Princess Diana Was ‘Reluctant’ To Marry Charles Due To His Feelings For Camilla?

Last Updated:August 01, 2025, 19:01 IST

Princess Diana was worried about her marriage to King Charles III due to his attachment to Camilla, royal commentators said.

Princess Diana and Charles were in tears the night before their 1981 wedding.

Princess Diana was very worried about her marriage with King Charles III largely stemming from his long-standing attachment to Camilla Parker Bowles, several royal experts said. Royal commentator Ian Pelham Turner claimed that both Princess Diana and Charles were in tears the night before their 1981 wedding. The royal commentator said, “Diana was reluctant about marrying Charles but was told by her sister it was too late. The tea towels with their joint images were already being sold."

Charles, too, was emotionally distressed, he said, adding, “They both cried." Charles was still in love with Camilla and even wore cufflinks bearing her insignia on his wedding day. The cufflinks, reportedly a private gift, were interpreted by some commentators as a quiet but deliberate gesture of inclusion.

While Charles’ relationship with Camilla was known within royal circles long before his marriage to Princess Diana, the degree of emotional conflict he carried into the wedding continues to draw attention as royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith described the prince as emotionally torn as he was pressured by royal expectations to marry someone deemed appropriate, even as his heart lay elsewhere.

At the time, Camilla was married to Andrew Parker Bowles and considered unsuitable as a royal bride due to her previous relationship with Charles and her status as a divorcee. The monarchy and the Church of England held firm views about marital suitability, especially for the heir to the throne.

Royal expert Hilary Fordwich said that Charles felt obligated to marry Princess Diana after pressure from Prince Philip and senior courtiers. His godmother, Patricia Mountbatten, reportedly warned him against going through with the marriage, aware of his unresolved feelings for Camilla.

Even during the honeymoon, emotional distance was evident as Princess Diana reportedly discovered a bracelet Charles had commissioned for Camilla, deepening her suspicions and sense of betrayal. Despite these early fractures, Princess Diana is believed to have entered the marriage with hope. However, as Camilla’s presence in Charles’ life persisted, Princess Diana’s optimism reportedly gave way to pain and isolation.

“From the start, the public preferred the princess, though privately she was angst-ridden and bulimic," royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said. Princess Diana later said in 1995, “Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."

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