Stealing the Limelight

Written by Vincent Cable MP and published in Online Exclusive on Fri 11th Feb 2005

Just when the politicians were getting warmed up for an election, along come Charles and Camilla to steal the limelight.

On a personal level I feel a strong empathy for the couple as a widower who has recently re-married a divorcee, of the same age, and with grown up children on both sides. I hope they enjoy the same happiness. There, however, the similarity ends. Polo and talking to plants are not my thing.

The serious point however is that, for all the ups and downs of the royal family - the divorces, the scandals and some crass behaviour like Harry's swastika - they remain popular. Even amongst the radicals and revolutionaries in the House of Commons (and there aren't many of them) there is little mileage to be gained from republicanism. Apart from occasional grumbles about the cost of the royal household), there is little dissent from the general support for the monarchy as an institution and the Queen in particular. The constitutional problems have been deftly sidestepped by giving Camilla an impressive royal moniker, without her becoming Queen apparent. A very British solution.

Charles himself is a rather sad figure: destined not to do the job he has prepared for until he is an old man; party to a tragic and broken marriage; with eccentricities which over-shadow his genuinely valuable work with young people. I am sure no one will now begrudge him a settled and loving marriage.