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Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the author of Elizabeth the Queen comes the first major biography of Prince Charles in more than twenty years--perfect for fans of The Crown.
Sally Bedell Smith returns once again to the British royal family to give us a new look at Prince Charles, the oldest heir to the throne in more than three hundred years. This vivid, eye-opening biography--the product of four years of research and hundreds of interviews with palace officials, former girlfriends, spiritual gurus, and more, some speaking on the record for the first time--is the first authoritative treatment of Charles's life that sheds light on the death of Diana, his marriage to Camilla, and his preparations to take the throne one day.
Prince Charles brings to life the real man, with all of his ambitions, insecurities, and convictions. It begins with his lonely childhood, in which he struggled to live up to his father's expectations and sought companionship from the Queen Mother and his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten. It follows him through difficult years at school, his early love affairs, his intellectual quests, his entrepreneurial pursuits, and his intense search for spiritual meaning. It tells of the tragedy of his marriage to Diana; his eventual reunion with his true love, Camilla; and his relationships with William, Kate, Harry, and his grandchildren.
Ranging from his glamorous palaces to his country homes, from his globe-trotting travels to his local initiatives, Smith shows how Prince Charles possesses a fiercely independent spirit and yet has spent more than six decades waiting for his destined role, living a life dictated by protocols he often struggles to obey. With keen insight and the discovery of unexpected new details, Smith lays bare the contradictions of a man who is more complicated, tragic, and compelling than we knew, until now.
Sally Bedell Smith returns once again to the British royal family to give us a new look at Prince Charles, the oldest heir to the throne in more than three hundred years. This vivid, eye-opening biography--the product of four years of research and hundreds of interviews with palace officials, former girlfriends, spiritual gurus, and more, some speaking on the record for the first time--is the first authoritative treatment of Charles's life that sheds light on the death of Diana, his marriage to Camilla, and his preparations to take the throne one day.
Prince Charles brings to life the real man, with all of his ambitions, insecurities, and convictions. It begins with his lonely childhood, in which he struggled to live up to his father's expectations and sought companionship from the Queen Mother and his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten. It follows him through difficult years at school, his early love affairs, his intellectual quests, his entrepreneurial pursuits, and his intense search for spiritual meaning. It tells of the tragedy of his marriage to Diana; his eventual reunion with his true love, Camilla; and his relationships with William, Kate, Harry, and his grandchildren.
Ranging from his glamorous palaces to his country homes, from his globe-trotting travels to his local initiatives, Smith shows how Prince Charles possesses a fiercely independent spirit and yet has spent more than six decades waiting for his destined role, living a life dictated by protocols he often struggles to obey. With keen insight and the discovery of unexpected new details, Smith lays bare the contradictions of a man who is more complicated, tragic, and compelling than we knew, until now.
658 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 4, 2017
About the author
Sally Bedell Smith
15 books301 followersAuthor of six biographies: Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch (Random House 2102); For Love of Politics: Bill and Hillary Clinton: The White House Years (Random House 2007); Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House (Random House 2004); Diana In Search of Herself: Portrait of a Troubled Princess (Random House 2004); Reflected Glory: The Life of Pamela Churchill Harriman (Simon & Schuster, 1996); In All His Glory: The Life and Times of William S. Paley and the Birth of Modern Broadcasting (Simon & Schuster, 1990).
Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair since 1996.
Previously cultural news reporter for The New York Times, staff writer for TV Guide, and reporter-researcher for Time Magazine.
Awarded the Sigma Delta Chi Distinguished Service Award for magazine reporting in 1982; fellow at the Freedom Forum Media Studies Center at Columbia University from 1986 to 1987.
B.A. from Wheaton College and M.S. from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair since 1996.
Previously cultural news reporter for The New York Times, staff writer for TV Guide, and reporter-researcher for Time Magazine.
Awarded the Sigma Delta Chi Distinguished Service Award for magazine reporting in 1982; fellow at the Freedom Forum Media Studies Center at Columbia University from 1986 to 1987.
B.A. from Wheaton College and M.S. from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 472 reviews
December 28, 2023
(B+) 79% | Good
Notes: Spread inches deep, miles wide, comprehensive if vanilla, paints a warts-and-all Diana, and a whack-a-mole Camilla.
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:
Notes: Spread inches deep, miles wide, comprehensive if vanilla, paints a warts-and-all Diana, and a whack-a-mole Camilla.
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:
May 29, 2017
Prince Charles is the Royal nobody seems to like or care about. His sons, daughter-in law, grandkids, and late ex-wife are all more popular than he is. I can't imagine what it must be like to have spend your life preparing for a job you can only obtain upon the death of your mother. Add to that the fact that opinion polls show that your loyal subjects would prefer that you be skipped over in favor of your much more popular son. It must be difficult to be Prince Charles. I admit I didn't really know anything about him other than what I'd read or seen in the media in relation to his deceased ex-wife Princess Diana, but I always felt bad for him.
UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT!!
I've never liked Princess Diana. I don't get what the world saw in her. Maybe its because I wasn't aware of her in her lifetime, she died when I was a little kid. So maybe I wasn't exposed to the Princess Di Kool Aide like everyone else. I've read several books about her life and I have to say I don't think she was a good person. She was mean-spirited, manipulative, and in my completely unscientific opinion very mentally ill. So I sympathize with what Charles had to put up with. First he never loved her or wanted to marry her. He was forced to by his parents. He tried to get out of the wedding but couldn't and once he married her he tried to love her but couldn't. He realized on his honeymoon that his new wife was not well mentally, but he couldn't help her because she didn't want help. While pregnant with Prince William she threw herself down a flight of stair simply for attention.
ANOTHER UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT!!!
I like Camilla. She seems like good people. Cool, fun, down to earth. I like her and think she'll make a great Queen someday. I'm a big fan of star crossed lovers and I don't think you get anymore star crossed than Charles and Camilla. They have been in love for over 40 years. They have been through hell. No one wanted them to be together but they fought against all odds to be together. I'm happy they get to spend they're golden years together.
This book in no way is a puff piece, Sally Bedell Smith points out Charles' many faults and flaws, but I wish she would have devoted more time to Charles' relationship with his father and siblings. I did learn a lot though, Charles has been an advocate for climate change and the preservation of forests. As well as fighting against GMO'S for 30 years, he has through his Princes Trust helped almost 1 million young people learn skills to help gain employment.
I recommend this book despite my 3 star review.
Popsugar 2017 Reading Challenge: Book with Pictures
UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT!!
I've never liked Princess Diana. I don't get what the world saw in her. Maybe its because I wasn't aware of her in her lifetime, she died when I was a little kid. So maybe I wasn't exposed to the Princess Di Kool Aide like everyone else. I've read several books about her life and I have to say I don't think she was a good person. She was mean-spirited, manipulative, and in my completely unscientific opinion very mentally ill. So I sympathize with what Charles had to put up with. First he never loved her or wanted to marry her. He was forced to by his parents. He tried to get out of the wedding but couldn't and once he married her he tried to love her but couldn't. He realized on his honeymoon that his new wife was not well mentally, but he couldn't help her because she didn't want help. While pregnant with Prince William she threw herself down a flight of stair simply for attention.
ANOTHER UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT!!!
I like Camilla. She seems like good people. Cool, fun, down to earth. I like her and think she'll make a great Queen someday. I'm a big fan of star crossed lovers and I don't think you get anymore star crossed than Charles and Camilla. They have been in love for over 40 years. They have been through hell. No one wanted them to be together but they fought against all odds to be together. I'm happy they get to spend they're golden years together.
This book in no way is a puff piece, Sally Bedell Smith points out Charles' many faults and flaws, but I wish she would have devoted more time to Charles' relationship with his father and siblings. I did learn a lot though, Charles has been an advocate for climate change and the preservation of forests. As well as fighting against GMO'S for 30 years, he has through his Princes Trust helped almost 1 million young people learn skills to help gain employment.
I recommend this book despite my 3 star review.
Popsugar 2017 Reading Challenge: Book with Pictures
March 21, 2017
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Sally Bedell Smith, and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this book, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
My ongoing trek though the world of biographies would not have been complete without a piece by the famed Sally Bedell Smith. With honour and elegance, Smith is able to offer up an insightful look into the lives of those many hold in high esteem. Her latest subject is Prince Charles, heir to the Throne of the United Kingdom (and its realms). While many readers will be familiar with Charles as scandalous and perhaps frigid towards his former wife, Smith takes the reader through the man's life to date and presents strong arguments for seeing him in three contrasting lights: the man, the misfit, and the monarch-to-be. Through these three lenses, Smith argues effectively that Charles, Prince of Wales, has much more to offer than his one-off comments or trite sentiments that the tabloids have used to boost their image while remaining useful only for campers and fish mongers. A powerful piece that humanises a man whose entire life has literally been a waiting game.
That Charles is a man with interests as common as any other might be hard to fathom, though Smith does a wonderful job of accentuating this. Raised with the eyes of the world on him from the start, Charles had little hope of being 'normal' in the true sense of the word. Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip were thrust into the limelight when Charles was only a young boy, turning the former into a queen and ruler of the Realm, thereby leaving the young prince in the hands of nannies and tutors. Smith explains repeatedly that neither of his parents provided Charles with affection of a sense of closeness, with Phillip going so far as to seek a rough and tumble upbringing to harden his son's outer shell. While Charles did not excel at individual sport, his passion for polo and other group ventures helped shape him into the man he would become. Enjoying time alone as well as surrounded by others, Charles soon turned to the tranquility of painting with watercolours, which regulated what was surely a chaotic life around him. After mandatory military service, Charles remained a bachelor, though did dabble around with the likes of Camilla Shand (eventually Parker Bowles), and it was said that the Palace would never have approved their marriage. Smith cites Camilla's less than sexual innocence as the main reason, as her reputation was known, even among those of the upper crust. Still, Charles did date, sparingly, as he pursued some of his other interests, which included the environment, architecture, and spiritual oneness. Making speeches on these topics and exploring their depths with some of those who were held in high regard, Charles carved a niche for himself and soon became passionate, which added an unwanted wrinkle that I will explore below. It was only after a personal tragedy befell the prince that he realised the need to marry, especially as heir to the Throne. His choice of Lady Diana Spencer was fraught with issues from the start, as Smith explores through some of the more tumultuous chapters of the biography. Not only was there a major gap in age, but their interests did not mesh and the looming cloud of Camilla could not be ignored. Add to this, Smith makes much of the mental anguish Diana faced behind closed doors and Charles found himself struggling from the onset of the marriage. While the Waleses had two boys, their union was eroding and soon ended in parsimoniously, as neither wanted to make things work, choosing instead to fall into the arms of other lovers. It was only after Diana's death in the summer of 1997 that Charles showed a more human side and was able to connect more readily with the public. He kept up with his aforementioned niches and succumbed to true happiness when allowed to wed the woman he loved, speaking around the world and drawing strong ties to the common person's interests. This connection with the public did help with shedding his role as villain, though for many the decision had already been made. While he was certainly a man who differed from his parents and grandparents, Charles did prove to have issues that could not be overlooked by either the tabloids or the general public.
