As the King celebrates his birthday on November 14, alongside his wife Queen Camilla, he may also reflect on what might have been. Diana could easily have been his queen if her mother, Queen Elizabeth II, had her way.
As heir to the throne at the time, Charles had to seek Her Majesty’s permission to marry, as did everyone in the line of succession. She could have followed the earlier example of her sister Princess Anne, who when asked how difficult it was, replied: “Not half as difficult as asking permission to get a divorce.” Which they both must have done at some point.
These days, Anne is so far along that she doesn’t need to ask anyone’s permission.
A royal birthday still attracts a lot of publicity, both in newspapers and on television, which is then embraced by the public. It seems that almost everyone wants to know every detail of the life of the Royal Family.
And if there is some spice in the story, all the better. When Charles was still Prince of Wales and serving the longest apprenticeship ever undertaken by an heir to the throne (he was in his 70s before becoming monarch), he was allowed the relative freedom he lost on the day he donned the crown.
Prince Charles turned 18 on 14 November 1966 and was taken to Balmoral Castle wearing the Balmoral tartan.
Prince Charles was considered the most famous and eligible bachelor before marrying Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.
There were problems on both sides. Five years after marrying, Diana rekindled her relationship with her former boyfriend, James Hewit, in 1986, when this family photograph was taken.
The couple undertook a royal tour of Korea in November 1992 and shortly afterwards John Major announced in the House of Commons that the couple were separating.
Charles was considered the most famous and eligible bachelor in the world and when he married Lady Diana Spencer, in July 1981, he made her Princess of Wales, and she became the most famous woman on the planet.
But, as we now know, it didn’t last long. Charles never stopped talking about Camilla Parker Bowles and his friendship with her, even when he finally married Diana. She accepted this, knowing that opposing it would put her at odds with the Royal House, as well as the most powerful family in the world.
The day Charles and Diana married they became the most photographed couple in history.
However, there were problems almost from the beginning. And, contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t all Charles’s fault. There were problems on both sides. Five years after marrying, Diana rekindled a relationship with a former boyfriend, James Hewit, in 1986.
Much later, Charles admitted that the love of his life had always been Camilla and they began another affair. It would never end. For many people around the world, it remains one of the best love stories ever.
He said at the time that his relationship with Mrs Parker Powles was “non-negotiable”.
If there was ever a year that Charles would describe as the worst of his life, it might as well be 1992. His birthday that year was not a time to celebrate. Maybe all he felt was relief now that it was finally over. That’s when he and Diana finally broke up.
When the divorce was finalized, the financial settlement was never revealed, as is the case with all royal affairs. But it was believed to be around £15m.
There had always been a lot of speculation about what went wrong with the Welsh. Could it be that Charles never really loved her? The enormous age difference between them: he was 13 years older than Diana. Or maybe the difference in their upbringing.
Carlos had grown accustomed to the rigid discipline of palace life and all that it entailed. With Diana, although her background was aristocratic, there was a certain informality in the Spencer family that was missing in the House of Windsor. She was a tactile and caring woman, while Charles never really forgets who and what he is or was.
The only bright light was that the way was now clear for him to finally marry Camilla, which he did on 9 April 2005, in a civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall, followed by a blessing by the Archbishop of Canterbury at the Castle. of Windsor. His mother, the Queen, did not attend the civil ceremony because she believed it would be inappropriate as Head of the Church of England.
A few years earlier there was another tragedy that made Charles try to forget the past. Diana was involved in a car accident in Paris in 1997 and died immediately.
Prince Charles and Prince Harry following the devastating news that Diana had died in an accident in Paris the night before
There was international mourning for Diana after the accident and an equal amount of ridicule and scorn, directed at Charles, who was blamed, unfairly.
There was happiness for Prince Charles after marrying Camilla Parker Bowles in a Civil Ceremony at the Guildhall in Windsor
Charles has recently completed an arduous but wonderful tour of Australia and Samoa as he continues to recover from his cancer diagnosis.
There was international mourning for her and an equal amount of mockery and contempt for Carlos, who was unfairly blamed by many millions of men and women. All seen by a global audience.
If there’s one thing Charles and Diana would be proud of, it’s the fact that they had two wonderful sons, William and Harry, although Harry, as a typical youngest son, is causing some trouble at the moment.
They both love their father and understand the difficulties they both faced in their early days.
William is working with his father, helping him as much as possible and preparing for his own future role.
Anyway, things seem to have finally calmed down for the Royal Family. Charles is acquitting himself impeccably as a monarch and has recently completed an arduous tour of Australia as he continues to recover from his cancer diagnosis.
You deserve to enjoy this birthday, more than we know. He is very hardworking. He never stops. Now is the time to relax, with your wife and the Queen by your side. And may we join many more people, everywhere, in wishing you a respectful happy birthday.