Royals | Celebrity

Journalist Reveals Prince Charles And Camilla Plotted To Destroy Diana's Reputation

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When a relationship falls apart, it takes time for life to transition back into normalcy, or as normal as you can be if you're part of the royal family.

While the British monarchy has had its fair share of feuds and scandals, they were typically kept hidden from the scrutinizing public.

One of the largest royal bombshells was the high-profile divorce between Prince Charles and Princess Diana. While there had been whispers about their unhappy marriage, people from around the world were still shocked at the demise of the their "fairy tale romance."

Along with several other digressions, it came to light Charles was engaged in an affair with his former girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles. He would later marry the now-Duchess of Cornwall to his family's disapproval, but still strive to have her accepted not only within the royal monarchy, but in the public's eye as well.

But, to what lengths did he go to?

In Rebel Prince: The Power and Passion and Defiance of Prince Charles, investigative journalist Tom Bower reveals two years after Diana's death, Camilla, Charles and his assistant private secretary Mark Bolland came up with a plan to "demythologize Diana by portraying her as a manipulative hysteric," in an effort to raise Camilla's popularity with the public.

As approval ratings showed the vast majority of British citizens preferred Diana to the heir to the throne, the pair turned to author Penny Junor who was in the midst of writing a book sympathetic to Camilla. According to Bower, Junor was planning on portraying Diana as "an unbalanced and unfaithful wife, suffering from a borderline personality disorder, who had compelled Charles to return to his true love."

However, it wouldn't be easy to heal the couple's reputation following a slew of scathing media reports. In a secretly recorded interview shown on Panorama in 1995, Diana spoke on the demise of her failed marriage and said: "Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."

Of course, it also didn't help Camilla's reputation either when it was reported she called Diana a "mouse" and referred to her as "that mad cow" during her marriage to the prince.

The couple went to New York together and Camilla was introduced to several high-profiled figures and journalists - to mixed reactions. The former head of Charles's charities in the U.S., Robert Higdon, reportedly said: "For [Camilla] to get up in the morning and survive until nightfall is a major effort."

"It was even hard for her to get out of bed. She tries her best to do nothing during the day. It was horrible, a disaster," he added.

However, matters had gradually improved. There slowly began to be positive stories of the pair in the media, and in 1999, they were comfortable to be publicly seen for the first time together. Charles and Camilla were seen stepping out of the Ritz hotel in London, in the presence of hundreds of photographers.

Staying true to her word, Junor's biography, The Duchess: Camilla Parker Bowles and the Love Affair That Rocked the Crown, sympathized with Camillia, claiming she is "possibly the most wronged and misunderstood woman I have ever met. Diana chose to make false claims about her and the mud stuck."

"She said that Camilla and Charles had made love on the night before the royal wedding. That is simply not true. It was at lunchtime. And only a blowjob at that," Junor added.

While it may not be the most glorifying introduction, the acceptance of Camilla may finally be on the up.

What do you think about Charles and Camilla's campaign against the late Princess of Wales?

[H/T: Daily Mail, PEOPLE]

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