Prince Charles and his fiancée Camilla Parker Bowles will soon be appearing in homes and workplaces all over Britain. The couple are set to embark on a marathon door-to-door tour, courtesy of two new stamps from the Royal Mail.
The photographs, showing the couple looking relaxed and happy, were personally chosen by the future king and his bride-to-be. The picture on the 30p stamp is from the Mey Games in Scotland last year, while the image on the 68p stamp was taken at Balmoral just after their engagement.
The jovial tone of the photos is in marked contrast to the formality of the stamps issued after Charles' wedding to Diana in 1981. And the Prince of Wales is likely to be in equally good spirits today, after the legal challenges to his forthcoming nuptials were quashed. Registar General Len Cook has agreed to issue a marriage certificate for him and Camilla, despite 11 formal complaints alleging their wedding would be illegal.
Objectors argued the marriage would violate a 169-year-old ban on members of the Royal Family making their vows in civil ceremonies. Experts say the 1998 Human Rights Act overrides any obstacle that might be found in that legislation, however. "The Prince and Mrs Parker Bowles are very pleased," affirmed a Clarence House spokesman after the news was announced.
Charles was continuing his visit to New Zealand when he received word that his wedding had been given the green light. His big day must have felt a long way away, though, as two Maori elders attempted to fit him with a traditional grass skirt and feather cloak. |
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