BBC News Online: UK

Charles and Camilla make rare appearance

Prince Charles and his companion attended a society wedding in London together but arrived apart.

Then in the evening the prince went to the same film premiere as Camilla's children but again kept his distance.

After the wedding Prince Charles attended the UK premiere of Primary Colours, where he met his old friend Emma Thompson.

The Prince greeted her with a kiss on both cheeks and chatted about his tentative foray into acting at his 50th birthday gala on Wednesday.

Charity premiere

Ms Thompson stars as the wife of a prospective US President (John Travolta) in the film and she encouraged the Prince to go to the premiere, which raised £50,000 for the Prince's Trust and the Alone in London homeless charity.

The event, at the Empire in London's Leicester Square, was also attended by Camilla Parker Bowles's two children, Tom and Laura. But they arrived separately from the prince.

Earlier Charles and Camilla - who are rarely seen in public together despite press speculation about their blossoming relationship - attended the wedding of Santa Palmer-Tomkinson and writer Simon Sebag-Montefiore.

The couple married in the Liberal Jewish Synagogue in London.

The Prince of Wales arrived 20 minutes after Camilla with Prince Harry and Zara Phillips.

Among the celebrity guests attending the wedding were Tiggy Legge-Bourke, Sir David Frost, Koo Stark and TV presenter Tanya Bryer.

Family friend

The prince has known Santa, 28, since she was a child. She is the daughter of his skiing companions Charles and Patty Palmer-Tomkinson.

Her bridal gown was designed by Catherine Walker, who was one of Diana, Princess of Wales's favourite dress designers.

The Sebag-Montefiores are among the oldest Jewish families in Britain and made their fortune in business with the Rothschilds during the 19th Century.

The groom's great-great-great-grandfather was Sir Moses Montefiore, the first Jewish baronet and a philanthropist who was knighted by Queen Victoria.

Relevant Stories

Prince denies involvement in Diana book (25 Oct 98 | UK)

Internet Links

The British Monarchy
Primary Colours

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

In this section

Next steps for peace
Blairs' surprise over baby
Bowled over by Lord's
Beef row 'compromise' under fire
Hamilton 'would sell mother'
Industry misses new trains target
Quins fightback shocks Cardiff (From Sport)
Vodafone takeover battle heats up (From Business)
IRA ceasefire challenge rejected
Thousands celebrate Asian culture
Christie could get two-year ban (From Sport)
Colleagues remember Compo (From Entertainment)
Mother pleads for baby's return
Toys withdrawn in E.coli health scare
Nurses role set to expand (From Health)
Israeli PM's plane in accident
More lottery cash for grassroots
Pro-lifers plan shock launch
Double killer gets life
Cold 'cure' comes one step closer (From Health)
Straw on trial over jury reform (From UK Politics)
Tatchell calls for rights probe into Mugabe
Ex-spy stays out in the cold
Blair warns Livingstone (From UK Politics)
Smear equipment `misses cancers' (From Health)
Boyzone star gets in Christmas spirit (From Entertainment)
Fake bubbly warning
Murder jury hears dead girl's diary
Germ warfare fiasco revealed (From UK Politics)
Blair babe triggers tabloid frenzy
Tourists shot by mistake
A new look for News Online