To call Prince Charles a misfit might not be too far from the truth, though Smith tackles it in the highest regard possible. Charles was never one to create scandals as a youth, staying away from drink and drugs in an era where love was free and booze plentiful (unlike his own son, Harry, decades later). However, Smith does not fail to list a number of the indiscretions that Charles seems to have had during his marriage to Diana, usually related to Camilla Parker Bowles. Smith does an amazing job at laying the groundwork for Charles's sainthood in his marriage, as though these acts of stepping out might have been justified knee-jerk reactions. She is quick to portray Diana as the unstable one, issuing countless examples of bulimic attacks, limb cutting, and berating the Princes of Wales, all in private. There was also a great deal of Charles trying to balance this apparent Diana outbursts and putting on a brave face in public. Of course, the general public seemed more than happy to side with the People's Princess, ignoring her numerous mentions in the tabloids while Charles did not seem to be able to have any assignations that were not splashed on the front pages of any daily rag and the illegal content of phone conversations turning him into the butt-end of jokes. Smith goes so far as to list the number of tabloid antics throughout her narrative, including the "Tampax" comment that fuelled many a joke in the early 90s. Charles could not shake this persona, as long as Diana was alive. It was as though he was forced to live in the shadow of his wife, as he had his parents, and would eventually do the same for his sons. Perhaps blown out of proportion by the salacious need for the British tabloids to sell papers, Charles may have been a misfit of sorts, but it was likely because all eyes were on him whenever he hiccoughed too loudly. Still, that moniker would tarnish his abilities to be regal when it counted most of all.
As heir to the Throne, Charles would have to offer a side of himself that denotes his ability to be monarchical. While Charles grew up in a household where his mother served as reigning monarch, he did not always possess the key traits of heir. Smith extols Queen Elizabeth's ability to be neutral and seek information from all players before offering the hint of an opinion on any matter, while Charles would race around the world (or even in Britain) and stand atop his own soapbox to present his ideas whenever a microphone appeared in front of his face. Honourary and customary events saw Charles act as keynote speaker, only to steal the limelight and push for his own beliefs, at times angering those to whom he preached. Smith offers a number of examples throughout the years, most notably the British Medical Association, a slew of British and world-renowned architects, and even members of the Government. Charles never worried about who he might upset, knowing that they would demur (in public at least) to his station, though this was surely neither regal nor the personality fit for a monarch. While Charles was seen to be going to all corners of the Commonwealth, it is not only attending events but currying favour of one's subjects that brings about that image of a monarch-in-waiting. As mentioned above, Charles was forced to stand in the shadows of Diana's love affair with the people, but there comes a time when the love must flow towards the heir apparent. It seems to be strong with Prince William, as Smith relates the Hollywood-esque personality he has around the world, but it is also the ability to relate to people, which William has in spades, that attracts the attention, at least of the positive variety. Can Charles be a monarch in which "the Firm" will be proud? The jury remains in deliberations, though Smith makes a strong case that he might not have the traits Queen Elizabeth and her predecessors felt were quintessential.
Taking a moment to sift through Smith's piece in general, it is surely armed with the tools of a biography worth citing in conversations and future pieces on the royals. I read with much interest her piece on Queen Elizabeth II and loved it. Crisp, to the point, and yet not fuzzy or tepid in the least, Sally Bedell Smith knows how to create a life and weaves it together with scores of sources and much research. This piece is poignant, as it addresses many of the issues related to the Prince of Wales, from his birth through to the present struggles he faces as heir to the throne. Smith does not try to smear or pile on the gossip, but she does not ostrich herself (or the reader) by refusing to acknowledge the scandals that have shown themselves over the decades. Smith keeps much of the narrative flowing chronologically, rathe than simply by topic, the reader can follow the arguments with ease. With both detailed and short chapters, Smith allows the reader to ensconced themselves in a number of topics, though also chooses to skim across the surface on others that might not be as encompassing. Pulling on a number of sources and events, Smith portrays Charles in many lights, some of which were discussed above, but does not seek to attack or belittle with any intention. The curious and dedicated reader will surely find much of great interest in this biography, that serves the role of educating and entertaining at the same time.
Charles is in line to be king, but should he hold the position? Smith does not outwardly address this throughout the book, but she lays some strong arguments in the narrative. Charles is outspoken and stands by his beliefs, but is also one to have not fretted with the silver spoon lodged firmly in his mouth. It is a debate over whether time fostered this reliance on others or if it was a personal choice, thereby alienating himself from his expected subjects. Then again, Queen Elizabeth II is the textbook royal and detached from much in the public light, though her approval ratings remain high and strong. Could it be a trail of scandals that have plagued Charles over the decades that has kept him from being the man many yearn for when looking to the future of the British monarchy? One can hope that his being who he feels is right will not jade either him or those who await the next monarch. Whether Charles will ever ascend to the throne (should he be given the chance, based on the Queen's longevity) remains up in the air, for he has literally waited his entire life for this honour. Neither William nor George are surely chomping at the bit to push him out of the way, but one can hope that the Commonwealth and even the world is ready for whatever happens. There is much to be decided, and yet much that remains as clear as a foggy Scottish morning.
Kudos, Madam Smith for this sensational piece that enlightens the reader while pulling no punches in its delivery. You have been able to attract much interest with your past pieces and this is sure not to disappoint.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
My ongoing trek though the world of biographies would not have been complete without a piece by the famed Sally Bedell Smith. With honour and elegance, Smith is able to offer up an insightful look into the lives of those many hold in high esteem. Her latest subject is Prince Charles, heir to the Throne of the United Kingdom (and its realms). While many readers will be familiar with Charles as scandalous and perhaps frigid towards his former wife, Smith takes the reader through the man's life to date and presents strong arguments for seeing him in three contrasting lights: the man, the misfit, and the monarch-to-be. Through these three lenses, Smith argues effectively that Charles, Prince of Wales, has much more to offer than his one-off comments or trite sentiments that the tabloids have used to boost their image while remaining useful only for campers and fish mongers. A powerful piece that humanises a man whose entire life has literally been a waiting game.
That Charles is a man with interests as common as any other might be hard to fathom, though Smith does a wonderful job of accentuating this. Raised with the eyes of the world on him from the start, Charles had little hope of being 'normal' in the true sense of the word. Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip were thrust into the limelight when Charles was only a young boy, turning the former into a queen and ruler of the Realm, thereby leaving the young prince in the hands of nannies and tutors. Smith explains repeatedly that neither of his parents provided Charles with affection of a sense of closeness, with Phillip going so far as to seek a rough and tumble upbringing to harden his son's outer shell. While Charles did not excel at individual sport, his passion for polo and other group ventures helped shape him into the man he would become. Enjoying time alone as well as surrounded by others, Charles soon turned to the tranquility of painting with watercolours, which regulated what was surely a chaotic life around him. After mandatory military service, Charles remained a bachelor, though did dabble around with the likes of Camilla Shand (eventually Parker Bowles), and it was said that the Palace would never have approved their marriage. Smith cites Camilla's less than sexual innocence as the main reason, as her reputation was known, even among those of the upper crust. Still, Charles did date, sparingly, as he pursued some of his other interests, which included the environment, architecture, and spiritual oneness. Making speeches on these topics and exploring their depths with some of those who were held in high regard, Charles carved a niche for himself and soon became passionate, which added an unwanted wrinkle that I will explore below. It was only after a personal tragedy befell the prince that he realised the need to marry, especially as heir to the Throne. His choice of Lady Diana Spencer was fraught with issues from the start, as Smith explores through some of the more tumultuous chapters of the biography. Not only was there a major gap in age, but their interests did not mesh and the looming cloud of Camilla could not be ignored. Add to this, Smith makes much of the mental anguish Diana faced behind closed doors and Charles found himself struggling from the onset of the marriage. While the Waleses had two boys, their union was eroding and soon ended in parsimoniously, as neither wanted to make things work, choosing instead to fall into the arms of other lovers. It was only after Diana's death in the summer of 1997 that Charles showed a more human side and was able to connect more readily with the public. He kept up with his aforementioned niches and succumbed to true happiness when allowed to wed the woman he loved, speaking around the world and drawing strong ties to the common person's interests. This connection with the public did help with shedding his role as villain, though for many the decision had already been made. While he was certainly a man who differed from his parents and grandparents, Charles did prove to have issues that could not be overlooked by either the tabloids or the general public.
To call Prince Charles a misfit might not be too far from the truth, though Smith tackles it in the highest regard possible. Charles was never one to create scandals as a youth, staying away from drink and drugs in an era where love was free and booze plentiful (unlike his own son, Harry, decades later). However, Smith does not fail to list a number of the indiscretions that Charles seems to have had during his marriage to Diana, usually related to Camilla Parker Bowles. Smith does an amazing job at laying the groundwork for Charles's sainthood in his marriage, as though these acts of stepping out might have been justified knee-jerk reactions. She is quick to portray Diana as the unstable one, issuing countless examples of bulimic attacks, limb cutting, and berating the Princes of Wales, all in private. There was also a great deal of Charles trying to balance this apparent Diana outbursts and putting on a brave face in public. Of course, the general public seemed more than happy to side with the People's Princess, ignoring her numerous mentions in the tabloids while Charles did not seem to be able to have any assignations that were not splashed on the front pages of any daily rag and the illegal content of phone conversations turning him into the butt-end of jokes. Smith goes so far as to list the number of tabloid antics throughout her narrative, including the "Tampax" comment that fuelled many a joke in the early 90s. Charles could not shake this persona, as long as Diana was alive. It was as though he was forced to live in the shadow of his wife, as he had his parents, and would eventually do the same for his sons. Perhaps blown out of proportion by the salacious need for the British tabloids to sell papers, Charles may have been a misfit of sorts, but it was likely because all eyes were on him whenever he hiccoughed too loudly. Still, that moniker would tarnish his abilities to be regal when it counted most of all.
