No bonanza for the memorabilia industry

The first churlish shoots of public antagonism towards Camilla began to emerge yesterday as opinion polls showed 65 per cent blamed her for the break-up of Charles's marriage to Diana, and only 38 per cent approved of her being given the title Her Royal Highness.

The first churlish shoots of public antagonism towards Camilla began to emerge yesterday as opinion polls showed 65 per cent blamed her for the break-up of Charles's marriage to Diana, and only 38 per cent approved of her being given the title Her Royal Highness.

With just 54 commemorative mug-making days to go until the Great Occasion, the royal memorabilia industry is not exactly looking forward to a bonanza.

The level of caution within the business can be gauged from the comment of Bob Houston, editor of Royalty magazine. "In media terms," he said yesterday, "if the wedding to Diana was Manchester United, then this one is more like Rotherham."

Neither his nor rival royal glossy Majesty has any plans for multi-page coverage for weeks on end. Majesty editor Ingrid Seward said: "We can't come out for Camilla. I've personally had a lot of hate mail when I've written positively about Camilla."

Also adopting a policy of wait and see are Royal Doulton and Wedgwood. The Franklin Mint has no plans to produce a Duchess of Cornwall figurine, which is bad news for lawyers, if no one else. And a spokesman for Royal Mail said there were no firm plans for a commemorative stamp.

The only person genuinely exercised by the nuptials is a man known to ardent followers of the Stuart royal line as King Michael, the rightful monarch. Michael, Prince of Albany, said: "One minute Charles is caught fiddling his taxes and the next he suddenly announces he is getting married. Coincidence? I don't think so."