Prince Charles and his companion Camilla Parker Bowles will not attend the wedding of his godson this weekend, sparking reports in Wednesday’s newspapers that they refused to be seated apart.
The reports underline the continuing social awkwardness of Charles’ very public liaison with a woman he says he has no plans to marry.
The Daily Mail, which played the story on its front page, said Charles pulled out because Parker Bowles was assigned a seat in Chester Cathedral several rows behind him.
The Daily Telegraph, in its front-page story, headlined: ”Camilla boycotts wedding over snub.”
The explanation from Charles’ office, however, was that he was passing up the wedding of godson Edward van Cutsem and Laday Tamara Grosvenor to meet with families of the Black Watch Regiment, which was recently redeployed nearer Baghdad.
”He’s very keen to meet the families and Saturday was the earliest opportunity to do so,” a spokesperson said on Tuesday.
Charles’ eldest son, Prince William, reportedly will be at the wedding, serving as an usher, and Queen Elizabeth II was also expected to attend. – Sapa-AP