Queen Elizabeth failed to welcome Camilla

London's insiders and the Sun reported that Queen Elizabeth failed to welcome Camilla into her family yesterday — by NOT mentioning Prince Charles’ wedding in her TV speech. The sombre broadcast was a huge contrast to her message after Charles married Princess Diana in 1981 — when she said the ceremony had made it a “special” year. It was a major setback for the Duchess of Cornwall as she spent her first Christmas Day with the Royals at Sandringham. The Queen — who chose not to go to Charles’ register office wedding — used her address to concentrate on global disasters and the terrorist attacks in London. A senior Palace source said: “The Queen’s decision to reflect on 2005 without once mentioning her son’s wedding day was extraordinary.

Photo: Happy Camilla walking to the church to celebrate Christmas.

She had a golden opportunity to welcome Camilla into the family, yet she chose to snub her new daughter-in-law. “Most mothers would consider the marriage of their eldest son as a highlight of the year, but not in this family.” After Charles wed Diana the Queen started her Christmas speech by talking of her joy at the wedding. In 1986 she described Prince Andrew’s wedding to Sarah Ferguson as a “happy day”. And in 1973, the Queen said she was “glad” that the Princess Royal had wed Captain Mark Phillips. Only the Queen’s youngest son Prince Edward failed to get a mention after marrying Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999. But Charles is heir to the throne, so leaving him out is a much greater snub. The source added: “The Queen was criticised for not attending Charles’ wedding ceremony. Now that has been confounded by the Christmas speech, Her Majesty’s feelings about the wedding have been made loud and clear.”