A Prince and His Princess Arrive: Charles and Di

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You mean to say you haven't received an invitation yet? Maybe it got thrown away along with that sweepstakes offer or wedged inside the Sears catalog. Perhaps you just didn't notice it, what with all the bills and such. Just in case: it probably had engraved lettering on white kid stationery and the words "On the occasion of the visit of Their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Wales." No? Well, perhaps it hasn't arrived; such things do happen. You might want to call the White House to see if the invitation was misplaced, or try the National Gallery of Art to verify whether you are on the guest list for their black-tie soiree. If all else fails, there is probably still time to scribble out a $10,000 check to the United World College of the American West and attend the gala dinner in Palm Beach, Fla.

If, by chance or mistake, it turns out that you have not been invited, do not despair. Neither have some 231,964,159 other Americans, give or take a dozen or so. Only a select seraphim of the moneyed and powerful will meet Charles and Diana when they make their three-day visit this weekend to Washington and then, after a brief frenzy of sight-seeing, partygoing and media deluge, hop down to Palm Beach for a round of polo and another party. But after all, what are you missing? Up close, Charles is a polite, diffident, self-conscious fellow, a man who, at 36, after years as a junior executive, is still a long way from inheriting the family business. Yes, Diana is charming, and at 24 she has become stunningly self-assured. But she will not be sharing palace confidences with her dinner companions nor making anything but the politest prattle ("The salmon is awfully good, don't you think?"). Charles and Diana are world-class illusionists, modern masters of the deflective gesture, hinting at intimacy while keeping their distance.

No, the real show is the one everyone will be able to watch: the royal vaudeville, with the tireless duo dashing on- and offstage, making dozens of costume changes, playing all the roles themselves, and shadowing forth what their life is like behind the curtain. For the audience, there is the added spectacle of normally snooty folks falling all over themselves to meet the royal performers.

Charles and Diana are arguably the most famous, the most glamorous couple in the world. They are also, for what it is worth, the putative future King and Queen of the United Kingdom. It is unavoidable that they be relentlessly scrutinized, endlessly clucked over and often wickedly sniped at. Of late, however, they have stirred up even more than the usual ruckus on three separate continents. Two weeks ago, they captivated an audience of 18.6 million when they appeared in an unprecedented 45-minute interview on ITV, Britain's independent television network. (U.S. viewers will be able to see a portion of it this week on ABC's 20/20.) They talked soberly about their responsibilities and delightedly about their children, and resolutely scotched nearly every rumor that has been flitting around them.