IT was a wedding dogged by controversy, bad luck, a great deal of disapproval, and a large slice of apathy. But Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles are finally man and wife and should now be allowed to get on with their lives together.

Rightly or wrongly, theirs is a love which has endured for more than 30 years. It has caused a great deal of hurt along the way but the clock cannot be turned back and it is time to look forward.

Camilla will never replace Diana in the affections of the public. And many who cherish Diana's memory will always see the new Duchess of Cornwall as a marriage-wrecker.

But to her credit, Camilla has maintained a dignity throughout one of the most difficult episodes in the history of the Royal Family, despite the cruel jibes which have come her way.

The common view remains that she will never be accepted as Queen Camilla, but it is not so long ago that the thought of her becoming Charles' bride was also unthinkable.

Time will tell whether the British people take Camilla to their hearts but they will gradually get more and more used to her being by Charles' side.

Marriages break down and when they do they are never pleasant and usually bitter.

But the past cannot be changed, nothing can bring Diana back, and Charles is clearly now with the love of his life.

And if princes William and Harry can accept that with such apparent ease, so should the rest of us.