My heart went out to Camilla

I don't know anything about that, nor anything else much, royalty related.

It's just that Diana and I were the same age (ish)

Right, so you have brought it back to Diana

Cossy

Anniebach

It isn’t talking ill of her, she like everyone was a mix of good and not good.

Diana should never ever have been selected to marry Charles. She was already emotionally unstable due to her own parents marriage breakdown and just wasn’t at all suitable.

Yes, later she did court the press, yes she loved the attention.

What else did she have??

She clearly loved her children and had an extremely unhappy marriage.

Charles and Diana are prime examples of why Royals should marry for love and not for “breeding”.

Maybe they should have learnt by now!

Diana should never ever have been selected to marry Charles. She was already emotionally unstable due to her own parents marriage breakdown and just wasn’t at all suitable.

I couldn't agree more. She was too young, too naive, too emotionally troubled.

Charles and Diana are prime examples of why Royals should marry for love and not for “breeding”.

In my opinion, this addresses the very reason why a Monarchy is a fundamentally flawed institution. I'm not about to give a dissertation on the subject (and FWIW, I'm currently in favour of it as opposed to republicanism).

Put in simple terms, a Monarch and his family are expected to live up to ideals and principles (apart from the role as Head of State) of integrity, loyalty, honesty - and all those noble traits expected of one that the citizenry esteems and defers to.

If they marry for love alone - that could cause endless problems if the chosen-one is not amenable to subduing their own character, or their needs and wants. Or if they are not from the 'right' background, without the right 'status'. And, what if, for some reason, they are unable to conceive? Hence the need to choose an appropriate 'breeder', for want of a better phrase.

Incidentally, King Harald of Norway chose the 'wrong' woman - one his father did not approve - she was a commoner, the daughter of a clothing merchant. Harald dug in his heels and told his father that if he could not marry Sonja, he would remain unmarried - and he was the only son. He dated her for 9 years (initially in secret) until their eventual marriage in 1968.

The thing is, Kings and Queens - Royalty - are simply human beings underneath all the pageantry - with all the frailties and faults of the human condition.

So, when it comes down to choosing a spouse - the dysfunctionality of the whole institution is apparent. They have to fall in love with the 'right' person, or choose the right person and hope they can feel the love!

What did Charles say when he was being interviewed with Diana and asked if they were 'in love'? I think he sort of smiled wryly, and said

whatever 'in love' means

Yes, I have Annie

I'm not that interested though, really, in any of them.

It's all been done to death, Camilla and Charles are happy together, and her face and hair look fine to me.

Anne married for love Mark Phillips.

Andrew married for love Sarah Ferguson, she had been living
with a chap.

Sophie and Edward

The late Queen, no idea

Margaret and Tony for love

William and Catherine

Harry and Megan

Beatrice, Eugenie , Zara, Peter, one wrong so far.

😊👍❤

The late Queen, no idea

I think Queen Elizabeth adored Philip from the moment she clapped eyes on him until her dying day.
I think Philip loved her too, but probably rebelled against the protocols forced upon him. To use a rather old cliché, he was a man's man.

Yes Allira I think you are right, the many, many photographs over many years, the Queen face is a joy to see, and he always looks so protective of her.

Anniebach

Anne married for love Mark Phillips.

Andrew married for love Sarah Ferguson, she had been living
with a chap.

Sophie and Edward

The late Queen, no idea

Margaret and Tony for love

William and Catherine

Harry and Megan

Beatrice, Eugenie , Zara, Peter, one wrong so far.

I think the late Queen married for love, William and Catherine obviously had some kind of bond, but the rest don't really count as they are not heirs to the throne.

The late Queen and William were 'lucky' in their choices.

Anniebach

Yes Allira I think you are right, the many, many photographs over many years, the Queen face is a joy to see, and he always looks so protective of her.

I do think they had a lovely relationship, Anniebach, but not without its hiccups like many long marriages.

