Prince Charles cried before marrying Princess Diana and begged Camilla not to wed her husband, new book claims
PRINCE Charles cried the night before marrying Princess Diana and begged Camilla not to wed her first husband, a new book reveals.
Royal author Penny Junor says Charles stood at a Buckingham Palace window watching crowds with tears streaming down his face.
The book, serialised in the , is based on accounts from the Duchess’s family and confidantes and tells of three stages in her secret relationship with Charles.
The first was before either married, the second was after Camilla gave birth to her daughter in 1978 and up until his engagement to Diana in 1981.
The third period began about five years later.
Charles and Camilla were introduced by mutual friend Lucia Santa Cruz and quickly became close friends talking for hours on the phone and spending as much time together as possible.
The book claims the prince fell for his second wife quickly, but that there relationship never progressed amid warnings from hid great-uncle Lord Mountbatten that she was not sufficiently aristocratic.
She was dating Andrew Parker Bowles and reportedly smitten despite the fact he was also seeing Princess Anne for a period.
MOST READ IN NEWS
Andrew eventually proposed in 1973, while the Prince was in the West Indies, and Camilla accepted.
Charles reportedly wrote in one letter that it was cruel such a "such a blissful, peaceful and mutually happy relationship" should last just six months and even begged Camilla not to go through with the marriage.
The book claims that Andrew was unfaithful to Camilla with a succession of different woman, including a number of her friends, causing much heartache.
Charles, godfather to the couple's son, reportedly spent a lot of time with Camilla during those years as the pair at that time enjoyed a deep platonic friendship.
The book claims they spent hours on the phone and Charles would send her long expansive letters.
But, the book claims that in 1979 Charles and Camilla became lovers again - Andrew was reportedly aware but in no position to complain.
It is claimed Charles caused his marriage disaster by not telling Di about Camilla and that he only saw the princess’s “dark side” after their engagement.
The book also says Di ripped up Charles’s paintings on their honeymoon and subjected a courtier to a six-hour ordeal by crying, kicking furniture and ranting.
Camilla, 69 — who finally married Charles in 2005, eight years after Di’s 1997 death — did not give a formal interview.
But the author spent more than a year following her and spoke to her inner circle.