Prince Charles: I'll soon be free to marry Camilla

The Prince of Wales believes he will soon be free to marry Camilla Parker Bowles, senior Palace sources have told the Evening Standard. He believes the "pivotal moment" will be the conclusion next year of the inquiry into the death of the Princess of Wales.

The wide-ranging inquiry by Scotland Yard boss Sir John Stevens will report to the inquest into her death in Paris in 1997 after an exhaustive probe into the many conspiracy theories surrounding the tragedy.

Prince Charles believes that once it is concluded, he will be able to "move to the next stage" as the inquiry will "draw a line under" the Diana issue.

It will enable him to marry Mrs Parker Bowles - at a time of both their choosing. He is also confident that a string of other issues are resolved which had stood in the way of them marrying, including:

? His children. William and Harry are now said to be happy to accept Mrs Parker Bowles as his wife.

? The Church. The Church of England hierarchy is said to be making "all the right noises".

? The Government. Whitehall sources say Tony Blair will "provide encouragement" to the Queen if she seeks his advice.

? The Queen. She is said to be willing to back a marriage even if it clashes with public opinion.

The timing of today's development, in the run-up to the end of the inquiry, makes it clear that the Prince's advisers are now beginning a public relations drive to secure widespread support for marriage, which would be the final obstacle to the couple formalising their relationship.

A high-ranking official confirmed there is now an "ongoing strategy" regarding the public profile of the Prince's relationship with Camilla. The significant development confirms the Prince's determination to have the woman he loves at his side when he becomes king.

The senior and authoritative source told the Standard: "The Prince and Mrs Parker Bowles are a couple already. But it is fair to say the relationship will move to the next stage after a line is drawn under the Diana question and the Scotland Yard inquiry into her death is concluded. By then more than eight years

would have passed since the tragedy. This does not mean they will be rushed into marriage, neither of them want to be rushed. But it will move to the next stage and many issues that are outstanding will be resolved."

The "issues" which would be resolved include Mrs Parker Bowles's place on official royal tours and her title.

Significantly, Charles is to undertake a two-week tour of Australia in February without Mrs Parker Bowles.

He will attend many official functions where other dignitaries are accompanied by their partners. It is this kind of anomaly that he hopes can be resolved. The source added: "Mrs Parker Bowles has no interest in pursuing her own celebrity. It is not something that she really enjoys. But it would be fair to say that she is more than happy to support the man she loves publicly."

The question of a title is not seen as a major concern, although Camilla is unlikely to want the title Princess of Wales for obvious reasons. "She has never wanted to usurp or be compared to the late Princess of Wales," another source said.

The Prince has only gone forward with the strategy after being confident he has the support of William and Harry. The source said: "All his sons are concerned with is their father's happiness, and Mrs Parker Bowles makes him happy." He has also taken into account what he sees as an important change in the view of the Church of England.

One high-ranking Church official said: "The feeling among many of the bishops is that it is not a question of if but when the marriage question is resolved satisfactorily."

The Prince's determination echoes many years of making clear that his relationship with Mrs Parker Bowles is " nonnegotiable". She is now a part of his life to the point that she was mentioned in the "personal costs" section of his most recent accounts.