As heir to the Throne, Charles would have to offer a side of himself that denotes his ability to be monarchical. While Charles grew up in a household where his mother served as reigning monarch, he did not always possess the key traits of heir. Smith extols Queen Elizabeth's ability to be neutral and seek information from all players before offering the hint of an opinion on any matter, while Charles would race around the world (or even in Britain) and stand atop his own soapbox to present his ideas whenever a microphone appeared in front of his face. Honourary and customary events saw Charles act as keynote speaker, only to steal the limelight and push for his own beliefs, at times angering those to whom he preached. Smith offers a number of examples throughout the years, most notably the British Medical Association, a slew of British and world-renowned architects, and even members of the Government. Charles never worried about who he might upset, knowing that they would demur (in public at least) to his station, though this was surely neither regal nor the personality fit for a monarch. While Charles was seen to be going to all corners of the Commonwealth, it is not only attending events but currying favour of one's subjects that brings about that image of a monarch-in-waiting. As mentioned above, Charles was forced to stand in the shadows of Diana's love affair with the people, but there comes a time when the love must flow towards the heir apparent. It seems to be strong with Prince William, as Smith relates the Hollywood-esque personality he has around the world, but it is also the ability to relate to people, which William has in spades, that attracts the attention, at least of the positive variety. Can Charles be a monarch in which "the Firm" will be proud? The jury remains in deliberations, though Smith makes a strong case that he might not have the traits Queen Elizabeth and her predecessors felt were quintessential.
Taking a moment to sift through Smith's piece in general, it is surely armed with the tools of a biography worth citing in conversations and future pieces on the royals. I read with much interest her piece on Queen Elizabeth II and loved it. Crisp, to the point, and yet not fuzzy or tepid in the least, Sally Bedell Smith knows how to create a life and weaves it together with scores of sources and much research. This piece is poignant, as it addresses many of the issues related to the Prince of Wales, from his birth through to the present struggles he faces as heir to the throne. Smith does not try to smear or pile on the gossip, but she does not ostrich herself (or the reader) by refusing to acknowledge the scandals that have shown themselves over the decades. Smith keeps much of the narrative flowing chronologically, rathe than simply by topic, the reader can follow the arguments with ease. With both detailed and short chapters, Smith allows the reader to ensconced themselves in a number of topics, though also chooses to skim across the surface on others that might not be as encompassing. Pulling on a number of sources and events, Smith portrays Charles in many lights, some of which were discussed above, but does not seek to attack or belittle with any intention. The curious and dedicated reader will surely find much of great interest in this biography, that serves the role of educating and entertaining at the same time.
Charles is in line to be king, but should he hold the position? Smith does not outwardly address this throughout the book, but she lays some strong arguments in the narrative. Charles is outspoken and stands by his beliefs, but is also one to have not fretted with the silver spoon lodged firmly in his mouth. It is a debate over whether time fostered this reliance on others or if it was a personal choice, thereby alienating himself from his expected subjects. Then again, Queen Elizabeth II is the textbook royal and detached from much in the public light, though her approval ratings remain high and strong. Could it be a trail of scandals that have plagued Charles over the decades that has kept him from being the man many yearn for when looking to the future of the British monarchy? One can hope that his being who he feels is right will not jade either him or those who await the next monarch. Whether Charles will ever ascend to the throne (should he be given the chance, based on the Queen's longevity) remains up in the air, for he has literally waited his entire life for this honour. Neither William nor George are surely chomping at the bit to push him out of the way, but one can hope that the Commonwealth and even the world is ready for whatever happens. There is much to be decided, and yet much that remains as clear as a foggy Scottish morning.
Kudos, Madam Smith for this sensational piece that enlightens the reader while pulling no punches in its delivery. You have been able to attract much interest with your past pieces and this is sure not to disappoint.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
October 22, 2021
"Cheating is a choice, not an excuse. Loyalty is a responsibility, not a choice"
☠This book DID NOT make me change my mind of that worthless limp dick and his horse-face-sloppy- second wife who always knew she'll marry a rich man.
☠ It seems this author used to worship and had a crush on this pathetic man cuz why else would you defend a cheat who couldnt keep his dick in his pants at least for his children's sake?
☠I only hope Queen Elizabeth will live until they die cuz, how can a man who cant save his marriage rule a country?
☠This book DID NOT make me change my mind of that worthless limp dick and his horse-face-sloppy- second wife who always knew she'll marry a rich man.
☠ It seems this author used to worship and had a crush on this pathetic man cuz why else would you defend a cheat who couldnt keep his dick in his pants at least for his children's sake?
☠I only hope Queen Elizabeth will live until they die cuz, how can a man who cant save his marriage rule a country?
August 14, 2017
If it weren't for the marvelous show "The Crown," I probably wouldn't have read this biography about Prince Charles. That Netflix series is about a young Queen Elizabeth II and the early years of her reign. The show sparked an interest in the British Royals, and when I heard about this new book on Prince Charles, I thought it was worth a chance.
Before reading this biography, I admit I didn't know much about Prince Charles. Growing up in the '80s I was a fan of Princess Diana, of course, but I didn't pay much attention to Charles. (American media rarely covers the British Royals outside of weddings and funerals.) Sally Bedell Smith's book covers everything from the prince's childhood up to the present day, with surprisingly detailed stories about his private life. I came away liking the prince more, appreciating his interest in the environment, architecture, urban design, organic farming, and his other charitable works. One detail I loved was that Charles likes to read literature, and reading is his way of coping during difficult times. (Anyone reading this review can probably relate to that.)
One of my big takeaways from this book is that Charles and Diana were mismatched from the start, but he felt pressured to marry her after only a few dates. The author notes that Charles' oldest son, William, seemed to learn from this mistake and dated Kate Middleton for several years before they got married.
Overall, Prince Charles comes across as a sensitive, thoughtful person who desperately wants to do the right thing and to be liked. His earnestness means he sometimes fumbles and unintentionally says the wrong thing in public, but his heart seems to be in the right place.
While I enjoyed this book, I also treated it the same way I do celebrity biographies, which is to say, I didn't take it too seriously. Sally Bedell Smith has a pleasant narrative style, and I was pleased to learn she has written other books about the Royal family. In fact, I've already downloaded her biography about Queen Elizabeth II. Cheers!
Meaningful Quote
"'Poor Charles' was a constant refrain in my researches. It was spoken in despair by those who loved him, with sarcasm by those who resented him. Despite his gilded upbringing — the palaces and leafy retreats, the cosseting and automatic deference — his was a life of frustration. His every step along the way was inspected and analyzed: his promise, his awkwardness, his happiness, his suffering, his betrayals and embarrassments and mistakes, his loneliness, his successes — and especially his relentless search for meaning, approval, and love."
Before reading this biography, I admit I didn't know much about Prince Charles. Growing up in the '80s I was a fan of Princess Diana, of course, but I didn't pay much attention to Charles. (American media rarely covers the British Royals outside of weddings and funerals.) Sally Bedell Smith's book covers everything from the prince's childhood up to the present day, with surprisingly detailed stories about his private life. I came away liking the prince more, appreciating his interest in the environment, architecture, urban design, organic farming, and his other charitable works. One detail I loved was that Charles likes to read literature, and reading is his way of coping during difficult times. (Anyone reading this review can probably relate to that.)
One of my big takeaways from this book is that Charles and Diana were mismatched from the start, but he felt pressured to marry her after only a few dates. The author notes that Charles' oldest son, William, seemed to learn from this mistake and dated Kate Middleton for several years before they got married.
Overall, Prince Charles comes across as a sensitive, thoughtful person who desperately wants to do the right thing and to be liked. His earnestness means he sometimes fumbles and unintentionally says the wrong thing in public, but his heart seems to be in the right place.
While I enjoyed this book, I also treated it the same way I do celebrity biographies, which is to say, I didn't take it too seriously. Sally Bedell Smith has a pleasant narrative style, and I was pleased to learn she has written other books about the Royal family. In fact, I've already downloaded her biography about Queen Elizabeth II. Cheers!
Meaningful Quote
"'Poor Charles' was a constant refrain in my researches. It was spoken in despair by those who loved him, with sarcasm by those who resented him. Despite his gilded upbringing — the palaces and leafy retreats, the cosseting and automatic deference — his was a life of frustration. His every step along the way was inspected and analyzed: his promise, his awkwardness, his happiness, his suffering, his betrayals and embarrassments and mistakes, his loneliness, his successes — and especially his relentless search for meaning, approval, and love."
May 6, 2017
A big thank you to Sally Bedell Smith, Random House, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
Prince Charles was born into an unaffectionate, cold, austere environment, isolated from his parents who were busy with diplomatic functions. If it weren't for the Queen Mother and "Dickie" Mountbatten, he probably wouldn't have experienced familial comfort in childhood. School was one bullish event after another, where he failed to excel at any " manly pursuits" to impress his father, Prince Phillip. He did, however, fall under the spell of art and classical music and well as polo.
He became the first heir to the throne to achieve a university degree, graduating from Cambridge before moving on to military training in the Royal Navy, again all orchestrated by the Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Charles had little time to develop a social life and found solace in more mature adults, both male and female.
By the age of thirty he had still not found his bride, although he was embroiled in his well known and controversial affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. Throughout his hunt "Dickie" fulfilled a roll reminiscent of Prince Ludwig to Victoria and Albert, asserting his preference for his granddaughter, Amanda. But there was just no chemistry. Then along came Diana, a nineteen year-old, sweet-natured virgin who was mentally unbalanced.
The marriage was doomed from the start-Diana, obsessed with Prince Charles' relationship with Parker Bowles found it unforgettable and unforgivable. At first Prince Charles did his best to assuage her insecurities but to no avail. Eventually they led separate lives. Prince Charles gravitated toward social experiments. He became a name both respected and vilified by the press for his work and speeches about architecture, agriculture, and economics. One venture, The Prince's Trust, has raised millions to start poor youths in businesses and is still quite successful.
Regardless of the involvement Prince Charles has had in social development, he has had great difficulty charming the press and the crowds. He's not the "people's prince". He's not warm or inviting. He is wrapped in a hard shell. Through all the stresses of his failing marriage and the fickle public, he fell back on his two great passions-watercolors and Parker Bowles. But this completely backfired. As private thoughts and conversations became public domain after the couple's separation, it became apparent that Prince Charles was no longer favored to be heir apparent. Diana's passive-aggressive retaliation tactics, her unbalanced attention-seeking behavior, and her fake functioning persona ruined Prince Charles' chances of ever being accepted as a ruling monarch.
Regardless of the vicissitudes of his private life, his charitable works continue to be quite successful ventures around the globe raising hundreds of millions of dollars and requiring their own offices. An indefatigable pursuer of justice, training, and the bottom-line, Prince Charles includes his sons, his new wife, Camilla, and his acquaintances to mastermind some of the most trusted and respected charities of Great Britain. Although he craves the authority the throne brings, he adores his mother and abhors the day he will lose her. Years have mellowed him, made him wiser.
Bedell Smith has written an evocative, mesmerizing piece on a multifaceted man. I walk away with a deeper understanding of the Charles and Diana dynamic. And what a harmonious rhapsodizing of Charles' adoration of nature. The beauty showed through the words. Kudos to you! A brilliant work.
