PRINCE CHARLES : THE DIMBLEBY INTERVIEW, 1994
These are the passages from the documenary Prince Charles
: The Private Man, The Public Role, in which the Prince
of Wales discussed the failure of his first marriage with Jonathan
Dimbleby. The programme aired on the British ITV network on
29 June, 1994, just before the 25th anniversay of Charles's
investiture as Prince of Wales.
Dimbleby: Do you believe that the breakdown of your
marriage and the circumstances of its collapse has damaged you
and the way you're seen, and the institution which you represent?
Charles: Well, obviously, I don't recommend it to
anyone. Any breakdown of a marriage is obviously, you know,
a dreadful thing, and unfortunately it causes great unhappiness
and consternation and everything else, inevitably. Umm, so I
suppose at the same time that its inevitable that in the wake
of something like that you get all sorts of turbulence. I mean,
I knew perfectly well … I mean, one of the difficulties I find
about this life is the predictability of what so many people
are going to so about anything at anytime. And, it's difficult
for me now. Obviously, I would much rather it hadn't happened,
and, I'm sure my wife would have felt the same. It wasn't through
lack of trying, you know, on both parts … try and ensure that
these things work. No, I accept that I am sure that there is
a certain amount of damage, and that you can't avoid it with
something of this unfortunate nature.
Dimbleby: In the nature of the breakdowns of marriages
that you refer to, separations on the whole do lead to divorce.
It obviously is an option for you. How much is it on your mind?
Do you intend to divorce?
Charles: Well, I don't think you'd really expect me
to tell you what was in my mind! I mean, I … that sort of question,
you know, is very much for the future, and, if it happens, then
it'll happen. But I personally would … ummm … at the moment
it is not a consideration in my mind. And anyway it's something
which I think is very personal and private between my wife and
myself, and, that's how it'll remain.
Dimbleby: But you are Prince of Wales. It is legitimate
to ask, I think, whether, if you are divorced, it is an impediment
to you fulfilling your duty as you might have to do as king.
Charles: I don't see why it should be any impediment.
But … and that's the way I look at it. But ….I wouldn't
have thought so, no.
Footage and discussion about Charles and the boys, and
media intrusion, followed by more of the interview :-
Dimbleby: The most damaging charge that is made in relation
to your marriage is that you were, because of your relationship
with Camilla Parker-Bowles, from the beginning persistently
unfaithful to your wife, and thus caused the breakdown. What
is your response to that persistent criticism?
Charles: Oh, that's the persistent criticism, is it?
Well I … the trouble is, you see, that these things, again,
as I was saying earlier, are so personal, and it's difficult
to know how to talk about these things in front of everybody,
and obviously I think most people wouldn't want to. But all
I can say is there's been so much speculation feeding on every
other kind of speculation that it really all becomes bigger
and bigger. And all I can say is that, I mean, there is no truth
in so much of this speculation. And, Mrs Parker-Bowles is a
great friend of mine. I have a large number of friends, I'm
terribly lucky to have so many friends, who I think are wonderful,
and make the whole difference to my life, which would become
intolerable otherwise. And she has been a friend for a very
long time and, along with a lot of other friends, and will continue
to be a friend for a very long time. And I think also most people
probably would realise that when marriages break down, awful
and miserable as that is, that so often, you know, it is your
friends who are the most important and helpful and understanding
and encouraging. Otherwise, you would go stark raving mad; and
that's what friends are for.
Dimbleby: Understandably, when your marriage collapsed
you form close friendships, you re-establish close friendships,
of whatever character that friendship is. Were you … did you
try to be faithful and honourable to your wife when you took
on the vow of marriage?
Charles: Yes, absolutely
Dimbleby: And were you?
Charles: Yes, until it became irretrievably broken down,
us both having tried.
Dimbleby: you've been very open about all of this and
what you said. Do you now hope that this issue and expect this
issue to go away. Is that what you hope will now happen?
Charles: Well it would be nice if it did from everybody's
point of view. I mean I don't think many other people have to
go through this constant attention, not just me but others when
their marriages breakdown. I mean, as I've said before it is
a deeply regrettable thing to happen but err it does happen
and unfortunately in this case it has happened … I mean it's
the last possible thing that I ever wanted to happen. I'm not
a total idiot I do … unaware of all these problems; and as I
was saying before this business of predicting what everybody
would say. It's not something that I went into marriage, you
know, with the intention of this happening or in anyway in a
cynical frame of mind. I mean, I am on the whole not a cynical
person,and you know I have …I, I, I … it sounds self-righteous
to say, that I have tried on the whole to get it right but constantly
people scrutinizing .. I have always tried to get it right tried
to do the right thing by everybody so that you can imagine it's
not a very happy or encouraging thing when this sort of business
happens. So obviously it would be nice if it could be over and
done with. I mean it has happened that, that is that, regrettably.
Footage of a memorial concert for Ruth, Lady Fermoy, attended
by members of the Royal Family, including The Queen, Queen Mother,
Duke of Edinburgh, Prince and Princess of Wales; with a voiceover
by Prince Charles on the difficulties facing those who marry
into the royal family
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