Prince Charles was told the story of two women fighting over a royal lover during his visit to Indonesia yesterday (04.11.08).
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The Sultan of Yogyakarta unwittingly arranged for the prince – who admitted to committing adultery with his now-wife Camilla while still married to Princess Diana – to watch a retelling of one of Indonesia’s most famous
mythologies.
The tale, called Menak, features a struggle between a Javanese princess and a Chinese princess who are both fighting to win the love of a Javanese king.
Ultimately, the Javanese princess stabs her rival to death with a kris, a traditional dagger.
Charles and Diana were married in 1981 and are believed to have been living separate lives by the late 80s. The pair finalised their divorce in 1996.
When Diana was asked about the part Camilla had played in the breakdown of her marriage, she famously replied during a TV interview in 1995: “Well there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”
Charles and Camilla – who husband Andrew-Parker Bowles demanded a divorce after their affair was confirmed – were first photographed in public together in 1999. The pair were married in April 2005.
Charles’ host for the dance performance of Menak at the palace in Yogyakarta was His Excellency Sri Sultan Hamengkubowono X.
During Charles’ five-day tour of the country, which is due to end today (05.11.08), the royal has visited conversation projects and met Muslim leaders and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
He is hoping his visit to the predominantly Muslim nation will help spread the importance of inter-faith relations.
