NEWS of the British royal divorce was greeted with a mixture of sadness and relief. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, said he was pleased the uncertainty of the negotiations was now over.
Lambeth Palace said in a statement that the Archbishop of Canterbury was "pleased that the inevitable strain and uncertainty which accompany negotiations of this kind are now at an end".
The statement added "Despite the obvious sadness of a divorce, he hopes this settlement will help ease the burden of past problems and enable all concerned to find renewed life and hope for the future."
There was a widespread feeling of sadness at Westminster at the news that the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales will end next month.
The constitutional expert, Lord St John of Fawsley, said. "Like most people I am very grieved that this marriage, which began with so much promise, has ended in failure. But I am relieved that this sad matter has come to an amicable end."
He added. "The important thing now for the couple is to be able to rebuild their lives and to continue to give the public service which they both do extraordinarily well in their own way, and for the children to be allowed to lead a peaceful life free from scrutiny by the media."
Lord St John said the terms of the settlement seemed to be generous and he was "delighted" the princess was to continue as a member of the royal family.
He added that if the Prince of Wales wished to get married again, "of which there is no sign, there might be difficulties with his position as supreme governor of the Church of England".
A spokesman at 10 Downing Street said the Prime Minister would not be making any comment on what he described as a "private matter".
John Townend, chairman of the right wing 92 Committee of Tory MPs and Member for Bridlington, said of today's events. "It is very sad, but I think once the decision is made, the sooner it is sorted out the better. I welcome it on that basis."
British law will allow Charles and Diana to complete their divorce proceedings within a few weeks.