The love drama about Camilla: “Charles and Diana weren’t right for each other”

Diana, Charles and Camilla – the drama is well known from the perspective of the late Princess Diana (1961-1997). For her new film “Camila – Beloved. Wife. Queen.” (December 22nd, 11:45 p.m., ZDF, and in the media library) Royal expert Julia Melchior put on the other glasses and looked at the events from King Charles (76) and Queen Camilla (77) perspective. In an interview with spot on news, she talks about the great love between today’s royal couple and the impressive performance of the “Royal Patchwork Family”.

Julia Melchior: Ever since Diana’s famous statement, “There were three of us in our marriage,” Camilla has been seen in the role of marital saboteur. Of course, it is true that Charles committed adultery with Camilla, but Camilla did not force herself into this marriage. Charles and Diana had an unhappy marriage. They didn’t fit each other. The two have nothing more in common than their children. Camilla, on the other hand, was his old love, his great love and his soul mate, to whom he turned again when his marriage to Diana failed. This is not a justification for adultery, but it is the story of two people who love each other for a lifetime and belong to each other.

Melchior: During my research and filming, I met a woman who wasn’t interested in Charles because he was the Prince of Wales, and who was never interested in becoming Queen. But who has the virtues that really make her a queen. She is steadfast and very disciplined. She accepted the role with everything expected. She never complains and has never taken revenge on anyone for being beaten up like that. She was called a Rottweiler and an adulteress. Her life and the lives of her children have been turned upside down. She was the mother of teenagers at the time and the fact that she handled everything so stoically speaks for her character.

Melchior: That’s right, these two women are similar in that way. Camilla is also not concerned about herself, but about the institution, about her husband. She serves the crown and she supports the king. She particularly demonstrated this last year when she suddenly had to take on a lot of tasks and appointments after the royal family was diagnosed with cancer twice. Although of course it also costs her strength – she is in her late 70s – and she is not considered a workaholic by nature. Camilla never had to work. It wasn’t until she married Charles in her mid-50s that her professional career essentially began. She wasn’t even raised to do that. Camilla was a senior daughter. Their training was actually all about preparing them for marriage and social life. Camilla makes no secret of this. Others might have tried to sell their biography a little differently.

Melchior: Until his marriage to Camilla, Charles was perceived as clumsy, non-committal and unhappy in his official duties. That has totally changed. He has gained more confidence and makes a visibly satisfied impression. He just arrived. The two are united by their love of country life. They enjoy gardening and going for walks. Camilla still has her house in Wiltshire, where she cooks herself and the atmosphere is familiar and cozy. Furthermore, both are intellectuals in a certain way. Although she doesn’t necessarily share his love of music, she is enthusiastic about literature. They meet at eye level. Added to this is the mutual circle of friends. Charles did not have this common denominator with Diana. She was active in the London yuppie and youngster scene, while Charles had his university friends from Cambridge, who were all a bit older and more withdrawn.

Melchior: People had sympathy for Diana because she was the victim and also portrayed herself as a victim in the media. You only know their variant. Of course she was the one who was cheated on, but conversely Charles was also the one who was cheated on, she cheated on him too. We know that Charles is more of a romantic than a pragmatist. He is quite a sensitive person. But he was used to not talking about feelings and that they had to be under control at all costs. And then there was this young, passionate woman who sometimes threw tantrums. Charles couldn’t handle it. He wasn’t used to it and wasn’t raised to it. A member of the royal family is expected to keep his emotions under control, especially in public. That’s not always a bad thing, because a lot of things simply have no place in the public eye.

Melchior: Yes and no. On the one hand, Diana had taken on the part that didn’t really suit him. Charles never had any airs and graces and didn’t have to put himself in the foreground. He has always been able to integrate well and subordinate himself to his mother, the Queen. On the other hand, Diana distracted too much from his role as heir to the throne and the matter. She looked for the big stage and used it for herself. At first, Charles was also proud of his young, pretty wife. He had already gone into the marriage with the intention that it would work out. It’s not like he planned the doubleheader. From the wedding onwards there was also a cut between Charles and Camilla. Before that, Camilla had even influenced him to marry Diana. She was part of the closest circle and therefore also one of those who took Diana by the hand. But it didn’t stay that way.

Melchior: Camilla and Kate have a particularly good relationship. When William and Kate got engaged, Camilla invited Kate to dinner and showed her a little about what it meant to marry into this family. The two women were in a similar situation – in 2005, Camilla married the first heir to the throne, and in 2011, Kate married the second. That connects. In a sense, Kate is not prejudiced because she only met Camilla when she was the accepted woman at Charles’ side. The good relationship between Kate and Camilla has of course also had a positive effect on William’s relationship with Camilla. Because one must not forget that not only Harry, but also William had a problem accepting Camilla as a stepmother after everything that had happened.

Melchior: Absolutely. This whole family constellation demanded an incredible amount from everyone. Charles and Camilla, his children William and Harry, but also Camilla’s children. What Tom and Laura Parker Bowles had to read about their mother in the newspaper or listen to at school or wherever. It was on everyone’s lips and there was only one enemy: Camilla. It’s actually a great achievement how everyone managed this together – as a royal patchwork family. This Christmas everyone in Sandringham is united around the Christmas tree. Except for Harry. It’s sad that Charles doesn’t know his grandchildren Archie and Lilly.

Melchior: She is said to be very grandmotherly about everything that happens around her hearth. And she enjoys reading with her grandchildren. But she shouldn’t just be the caring grandmother who takes everything into consideration. She is described as downright competitive when playing with her grandchildren. She doesn’t just let her grandchildren win, she also has fun doing it herself. Time with the grandchildren seems to be very important to Charles and Camilla.