LONDON -- Prince Charles, urged to divorce by his mother, has no intention of remarrying, his office said Thursday, apparently seeking to rule out a controversial second marriage to his longtime love, Camilla Parker Bowles.
The news came after Queen Elizabeth II, sick of public bickering between Charles and Princess Diana and fearing its effect on the monarchy, urged -- some reports said ordered -- the couple to divorce soon.
Diana, according to the Daily Mail, was furious at the leak of the news of the queen's letters, delivered to her at Kensington Palace and Charles at St. James's Palace earlier this week.
Around midday, she drove out of Kensington Palace and took her sons, Prince William, 13, and Prince Harry, 11, to her gym club.
Instead of cycling shorts she usually wears to go there, she wore a long black coat. Ignoring throngs of photographers, she smiled and patted Harry. The boys, wearing track suits, carried tennis rackets.
"The Prince of Wales has no intention of remarrying," his press secretary Allan Percival said. "This has been the subject of great speculation and we are now making clear the prince's position."
Announcing the queen's move, Buckingham Palace said in a statement Wednesday: "The queen wrote to both the prince and princess earlier this week and gave them her view ... that an early divorce is desirable."
Charles, 47, replied to his mother quickly saying he wants to divorce and wrote similarly to Diana, 34, Buckingham Palace said. Diana, however, had not replied when news of the letters broke last night, and the palace confirmed the story.
The Daily Mail, a newspaper Diana uses to explain her side, said she was "devastated" at the leak, and angry because it happened before she had told her sons about the queen's letter.
The princes, on holiday from boarding school, are staying with her before joining Charles for a family Christmas at the queen's Sandringham estate. Diana has refused to go.
The queen's patience apparently snapped after Diana, in a BBC television interview last month, questioned Charles' suitability to be king. Diana also acknowledged an extramarital affair, said she did not want a divorce and would not "go quietly."
The Daily Mail's royal reporter, Richard Kay, in whom Diana has confided previously, wrote that she is in no hurry to answer the queen. Anyway, her lawyers were on vacation for the next two weeks. Diana blames Mrs. Parker Bowles, 48, whom Charles has known and, some say, loved for 25 years, largely for the break-up of the marriage.
Mrs. Parker Bowles divorced recently and now lives in a home near Charles' Gloucestershire estate.
Church of England prelates said Thursday that a divorce would not affect Charles' role as temporal head of the church when he succeeds his mother. But an aide of Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey said remarriage would cause grave problems.
The tabloid Sun, under the headline "Queen orders divorce," said Charles and Diana have no choice but to begin legal proceedings. A smooth divorce could take four months.
The couple separated in 1992 after 11 years of marriage. Charles has acknowledged being unfaithful, and an authorized autobiography said his lover was Mrs. Parker Bowles. Diana had an affair with her former riding instructor, Major James Hewitt, which she acknowledged in the television interview.
Charles reportedly told aides he insists on fulfilling his destiny by becoming king, but believes Britons would not accept Mrs. Parker Bowles as queen.
The news came after Queen Elizabeth II, sick of public bickering between Charles and Princess Diana and fearing its effect on the monarchy, urged -- some reports said ordered -- the couple to divorce soon.
Diana, according to the Daily Mail, was furious at the leak of the news of the queen's letters, delivered to her at Kensington Palace and Charles at St. James's Palace earlier this week.
Around midday, she drove out of Kensington Palace and took her sons, Prince William, 13, and Prince Harry, 11, to her gym club.
Instead of cycling shorts she usually wears to go there, she wore a long black coat. Ignoring throngs of photographers, she smiled and patted Harry. The boys, wearing track suits, carried tennis rackets.
"The Prince of Wales has no intention of remarrying," his press secretary Allan Percival said. "This has been the subject of great speculation and we are now making clear the prince's position."
Announcing the queen's move, Buckingham Palace said in a statement Wednesday: "The queen wrote to both the prince and princess earlier this week and gave them her view ... that an early divorce is desirable."
Charles, 47, replied to his mother quickly saying he wants to divorce and wrote similarly to Diana, 34, Buckingham Palace said. Diana, however, had not replied when news of the letters broke last night, and the palace confirmed the story.
The Daily Mail, a newspaper Diana uses to explain her side, said she was "devastated" at the leak, and angry because it happened before she had told her sons about the queen's letter.
The princes, on holiday from boarding school, are staying with her before joining Charles for a family Christmas at the queen's Sandringham estate. Diana has refused to go.
The queen's patience apparently snapped after Diana, in a BBC television interview last month, questioned Charles' suitability to be king. Diana also acknowledged an extramarital affair, said she did not want a divorce and would not "go quietly."
The Daily Mail's royal reporter, Richard Kay, in whom Diana has confided previously, wrote that she is in no hurry to answer the queen. Anyway, her lawyers were on vacation for the next two weeks. Diana blames Mrs. Parker Bowles, 48, whom Charles has known and, some say, loved for 25 years, largely for the break-up of the marriage.
Mrs. Parker Bowles divorced recently and now lives in a home near Charles' Gloucestershire estate.
Church of England prelates said Thursday that a divorce would not affect Charles' role as temporal head of the church when he succeeds his mother. But an aide of Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey said remarriage would cause grave problems.
The tabloid Sun, under the headline "Queen orders divorce," said Charles and Diana have no choice but to begin legal proceedings. A smooth divorce could take four months.
The couple separated in 1992 after 11 years of marriage. Charles has acknowledged being unfaithful, and an authorized autobiography said his lover was Mrs. Parker Bowles. Diana had an affair with her former riding instructor, Major James Hewitt, which she acknowledged in the television interview.
Charles reportedly told aides he insists on fulfilling his destiny by becoming king, but believes Britons would not accept Mrs. Parker Bowles as queen.
… we have a small favor to ask. As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
Remind me later.
×
Remind me next month
Thank you! Your reminder is set.
We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy.