Charles cried before marrying Diana, begged Camilla not to wed her husband

London: The night before his glamorous wedding to Princess Diana, in July 1981, Prince Charles reportedly wept as he was still torn about his feelings for his former girlfriend (and then-mistress) Camilla ParkerBowles, reveals a new book.

Royal author Penny Junor says Charles stood at a Buckingham Palace window watching crowds with tears streaming down his face. The book, serialised in the Daily Mail, is based on accounts from the Duchess’s family and confidantes and tells of three stages in her secret relationship with Charles.

The story of Charles and Camilla is well-documented — the two dated after being introduced in 1971, beginning a love affair that would make headlines for decades. The book claims the prince fell for his second wife quickly, but that there relationship never progressed amid warnings from his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten that she was not sufficiently aristocratic.

She was dating Andrew Parker Bowles, who eventually proposed in 1973, while the Prince was in the West Indies, and Camilla accepted. Charles reportedly wrote in one letter that it was cruel such a “such a blissful, peaceful and mutually happy relationship” should last just six months and even begged Camilla not to go through with the marriage.

The book claims that Andrew was unfaithful to Camilla with a succession of different woman, including a number of her friends, causing much heartache.