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Charles' reputation survived the TV show, but the book, Prince of Wales, in which the ditching of Diana and the complaints about his parents are spelled out, was a disaster from which he has not recovered. If Bradford is accurate when she writes that Charles returned to Camilla by 1984--three years after his marriage, before the birth of Prince Harry and presumably before the marriage became, in Charles' words, "irretrievably broken down"--the resurgence in popularity that his supporters predict will follow the divorce may be a long time coming.
London School of Economics historian David Starkey calls the Waleses' marriage "one of the best-documented human relationships since the Greek myths." It's now clear that the union had little chance of enduring. Charles took Mountbatten's advice to play around for a while and then settle down with a simple, virginal girl. Says Starkey: "That's advice that might have been quite sensible in 1906, but somewhat foolish in 1980."
As his marital disaster became apparent to him, Charles asked friends how he could have got it so wrong. The question now is, What can he do to get it right? His supporters believe he will redeem himself through good works. Trouble is that the unlucky Prince gives his all for admirable causes that don't seem to matter much to either his subjects or the media: inner-city projects, helping ethnic minorities, assisting new small businesses. On a recent foray to York to pursue some of his public-spirited interests, no national press accompanied him.
Charles' larger problem will continue to be his private life. In Britain speculation about whether he and Parker Bowles will marry is obsessive. Constitutionally, there is nothing to stop them. Though Camilla has been reported to be a Roman Catholic, she is not; her former husband is. What Charles would require is his mother's permission; if she refused him, he could appeal to Parliament. As King he could wed without anyone's blessing.
But there is something phony about these scenarios. What the heir to the throne can do is circumscribed by public opinion. To survive the royals must be acceptable, if not popular. The ubiquitous royal commentator Brian Hoey puts it this way: "Even though they were both guilty, all the blame in the relationship goes to Camilla. The people of Britain will never, ever forgive her, and that's why she will never become Queen. If Charles decides to marry her, he will no doubt lose the throne. Even though constitutionally nothing prevents him, the success of the monarchy depends upon the goodwill of the people."
These truths are what causes all the talk of Prince William, 13, leapfrogging over his father. There is little doubt that Charles wants to reign--it's all he has ever trained for--but he will have to accommodate his private life to public expectations. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of his personality is that it's hard to predict whether he will conform or stage a quixotic effort to win public opinion to his favor.