Camilla & Charles: What Is Your Opinion Now?

[MARG]

I too think she has done a great job. I have always liked Charles (I don't love anyone I haven't met and spent a lot of time with and can't understand how anyone who doesn't really know these people personally can claim to love them) and I was upset to see how sad he was during his first marriage - almost from the start he seemed sad to me but in his second marriage he reminds me of the young Prince Charles who was happy and fun. This is the Prince Charles I came to admire in the late 60s and the 70s and it has taken Camilla to give him back to us - for that I will always hold in her high esteem.

Absolutely! Could not have said it half as well. Good one Chrissy57

 

[Elspeth]

I hope lessons have been learned for the future generations too. These days an unhappy marriage to a "suitable" wife is going to cause more damage than good.

 

[Duchess]

My opinion of Camilla was high before the Anniversary but now, when I look - it's higher...

Thankyou BeatrixFan, you're so right. He's so obviously at peace with himself and his life now. They are lovely together.

 

[Lady Bluffton]

No matter what!

Charles looks absolutely delighted with life and the woman at his side.

Makes you wonder what a happier life he would have had (and Diana, too) if he had just held out to marry Camilla no matter what.

Come to think of it, didn't either (or both) King Harald and Karl Gustav do so? Either Sonja (and Silvia) or no one at all?

 

[Royal Fan]

Yeah I Think both did

 

[BeatrixFan]

Come to think of it, didn't either (or both) King Harald and Karl Gustav do so? Either Sonja (and Silvia) or no one at all?

They did but the British do things differently. We have our ways and they rarely change unless something huge happens to force change. That's exactly what happened. The Duchess of Grafton said that just because Camilla has been accepted into the Royal Family and will be Queen etc etc it doesn't mean that anything else has changed - for example, protocol is still as strict as ever, the catholic ban is still in place, the media relationship is still there, the in-fighting is still present. So whereas Sweden and Norway just got used to it, here in Britain we wouldn't have. It would be going against tradition and if there's one thing we don't like here it's going against tradition.

But the whole mess of Charles's first marriage was a huge happening and it had such an effect on the Monarchy that it relaxed it's view on one person's marriage. That isn't to say that the Monarchy would welcome William marrying a Mette-Marit type character. It's a strange thing but that's how we do things.

 

[ysbel]

Well I don't know about the Norwegians but the Swedes seemed even more set in their ways than the British for awhile there. The Swedish law up till the 70s required the princes to marry equally (i.e., princesses) a law which the British never had as far as I can tell.

Carl Gustav had to ascend the throne before he could marry Silvia. But by that time, he had the government over a barrel, if they wanted the monarchy, they had to accept his bride. Unlike the Windsors during Edward VIIIs abdication, the Bernadottes didn't have a lot of eligible candidates for King if Carl Gustav had decided to step down.

Its doubtful with the size of the BRF that any monarch would have that advantage over the government that Carl Gustaf had during the 70s.

Being King sometimes has its advantages, especially if there are no other good candidates for the throne.

 

[Skydragon]

Social attitudes have changed since Edward VIII and Wallis. Any divorced woman was socially excluded or at the least frowned upon, back then. Even those with perceived reasonable breeding were considered tainted and would have been unacceptable to others of their class. Most divorced women at that time would have been shunned by people who had once been their friends.

Times have changed for all of us, divorce is easier and is no longer considered a stigma. People are able to accept that others change after they have married and that divorce may be the best for the two people concerned. Camilla is more accepted now and more people are in favour of the marriage.

But, tradition is tradition and while a lot of Brits accept the social changes and even welcome them, we don't like people messing around with our time honoured traditions.

 

[WindsorIII]

I think of all the stories you hear about royal relationships, this is the real love story of them all. Charles has loved this woman since he's been in his early 20's. The things these two have encountered over the past few decades would most definitely destroy most relationships. But it stood the test of time and lasted through it all. You don't see that very often today. Usually you see the princes with many different loves and relationships. But for Charles it has always been Camilla. Now he's in his 60's I beleive and he loves her just as much today as he did back then.

Its just a shame that ancient protocols set up an almost arranged marriage between Charles and Diana. I beleive Diana really loved Charles and it must have been a nightmare for her. But it just goes to show that you can't force anything like feelings or a marriage. It never works.

 

[iannis]

I think of all the stories you hear about royal relationships, this is the real love story of them all. Charles has loved this woman since he's been in his early 20's. The things these two have encountered over the past few decades would most definitely destroy most relationships. But it stood the test of time and lasted through it all. You don't see that very often today. Usually you see the princes with many different loves and relationships. But for Charles it has always been Camilla. Now he's in his 60's I beleive and he loves her just as much today as he did back then.

Its just a shame that ancient protocols set up an almost arranged marriage between Charles and Diana. I beleive Diana really loved Charles and it must have been a nightmare for her. But it just goes to show that you can't force anything like feelings or a marriage. It never works.