Prince Charles was born into an unaffectionate, cold, austere environment, isolated from his parents who were busy with diplomatic functions. If it weren't for the Queen Mother and "Dickie" Mountbatten, he probably wouldn't have experienced familial comfort in childhood. School was one bullish event after another, where he failed to excel at any " manly pursuits" to impress his father, Prince Phillip. He did, however, fall under the spell of art and classical music and well as polo.
He became the first heir to the throne to achieve a university degree, graduating from Cambridge before moving on to military training in the Royal Navy, again all orchestrated by the Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Charles had little time to develop a social life and found solace in more mature adults, both male and female.
By the age of thirty he had still not found his bride, although he was embroiled in his well known and controversial affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. Throughout his hunt "Dickie" fulfilled a roll reminiscent of Prince Ludwig to Victoria and Albert, asserting his preference for his granddaughter, Amanda. But there was just no chemistry. Then along came Diana, a nineteen year-old, sweet-natured virgin who was mentally unbalanced.
The marriage was doomed from the start-Diana, obsessed with Prince Charles' relationship with Parker Bowles found it unforgettable and unforgivable. At first Prince Charles did his best to assuage her insecurities but to no avail. Eventually they led separate lives. Prince Charles gravitated toward social experiments. He became a name both respected and vilified by the press for his work and speeches about architecture, agriculture, and economics. One venture, The Prince's Trust, has raised millions to start poor youths in businesses and is still quite successful.
Regardless of the involvement Prince Charles has had in social development, he has had great difficulty charming the press and the crowds. He's not the "people's prince". He's not warm or inviting. He is wrapped in a hard shell. Through all the stresses of his failing marriage and the fickle public, he fell back on his two great passions-watercolors and Parker Bowles. But this completely backfired. As private thoughts and conversations became public domain after the couple's separation, it became apparent that Prince Charles was no longer favored to be heir apparent. Diana's passive-aggressive retaliation tactics, her unbalanced attention-seeking behavior, and her fake functioning persona ruined Prince Charles' chances of ever being accepted as a ruling monarch.
Regardless of the vicissitudes of his private life, his charitable works continue to be quite successful ventures around the globe raising hundreds of millions of dollars and requiring their own offices. An indefatigable pursuer of justice, training, and the bottom-line, Prince Charles includes his sons, his new wife, Camilla, and his acquaintances to mastermind some of the most trusted and respected charities of Great Britain. Although he craves the authority the throne brings, he adores his mother and abhors the day he will lose her. Years have mellowed him, made him wiser.
Bedell Smith has written an evocative, mesmerizing piece on a multifaceted man. I walk away with a deeper understanding of the Charles and Diana dynamic. And what a harmonious rhapsodizing of Charles' adoration of nature. The beauty showed through the words. Kudos to you! A brilliant work.
March 19, 2017
Outstanding read! I love reading anything about the royal family. If I see something about them in the newspaper, or magazine, I read it. Especially prince Charles and Lady Di. I watched every moment of the Royal Wedding. When I found out about Lady Di's fatal accident, I was devastated.
PRINCE CHARLES by Sally Bedell Smith, told wonderful stories about Prince Charles' travels, and the many things he accomplished, but will he ever be king?
I love looking at pictures! Because a picture is worth a thousand words. The pictures that showed many outstanding people that Prince Charles came in contact with, and the many adventures he has had looked and sounded very interesting. "The Prince Of Wales," has a nice ring to it. The author's skillful writing and research brought the royal family closer to the reader to enjoy.
PRINCE CHARLES by Sally Bedell Smith, told wonderful stories about Prince Charles' travels, and the many things he accomplished, but will he ever be king?
I love looking at pictures! Because a picture is worth a thousand words. The pictures that showed many outstanding people that Prince Charles came in contact with, and the many adventures he has had looked and sounded very interesting. "The Prince Of Wales," has a nice ring to it. The author's skillful writing and research brought the royal family closer to the reader to enjoy.
July 12, 2019
This is a fascinating profile of Charles, The Prince of Wales. It is very evenhanded, showing his good qualities and those that get him in trouble. He is funny, self-deprecating, opinionated, arrogant, kind, sensitive, entitled, self absorbed, intelligent, lonely, obtuse, self-pitying, generous, and stubborn. Camilla is portrayed sympathetically; Diana not so much. There is a lot more to this triangle than meets the eye, or was portrayed in the media. Camilla is obviously the woman he was meant to be with all his life, and Diana was an unfortunate and disastrous mistake in his life.
The book is well written and really well researched. I have read a few other books by this author, which were also fascinating and well done. She does not get into mind numbing minutiae and writes in an easy, enjoyable style, while keeping to the facts.
If you are a fan of the English monarchy, and enjoy a well written biography, then I absolutely recommend this book.
The book is well written and really well researched. I have read a few other books by this author, which were also fascinating and well done. She does not get into mind numbing minutiae and writes in an easy, enjoyable style, while keeping to the facts.
If you are a fan of the English monarchy, and enjoy a well written biography, then I absolutely recommend this book.
April 10, 2017
Oh my, it’s been a long time since I've read a book on the royal family. I think the last one I read was Ken Wharfe's Diana - A Closely Guarded Secret. So, what’s new with the family? Well, of course, since the days of Princess Diana, her sons have grown up and Prince William has happily married and has had two children. There’s nothing in this book, however, that has not been written before about Prince Charles’ children and grandchildren. As far as I can tell, there is nothing new in this book about Prince Charles himself. He’s older and possibly wiser, less self-absorbed and self-pitying, and is a man quite ready to be the King of England. Ah, but then we have the problem of Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall . . . .
Only, author Sally Bedell Smith obviously doesn’t want anyone to see there are any problems whatsoever with Camilla, including her becoming Queen Camilla. In fact, since there is so little, if anything, new in this book, one almost gets the feeling the entire purpose of its existence is to get readers to accept what a wonderful help Camilla has been to Charles, and how she thus deserves to be his queen. Yes, Diana loyalists, Mrs. Smith has not changed her views of the princess since she published Diana in Search of Herself: Portrait of a Troubled Princess. From the way she tells it in this book, the marriage between Charles and Diana was a nightmare from the start because Diana was mentally ill. She and Charles also had little in common, and hardly knew each other when they married, but still the main problem was Diana was a nut case from day one. (Diana obviously did have psychological problems, but so did Charles. Only, his were more hidden. In addition, keep in mind, she had just turned 20 when they married and he was 32. Plus, don't forget, Sally Bedell Smith could not write an objective book on the royal family to save her soul.)
Princess Diana was out to “snare” Prince Charles from the start, too, according to Mrs. Smith. (That's to make her out to be the "user" in the marriage, instead of Charles, the real "user". ) One witness to this whom she quotes was Charles' gay “ever-vigilant valet” Stephen Barry who stated Diana “went after the prince with single-mindedness determination. She wanted him and she got him.” Yeah, one could just see 19-year-old Diana doing that, being the confident, aggressive girl that she was back then. Oh, and didn’t she have the possessive Mr. Barry "retired" after the marriage? Sally Bedell Smith doesn’t want the reader dwelling on those little matters, however. She instead wants readers to only immerse themselves in the virtues and worthiness of Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. One keen observer of it all Mrs. Smith quoted, more than once, to support her point of view was none other than comedian Joan Rivers.
Poor Charles . . . even with Diana gone for almost 20 years, he still seems unable to escape her. He also will never become king unless his mother dies or abdicates, and she shows no signs of doing either. Moreover, unwillingly nipping at his heels, is the young, dynamic, scandal-free duo of William and Kate. Nevertheless, Sally Bedell Smith proposes hope for Charles here in her newest book. She feels Diana will be written off as mentally ill; Camilla will be seen as Charles’ savior, and thus the savior of the monarchy; and William and Kate will be seen as too young and inexperienced to replace Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Or maybe she just hopes all that will happen. We will see . . . .
(Note: I received a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.)
Only, author Sally Bedell Smith obviously doesn’t want anyone to see there are any problems whatsoever with Camilla, including her becoming Queen Camilla. In fact, since there is so little, if anything, new in this book, one almost gets the feeling the entire purpose of its existence is to get readers to accept what a wonderful help Camilla has been to Charles, and how she thus deserves to be his queen. Yes, Diana loyalists, Mrs. Smith has not changed her views of the princess since she published Diana in Search of Herself: Portrait of a Troubled Princess. From the way she tells it in this book, the marriage between Charles and Diana was a nightmare from the start because Diana was mentally ill. She and Charles also had little in common, and hardly knew each other when they married, but still the main problem was Diana was a nut case from day one. (Diana obviously did have psychological problems, but so did Charles. Only, his were more hidden. In addition, keep in mind, she had just turned 20 when they married and he was 32. Plus, don't forget, Sally Bedell Smith could not write an objective book on the royal family to save her soul.)
Princess Diana was out to “snare” Prince Charles from the start, too, according to Mrs. Smith. (That's to make her out to be the "user" in the marriage, instead of Charles, the real "user". ) One witness to this whom she quotes was Charles' gay “ever-vigilant valet” Stephen Barry who stated Diana “went after the prince with single-mindedness determination. She wanted him and she got him.” Yeah, one could just see 19-year-old Diana doing that, being the confident, aggressive girl that she was back then. Oh, and didn’t she have the possessive Mr. Barry "retired" after the marriage? Sally Bedell Smith doesn’t want the reader dwelling on those little matters, however. She instead wants readers to only immerse themselves in the virtues and worthiness of Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. One keen observer of it all Mrs. Smith quoted, more than once, to support her point of view was none other than comedian Joan Rivers.
Poor Charles . . . even with Diana gone for almost 20 years, he still seems unable to escape her. He also will never become king unless his mother dies or abdicates, and she shows no signs of doing either. Moreover, unwillingly nipping at his heels, is the young, dynamic, scandal-free duo of William and Kate. Nevertheless, Sally Bedell Smith proposes hope for Charles here in her newest book. She feels Diana will be written off as mentally ill; Camilla will be seen as Charles’ savior, and thus the savior of the monarchy; and William and Kate will be seen as too young and inexperienced to replace Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Or maybe she just hopes all that will happen. We will see . . . .
(Note: I received a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.)
May 27, 2017
I have read a number of biographies about Prince Charles. They all seem to portray him as a love-starved, lonely and emotionally vulnerable. Charles was the first Royal to graduate from Cambridge University and signed up for the Air Force to learn to fly jet planes but was forced into the Royal Navy by his father. Like his father he graduated from Dartmouth, the British Naval Academy. He had a hard time in the close quarters of the Navy ships as he primarily is an introvert.
Smith states that Charles is passionate about organic farming, and environmental issues for which he is way ahead of his time. He is also interested in traditional architecture. He is famous for his charity work and has special interest in education for disadvantaged youth. Smith states that Prince Charles loves the opera and is an accomplished watercolorist. She states he is personally a very frugal man. It was fun learning about all the inside information about Prince Charles and his family. The later part of the book has lots of information about Prince William and Harry as well as the Queen. Apparently, Prince William and the Queen are very close. While growing up he spent a lot of time with her as his parents fought.
