On July 29, 1981—41 years ago yesterday—Prince Charles wed Lady Diana Spencer in what was heralded at the time as a fairytale wedding and the wedding of the century.
Now, of course, we know that was not the case, that Charles and Diana were a mismatch, and that Charles was likely in love with someone else on his wedding day—Camilla Parker-Bowles (now his second wife, known as the Duchess of Cornwall) who was in attendance at St. Paul’s Cathedral that day, along with 3,500 other people.
The Mirror reports that, the night before the wedding, Charles, 32, told Diana, who had just turned 20 earlier in the month, that he didn’t love her and did not want to go into the marriage on a false premise, the outlet reports. Understandably, this left the soon-to-be Princess of Wales devastated.
Speaking on an ITV documentary called The Diana Interview: Revenge of a Princess, Diana’s astrologer Penny Thornton says that Diana confessed this to her.
“One of the most shocking things that Diana told me was that the night before the wedding, Charles told her that he didn’t love her,” Thornton says. “I think Charles didn’t want to go into the wedding on a false premise. He wanted to square it with her, and it was devastating for Diana.”
Charles and Diana had only met a handful of times before announcing their engagement in February 1981, when Charles infamously, upon being asked if he was in love, replied “Whatever ‘in love’ means.” (Diana, for her part, answered “Of course.”) Thornton says Diana almost didn’t “go through with the wedding at that point. She thought about not attending the wedding. But, despite the concerns on both sides, the wedding went ahead the next day.”
Biographer Penny Junor—who has written many books about the royal family, including The Duchess: The Untold Story, about Camilla—claims that Charles also wanted to pull out of the wedding, but thought it was too late.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
“Charles was not convinced he was doing the right thing in marrying Diana, but there was no way out and, bolstered by the hope that things would be different once they were married, he put a brave face on it,” Junor writes.
By 1984, the couple had two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and strains were evident in the relationship by the end of the 1980s. They separated in 1992 and ultimately divorced in 1996. After Diana’s death in a car accident in 1997, Charles married Camilla in 2005.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
Jess Hong Enters Her Chaotic Era
She was doing kids’ theater in New Zealand when she landed the leading role on Netflix’s epic ‘3 Body Problem.’ And now that the show is No. 1 on the streamer, her whole world is about to change.
By Jessica M. Goldstein Published
-
39 J.Crew, Reformation, and COS Items That Are Ideal for Spring Travel
Spring ready.
By Allyson Payer Published
-
Taylor Swift Breaks Yet Another Music-Industry Record
This is pretty much the norm now, no?
By Meghan De Maria Published
-
Kate Middleton Gave an Honest, Eight-Word Assessment About the First Time She Met King Charles
The King and the Princess of Wales—famously close to one another—are both currently hospitalized at The London Clinic.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Diana Made a Sandringham Christmas Gaffe Because She and Prince Charles Didn't "Communicate Very Well," Commentator Says
Not great.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
How Did Queen Elizabeth Really Feel About Then-Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles’ Polarizing 2005 Wedding?
This week’s final installment of ‘The Crown’ will cover the wedding as the series wraps up for good.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Camilla Parker-Bowles Gave Kate Middleton Advice on “How to Hang Onto a Prince”—But Kate Struggled to Follow It
Camilla was “on standby” to give Kate advice in her early days of dating Prince William.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Queen Elizabeth and (Then) Prince Charles’ Relationship Suffered Because of His Relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles, Andrew Morton Says
“He could love her, but he needed to leave her,” the Firm (and Her late Majesty) said at the time.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
If Prince Harry Does Attend the Coronation, He Will Avoid Bowing to Queen Consort Camilla
Plans are being drawn up to avoid the potentially awkward moment.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince George and Prince Louis Are "Protective" of Mom Kate in Mother's Day Photos, Body Language Expert Says
They have such a sweet relationship.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Royal Family Would “Collapse” Without Catherine, Princess of Wales, As the “Future Rests on Her”
No pressure!
By Rachel Burchfield Published