> I have to admit, strikes me as kind of romantic. It is >kind of like the ugly duckling girl finally triumphs over >the blond cheerleader (talk about your mixed metaphors >there... must get more coffee!).
I find your synopsis horrible! Ugly duckling girl was a homewrecking whore, blond cheerleader was horribly mislead into believing that her Prince loved her and was miserable to find out he didn't. You act like CPB is the victim here!
I'm not sure I would characterize any of these individuals (no, not even Diana), as a "victim" here. I don't think the situation is quite as black and white as you perceive it to be. I think there is blame to go around for the whole situation, and there also is something sad and rather futile about the whole mess. I was only noting that Charles didn't run off with a bimbo model/actress/socialite/whatever. He returned the woman who, it seems, was his first and true love. I agree with you that his conduct during his marriage to Diana was reprehensible (but hers was not perfect either), but to me there is still something about his loyalty to his first love. His disloyalty to his wife, however, is deserving of condemnation. How much better off all would have been had they just dealt with the situation openly, ended (or never begun) the obviously mismatched marriage, or at least behaved honorably in its demise.