Fortune tellers predict happy marriage this time for Charles

Chinese soothsayers Friday predicted a happy and long marriage for the heir to the British throne, who announced he would wed his long-time lover Parker Bowles on April 8.

"April 8 will be auspicious for people born in the Year of the Rat," feng shui Master Edwin Ma told AFP, referring to Charles' Chinese zodiac sign. "It is a good day to get married."

Chinese fortune tellers divine the future by consulting ancient Chinese almanacs based on astrological observations.

They also take into consideration the relative weights of forces that Chinese folklore believes emanate from all things, especially specific "elements" that are said to dominate different years.