Resurfaced Clip of Prince Charles Cracking a Joke About Having 'Two Wives' Leaves a Bad Taste

Prince Charles and Princess Diana's grand wedding seemed straight out of a fairy tale. However, what followed in the months thereafter was a far cry from the happily-ever-after we had anticipated. As time went on, it became evident that their marriage was doomed from the get-go as Charles remained in love with old flame Camilla Parker Bowles. While, after years of rebuilding their public image after Diana's death, the public has come to love the couple together, a resurfaced clip of Charles joking that his life would have been easier with two wives has sparked outrage among royal fans.

The remark came during the couple’s 1983 tour of Australia and New Zealand, when signs of tension in their marriage were evident. In a speech in Auckland, Charles said, “I’ve come to the conclusion that really it would have been easier to have two wives to cover both sides of the street. And I could have walked down the middle directing the operation.” At the time, the audience present, laughed, while 21-year-old Diana sat shy, not showing any emotion. The clip of the same has since gone viral on TikTok, as reported by Newsweek.

A TikToker commented, “I had never seen that video, and it seems that Diana was holding back the urge to cry🥺🥺.” Another opined, “He was already with Camila before marrying Diana; the marriage was just a facade for the people, to hide the affair.” On YouTube, a netizen chimed, “This was only a humorous comment to those who knew nothing of the mistress at the time. He did have TWO wives: one for the public and one for his private life. Notice how Diana keeps her head down but shifts her eyes upward. Quite telling.” Meanwhile, a royal watcher slammed, “Very distasteful. You don't disrespect your partner, not even in a joke form.”

To make matters worse, Charles repeated the joke at a state dinner in New Zealand in April 1983 and later in South Korea in November 1992. By then, the news of his affair with Camilla had already become public. Reflecting on the same, royal biographer, Andrew Morton, said, “[Diana] was seething and dying inside because she was jealous and angry at [Charles’] relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles.”

In 1995, during her interview with Martin Bashir, Diana too remarked that there were three people in their marriage, as reported by the Daily Express. Charles also made a similar comment during his trip to India. While visiting the majestic Taj Mahal, he reportedly cracked an awkward joke when asked by reporters what he thought of the iconic monument, built by a Mughal emperor as a tribute to his wife. The prince said, “I’m encouraged by the fact that if I were to become a Muslim. I could have lots of wives.” The British reporters exchanged uneasy glances, unsure whether the Prince was making a joke, as reported by the Daily Express.