THE love affair of the century was over before it began. In the hours leading up to his marriage to Lady Diana Spencer, Prince Charles lay in bed at Buckingham Palace with Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles.
Across the Commonwealth and around the world, millions were preparing their own celebrations for the wedding of the century. Meanwhile world leaders and their representatives were gathering in London to attend a unique historic occasion.
The Charles and Diana story had struck a chord in the steeliest of hearts. But it was all a sham. It was Camilla with whom Charles was besotted; Diana was simply there to make a marriage of convenience. But for now the world remained in ignorance.
The previous evening the Queen had given a dinner party at Buckingham Palace for relatives and close friends of the couple. It was small by Buckingham Palace standards - only 40 or so - but later the party moved into the ballroom for a huge reception anddance which went on until 2.30am.
Among the guests were Andrew Parker Bowles and his wife Camilla. As the band struck up, the Prince of Wales asked Camilla to dance. Just one dance, but then she would see him again later that night.
They knew that Diana, his future bride, would be unaware of the assignation, as she was to stay at Clarence House, the official London residence of the Queen Mother, from where she would make her carriage ride to St Paul's Cathedral the next morning.
One of two people who spoke to me of Charles and Camilla's late-night liaison was the prince's valet, Stephen Barry. Though later he became a somewhat controversial figure - he was to die of AIDS - Barry was devoted to his master and in turn was regarded with deep affection by Charles.