Yes Allira a relationship is so right, it must have been very deep, an understanding with both.

Dickens the late Queen and William waited and partners waited with them

Charles ‘what ever in love means’ , so many hear this as Charles
refusing to say he loved Diana, i didn’t, not with world listening, had a very brief marriage before my husband died, I never think ‘we were in love’ , ‘I loved him’ ,

I think Charles could now hazard a guess at what in love means.

No criticism implied, but he seems to be totally in love with Camilla.

I enjoy watching him, watching her, which he seems to do a lot.

It's rather moving, I think, and I've warmed to them both.

I think he knew when he said some years ago ‘she is non negotiable’, and what is more a declaration of his love than ‘she is central to my life’
But not in love

I was there she’s lovely

Never looked at the makeup and wrinkles. Found hair amusing., just a normal response to a windy day. However, if it was me, I wouldn’t like such a photo! It would have been kinder not to publish it I think

After seeing that image of Camilla you have to ask yourself why he chose her over the beautiful Diana.

My heart goes out to Charles and Camilla for enduring the family crisis with Harry.
They may be royals but as someone estranged from my eldest daughter I really feel for them with regard to this.
Xx

Spencer2009

After seeing that image of Camilla you have to ask yourself why he chose her over the beautiful Diana.

Well, Diana died in her prime. Perhaps if she were still alive, 27 years on, she might not be quite so glamorous, though I expect she would always be stylish and elegant.

Having said that, Charles seems supremely happy with Camilla, which sadly he wasn’t with Diana.

Beauty obviously not everything, even if you are the King.

Spencer2009

After seeing that image of Camilla you have to ask yourself why he chose her over the beautiful Diana.

Really?

Looks really aren't everything and this photo is of a 77 year old Camilla.
As we sadly know, Diana only lived 36 years.

Hardly fair to compare.

I think Charles is madly in love with Camilla . They always look very happy together.

Anniebach

On social media since August. Anne hates Camilla, Kate hates
Camilla.

Ridiculous. Even if they did dislike somebody they would never be so stupid or impolite as to voice opinions about it to anyone, least of all to journalists or to anyone on social media.
By all accounts Camilla is a resilient and likeable woman, no reason why anyone should be unpleasant about her.

"Good thatch" is what we say for a good head of hair.

Spencer2009

After seeing that image of Camilla you have to ask yourself why he chose her over the beautiful Diana.

He loved her before he met Diana and it’s a shame he wasn’t free to choose his own path. Camilla is intelligent and a real woman, not a PR construct.

I think we should lighten up about the photo. It made me chuckle rather than gloat. I would say it was mischievous rather than spiteful of the DT to publish it. They are normally very kind to Camilla and just print the most flattering pictures. From her expression I think she knew the photo would be terrible due to the wind but I also believe she would find it more funny than hurtful. I hope so, anyway - I’m also a fan of Camilla.

Spencer2009

After seeing that image of Camilla you have to ask yourself why he chose her over the beautiful Diana.

Good job not everyone is image driven. and anyway Charles first fell in love with Camilla when she was an attractive young woman. Life just got in the way. Diana was stunning but that isn’t all that matters in life, Charles obviously has a lot in common with Camilla and feels completely at ease with her. I am lucky to have found someone like that, he was never a Paul Newman, but he has been my rock for 45 years.

I had absolutely nothing in common with my husband when I married him and I can’t even say I was madly in love with him but he was in love with me and to use an old fashioned word he ‘wooed’ me. My family and his family thought it was a major disaster and wouldn’t last five minutes. Somehow we jogged along for 66 years, good times, bad times, we gave each other space and learnt or learned to compromise. I was never madly in love with him but I loved him dearly and since his death at Christmas I realised just how much. My heart went out to the Queen when Prince Philip died as I felt so much in common with her and I do agree that King Charles is happier now than he has ever been as he has found his soul mate in Camilla and I love the photo as well.