Charles to wed Friday despite Pope's funeral
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-04-04 08:41

The wedding of Britain's Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles, already hit by several glitches, will go ahead Friday even if it clashes with the funeral of Pope John Paul, a spokeswoman said Sunday.

Clarence House said the date of April 8 had been set for some time and they had not considered postponing the wedding.

"If the funeral falls Friday, the wedding will still go ahead," a spokeswoman said of the heir-to-the-throne's plans. The Pope's funeral was expected to be held between Wednesday and Friday.

A poster celebrating the upcoming Royal Wedding hangs in the window of the local tourist office near Windsor Castle and the Guildhall. Camilla Parker Bowles will be given the title Princess of Wales, the one most associated with the late Princess Diana, when she marries Britain's Prince Charles on Friday, a newspaper said.[AFP/File]

Buckingham Palace said they had not decided yet which royals would attend the Pope's funeral, if any, but royal biographer Robert Lacey said Queen Elizabeth would be unlikely to attend.

"She goes to very few funerals," he told Reuters. "She tends to be represented by Prince Phillip or Prince Charles."

The Queen had already said she would not attend Charles' second marriage but would instead go to a blessing given afterwards by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, west of London.

Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales and his bride-to-be Camilla Parker Bowles are met by Reverend Christopher Mullholland, behind, as they arrive for a Sunday church service at St Lawrence's Church in Didmarton, England, in this Sunday, Feb. 13, 2005 file photo.[AP/file]

Charles divorced his first wife, Princess Diana, in 1996. She died in a car crash in Paris a year later.

Charles' sister and brothers, Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward, are expected to attend the wedding.

Lacey felt Charles would be very disappointed to miss the funeral.

"I don't think they'll be thinking in terms of their wedding or the PR (public relations). I think it is exactly the type of thing he would like to go to and represent his mother."

The Pope died Saturday evening.

Hundreds of world leaders are expected to attend the funeral, including President Bush. Downing Street have not said whether Prime Minister Tony Blair will attend.

The Royal wedding has been hit by several glitches from the outset.

The venue had to be switched from Windsor Castle to the town hall after a mix up over marriage licenses. Constitutional experts have also questioned the legality of a civil ceremony.

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