The book is well written and meticulously researched. Smith interviewed many court figures and the members of the Royal Family. Smith had access to letters, diaries and other documents. It took about four years to gather all the information to write the book. Smith does reveal a sympathy toward Prince Charles but is frank about the Prince’s personal flaws. Mostly the biography is fairly balanced. The book is easy to read and provides a look at his work as a Royal and a glimpse into his personal life.
Rosalyn Lander does a good job narrating the book. Lander is an English actress and a multi-award winning audiobook narrator.
Smith states that Charles is passionate about organic farming, and environmental issues for which he is way ahead of his time. He is also interested in traditional architecture. He is famous for his charity work and has special interest in education for disadvantaged youth. Smith states that Prince Charles loves the opera and is an accomplished watercolorist. She states he is personally a very frugal man. It was fun learning about all the inside information about Prince Charles and his family. The later part of the book has lots of information about Prince William and Harry as well as the Queen. Apparently, Prince William and the Queen are very close. While growing up he spent a lot of time with her as his parents fought.
The book is well written and meticulously researched. Smith interviewed many court figures and the members of the Royal Family. Smith had access to letters, diaries and other documents. It took about four years to gather all the information to write the book. Smith does reveal a sympathy toward Prince Charles but is frank about the Prince’s personal flaws. Mostly the biography is fairly balanced. The book is easy to read and provides a look at his work as a Royal and a glimpse into his personal life.
Rosalyn Lander does a good job narrating the book. Lander is an English actress and a multi-award winning audiobook narrator.
July 3, 2021
This book is proof that you can kill a person in more ways than one. Part of a sustained, subtle and slow media campaign against Diana that started a year after her death, whereby confessions of Charles as presented in the June 1994 Dimbleby interview are repeated - this campaign to hold Diana accountable as an unstable, precariously thin-skinned wife in need of a good counselor or two, was largely unsuccessful at the time because of Diana’s monstrous popularity and public’s trust in her and belief in Morton’s 1992 book ‘Diana: Her True Story.' However, this campaign finds new life each year by the words and actions of even Charles and Diana's two children who are busy running a mental health campaign 'in honor of their mother.' Talk about slapping a dead woman silly.
The truth is always relative but recollection of history cannot change what destiny preordains. I disagree with the book as follows:
1) Monarchy has been around for centuries; many men and women have come and gone, justice denied, snatched, usurped, but tradition and value system of this institution has been kept intact. No Diana was going to change it.
2) Diana was meant to shine brightly and briefly. Such is the nature of legends. She was the most successful, powerful and photographed person in the world during those 17 years and maybe it all went to her head, turning her into a post-modern feminist (as one biographer called her on CNN during the divorce drama deriding “that Spencer woman”), but she was the most beautiful woman in the world, was very engaging and personable, drew attention to causes that were just rhetorical PR symbols for royals and brought a human touch and glamour quotient to an industry (for that is what monarchy really is) that really needed a touch of brightness and profit margin. She was a great ambassador for UK & Commonwealth, a mix of royal mystique, aristocratic carriage and superstar celeb status, with genuine care for the 'little people,' making her very real and very magical at the same time. Everything she did, everywhere she went became major news, that kind of power in the hands of a single civilian (let alone a woman) is unthinkable now. Her name was bought and sold, and still sells, as a paragon of moral high ground and ultimate glamor, and is used by even her children to make themselves look 'compassionate' people-princes.
3) There are no monsters in the original story: a rich successful man of pedigree needs a young wife of impeccable character to enhance his fortunes and presence, spends the next decade being overshadowed by the extremely good looking aristocratic nobody who develops her own brand, is incessantly mocked by an unfair media, takes the wife for granted, has an explosive 'battle-lines drawn' marriage with affairs on both sides, redefines that wife through carefully crafted loopholes - her convenient death being one of them - and hopes that public will see him as a sympathetic, deep, sensitive, lost yet purposeful soul who has finally come home to claim his prize. Nobody was a monster, but two extremely well-to-do married public figures having a swing at each other, throwing everything but the kitchen sink in their ugly marital spats playing out in the gleefully carnivorous British media, acting for better and for worse, blaming each other because they couldn't control the other and were suspicious of the other's motives (her 1995 Martin Bashir interview was that of a pissed off resentful wife who wanted to hurt him badly in a power play). Diana was as much a product of her times as was Charles. But the book's ‘Origin’ tale is just a calculated multi-colored eraser to diminish Diana.
Charles’ coronation beckons, and so do pro-Charles, soft-focussed highlighters.
4) The author better have a second look at the photograph in Chapter 5 (‘Charles and Camilla Shand at a polo match in Windsor after they met in 1972, Corbius/ Getty Image’): The author writes below the photograph: ‘She is flashing him a half-smile and a come-hither look.’ Charles is no. 4, not the guy wearing no.1 who is the recipient of this author’s over-active imagination rather than any look by Camilla!
5) Though Charles has done a lot in his capacity as the heir to the throne (The Prince’s Trust - now a bouquet of charities - centering on business development, organic farming, talking to plants, urban living in a village like Poundbury and community architecture though Architecture Institute was a failure, fox hunting wonders for the environment, the green revolution, Defender of Faith, against Chinese ‘waxworks’, for creationism, etc.), however, in the eye of the public and the world, he will forever be remembered for making an honest woman out of the mistress (who was for all intents and purposes, The Woman) and for trying to uplift her status and image. Hedge Hunter and Rottweiler, together forever. Not the crime of this or any other century. It would've been better if the author had not tried to 'Freud-out' the late-night dribble between the two.
6) As adults, William and Harry are allergic to work. They are the future. How relevant Charles’ reign would be is irrelevant.
Memorable Lines: ‘Britain’s upper-class Venn diagram of infidelity’; ‘The likelihood of life beginning by chance is about as great as a hurricane blowing through a scrap yard and assembling a Rolls Royce.’
Got an advanced self-destruct-in-x-days e-copy via NetGalley.
The truth is always relative but recollection of history cannot change what destiny preordains. I disagree with the book as follows:
1) Monarchy has been around for centuries; many men and women have come and gone, justice denied, snatched, usurped, but tradition and value system of this institution has been kept intact. No Diana was going to change it.
2) Diana was meant to shine brightly and briefly. Such is the nature of legends. She was the most successful, powerful and photographed person in the world during those 17 years and maybe it all went to her head, turning her into a post-modern feminist (as one biographer called her on CNN during the divorce drama deriding “that Spencer woman”), but she was the most beautiful woman in the world, was very engaging and personable, drew attention to causes that were just rhetorical PR symbols for royals and brought a human touch and glamour quotient to an industry (for that is what monarchy really is) that really needed a touch of brightness and profit margin. She was a great ambassador for UK & Commonwealth, a mix of royal mystique, aristocratic carriage and superstar celeb status, with genuine care for the 'little people,' making her very real and very magical at the same time. Everything she did, everywhere she went became major news, that kind of power in the hands of a single civilian (let alone a woman) is unthinkable now. Her name was bought and sold, and still sells, as a paragon of moral high ground and ultimate glamor, and is used by even her children to make themselves look 'compassionate' people-princes.
3) There are no monsters in the original story: a rich successful man of pedigree needs a young wife of impeccable character to enhance his fortunes and presence, spends the next decade being overshadowed by the extremely good looking aristocratic nobody who develops her own brand, is incessantly mocked by an unfair media, takes the wife for granted, has an explosive 'battle-lines drawn' marriage with affairs on both sides, redefines that wife through carefully crafted loopholes - her convenient death being one of them - and hopes that public will see him as a sympathetic, deep, sensitive, lost yet purposeful soul who has finally come home to claim his prize. Nobody was a monster, but two extremely well-to-do married public figures having a swing at each other, throwing everything but the kitchen sink in their ugly marital spats playing out in the gleefully carnivorous British media, acting for better and for worse, blaming each other because they couldn't control the other and were suspicious of the other's motives (her 1995 Martin Bashir interview was that of a pissed off resentful wife who wanted to hurt him badly in a power play). Diana was as much a product of her times as was Charles. But the book's ‘Origin’ tale is just a calculated multi-colored eraser to diminish Diana.
Charles’ coronation beckons, and so do pro-Charles, soft-focussed highlighters.
4) The author better have a second look at the photograph in Chapter 5 (‘Charles and Camilla Shand at a polo match in Windsor after they met in 1972, Corbius/ Getty Image’): The author writes below the photograph: ‘She is flashing him a half-smile and a come-hither look.’ Charles is no. 4, not the guy wearing no.1 who is the recipient of this author’s over-active imagination rather than any look by Camilla!
5) Though Charles has done a lot in his capacity as the heir to the throne (The Prince’s Trust - now a bouquet of charities - centering on business development, organic farming, talking to plants, urban living in a village like Poundbury and community architecture though Architecture Institute was a failure, fox hunting wonders for the environment, the green revolution, Defender of Faith, against Chinese ‘waxworks’, for creationism, etc.), however, in the eye of the public and the world, he will forever be remembered for making an honest woman out of the mistress (who was for all intents and purposes, The Woman) and for trying to uplift her status and image. Hedge Hunter and Rottweiler, together forever. Not the crime of this or any other century. It would've been better if the author had not tried to 'Freud-out' the late-night dribble between the two.
6) As adults, William and Harry are allergic to work. They are the future. How relevant Charles’ reign would be is irrelevant.
Memorable Lines: ‘Britain’s upper-class Venn diagram of infidelity’; ‘The likelihood of life beginning by chance is about as great as a hurricane blowing through a scrap yard and assembling a Rolls Royce.’
Got an advanced self-destruct-in-x-days e-copy via NetGalley.
May 6, 2017
"Diana Snares Her Man" as a chapter title is typical of the way this author throws objectivity out the window, choosing sides against a then-19-year-old girl versus a 38 year old man and the lover who helped select his bride.
The author falls just short of fawning over Charles, but doesn't hesitate to impose her own politics when she disapproves of his (stating as fact, for example, that Charles' views on climate change should be more "moderate.")
So yeah, the author is not my cup of Earl Grey.
Nevertheless, this is a worthwhile read if only because it begs the question of whether the British monarchy can survive the Information Age. Stripped of his ancestors' facade of privacy, devoid of mystique, exposed as someone desperate for reassurance, the aging heir to the throne emerges as an earnest, well-meaning, occasionally admirable, sometimes clueless, extraordinarily ordinary man, who happens to have been born Royal - for whatever that's worth in the 21st Century. It's for my Brit friends to decide if he is relevant; if he can provide the dignity and continuity that have made his mum, the Queen, an iconic figure. I cannot see how.
