Queen's absence new blow to Charles

The Queen's decision not to attend the wedding of her son has heaped humiliation on Prince Charles and his long-time lover Camilla Parker Bowles, royal-watchers say.

The marriage plans of the two divorcees had already been verging towards the farcical, with the venue changed from Windsor Castle to a town hall register office and constitutional experts even questioning the legality of the civil ceremony.

Tying the knot is proving a legal nightmare for Charles, already fearful that people will never warm to the woman widely viewed as the wrecker of his marriage to Princess Diana.

Constitutional experts have been arguing that members of the royal family are not allowed to marry in a civil ceremony in England, but the Queen's surprise announcement on Tuesday night that she would not be going to the town hall added a bizarre new twist.

Buckingham Palace insisted the monarch's decision was not a snub and said she was trying to respect the couple's desire for a low-key ceremony, but for the House of Windsor the debacle has been a bitter blow to their image as a 1,000-year-old monarchy adapting to the 21st century.

This is the first time for 142 years that a British monarch has missed the wedding of one of their children.

Charles, who in his fifties still calls the monarch "Mummy", will now inevitably feel that the fates are conspiring against him at every turn before the April 8th ceremony.

"I'm sure the queen does not feel it is appropriate, nor does anyone else, for her to pad across the road from Windsor Castle to the register office opposite," said royal biographer Robert Lacey.

The Guardian could scarcely contain its glee at the downmarket lurch of the royal nuptials. "All it needs now is a punch-up at the reception," it smirked.