THE Prince of Wales, who last week had a rare private dinner with the Queen, is trying to pluck up the courage to ask his mother for permission to marry Camilla Parker Bowles.

But even if the Queen gives her approval, the Prince will still have another difficulty ahead of him: how to persuade Mrs Parker Bowles to become his wife. The Times has learnt that although most opinion polls show that Mrs Parker Bowles would be acceptable to the public as wife to the Prince, though not as Queen, she is content with her current lifestyle.

She divides her time between her Wiltshire home and St James’s Palace and is not convinced of the need to marry, which would inevitably thrust her more into the public spotlight.

Under British law the Prince has to seek the authority of the Queen to marry. Under the terms of the Royal Marriages Act 1672 the marriage of any “linear descendant of George II” is invalid unless royal consent is first obtained.

A key figure in any discussions between the Queen and the Prince will be Sir Michael Peat, the principal private secretary at St James’s Palace. Sir Michael, who is leading the inquiry into the collapse of the Paul Burrell trial, has unrivalled access to the Queen and her most senior advisors. He worked at Buckingham Palace for more than ten years as the Queen’s treasurer, masterminded her decision to pay income tax, and transformed the state of the royal finances.

One of the reasons the Queen gave permission for Sir Michael to join the Prince’s staff last August was to improve relations between Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace, which were frequently fraught.

The nature of the conversation between the Queen and her eldest son, who had dinner together at Buckingham Palace four nights ago, will never be disclosed and Sir Michael either does not know or will not discuss the Queen’s views on whether the Prince should marry his longtime companion. Both the Prince and Sir Michael are aware that the Queen’s prime consideration would be the best interests of the country and her subjects rather than the personal happiness of the Prince.

For years the Queen avoided Mrs Parker Bowles but in the last twelve months relations have become warmer. With the death of the Queen Mother a significant obstacle to the Prince marrying Mrs Parker Bowles has been removed. Changes in the General Synod on the marriage of divorcees would also enable the Prince to marry Mrs Parker Bowles in a church. Tony Blair, who would also be consulted, is raising no objection.

It just remains for the Prince of Wales to convince the Queen and Mrs Parker Bowles.

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