In fairness, I'll admit that I went into this book believing the Prince of Wales to be a prig, a prick and a dufus. Nothing I read here changed my mind.
The author falls just short of fawning over Charles, but doesn't hesitate to impose her own politics when she disapproves of his (stating as fact, for example, that Charles' views on climate change should be more "moderate.")
So yeah, the author is not my cup of Earl Grey.
Nevertheless, this is a worthwhile read if only because it begs the question of whether the British monarchy can survive the Information Age. Stripped of his ancestors' facade of privacy, devoid of mystique, exposed as someone desperate for reassurance, the aging heir to the throne emerges as an earnest, well-meaning, occasionally admirable, sometimes clueless, extraordinarily ordinary man, who happens to have been born Royal - for whatever that's worth in the 21st Century. It's for my Brit friends to decide if he is relevant; if he can provide the dignity and continuity that have made his mum, the Queen, an iconic figure. I cannot see how.
In fairness, I'll admit that I went into this book believing the Prince of Wales to be a prig, a prick and a dufus. Nothing I read here changed my mind.
March 19, 2017
I received an e-ARC of this biography through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group. Thank you.
This is not an authorized biography of Prince Charles, but it is a very even handed attempt to show what this man is like both when he is in the public spotlight and when he isn't. I have read other biographies of the British royal family written by Sally Bedell Smith and my reason for wanting to read this one was because I knew I would find a balanced approach to the subject at hand. I always make sure to read the Dedication, Bibliography, and Acknowledgments because I often find interesting nuggets of information revealed there. In this case, the revelation of how Ms. Smith was close enough to her subject matter to be believable. Also, even though there are literally pages of names of those who were willing to provide Ms. Smith with information about Prince Charles there were only thirty people who requested to remain anonymous. That percentage was quite impressive to me. I also discovered how access to the royal family came about and how many people within the royal circle can be considered friends of this author. It explains why many of the incidents involving Prince Charles over the years were treated as they were.
In this biography Ms. Smith has dealt with Prince Charles fairly, but impartially. When she was recounting things he had said or done which were unwise she has not held back from offering a critical view of his actions. However, and just as important to me, when Prince Charles has been wrongly perceived or maligned Ms. Smith has not hesitated to set the record straight to give readers a view of the whole man. Thankfully she has not tried to whitewash obvious errors in judgement or turn Prince Charles into an unappreciated saint. The balance of giving the opposite view when misleading information was more prominently reported has made Prince Charles into a more personable individual for me. It seems fairly obvious that Ms. Smith is to be considered more on the side of the Prince of Wales than his enemy, but attempts appear to have been made to present him as he is, as events happened , mistakes and all.
One of the aspects of this book which I found most interesting was watching as Prince Charles appears to come to terms with his role in waiting to become King Charles III. Everyone matures over the period of their life. It was most interesting to watch Prince Charles as he had to come to terms with his place in the line of English monarchs with the eyes of friend and foe alike firmly focused on him, evaluating his every move in light of his future possibility of sitting on the throne. This book has been most helpful to me in watching Prince Charles mature and change as he has had to deal with everything life has given him and come through it all with a grace and purpose which bodes well for the English monarchy.
This is not an authorized biography of Prince Charles, but it is a very even handed attempt to show what this man is like both when he is in the public spotlight and when he isn't. I have read other biographies of the British royal family written by Sally Bedell Smith and my reason for wanting to read this one was because I knew I would find a balanced approach to the subject at hand. I always make sure to read the Dedication, Bibliography, and Acknowledgments because I often find interesting nuggets of information revealed there. In this case, the revelation of how Ms. Smith was close enough to her subject matter to be believable. Also, even though there are literally pages of names of those who were willing to provide Ms. Smith with information about Prince Charles there were only thirty people who requested to remain anonymous. That percentage was quite impressive to me. I also discovered how access to the royal family came about and how many people within the royal circle can be considered friends of this author. It explains why many of the incidents involving Prince Charles over the years were treated as they were.
In this biography Ms. Smith has dealt with Prince Charles fairly, but impartially. When she was recounting things he had said or done which were unwise she has not held back from offering a critical view of his actions. However, and just as important to me, when Prince Charles has been wrongly perceived or maligned Ms. Smith has not hesitated to set the record straight to give readers a view of the whole man. Thankfully she has not tried to whitewash obvious errors in judgement or turn Prince Charles into an unappreciated saint. The balance of giving the opposite view when misleading information was more prominently reported has made Prince Charles into a more personable individual for me. It seems fairly obvious that Ms. Smith is to be considered more on the side of the Prince of Wales than his enemy, but attempts appear to have been made to present him as he is, as events happened , mistakes and all.
One of the aspects of this book which I found most interesting was watching as Prince Charles appears to come to terms with his role in waiting to become King Charles III. Everyone matures over the period of their life. It was most interesting to watch Prince Charles as he had to come to terms with his place in the line of English monarchs with the eyes of friend and foe alike firmly focused on him, evaluating his every move in light of his future possibility of sitting on the throne. This book has been most helpful to me in watching Prince Charles mature and change as he has had to deal with everything life has given him and come through it all with a grace and purpose which bodes well for the English monarchy.
January 2, 2021
I am so guilty of being a devoted anglophile, so let me just get this out of the way, I'm a fan, YES, of Charles. To all the haters of Charles, step back for one minute, remove the doomed marriage to, Diana, The People's Princess, out of the equation, and look at Charles for all that he represents, a life spent in service to The Crown.
Charles is the tireless champion of poetry, Shakespeare, new models for teaching and raising levels of literacy. As a artist, his lithographs of his watercolors has contributed $9 million to his charities. He has launched schools for architects, artists, teachers and artisans. He is passionate about urban planning, historic preservation, architecture, homeopathic options, organic foods and farms. He has raised awareness about the plight of small farmers, restored decaying industrial centers and historic sites, researches healthy foods, and is a huge advocate for the preservation of indispensable forests. The Prince's Trust, which most folks relate to the amazing concerts, has been raising monies for 44 years, and has helped more than almost 900,000 young people learn skills and gain employment (the actor, Idris Elba got his first break from a trust subsidy of $2,000). The haters have a tendency to focus on his short comings rather than his immense contributions.
All of us have something in our lives where we wish we had made different choices, ALL of us. Pretty sure his Achilles heel was his marriage to Diana, but he really is so much more than just that guy who loved another woman all of his adult life. And, as for Camilla, I quite like her, she doesn't have the glam, and isn't the great beauty and style setter like Diana, but she is the constant joy and the great love, in the life of a guy who is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
If you have watched, "The Crown" and that is all you know about Charles, perhaps give this book a try. The one episode in the series that spoke to me about the person Charles really is, was "Tywysog Cymru", from Season 3, if you weren't paying attention or haven't watched it, make sure you watch it again. For me, it defines him.
"Poor Charles' was a constant refrain in my researches. It was spoken in despair by those who loved him, with sarcasm by those who resented him. Despite his gilded upbringing — the palaces and leafy retreats, the cosseting and automatic deference — his was a life of frustration. His every step along the way was inspected and analyzed: his promise, his awkwardness, his happiness, his suffering, his betrayals and embarrassments and mistakes, his loneliness, his successes — and especially his relentless search for meaning, approval, and love."
Charles is the tireless champion of poetry, Shakespeare, new models for teaching and raising levels of literacy. As a artist, his lithographs of his watercolors has contributed $9 million to his charities. He has launched schools for architects, artists, teachers and artisans. He is passionate about urban planning, historic preservation, architecture, homeopathic options, organic foods and farms. He has raised awareness about the plight of small farmers, restored decaying industrial centers and historic sites, researches healthy foods, and is a huge advocate for the preservation of indispensable forests. The Prince's Trust, which most folks relate to the amazing concerts, has been raising monies for 44 years, and has helped more than almost 900,000 young people learn skills and gain employment (the actor, Idris Elba got his first break from a trust subsidy of $2,000). The haters have a tendency to focus on his short comings rather than his immense contributions.
All of us have something in our lives where we wish we had made different choices, ALL of us. Pretty sure his Achilles heel was his marriage to Diana, but he really is so much more than just that guy who loved another woman all of his adult life. And, as for Camilla, I quite like her, she doesn't have the glam, and isn't the great beauty and style setter like Diana, but she is the constant joy and the great love, in the life of a guy who is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
If you have watched, "The Crown" and that is all you know about Charles, perhaps give this book a try. The one episode in the series that spoke to me about the person Charles really is, was "Tywysog Cymru", from Season 3, if you weren't paying attention or haven't watched it, make sure you watch it again. For me, it defines him.
"Poor Charles' was a constant refrain in my researches. It was spoken in despair by those who loved him, with sarcasm by those who resented him. Despite his gilded upbringing — the palaces and leafy retreats, the cosseting and automatic deference — his was a life of frustration. His every step along the way was inspected and analyzed: his promise, his awkwardness, his happiness, his suffering, his betrayals and embarrassments and mistakes, his loneliness, his successes — and especially his relentless search for meaning, approval, and love."
March 8, 2021
If you're a fan of the British royal family and you haven't read this or Elizabeth the Queen -- what are you waiting for? Bedell Smith writes with a natural narrative voice and while she may bounce around from time to time depending on chapter themes, the end result is still an extremely cohesive, engaging biography. This one has me appreciating Charles and Camilla's relationship more than anything else I've read about them, but people deserve to have their lives seen through their own eyes.
September 16, 2017
In the GP's waiting room, I read a book extract on Prince Charles in VANITY FAIR. It was interesting to read, so I decided to tick off a biography from my reading challenge this year, since I don't read non-fiction for pleasure. By coincidence, I got Bedell Smith's book, which turned out to be the one where they'd got the extract from in the magazine.
The only interesting chapter was the bit about Charles's childhood. Philip sent him to Gordonstoun, which he loathed, because he wasn't treated like a 'speshul liddle pwince'. Apparently, Charlie boy was subjected to a vicious campaign of bullying by the boys at the school.
The rest you could have found out if you 'read' DAILY FAIL. Just the usual stuff about Diana & Camilla. It was a 500 page book, so I admit I just skimmed large swathes, because Charles seems like a dull, bland man (despite the sad attempt at an exciting title). To me, Bedell Smith tried to depict him as a sensitive soul, who didn't get enough love from his cold parents Elizabeth and Philip. It seems that he was too cowardly to marry Camilla in 1970s, so he let himself be controlled by royal protocol. Seriously, this guy is so boringgg. He likes architecture (modernism is ugly to him), so he harks back to the past. If an expert disagrees with him, Charles cuts them off and refuses to debate with them. The reason why why some of his suits have patches on them is that he likes to recycle his clothes. Yawn. What else? Oh yeah, he likes to play polo. Yip-dee-doo.
