Prince Charles' wife announced Sunday that she will not attend a service marking the 10th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, after criticism that her presence would be inappropriate.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, had accepted an invitation from Charles and his sons, Princes William and Harry, to accompany them to the service Friday at the Guards' Chapel in London's Wellington Barracks. Some criticized the decision, since Camilla had an affair with Charles when he was still married to Diana.
"I'm very touched to have been invited by Prince William and Prince Harry to attend the thanksgiving service for their mother Diana, Princess of Wales," the duchess said in a statement. "I accepted and wanted to support them. However, on reflection I believe my attendance could divert attention from the purpose of the occasion which is to focus on the life and service of Diana. I'm grateful to my husband, William and Harry for supporting my decision."
Buckingham Palace said Queen Elizabeth II also supported this decision.
Hard-core Diana fans, who accuse Camilla of destroying Diana's marriage, were relieved.
"I couldn't be happier if I'd won the lottery," said Joan Berry, secretary of the Diana Appreciation Society.
Diana, known for her charity work and tabloid celebrity, died in a Paris car crash with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, on Aug. 31, 1997.
Diana married Charles in 1981 in a ceremony at St. Paul's Cathedral televised around the world. They had two sons, William and Harry, but divorced in 1996 after admissions of adultery on both sides.
Friday's anniversary will be marked with a nationally televised memorial service and specially commissioned prayers.
英国王储查尔斯的妻子卡米拉上周日表示，她不会出席戴安娜王妃逝世十周年的纪念活动，因为有批评声音称她的出现“不合适”。
此前，康沃尔公爵夫人卡米拉受到查尔斯和他的两个儿子威廉和哈里王子的邀请，一同参加本周五在伦敦惠灵顿军营卫兵礼拜堂举行的戴妃逝世十周年的纪念活动，但这一决定招来一些批评，因为卡米拉在查尔斯与戴安娜离婚之前就与查尔斯有着“暧昧”关系。
卡米拉在一份声明中说：“威廉王子和哈里王子邀请我参加他们的母亲、威尔士王妃戴安娜的感恩纪念仪式，我很感动。我接受了他们的邀请并希望能支持他们，但经过反复考虑，我想我的出现可能会转移人们对这场活动用意的关注，希望这场活动的焦点仍然是戴安娜的生平和贡献。感谢我的丈夫以及威廉王子和哈里王子支持我的决定。”
白金汉宫称，伊丽莎白女王二世对这一决定也表示赞同。
戴安娜王妃的铁杆“粉丝”们一直抨击卡米拉破坏了戴妃的婚姻。听到这一消息后，他们也都松了口气。
戴安娜评价会的秘书琼贝瑞说，“我中了奖都不会这么高兴。”
戴安娜生前热衷慈善事业，并一直是媒体热追的名人。1997年8月31日，戴安娜王妃与男友多迪?法耶兹在法国巴黎遭遇车祸身亡。
1981年，戴安娜与查尔斯在伦敦圣保罗大教堂举行婚礼，当时婚礼通过电视向全世界转播。他们育有两个儿子，威廉和哈里。1996年，两人因各自发生婚外情离婚。
将于本周五举行的戴安娜逝世十周年纪念活动将通过电视在英国全国转播，此外，还将举行特殊的祈祷仪式。
