“Prince Charles, in the newest confidentiality of these moment, told you, ‘Whatever like mode,’” Morton added. “You need to wonder, did he really have whichever legitimate perception to own Diana or is she, because the she thought herself, a sacrificial mutton … generating an heir and you will a spare and then are discarded?”
The brand new week of relationship, Diana discovered that their partner-to-become had provided a present in order to Camilla. Unsure of extent of your own pair’s unsolved active, Diana reportedly shared with her siblings you to definitely she wanted to call off the wedding. They, consequently, told you it absolutely was far too late to straight back out.
Charles was likewise conflicted, royal pro Ingrid Seward detailed in an effective 2019 documentary. Period till the marriage, the prince advised household members he was when you look at the good “baffled and you can anxious vibe.” Based on Seward, “Prince Charles leftover claiming ‘I want to perform the correct procedure by my personal nation. I wish to do the right thing because of the my children.’ [But] inside the center, I think the guy realized that they just had nothing in keeping.”
For centuries, royal marriages tended to serve a purpose, whether it be cementing an alliance with a foreign nation, marking the beginning of a new era, or bringing additional territory into a kingdom’s domain. Love rarely factored into the equation, though notable exceptions exist: In 1464, for instance, Edward IV secretly married commoner Elizabeth Woodville, thwarting advisors’ hopes of negotiating a diplomatically advantageous marriage; almost 70 years later, Edward’s grandson, Henry VIII, split from the Catholic Church in order to be with Anne Boleyn.