Prince Harry — sixth in line to the British throne and everyone's favorite ginger — is set to marry Meghan Markle this Saturday at St. George's Chapel in Windsor, and the world can hardly wait. (Yes, I will be heading to Windsor for the ceremony! No, I did not receive an official invitation!) And between Meghan and Harry's impending nuptials and the popularity of shows like The Crown, it seems that we're all suddenly transfixed by rules of royal romance, including Prince Charles' marriages to Diana and Camilla.
Though the House of Windsor has maintained that traditionally English "stiff upper lip" mentality in the face of several (allegedly) scandalous love affairs — and though it's impossible to really know what goes on between any royal couples behind closed doors, we commoners can deduce bits and pieces about these various relationships. By looking at both couple's astrological compatibility and body language, it's clear that one coupling seems much more comfortable than the other. Beyond the differences in their feelings (or what we perceive to be their feelings) toward one another, though, there are also a handful of pretty straightforward differences between both relationships and subsequent marriages.
Here are three ways that Charles' two marriages were totally different, in case you were wondering.
Astrologically, Charles is definitely more compatible with one of these women.
All right, so. Before we dive into all three royals' zodiac signs, know this: Scorpio and Cancer pairings tend to go one of two ways. They either result in a deep, passionate, and almost instant connection, or lead to a totally toxic and drama-filled sitch.
Now, guess which signs Charles, Diana, and Camilla are.
That's right, friends. Charles — a Scorpio (born on Nov. 14, 1948) — seems to have a thing for Cancers, as both of his wives are of the same sign (Camilla was born on Jul. 17, 1947, while Diana was born Jul. 1, 1961).
Again, we can only speculate what both marriages were (and are) truly like, but given the short and seemingly tumultuous nature of Charles and Diana's relationship, we can assume their pairing was more dramatic than steady. Charles and Camilla, however, been married for nearly a decade and a half, and they seem to have been drawn to one another since they first met in 1970. It seems safe to assume, then, that they had an instant connection. Though this couple has certainly had their ups and downs, they seem to have a much more comfortable, and presumably less toxic, connection.
Do you think Charles checks his horoscope on the regs? I'm guessing no.
Their body language suggests that Camilla and Charles are very comfortable together.
The Prince of Wales is a man of few words, but we all know that actions speak louder anyway. With that in mind, a quick look at Charles and Camilla's body language and actions toward one another indicate that the couple has a happy, healthy, and very comfortable relationship.
As body language expert Tonya Reiman recently shared with Elite Daily, the photo above shows that "these two are closely mirroring one another and appear to have a healthy relationship."
When asked if he and Diana were in love during their engagement interview, however, Charles famously replied, "Whatever 'in love' means." And I don't think we need any kind of language expert to deduce that that's not what you want to hear when you're newly betrothed, no?
The weddings were totally different.
Charles and Diana tied the knot on Jul. 29, 1981, with a gloriously massive wedding at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The Queen was in attendance, the newlyweds rode through the British capital on horse-drawn carriages, and more than 750 million viewers tuned in to watch the Prince and Princess of Wales exchange their vows.
Charles' civil ceremony with Camilla in 2005 was a much smaller, more intimate affair. The Prince announced his engagement himself, the Queen did not attend the event at St. George's Chapel (the same spot Harry and Meghan are set to wed this Saturday!), and Camilla wore a silvery blue gown.
Now, I may be reading too much into this, but according to BridePower.com, blue wedding gowns indicate "lifelong loyalty," whereas white (the color of Diana's gown) is usually associated with innocence and purity. Is it too much to suggest that Camilla's choice of wedding attire was a way of saying, "I may not be completely innocent, but I will def be loyal to my boy Charles?" Goodness knows.
But it seems these two have weathered quite the storm thus far, and may have blue skies from now on.