Overview

• Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner reports that both Charles and Diana wept the night before their 1981 wedding due to lingering attachments and reluctance
• Charles wore cufflinks bearing Camilla’s insignia on his wedding day and commissioned a bracelet for her as private tokens of enduring affection
• Pressure from Prince Philip and the Church of England’s ban on marrying a divorcee compelled Charles to choose a young, virginal bride in Diana
• Diana’s discovery of the Camilla bracelet during her honeymoon deepened her suspicions and contributed to her emotional turmoil
• The renewed focus on these symbolic gestures and institutional constraints underscores the clash between personal love and royal duty