Charles and Camilla flourish in year of marital bliss

By Anna Tomforde Apr 9, 2006, 19:38 GMT

London - Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will have a lot to smile about on the first anniversary of her wedding to Prince Charles this coming Sunday.

For her, one memory out of the 365 days of marital bliss with Charles, 57, is bound to top all others: Being queen for a day - in India.

But the 58-year-old wife of Britain's heir to the throne is likely to keep her innermost feelings to herself.

Although there are signs that the British public is warming to Camilla, many remain indifferent to the marriage sealed by Charles and Camilla after a 30-year relationship marked by secrecy, scandal and infidelity.

The London-based magazine Oldie recently named Camilla 'Spouse of the Year' in recognition of her 'strength and conviction under the gaze of the public eye.'

Criticism, and even hatred, often expressed towards Camilla has died down over the year, but few believe she will ever be a 'queen of hearts,' a title claimed by the late Princess Diana.

Unlike in Britain, where status and protocol rule the life of the royals, India's Rajasthan State government did not hesitate to seat Camilla on a silver and gilt throne-like chair to watch the colourful State Day procession of bejewelled elephants, pom-pom-adorned camels and dancing horses.

The official schedule referred to 'Chief Guests Hon'ble Mrs & Mr Charles UK', while commentators introduced her as HRH (Her Royal Highness) Duchess Camilla Parker.

It was in Jaipur, the state capital, where, in 1992, Princess Diana publicly spurned Charles' attempts to kiss her, turning her head away and causing Charles' lips to collide with her ear.

Camilla, who can often appear shy and uneasy, clearly thrived on her presence at the Jaipur festivities, which rounded off the couple's recent two-week tour of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and India.

But at home, the media were less forgiving.

Earlier on the tour, Camilla was caught on camera being unduly irritated by a fly, suffering in the sweltering heat, and almost landing on her bottom as an aide unwittingly pulled a chair from underneath her.

'The more practice she gets the better, doubtless, she will become', said the BBC in what was one of the more favourable comments on Camilla's peformance.

Earlier, during a tour of Egypt, the British tabloid media had been ruthless in their criticism of Charles and Camilla whom they likened to an average middle-aged tourist couple.

'Fred and Gladys on holiday', read the scathing headlines, using the nicknames Charles and Camilla had given each other during the long years of their clandestine relationship.

'Strolling in the sunshine arm in arm, they looked like the typical couple no longer in the first flush of youth,' said the Daily Mail.

Before returning home, Camilla told the Times of India: 'I've fallen in love with India. It seems I'm walking through a dream.'

Back home, she will no doubt cherish the dream of garlands, of paths strewn with rose petals and enthusiastic crowds, who treated her and Charles as 'proper royals.'

Charles and Camilla have chosen to spend their wedding anniversary in the seclusion of Birkhall, a hunting lodge on the royal Balmoral Estate in Scotland, bequeathed to Charles by his grandmother, the 'Queen Mum', after her death in 2002.

During their time at the retreat, where they spent their honeymoon last year, and often met secretly before then, Charles and Camilla will have plenty of time to ponder the year that has passed.

Their first royal tour, to the US last autumn, had also been a success, considering that America, not so many years ago, had gone crazy about Diana.

But while Charles and Camilla both seem happier than ever before, they still have an uphill battle to conquer public opinion at home.

Polls show that 67 per cent of Britons now approve of Charles' decision to marry Camilla, compared to 57 per cent in March, 2005. <!--page-->

But 50 per cent still believe the wedding weakened, rather than strengthened, the monarchy, and 45 per cent remain opposed to the idea that Camilla should be queen.

Though this is much less than a year ago, the country remains divided over whether Charles should ever take the throne.

Some 40 per cent of Britons believe he should give up his birthright and allow Prince William, 23, to reign after the present queen dies.

Meanwhile Madame Tussaud's, the famous waxwork museum in London, will continue to hold back from adding a sculpture of Camilla to its collection.

'We poll our guests on who they want to see, and Camilla isn't a very popular choice yet', a Tussaud's spokeswoman said.