What is more, I am of the opinion that the main 'victim' of Charles and Diana's marriagde was neither of them, but Camilla; she had to suffer malicious criticism if not hatred for such a long time, just because Charles loved her and people loved Diana
I am really happy for her now

 

[ysbel]

We're getting too much into debating points in the Charles/Diana/Camilla relationship again.

As stated before, there is a thread for that in the Princess Diana forum called Charles and Diana.

Please let's keep the comments specifically to your opinion of Camilla now.

ysbel
British forums moderator

 

[bbb]

the transformation is complete- this morning my husband and i were watching the news and Charles and Camilla (in the yellow dress) came on. He asked who is that and when i told him Camilla he said "wow they sanded and surfaced her pretty good huh" (his hobby is restoring boats) but as he left the room he said "she'll never be Diana". this from a middle aged cowboy who couldn't care less about anything royal. so i guess u could say the outside transformation is complete, we'll have to wait and see if the British peoples hearts can be changed as easily.

 

[Skydragon]

I think the skirt, slip top and lace jacket were a creamy gold and todays suit was a biege, so what picture was he looking at.
You say he said, she will never be Diana, I'm sure she wouldn't want to be!

 

[ysbel]

Maybe Serena Linsley? But there's quite a difference in ages.

 

[bbb]

the story was on the tv news and she was in yellow dress she wore during the fireworks outside.

 

[Katemac63]

What is Your Opinion Now

I am sorry, but I am not a supporter of camilla... I simply cannot forget the "inner" character of the woman..I am still astonished that she came this far.
I am NOT going to rehash the past, as I see that some people are moving on.
I simply do not see her as a victim, as another poster pointed out..
However I am a great admirer and supporter of Her Majesty, The Queen..
Long may she reign, and in the best of health..She has been a devoted monarch to her position > Quite like her very much...

 

[Skydragon]

I always find it funny when anyone goes on about the 'inner woman' or her 'inner character', all anyone knows is what the press and various books have told us, most of it totally incorrect!

I, like her stepsons think she is wonderful!

 

[Avalon]

I always find it funny when anyone goes on about the 'inner woman' or her 'inner character', all anyone knows is what the press and various books have told us, most of it totally incorrect!

I, like her stepsons think she is wonderful!

... and love her to bits (that is I, like William and Harry think she is wonderful and love her to bits).

 

[hornsen]

I am sorry, but I am not a supporter of camilla... I simply cannot forget the "inner" character of the woman..I am still astonished that she came this far.
I am NOT going to rehash the past, as I see that some people are moving on.
I simply do not see her as a victim, as another poster pointed out..
However I am a great admirer and supporter of Her Majesty, The Queen..
Long may she reign, and in the best of health..She has been a devoted monarch to her position > Quite like her very much...

Ah, you are knowing her personally...

 

[Katemac63]

Ah, you are knowing her personally...

Ah, no I don't.. but I think if one reads enough, from several and assorted comments, made about someone, you get a "feel" what the person might be like..If I had never read anything about her and her life, prior to 1990, and only absorbed most of what I've read since Bollard's campaign towards her acceptance, I'm sure I would be like some and "loved her to bits". But anything I've read and know as actual fact, prior to 1990, keeps getting in the way of loving her to bits. As I stated before, I am a great admirer of The QUeen, as well as The Princess Royal, Katharine, Duchess of Kent and the feisty Princess Michael!!

 

[Maxie]

Being uninformed about Camilla's life before a certain point has notting to do with loving her to bits or not. To be honest, it's quite a statement you make there. So anyone who can have love or at least respect for Camilla is uninformed? No, I don't think so. People just tend to see things differently and they've been doing that for ages, the well-informed as well as the uninformed, so I guess we just have to accept that from each other.

 

[MARG]

Being uninformed about Camilla's life before a certain point has notting to do with loving her to bits or not. To be honest, it's quite a statement you make there. So anyone who can have love or at least respect for Camilla is uninformed? No, I don't think so. People just tend to see things differently and they've been doing that for ages, the well-informed as well as the uninformed, so I guess we just have to accept that from each other.

I second that emotion.

 

[Skydragon]

But anything I've read and know as actual fact, prior to 1990, keeps getting in the way of loving her to bits.!!

The only things you know are the facts given to you by the authors you choose to read. These facts are nearly always biased toward the owsrn (at least in this thread) and therefore cannot be counted as actual facts.

The only people who know the facts before the 90's and now, are Charles and Camilla.

 

[Avalon]

Ah, no I don't.. but I think if one reads enough, from several and assorted comments, made about someone, you get a "feel" what the person might be like..If I had never read anything about her and her life, prior to 1990, and only absorbed most of what I've read since Bollard's campaign towards her acceptance, I'm sure I would be like some and "loved her to bits". But anything I've read and know as actual fact, prior to 1990, keeps getting in the way of loving her to bits. As I stated before, I am a great admirer of The QUeen, as well as The Princess Royal, Katharine, Duchess of Kent and the feisty Princess Michael!!