The style was gossipy, but easy to read. Bedell Smith relies a on Charles's inner circle, and obviously they're going to give a biased picture of POW, so the whole effort is pointless. I probably won't read another biography of a modern royal - dullards the lot of them.
The only interesting chapter was the bit about Charles's childhood. Philip sent him to Gordonstoun, which he loathed, because he wasn't treated like a 'speshul liddle pwince'. Apparently, Charlie boy was subjected to a vicious campaign of bullying by the boys at the school.
The rest you could have found out if you 'read' DAILY FAIL. Just the usual stuff about Diana & Camilla. It was a 500 page book, so I admit I just skimmed large swathes, because Charles seems like a dull, bland man (despite the sad attempt at an exciting title). To me, Bedell Smith tried to depict him as a sensitive soul, who didn't get enough love from his cold parents Elizabeth and Philip. It seems that he was too cowardly to marry Camilla in 1970s, so he let himself be controlled by royal protocol. Seriously, this guy is so boringgg. He likes architecture (modernism is ugly to him), so he harks back to the past. If an expert disagrees with him, Charles cuts them off and refuses to debate with them. The reason why why some of his suits have patches on them is that he likes to recycle his clothes. Yawn. What else? Oh yeah, he likes to play polo. Yip-dee-doo.
The style was gossipy, but easy to read. Bedell Smith relies a on Charles's inner circle, and obviously they're going to give a biased picture of POW, so the whole effort is pointless. I probably won't read another biography of a modern royal - dullards the lot of them.
December 18, 2017
Review to follow.
July 23, 2022
Anyone interested in the man who would be king will find this well-researched bio compelling, despite its heft. A fine escape during a hot summer's week.
November 22, 2017
I was graciously provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley in return for my honest review.
As an unabashed Anglophile, I have read many biographies on the Windsors over the years, including a few specifically about Prince Charles. This fresh, new biography about Prince Charles is as precious as a hunk of royal Welsh gold!
The Prince Charles biography of note since the 90's has been the authorised Johnathan Dimbleby tome, which is referenced throughout this book (ironically, I've never read this one). With decades gone by since that biography, it is a delight to have a new comprehensive and up-to-date major biography of this multi-faceted and extraordinary individual. At over 600 pages, it is rich with information and lends a new appreciation for a remarkable man waiting to be King for over sixty years. During this time Charles has worked relentlessly to impact issues he feels passionately about such as architecture, organic gardening, preserving historic homes, providing seed money for business start-ups, and appreciation and acceptance for other religions. Despite push back and criticism from the British media and other power players, Charles has a strong back bone and stands firm on his principles.
The book also explores Charles personal interests such as his love of art, especially as demonstrated by his sketching and painting in watercolors. He also is an intellectual and deep thinker seeking out philosophical musings such as that of Sir Laurens Van Der Post. Much of his acrimony towards architects of today has been his dismay at their cold and linear modern designs. One of Charles' passions is promoting architecture with a nod to the majesty of the past...incorporating columns, cornices and other artistic representations to lend beauty and history to English surroundings. Another major joy of the Prince of Wales is gardening, and he has lovingly and painstakingly created magnificent gardens at his country mansion Highgrove.
Charles' personal life is also laid bare with his pre-marriage romances in his run up to marrying Lady Diana Spencer. This disastrous and tragic marriage is extensively documented as well as that of his relationship with his true love, Camilla (Shand) Parker-Bowles. I have truly loved and supported Princess Diana since I watched the Royal Wedding, enchanted and doe-eyed as a teenager. However, in part after reading this book, I no longer have a jaundiced eye regarding the incompatibility of their marital union. Still, they have their children William and Harry to be proud of and their lives are also explored in this book.
The writing style of author Sally Bedell Smith is effortless and sublime. Because of this, I have just purchased her book "Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch." I trust that this book will be just as meticulously researched and pleasurable to read as her Prince Charles work. Even after many years of reading other biographies of the Windsors, I came away from this one with a new high regard and appreciation for Prince Charles. Such is the measure of this book which deeply explores Charles' multi-layered personality to present the best representation of the man who will be King.
As an unabashed Anglophile, I have read many biographies on the Windsors over the years, including a few specifically about Prince Charles. This fresh, new biography about Prince Charles is as precious as a hunk of royal Welsh gold!
The Prince Charles biography of note since the 90's has been the authorised Johnathan Dimbleby tome, which is referenced throughout this book (ironically, I've never read this one). With decades gone by since that biography, it is a delight to have a new comprehensive and up-to-date major biography of this multi-faceted and extraordinary individual. At over 600 pages, it is rich with information and lends a new appreciation for a remarkable man waiting to be King for over sixty years. During this time Charles has worked relentlessly to impact issues he feels passionately about such as architecture, organic gardening, preserving historic homes, providing seed money for business start-ups, and appreciation and acceptance for other religions. Despite push back and criticism from the British media and other power players, Charles has a strong back bone and stands firm on his principles.
The book also explores Charles personal interests such as his love of art, especially as demonstrated by his sketching and painting in watercolors. He also is an intellectual and deep thinker seeking out philosophical musings such as that of Sir Laurens Van Der Post. Much of his acrimony towards architects of today has been his dismay at their cold and linear modern designs. One of Charles' passions is promoting architecture with a nod to the majesty of the past...incorporating columns, cornices and other artistic representations to lend beauty and history to English surroundings. Another major joy of the Prince of Wales is gardening, and he has lovingly and painstakingly created magnificent gardens at his country mansion Highgrove.
Charles' personal life is also laid bare with his pre-marriage romances in his run up to marrying Lady Diana Spencer. This disastrous and tragic marriage is extensively documented as well as that of his relationship with his true love, Camilla (Shand) Parker-Bowles. I have truly loved and supported Princess Diana since I watched the Royal Wedding, enchanted and doe-eyed as a teenager. However, in part after reading this book, I no longer have a jaundiced eye regarding the incompatibility of their marital union. Still, they have their children William and Harry to be proud of and their lives are also explored in this book.
The writing style of author Sally Bedell Smith is effortless and sublime. Because of this, I have just purchased her book "Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch." I trust that this book will be just as meticulously researched and pleasurable to read as her Prince Charles work. Even after many years of reading other biographies of the Windsors, I came away from this one with a new high regard and appreciation for Prince Charles. Such is the measure of this book which deeply explores Charles' multi-layered personality to present the best representation of the man who will be King.
March 3, 2017
I won this Free book through Goodreads First reads.
There was so much about Prince Charles that I didn't know before, in this book. His childhood, his shyness, his gentle manner as a child.
His grandmother was always his ali.
Schooling was hard on him, especially when his father sent him to a school in Scotlad, where he was bullied and made fun of all the time. He wanted to go to school at Eaton, near his grandmother's home.
He found his nich in polo with horses. Later in life he enjoyed huting and fishing and gardening.
Camilla Parker Bolles had always had been the love of his life, even though he married Diana. There was a 12 year difference in their ages and their personalities clashed.
When he and Camilla did marry he was truly happy with his soul mate.
He took a keen interest in farming and the lands he was in charge with.
He wanted to learn all the modern agriculture aspects of farming.
Now he is the Prince in waiting. His mother the Queen at 89 is going strong. Will he succeed her or will his son take the throne. It's a waiting game.
The author wrote the book very well.
There was so much about Prince Charles that I didn't know before, in this book. His childhood, his shyness, his gentle manner as a child.
His grandmother was always his ali.
Schooling was hard on him, especially when his father sent him to a school in Scotlad, where he was bullied and made fun of all the time. He wanted to go to school at Eaton, near his grandmother's home.
He found his nich in polo with horses. Later in life he enjoyed huting and fishing and gardening.
Camilla Parker Bolles had always had been the love of his life, even though he married Diana. There was a 12 year difference in their ages and their personalities clashed.
When he and Camilla did marry he was truly happy with his soul mate.
He took a keen interest in farming and the lands he was in charge with.
He wanted to learn all the modern agriculture aspects of farming.
Now he is the Prince in waiting. His mother the Queen at 89 is going strong. Will he succeed her or will his son take the throne. It's a waiting game.
The author wrote the book very well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2018
A fascinating look at the life of the Prince of Wales, thus far.
Prince Charles really broke the mold for the royal family. He is much more reflective and tends to study his "subject" more and not provide a snappy [flippant] comeback to something someone says. The causes that he supports are most interesting - art, the environment, architecture, etc.
While I am glad that he and Diana got together (because this union produced princes William and Harry), this couple never really should have gotten together. At the time of their engagement, Diana was a grass green 20-year old who was probably in love with the idea of becoming a princess, but didn't really know what that meant or the dedication that it would entail / require. They had nothing in common and Charles once admitted that he did not love her, but thought he could come to love her ... this union never really had a chance.
In contrast, Charles and Camilla had dated off and on for years. They shared a love of hunting, gardening, and painting [watercolors], but the Queen did not approve. Well, look where it got them!
Also, William and Kate dated almost steadily for 7-8 years before they got engaged and Kate participated in her first royal duty before they got engaged. She had the opportunity to be exposed to and learn what exactly would be expected of her.
The sources of funding for the Prince and some of his relatives was most intriguing and I did not realize that these sources would shift (or by how much) when Charles actually ascends the throne.
BTW, Prince Charles will be 70 in November, so if he actually does become King, he may not hold that position for long, or he could live for a long time ... Look at his parents - both in their 90's and [apparently] still going strong.
Although it had to be said because it is a vital piece of Charles' history, the part of this book that I really disliked was in regards to Camillagate and how Charles and Diana constantly tried to "one-up" the other. I really thought this was well below both of them, but you never can tell what some people will do. During this period, Charles' approval rating dropped to as low as 4%. Over the years, especially after Diana passed, his approval rating and that of his and Camilla's together, has steadily increased.
Also, this year marks the 13th wedding anniversary of Charles and Camilla. During this time, Camilla has always toed the [royal] line and never made a major misstep. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for any of the other royal spouses.
Check out this book to learn more!
Prince Charles really broke the mold for the royal family. He is much more reflective and tends to study his "subject" more and not provide a snappy [flippant] comeback to something someone says. The causes that he supports are most interesting - art, the environment, architecture, etc.
While I am glad that he and Diana got together (because this union produced princes William and Harry), this couple never really should have gotten together. At the time of their engagement, Diana was a grass green 20-year old who was probably in love with the idea of becoming a princess, but didn't really know what that meant or the dedication that it would entail / require. They had nothing in common and Charles once admitted that he did not love her, but thought he could come to love her ... this union never really had a chance.
In contrast, Charles and Camilla had dated off and on for years. They shared a love of hunting, gardening, and painting [watercolors], but the Queen did not approve. Well, look where it got them!
