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Prince Charles and Camilla wed

Last updated on: April 09, 2005 19:42 IST

Britain's Prince Charles on Saturday married his long-time sweetheart Camilla Parker Bowles.

The wedding has made official a relationship that was on-and-off for more than 30 years.

Queen Elizabeth II, the mother of 56-year-old Charles, did not attend the closed-door civil wedding ceremony at Guildhall, 32 km from London.

However, his sons from his first wife Diana, Princes William and Harry, were present along with Parker Bowles' children Tom and Laura.

The wedding took place amidst heavy security at the 17th century Guildhall in Windsor, a beautiful riverside town that has been home to British monarchs for a millennium.

The eldest sons of Charles and Parker Bowles, both divorcees, Prince William and Tom Parker Bowles respectively served as witnesses at the wedding where there were only 28 guests.

Crowds thronged the streets and cheered as Prince Charles and Parker Bowles drove together in a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI for the ceremony.

After the 20-minute civil ceremony, the couple emerged with wedding rings visible on their fingers to cheers from waiting crowds.

The wedding, which was postponed by a day due to the funeral of Pope John Paul II, took place eight years after the death of Princess Diana in an accident in 1997.

The Deputy Registrar General Dennis Roberts dismissed three objections lodged against the royal wedding, a statement on his behalf said.

 

H S Rao in London
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