I fully understand that you can't really love anyone, especially "to the bits" unless you know him/her personally. I was just quoting what Prince Harry, who surely knows her, said (though I must say I agree with him).
As for what kind of person she is, we can't say that, can we? My impression is that she is a very good person, someone else may have different opinion.
I love her first of all for making Prince Charles happy. Frankly speaking it's a good enough reason for me, though for someone else the reason may seem pretty silly or childish, but that's what I think and what I feel.

 

[BeatrixFan]

Who cares about their lives before the 90s? Let's be honest here, we get approx 75 years here. If we're happy today, why dwell on yesterday? Life is too short.

 

[ysbel]

Ah, no I don't.. but I think if one reads enough, from several and assorted comments, made about someone, you get a "feel" what the person might be like..If I had never read anything about her and her life, prior to 1990, and only absorbed most of what I've read since Bollard's campaign towards her acceptance, I'm sure I would be like some and "loved her to bits". But anything I've read and know as actual fact, prior to 1990, keeps getting in the way of loving her to bits. As I stated before, I am a great admirer of The QUeen, as well as The Princess Royal, Katharine, Duchess of Kent and the feisty Princess Michael!!

I agree with you about being able to tell something about a person's character after they've been in public for awhile but I'm a bit surprised you admire the Princess Royal while not Camilla.

I've always thought the two women were very similar. Both country women, a bit gruff, and very definitely no-nonsense. They even had the same taste in men; both dated Andrew Parker-Bowles for a time. Princess Anne dated him for awhile before Camilla dated and married him.

I too have been an admirer of the Princess Royal from what I've seen of her and some of the same traits that I see in Camilla, I admire also.

 

[Skydragon]

I agree with you about being able to tell something about a person's character after they've been in public for awhile but I'm a bit surprised you admire the Princess Royal while not Camilla.

Camilla has only been in public for a very short time and the public person is not always the same as the real person. The public person is how they are portrayed by the media and as we all know they can 'work' that to sell more stories. That is also what some people do to sell their books!

We all have our own idea on how posters on here might look or sound but, I am quite certain the reality will be far from the truth. I find it a little difficult to understand how anyone can make absolute judgements on someone's character, who has only been in the public eye a very short time and who has never spoken out, or 'allowed' her friends to do so.

IMO, from Camilla's public appearances, we can see she is a warm and caring person, able and willing to show real interest in a great many subjects. She seems to get on well with everyone she meets and has, from recent photo's and 'body language' been totally accepted into Charles' family. She also seems to have very loyal and genuine friends and you only get those by being a loyal and genuine person yourself.

However, even I have to accept that there will always be some unwilling to give her a chance or a pat on the back, based on lies written in some books and the press.

 

[Katemac63]

Being uninformed about Camilla's life before a certain point has notting to do with loving her to bits or not. To be honest, it's quite a statement you make there. So anyone who can have love or at least respect for Camilla is uninformed? No, I don't think so. People just tend to see things differently and they've been doing that for ages, the well-informed as well as the uninformed, so I guess we just have to accept that from each other.

I merely gave MY view and am not asking anyone else to share my view.I am not speaking of people who are uninformed nor the ones who are informed. Just what I think, only...

 

[Katemac63]

Camilla has only been in public for a very short time and the public person is not always the same as the real person. The public person is how they are portrayed by the media and as we all know they can 'work' that to sell more stories. That is also what some people do to sell their books!

We all have our own idea on how posters on here might look or sound but, I am quite certain the reality will be far from the truth. I find it a little difficult to understand how anyone can make absolute judgements on someone's character, who has only been in the public eye a very short time and who has never spoken out, or 'allowed' her friends to do so.

IMO, from Camilla's public appearances, we can see she is a warm and caring person, able and willing to show real interest in a great many subjects. She seems to get on well with everyone she meets and has, from recent photo's and 'body language' been totally accepted into Charles' family. She also seems to have very loyal and genuine friends and you only get those by being a loyal and genuine person yourself.

However, even I have to accept that there will always be some unwilling to give her a chance or a pat on the back, based on lies written in some books and the press.

I agree , when people write books, they want them to sell. However I cannot believe EVERY author would distort facts to do that. I believe that some authors truly try and give the truth as much as possible. Again, how I feel is my view only and I am not ever wanting to push push my thoughts.. I believe a lot of people have moved on and that is good, if it works for you.

 

[Nad25]

Even though Camilla's been potrait as a nasty person beofre she and Prince Charles got together i think she must be a nice person for Prince harry to praise her at an interview here on uk channels saying that him and Prince william 'lover her to bits'. They clearly love their step mother to bits and they can see that shes making theyr beloved dad a very happy man, why sholud some people still hold a grudge against her if his sons have forgiven whatever happened in the past?!