17 DECEMBER 2003
It has been rumoured that Camilla Parker Bowles will accompany Prince Charles to Spain's royal wedding next May. According to sources close to the Spanish royal family, Camilla will be welcome when Crown Prince Felipe and newsreader Letizia Ortiz make their vows in Madrid's Almudena Cathedral.

Some royal watchers say her presence would send out a constructive message, as Letizia, like Camilla, is a divorcee. "The fact that Charles' companion is a divorced woman is not a reason to exclude her," said Spanish royal biographer Jaime Peñafiel. "Why should the Prince of Wales' companion not be here?"

Attending the wedding would also be significant for Camilla, as she has never accompanied Prince Charles to such a high profile gathering. Although the pair have turned out for a number of official events together, Camilla is yet to join him at a royal wedding, and she was not invited to the Wessexes' nuptials in 1999.

The Spanish royal family has yet to confirm Camilla's invitation, however. "We will not be making any comment on the guest list until it is published one month before the event," said a spokesman.