There is a major hurdle ahead which may yet do permanent damage to their relationship. In June, the Queen’s official birthday is celebrated by the Trooping the Color ceremony, one of the most glittering jewels of British pageantry. It is customary for the royal family together on the Buckingham Palace balcony afterward to acknowledge the crowds.
If Camilla – by then the second most senior royal lady after the Queen by her marriage – is absent from the balcony, we will know the worst. It will mean that there is no place for Camilla in the Queen’s immediate circle. Charles, who has allowed his heart to rule his head in the matter of Camilla, is unlikely to take this snub lying down. The consequence of this –outright war between sovereign and heir – is depressing for those who believe in maintaining the monarchy in this country.
This brings us back to the question of Queen Camilla. The couple marry next Friday. Next Saturday, as is her custom when she is at Windsor, our present monarch will saddle up and go horse riding. A fall – given that she never wears more than a headscarf and that she is approaching the age of 80 – could signal the end of her 52-year reign. And that means that as early as next Saturday we could have two new incumbents at Buckingham Palace –King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Because, as things stand at present, there is absolutely nothing to stop it.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
