Living in London

The upcoming wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles continues to generate controversy and headlines.

First, there was the news that the couple would have to change the wedding venue from Windsor Castle to the nearby town hall. Apparently, licensing the royal palace would cause too much disruption (not to mention the fact that it would have enabled commoners to enjoy the same right as the Prince of Wales to marry in the castle, which is the Queen’s favourite residence). The consolation for us commoners is that the town hall will allow the public to cheer the newlyweds as they arrive and leave.

And this is just the beginning. According to an article the Times, "the Queen is deeply concerned at the shambolic preparations for her son’s second wedding." Apparently, the change in venue will cost the residents of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead £1 million ($1.87 million).

Then came the startling headlines that the Queen will not attend the ceremony. Stating that she wanted to respect her son's wish for a low-key occasion, the Queen opted to attend the blessing and reception.

Now the couple have fallen victim to an unfortunate confluence of international events. The wedding, originally scheduled for Friday, April 8, now conflicts with the funeral of the pope. What were the chances of that?

At first, a spokesperson for the Prince said the wedding would go ahead as planned. But then several VIP's (including the Prime Minister) said that they would be heading to Rome to attend the funeral, the couple agreed to postpone the wedding. The couple have now announced that the wedding will be moved to Saturday morning.

For all the latest, as well as a complete history, see the Charles and Camilla section at the Times.