Also, William and Kate dated almost steadily for 7-8 years before they got engaged and Kate participated in her first royal duty before they got engaged. She had the opportunity to be exposed to and learn what exactly would be expected of her.
The sources of funding for the Prince and some of his relatives was most intriguing and I did not realize that these sources would shift (or by how much) when Charles actually ascends the throne.
BTW, Prince Charles will be 70 in November, so if he actually does become King, he may not hold that position for long, or he could live for a long time ... Look at his parents - both in their 90's and [apparently] still going strong.
Although it had to be said because it is a vital piece of Charles' history, the part of this book that I really disliked was in regards to Camillagate and how Charles and Diana constantly tried to "one-up" the other. I really thought this was well below both of them, but you never can tell what some people will do. During this period, Charles' approval rating dropped to as low as 4%. Over the years, especially after Diana passed, his approval rating and that of his and Camilla's together, has steadily increased.
Also, this year marks the 13th wedding anniversary of Charles and Camilla. During this time, Camilla has always toed the [royal] line and never made a major misstep. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for any of the other royal spouses.
Check out this book to learn more!
March 28, 2018
Prince Charles is a pretty boring guy, but the author goes through his life in an interesting way, with a healthy sprinkling of details that make it clear what a sad guy he is. E.g., he had very little interaction with his parents growing up, then he went to a school where he was bullied, and his father-figure type personal security guard was fired for letting him drink at the age of 14. Just when you start feeling sorry for the man, Bedell Smith drops in some letter from him complaining about how awfully uncomfortable first class seats on a plane are. Charles clearly is out of touch with the world, and has very little intellectual pushback on his wacky ideas, like homeopathy. So I certainly felt like I got a fair and interesting picture of him, but I'm not sure I can recommend the book. I think there are millions more interesting, talented, and accomplished people in the world that would be more deserving of a biography.
April 26, 2017
Biographies irritate me; this one was less annoying than many. Going in, I thought Charles was freakish, interesting, unlovable, and that he may well rise to the occasion and not be a complete disaster on the throne; this book did little to sway or deepen any of those impressions. Still, I really enjoyed the gossip.
November 19, 2022
This fascinating and highly readable biography of Prince Charles—now King Charles III—by Sally Bedell Smith is an in-depth look at the man who waited the longest in history to become Britain's king.
Long viewed by many as the boring, big-eared man who bizarrely told the world "Whatever 'in love' means" when he was asked if he loved his fiancée, Lady Diana Spencer, Charles is so much more than that. The prince's biggest challenge in his life had been figuring out what to do with it while he waited for what must have seemed an eternity to enter his life's work and become king. That was 73 years to fiddle-faddle.
Find out the following intriguing and even somewhat juicy details:
• His unhappy childhood trying to fit in and adapt to difficult circumstances, especially the boarding schools he was forced to attend.
• Why the prince's advisors—try as they might—could not stop him from speaking out on controversial subjects about which he knew very little, from architecture to organic farming to religious beliefs.
• The astonishing way the prince reacted when anyone contradicted him, even when he was wrong.
• The many ways he casually and repeatedly violated the British constitution with his patently political public statements and deeds.
• Some of the prince's truly eccentric ways of living as a man whose affinities were closer to the 18th century than the 21st century.
• All about Diana—the good, the bad, and the tragic.
• All about Camilla, the true love of his life—from their illicit affairs to their eventual marriage.
• His relationship with his parents, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.
• His relationship with his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
• The special relationships he cultivated with Americans, especially Nancy Reagan with whom he said he had "fallen in love."
Charles may have spent years doing exactly as he pleased, but that will all change now that he is the king. This biography, which spans from his birth in 1948 to 2017, is a captivating personal look at the man who would become the king of England and how he spent his time, energy, and money before that day happened—from the conventional to the eccentric.
Bonus: There are LOTS of fabulous photographs sprinkled throughout the text with many more at the end. They are great even in black and white on a Kindle.
Long viewed by many as the boring, big-eared man who bizarrely told the world "Whatever 'in love' means" when he was asked if he loved his fiancée, Lady Diana Spencer, Charles is so much more than that. The prince's biggest challenge in his life had been figuring out what to do with it while he waited for what must have seemed an eternity to enter his life's work and become king. That was 73 years to fiddle-faddle.
Find out the following intriguing and even somewhat juicy details:
• His unhappy childhood trying to fit in and adapt to difficult circumstances, especially the boarding schools he was forced to attend.
• Why the prince's advisors—try as they might—could not stop him from speaking out on controversial subjects about which he knew very little, from architecture to organic farming to religious beliefs.
• The astonishing way the prince reacted when anyone contradicted him, even when he was wrong.
• The many ways he casually and repeatedly violated the British constitution with his patently political public statements and deeds.
• Some of the prince's truly eccentric ways of living as a man whose affinities were closer to the 18th century than the 21st century.
• All about Diana—the good, the bad, and the tragic.
• All about Camilla, the true love of his life—from their illicit affairs to their eventual marriage.
• His relationship with his parents, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.
• His relationship with his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
• The special relationships he cultivated with Americans, especially Nancy Reagan with whom he said he had "fallen in love."
Charles may have spent years doing exactly as he pleased, but that will all change now that he is the king. This biography, which spans from his birth in 1948 to 2017, is a captivating personal look at the man who would become the king of England and how he spent his time, energy, and money before that day happened—from the conventional to the eccentric.
Bonus: There are LOTS of fabulous photographs sprinkled throughout the text with many more at the end. They are great even in black and white on a Kindle.
December 19, 2020
A clunker of a book, with over 500 pages of dining, whining, partying, complaining, inability to stay on one path -- Prince Charles of England
I thought some of the book was noteworthy, and I learned a lot about the authors perception of British politics, there was a lot of rambling, title changing, and down-right disdain of Diana, Charles ill fated marriage to a woman much younger, much more spontaneous and loving abilities that Charles clearly lacked.
Camilla Parker Bowles was a meddler. As Diana noted, "There were three of us in the marriage; it got quite crowded."
Camilla learned the nuances of Charles', she knew he needed to be first. Unlike Diana who had a bright-star personality, Camilla is very content to garden, look at books of fabric swatches, and listen, listen to this ever whining personality.
Newspapers reported that Charles needy personality was off scale. People knew he had a self centeredness that would hinder his ability to lead the nation.
Much of the book revolved around the love between Camilla and Charles. When they married, they knew each other well, they were both in their 50's when they married, and Camilla was very pleased to simply hold his hand and listen to him.
I found it interesting that he started many projects and renovations of historical buildings, only to not follow through.
Sadly, he even remarked that there were too many photo opportunities for son William and wife Kate Middleton.
Charles is a sad man. Hopefully, he will not inherit the throne.
I thought some of the book was noteworthy, and I learned a lot about the authors perception of British politics, there was a lot of rambling, title changing, and down-right disdain of Diana, Charles ill fated marriage to a woman much younger, much more spontaneous and loving abilities that Charles clearly lacked.
Camilla Parker Bowles was a meddler. As Diana noted, "There were three of us in the marriage; it got quite crowded."
Camilla learned the nuances of Charles', she knew he needed to be first. Unlike Diana who had a bright-star personality, Camilla is very content to garden, look at books of fabric swatches, and listen, listen to this ever whining personality.
Newspapers reported that Charles needy personality was off scale. People knew he had a self centeredness that would hinder his ability to lead the nation.
Much of the book revolved around the love between Camilla and Charles. When they married, they knew each other well, they were both in their 50's when they married, and Camilla was very pleased to simply hold his hand and listen to him.
I found it interesting that he started many projects and renovations of historical buildings, only to not follow through.
Sadly, he even remarked that there were too many photo opportunities for son William and wife Kate Middleton.
Charles is a sad man. Hopefully, he will not inherit the throne.
May 23, 2018
I enjoyed the audio CD of this large and quite diligent book. The narrator, Rosalyn Landor, adds much to the near 600 pages of prose by Sally Bedell Smith. Landor has won several awards for her acting and voice work. There is an article about her now on AudioFileMagazine.com where she exclaims, "I can be anyone, from the 95-year-old dowager to a 21-year-old frivolous spirit." Yes.
I am a fan of Prince Charles, and thus, liked this work. I admire his outspoken nature, his truth and good old British style. He is most comfortable in his bespoke double breasted suits...so be it.
In time honored biographical textbook style, Smith follows a strict chronological order here. It is clear and easy to follow, however it does ramble on for awhile. Lots of nice personal touches, though.
Pour a cuppa tea, lounge on the settee after a lakeside amble and enjoy (listening to) this heartfelt life story.
I am a fan of Prince Charles, and thus, liked this work. I admire his outspoken nature, his truth and good old British style. He is most comfortable in his bespoke double breasted suits...so be it.
In time honored biographical textbook style, Smith follows a strict chronological order here. It is clear and easy to follow, however it does ramble on for awhile. Lots of nice personal touches, though.
Pour a cuppa tea, lounge on the settee after a lakeside amble and enjoy (listening to) this heartfelt life story.
August 24, 2017
3.5 rounded up to 4. I really enjoyed this book, it made me want to learn more. I definitely think Americans have a limited view through the media on Charles and Diana and I was not aware Diana had mental issues. It is hard for me to still like Camilla and Charles given what occurred. I also liked understanding more why Charles is the way he is, learning more about his background and upbringing. Some parts dragged for me, especially when speaking about fundraising but Charles does try and help a lot of people.
I will definitely pick up more of Sally Bedell Smith's books.
I will definitely pick up more of Sally Bedell Smith's books.
June 27, 2017
I learned a lot about the Royal Family. Even though there were some slow parts, much of it was of great interest to me.
June 6, 2023
I didn’t think I particularly cared about Prince Charles, but this was engagingly written, if not a bit kind, towards the now King. I’ll read anything Sally Bedell Smith pens but it did make me see the man beneath the crown in a new light.
January 15, 2018
This is an unauthorized, but generally sympathetic biography of Prince Charles by the woman who wrote a biography of the queen a couple of years ago. It largely portrays Charles as a person man who has been starved for affection and praise his entire life, and one who is largely out of step with his unintellectual family.
The book is fairly even-handed about his disastrous marriage to Princess Diana, showing that there was plenty of fault on both sides and leaving one to speculate what would have been different if he had been allowed to marry Camilla in the first place.
Right now it seems like the Royals have learned from their disastrous decade of the 1990's and are letting their children follow their hearts rather than protocol. Will that be enough to sustain the monarchy into the future? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
The book is fairly even-handed about his disastrous marriage to Princess Diana, showing that there was plenty of fault on both sides and leaving one to speculate what would have been different if he had been allowed to marry Camilla in the first place.
Right now it seems like the Royals have learned from their disastrous decade of the 1990's and are letting their children follow their hearts rather than protocol. Will that be enough to sustain the monarchy into the future? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
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