Prince Charles to Marry Parker Bowles

[davidinalameda]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/02/10/international/i013200S93.DTL

Prince Charles said Thursday he will marry his divorced lover Camilla Parker Bowles in April, putting an official seal on a long romance that Princess Diana blamed for the breakdown of her tempestuous marriage to the heir to the throne. The announcement ruled out the possibility that she would become queen.


The Prince of Wales and Parker Bowles will marry on Friday, April 8, at Windsor Castle, said Clarence House, Charles' residence and office.


During a visit to London's financial district Thursday, Charles accepted congratulations on his pending nuptials.

[China_cat]

1. Does that mean he will have to give up

his place in the succession to the throne?

[Maple]

2. No

unfortunately.

[China_cat]

4. Why did his great uncle

have to give up the throne when he married a divorcee, then?

Have the British succession laws changed? Or is it because he isn't king yet?

[nickinSTL]

5. It wasn't British succession law

that prevented Edward VIII's marriage.

It was the Church of England's stance on divorce and remarriage.

Until very recently, no marriage was sanctioned by the church if one of the partners was divorced and their former spouse was still living. Wallis Simpson's previous husband(s) were still alive. And as the British monarch is the Head of the Church of England, Edward's marriage would have been impossible.

A couple years ago, the CoE changed it's stance on divorce. The religious head of the church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, will give his blessing after the civil ceremony between Charles and Camilla.

[China_cat]

8. Ok. that explains it

I do not keep up on the British royals. The Dutch ones are as much as I can handle.

But I do have to say that I agree with whoever it was said that it was a good thing they won't be having children. Hard enough to tell Princess Anne from her horses. (Of course, with a late 50's woman giving birth to twins not that long ago, we might just have a chance to see what their kids would look like.)

[nickinSTL]

9. Children? I hope not...

Camilla's 57, I sure hope they won't try fertility treatments...

I manage to keep up with most of the European royals...I probably know the most about the British, though.

[terrya]

3. He'll be in his 70's when he becomes King.

If the current Queen is like her mother in terms of life expectency, than poor Charles is going to be waiting quite a few more years to ascend to the throne. Queen Elizabeth is in good health, and she's not going to abdicate.

[davidinalameda]

6. he'll never be king

get Prince William in there ASAP as heir--he could do much to help the royals' image

especially after his brother's recent faux paux

[nickinSTL]

10. Unless his mother outlives him - Charles WILL be King

Regardless of people's opinion of him.

He won't renounce, and no one is going to force him to.

[Zenlitened]

7. The Royal Reaction: