Monarchy -
HRH Prince Charles Wedding Farce 2
The build-up to the
wedding has been anything but low key, with
logistical problems and the resulting publicity
leaving all the arrangements - and the legitimacy
of the service itself, open to scrutiny.
February 10 - Immediately after
the engagement announcement, Clarence House was
forced into making constitutional decisions
regarding Mrs Parker Bowles' future title. It was
eventually decided that she would never be Queen
but would become HRH the Duchess of Cornwall when
she weds Charles and will be known as the
Princess Consort when he eventually becomes King.
February 11 - Aides confirmed
that details and arrangements had yet to be
finalised for the ceremony, leaving some
commentators to wonder why such vital decisions
had been left to the last minute.
February 13 - Charles and
Camilla took a trip down the aisle, but only in
preparation for the big day. The couple joined a
congregation of just 34 people in the picturesque
St Lawrence's Church in Didmarton, Glos, where
they heard a sermon on the Devil's temptation of
Christ.
February 14 - Clarence House was
forced to issue a statement rejecting claims that
the civil marriage between the Prince and Mrs
Parker Bowles would not be legal. A spokesman
said, "Legal advice was taken from four
different sources and all agreed that it is legal
for a member of the Royal Family to marry in a
civil ceremony in England." Former
Attorney-General Nicholas Lyell suggested
emergency legislation might be needed to clarify
the legal position before the big day. Otherwise,
the couple might have to get married in Scotland,
as the Princess Royal did when she wed for the
second time in 1992. Downing Street dismissed the
claims, made in a BBC Panorama documentary, that
legislation would be needed to allow the Prince
and Mrs Parker Bowles to be married in a civil
ceremony.
February 17 - The couple's
original plan, to marry in a civil service at St
George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle,
was scuppered by licensing laws which would have
made the venue "regularly available"
for the next three years to any commoners who
wanted to marry there.
February 18 - The couple's
second-choice venue, Windsor's Guildhall, was
then found to offer royal watchers the chance to
exercise their legal rights to sit, free of
charge, in the public gallery for the occasion,
wrecking any hopes of keeping the royal wedding a
totally private affair. In addition, Charles was
faced with having to rethink his guest list,
which was reported to include some 700 names, as
the largest room in the Guildhall can only hold
100 people.
February 22 - Charles will have
no best man at the ceremony, his household
announced. Heirs to the throne are usually
accompanied by two "supporters", the
royal term for best man, when they wed, and it
had been speculated that Princes William and
Harry would perform the role. But Clarence House
said Charles will not follow this tradition.
February 23 - The palace
confirms that the Queen will not attend the civil
marriage service, but will attend the dedication
service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
(Source: Mail on Sunday)
Nine
people submitted formal objections to the
marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker
Bowles. The details have been sent to the office
of the Registrar General who will decide whether
they are valid. No certificate of marriage can be
issued until all objections have been dealt with.
Those who are opposed to the marriage can seek a
judicial review in the High Court if the
Registrar General does not deem their objections
to be valid. The objections, which are formally
known as caveats, were lodged at the local
registry offices at Chippenham and Cirencester
where the couple have their homes.
<<<
Prev -------------------------------------------------------------------Next >>>
Home
These articles
have been collected from various sources. If you
are the copyright owner of any of them, contact us for
either a credit and link to your site or removal
of the article.
--------------