Princess Diana was ‘distracted’ by Camilla Parker-Bowles on her wedding day after catching sight of Prince Charles’s ex on her way down the aisle, royal biographer claims
- EXCLUSIVE CLIP
- Diana was ‘focused’ on Camilla Parker-Bowles on her wedding day, it’s claimed
- Sally Bedell Smith claims the royal caught sight of Camilla in the congregation
- Said: ‘The one thing she [Diana] is focusing on is the image of Camilla’
- Claim is aired in a new episode of CNN documentary series The Windsors
Princess Diana was distracted by Camilla Parker-Bowles after catching sight of her on her wedding day, a royal biographer claimed.
Speaking on this week’s episode of CNN documentary series The Windsors, royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith tells how Diana spotted Charles’s ex-girlfriend as she walked down the aisle at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral on 29 July 1981.
The American author and historian, who has penned biographies on Diana, Charles and the Queen, explains that Diana found herself competing with Camilla, even on that most ‘magical’ of days.
Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith tells how Diana spotted Charles’s ex-girlfriend Camilla (circled) as she walked down the aisle at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral on 29 July 1981
‘As Diana walks down the aisle with her father, she sees Camilla,’ Bedell Smith says in a clip shared exclusively with FEMAIL.
‘There she is, on this magical day, and the one thing she is focusing on is the image of Camilla.’
The six-part CNN Original Series, which is airing in the US, tells the story of the Windsor dynasty, starting with King Edward’s ascension to the throne and working towards the future of the monarchy.
This week’s episode, which airs on Sunday night, is titled Love or Duty, and focuses on Prince Charles’s romance with the then Camilla Shand, the loss of his beloved great uncle Lord Mountbatten, and his eventual decision to marry Diana.
The documentary notes how the British public was swept up in the grandeur and the romance of the match between the future king and the beautiful young society beauty, unaware that there was more going on behind the scenes. Pictured, the couple on their wedding day
American author and historian Sally Bedell Smith, pictured in the documentary, explains that Diana found herself competing with Camilla, even on that most ‘magical’ of days
The documentary paints a picture of a prince who chooses his bride out of a sense of duty, despite his lingering feelings for Camilla.
‘Charles persuaded himself that he could be in love with Diana,’ royal biographer Tina Brown explains in the episode. ‘At least enough in love to get married.’
The expert commentary is accompanied by stunning footage of the wedding, as well as shots of the crowds who lined the streets of London in celebration.
The documentary notes how the British public was swept up in the grandeur and the romance of the match between the future king and the beautiful young society beauty, unaware that there was more going on behind the scenes.
The documentary paints a picture of a prince who chooses his bride out of a sense of duty, despite lingering feelings for Camilla. Pictured, Charles and Camilla on their wedding day
‘[They were] totally in love with this ideal couple,’ Dr Edward Owens, author of The Family Firm, says. ‘And yet, the public can’t see everything.’
Sir William Heseltine, former private secretary to the Queen, was among those who believed Charles had made an excellent choice in his future wife.
He says: ‘I thought, like so many other people, that it was an ideal match. I don’t think anybody would have disagreed with that at the time.’
But it is alleged that even on her wedding day, Diana found herself competing with Camilla Parker-Bowles.
The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty continues Sunday, March 8, at 10pm ET/PT