Why Prince Charles ‘Feared’ Princess Diana’s Memory Would Have ‘Adverse Effect’ On Camilla

Princess Diana’s memory still haunted Prince Charles after he tied the knot with Camilla. But this isn’t because he still had feelings for his ex-wife.

The heir to the throne was worried that the public’s memory of Princess Diana would have an adverse effect on their reception towards his second wife. According to royal expert Sally Bedell Smith, Prince Charles was anxious before he and Camilla embarked on their royal tour of California.

In the book “Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life,” Smith said that the royal couple didn’t know what to expect when they arrive in the United States.

“For both of them, Diana was a long shadow but, on that trip, it didn’t turn out to belong at all. Especially in California, it was ‘Princess Diana? Who cares?” Smith said.

Some royal fans who saw the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall only had good things to say about them. Missy Paterson, a resident of California, told SF Gate that the royals are just nice and normal people.

Lorna Brindley also said that Prince Charles and Camilla had a way of making the public feel comfortable around them.

“ You got a sense that they were really relaxed here. It's like we got to be the quiet part of their trip,” she said.

Meanwhile, Prince Charles and Camilla’s relationship was questioned by the public primarily because they had an affair while the former was still married to Princess Diana. But according to Penny Junor, even before the Princess of Wales passed away, the couple was already planning to confirm their relationship.

In the book “The Firm,” Junor said that Prince Charles and Camilla’s plan to make their relationship public was set aside after they woke up to the devastating news of Princess Diana’s passing. After the incident, the couple waited for a few more years before they stepped out in public again.