the ones to put a stop to them. Prince Charles had been brought up to do a job no matter what and in his mind, his private life had little or nothing to do with it but what he was not interested in, was the odd encounter. His interest in women had always been something that even staged public relations exercises could not put across effectively. A state that demands “normal” behaviour, including treatment of women as sex objects, would find it very difficult to put a man of the people in that role. In this case, it tried and failed. What Prince C harles needed was a solid counterpart who could share his fears and sentiments and leave him free to roam. He needed a stability which a theatrically passionate, demanding wife with wires crossed, could not provide. When he continued with his relationship with Camilla, despìte teh threats, he did it, I feel, because that was where he felt protected and relaxed in an atmosphere that he understood.. There were no demands – just those that the very nature of the closeness provoked. If he had managed to get this at home, this relationship would not have prospered. The Prince had fought his way through a very wide variety of situations which went against his ambitions. He had been denied a useful job and like his father had often been told off indirectly by a censorious media eager to show him up. “Make them laugh” said Prince Phillip once, a little indiscreetly “and you have them on your side. It does however make sense when after all, trying to establish a balanced relationship within thirty second with thousand you shake your hands, is hardly a formula for acclaim. I once asked a similar question to a Governor of a Crown Territory who had little if anything in common with the local residents.