Charles and Camilla - The Press Royal Wedding Latest

Just a few hours after we reported that no alterations would be made to the Royal Wedding in the event of a date clash with the Pope’s funeral, it’s all change.

In a move that will please Catholics and perhaps increase public support for the wedding, Charles has announced that he will postpone the wedding by a day to recognise the importance of the funeral and to enable himself to attend.

Since the wedding was announced earlier this year, Charles and Camilla have been beset by problems ranging from constitutional questionings to venue alterations. This last hurdle, though, has proved to be too important and the wedding has taken a back seat.

According to Clarence House, Charles cut short his skiing trip in the Alps to talk the situation over with Camilla. The couple decided that postponing the ceremony by a day was the best move. Clarence House announced earlier today that "His Royal Highness the prince will attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Rome. As a mark of respect His Royal Highness and Mrs Parker Bowles have decided to postpone their wedding until Saturday."

The funeral is likely to affect numbers at the Royal Wedding on Saturday, as attendees remain in Rome to pay their respects. Numbers are anticipated to be well down on the 30 and 700 expected at the ceremony and party respectively. It is not yet known whether the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, will be called away – he was due to perform a chapel blessing after the civil ceremony.

Charles is reported to have been "very keen" to observe the sensitivity of the issue and anxious to make the right decision regarding the unforeseen clash of dates. The Vatican announced at 08:00 GMT today that the funeral would be on Friday 7th. Pope John Paul II will be buried in the crypt at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, where the Prince will join Tony Blair.

By Nicola Joyce, freelance copywriter

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