Royal Scum Shouts Crowd at Camilla and Charles "The Times" June 21, 2000

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David Coulthard is accompanied by his girlfriend
Photograph: SIMON BROOKE-WEBB

Charles and Camilla weather the storm

BY ANDREW PIERCE

THE Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles were subjected to a
tirade of abuse last night as they attended an engagement designed to
boost public approval of their relationship.

As they arrived for a charity gala dinner together in a chauffeur-
driven limousine, a small but vociferous group of anti-monarchists
started shouting and swearing at them.

As they emerged from the car, a dozen scruffy protesters sporting a
mixture of shaven heads and punk Mohican hairstyles held aloft a banner
depicting the decapitated heads, dripping blood, of the Queen, Queen
Elizabeth the Queen Mother and the Prince of Wales. Another banner
said: "Queen Mum die soon."

The Prince and Mrs Parker Bowles seemed momentarily taken aback as they
were subjected to cries of "royal scum". They glanced up but ignored
the protest. Mrs Parker Bowles looked slightly anxious, but managed a
smile as they walked in. The Prince's face was neutral as they quickly
walked the five yards from the car to the front door of the new
headquarters of the Prince's Foundation in Shoreditch, East London.

Stars from around the world attended the dinner in the unlikely setting
of a narrow back alley. The Australian model and actress Elle
Macpherson arrived with the designer, Valentino Garavani. The racing
driver David Coulthard and his American girlfriend, Heidi Wichlinski,
appeared to have recovered from his narrow escape from a plane crash
early last month.

The American comedienne Joan Rivers posed for the cameras wearing a
long, black gown covered in a red poppy print and an unusual feathered
hairpiece. Sir Richard Branson arrived alone and stood chatting to
photographers. Ushers in outfits designed by Tommy Hilfiger helped
celebrities from their cars and sheltered them from the rain with giant
umbrellas.

The dinner was the first official engagement attended together by the
Prince and Mrs Parker Bowles. She was wearing a full-length Versace
pale pink chiffon gown with a pink tulle stole. A crowd of about 100
photographers and television cameramen bathed the couple in a blaze of
light as they stepped from the limousine for the launch of the Prince's
latest charity venture.

It was only the second time that the couple have been photographed
together since details of their relationship were made public. On the
first occasion, at the Ritz in January last year, they provided a mere
20 seconds of royal history when they left together.

Last night there were two brief glimpses of the couple - when they
arrived and when they left. Plans had been made as long ago as October
for them to appear together to mark the launch of the Ł6 million
warehouse development.

The exiled King Constantine of Greece, who ended the rift between
mother and son when he brought the Queen and Mrs Parker Bowles together
for the first time at his birthday lunch at Highgrove, was also present
at the black-tie affair. But there were no members of the Royal Family
present to witness the culmination of the Prince's long-held dream to
bring all his architectural and environmental causes, aimed at helping
to revive town and city life, under one roof.

It was no coincidence that the couple decided to face the world again
on a night when at least one quarter of the kingdom was focused on the
fate of England's football team in Euro 2000. St James's Palace wanted
good publicity, but not the blanket coverage that followed Operation
Ritz. They did not want to be accused of upstaging the Queen, who is
holding a royal birthday party tonight at Windsor Castle for Queen
Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, the Duke of York and the
Princess Royal.

Tomorrow night, while the Queen remains at Windsor, Mrs Parker Bowles
will again be at the side of the Prince of Wales when he hosts a
private dinner at Buckingham Palace for 50 Americans who have backed
his new charity, which has a fundraising office in New York.

Last night the couple mingled freely with guests during a champagne
reception complete with specially mixed raspberry Martini. The chef was
Anton Mossiman, who has been given a royal warrant by the Prince.

The first course was vine- ripened tomatoes on goat's cheese, followed
by organic lamb and vegetables from Highgrove, with a pudding of
scribble of meringue.

Dinner was served on galvanised steel tables with black rubber
tablecloths in the unlikely sounding Tramshed, a former generating
station for London's defunct tram system at the rear of the foundation
offices.

After the meal, the Australian pop diva Tina Arena, who is starring in
Notre Dame de Paris in the West End, sang.

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