Republicans scent blood. The wedding this week of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles will trigger a huge campaign by anti-monarchists who believe they glimpse a historic opportunity to become a mainstream political movement.
Republic, the leading campaign group on the issue, regards public disaffection with the royal wedding as the best chance in generations to force its message into Parliament. Boosted by growing membership and financial backers, the group has distributed a record 20,000 leaflets with headlines such as 'End the royal farce', and will this week launch its first advertising campaign in national newspapers.
Opponents of the monarchy are jubilant after a series of royal gaffes. Among them was Prince Harry's appearance at a party wearing Nazi uniform and, last week, the Prince of Wales's mutterings about the press as 'bloody people' while apparently unaware his voice could be picked up by microphones during a photocall in the Swiss ski resort of Klosters.
The crunch issue, however, is Friday's civil ceremony at the Guildhall in Windsor, which has been plagued by questions of legality and which the Queen and Prince Philip have declined to attend.
The prospect of Queen Camilla remains deeply unpopular with both republicans and devotees of Diana, who will be holding their own protest at Kensington Palace in London. Last week an ICM poll showed that 65 per cent of people feel that Charles's marriage to Camilla will 'weaken' the monarchy.
Republic's membership received an instant boost on the day the wedding was announced and it expects thousands to sign its petition and take part in an email round robin. The group also plans to form an alliance with resurgent republican organisations in Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
'It is clear from the farcical circumstances surrounding this wedding, the public's lukewarm reaction to it, and the dismay many people feel at the prospect of King Charles and Queen Camilla that there is a mood for questioning the future of the monarchy,' said Stephen Haseler, chair of Republic. 'We have never been engaged in a campaign on this scale before and we now want to seriously lobby MPs.'
Members of Republic were on the streets yesterday encouraging and recruiting support. Haseler added: 'We have a support base similar to the Liberal Democrats: about 22-23 per cent of the population supports a republic now, and when we talk about the next generation after the Queen, it goes up significantly. When we look to the future all the evidence is that the monarchy will disappear.'
Republic's list of supporters includes Labour stalwarts Tony Benn and Roy Hattersley, 20 MPs, actress Honor Blackman, comedians Jo Brand and Mark Steel, journalist Julie Burchill, QCs Michael Mansfield and Geoffrey Robertson, scientist Steven Rose, gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, and writers Sue Townsend and Benjamin Zephaniah. The broadcaster Claire Rayner, a veteran republican, said: 'It is time we ceased to be subjects in a United Kingdom and became citizens who can stand upright in front of anyone.'
Mugs aplenty as Windsor gears up
'She's no Cinderella, but you have to admit it's a real love story.' Young American Cassie Waggoner's view has been echoing through Windsor as the town's retailers gear up for Friday's celebration with impressive determination, writes Nico Hines.
Kashmir Dhillon can barely keep a straight face as she describes the success of her Charles and Camilla tea-towels. 'I've sold 1,100,' she beams, before leaning in for a stage-whispered: 'They don't even argue with the price!' At £4.99 for each dishcloth, who would?
Judy Alexander is one contented shopper. 'I came all the way into town for a wedding mug,' she enthused. 'Next week is very exciting, I wish I could get the day off work to watch it. We are still allowed a little bit of patriotism, aren't we?'
The late announcement of Charles and Camilla's union left manufacturers with only two months to rustle up some commemorative merchandise. But the shops at the foot of Windsor Castle are now festooned with memorabilia. Official stockist Claire Price confesses that, despite initial pes simism, retailers have been overwhelmed by demand. 'Some merchandise only came in last Saturday and we've already sold out.' Even the Charles and Camilla jigsaw puzzles have begun to shift.
Not every store is dealing in such traditional goods. The clothes shop Urban Blue has begun printing its own T-shirts with images including Prince Charles riding a horse that looks suspiciously like the Royal Family's newest addition. 'It pays the rent,' is owner Sarah Glenster's pragmatic explanation for her foray into royal merchandise.
Many tourists visiting Windsor are excited by the prospect of a royal wedding, even if Camilla is not exactly a Hollywood princess. 'She's very British looking,' giggled Elaine Strong, from Chicago. 'But he has a right to be happy.'
Cue decorator Stephen Swallow, who has been painting a local pub ready for the event and is not impressed. 'There's a lot of people think the royals do nothing for us,' he said. 'They've got all that cash - why don't they help us people with money troubles? Why do I care who they're marrying?'
