The glue that holds marriages together can be tracked through the astrology. Though it will depend in part on the social climate. In Royal circles until relatively recently divorces were unthinkable, so couples would go their own way within the respectable façade of a committed union. It also depends on the capability of each individual to relate at all. It takes two to tango and if one isn’t dancing then short of total submission by the other partner, it won’t stick.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana at first glance seemed admirably suited. He is a Scorpio, and she was a Cancerian – two Water Suns. Her Venus in Taurus clicked with his Sun; and his detached Venus in airy Libra was reasonable with her Aquarius Moon. Though her rebellious Moon didn’t fit at all with his intensely emotional Sun or Taurus Moon. But no relationship is perfect, so with effort it might have worked.
The problems came from her Uranus square his Sun and conjunct his Pluto, which would present him with disruptive force that threatened to undercut his control; and worse her bitterly frustrated and angry Mars Pluto was conjunct his Saturn and trine his 10th house Moon – so she’d come up against his rigidity and upset his sense of dignity. Communication would be a problem with his Mercury conjunct her Neptune and her Mercury conjunct his Uranus – so they’d be constantly at cross-purposes and never able to iron out difficulties.
Her Jupiter was on his Descendant which is ideal and her charming Venus in his 10th helped his career. But his Uranus fell in her 7th robbing her of a feeling of togetherness; with his Mars on her Ascendant which can turn competitive.
On their relationship chart, the composite Sun was trine Jupiter, sextile Saturn – so good for success and duty and should have offered longevity. But the composite Venus was unaspected, so affection was not an integral part of their bond. And the composite Moon was seriously afflicted in a Yod inconjunct Pluto sextile Mars Neptune, and trine Uranus. A yod in a relationship usually involves a critical connection for both, changing their lives out of all recognition and not always happily.
The killer though is the composite Mars Neptune conjunction – which suggests room for only one ego. Charles is notoriously sensitive to anyone hogging his spotlight and Diana did, unwittingly at the start and then discovered it was a weapon she could wield to great effect. With Mars Neptune there isn’t mutual support. One has a triumph, the other feels diminished, so it is destructive.
In days gone by it would have survived with a submissive wife, though the feeling element was never really there.
The Queen’s relationship with Prince Philip has undercurrents of real anger as he was forced to give up his career and identity at her accession; but the Venus and Moon aspect between them are much stronger, so passion initially and good feelings as well the resentment. Plus the nature of the time made it impossible to do other than stick it out through the rough patches.
Hindsight, of course, is a wonderful thing.