Charles 'tells Camilla not to join demo'

PRINCE CHARLES has forbidden Camilla Parker Bowles from attending a pro-hunting rally in London. But Mrs Parker Bowles is adamant she will join family and friends at the March for Liberty and Livelihood next month.

Although the prince openly supports hunting and has given his staff at Highgrove and at his Duchy of Cornwall estate a day's paid leave to attend the protest, he believes her presence would be seen as a direct attack on Tony Blair's government.

Tory Party leader Iain Duncan Smith and other Conservative MPs are expected to join thousands of campaigners at the Countryside Alliance march on 22 September.

A friend of the Parker Bowles family said: "Camilla is passionate about hunting which is why she wants to go on the march. Prince Charles has told her she can't go because it is too political. But she is her own woman and has told him she wants to go. He has had to put his foot down and say that she can't. She is adamant she will."

The prince has been staying at Balmoral with Mrs Parker Bowles but she flew to Corfu to join family friend Lord Rothschild yesterday.

A spokesman for St James's Palace said: "If there was a Bill to outlaw hunting then he will stop, with much sadness. But until then he will go on backing, passionately, the right to hunt."

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