for over a month like with Australia and New Zealand. No other royal couple can come close to what they had together. For everything bad that went on between them, they were I felt, a very good team.

 

[Patsy]

Thank you for posting this touching pictures of Charles and Diana and how they did care for each other. They are great pictures! Sometime I wonder if the Queen would have put her foot down years ago concerning Camilla we would still have The Prince & Princess of Wales and a happy family together. I realize we can't live in the what if's but how sad it is. Yet life does go on.

 

[Duchess]

Ygraine, I disagree with you, Chares should have to foreit his inheritance just because you don't approve of the person he loves.

you are absolutely positively right. that marriage was doomed from the start. i don't think charles loved her in a romantic kind of way. i think he loved her caring, nurturing side and that he used that to convince himself the engagement/marriage were the right thing.

 

[Christo's Girl]

Diana also had a low self-esteem that she brought into that marriage. That must not have been easy.