Charles: I won’t be a meddling king
The Prince of Wales will today vow publicly that he will not be a ‘‘meddling’’ King, as he outlines for the first time his plans for his future as sovereign.
The Prince, heir to the throne since the age of four, will say in an interview that his campaigning will end when he finally becomes King.
In the interview timed to coincide with his 70th birthday, Prince Charles insists he will follow in the footsteps of his mother the Queen and ‘‘operate within the constitutional parameters’’ of life as monarch.
Critics have accused the prince of interfering in controversial issues including railing against modern architecture and GM food, as well as promoting homoeopathy and a badger cull.
As long ago as 1984 his description of a new extension to the National Gallery in London as a ‘‘monstrous carbuncle’’ led to the scheme being scrapped, while he declined to attend a state dinner in honour of the Chinese, allegedly over his opposition to their policy on Tibet.
But in the 70th birthday interview, he says his life’s work as the Prince of Wales is ‘‘completely different’’ to the role he will one day accede to.
Pressed on whether his public campaigning will continue, he insists: ‘‘No, it won’t. I’m not that stupid. I do realise that it is a separate exercise being sovereign. So of course I understand entirely how that should operate.’’
The interview, part of Prince, Son and Heir – Charles at 70 to be broadcast tonight on BBC One, will take stock of the prince’s life so far, and contain warm tributes from his sons.
It is understood that the prince and his advisers agreed his 70th birthday was the right time to make clear his own views on his future rule.
Told by an interviewer that ‘‘some people have accused you of meddling’’, the documentary shows the prince laughing before replying drily: ‘‘Really? You don’t say.’’
He goes on: ‘‘I always wonder what meddling is. I mean I always thought it was motivating, but I’ve always been intrigued. If it’s meddling to worry about the inner-cities as I did 40 years ago and what was happening or not happening there, the conditions in which people were living . . . If that’s meddling I’m very proud of it.’’
The prince then insists: ‘‘I’ve tried to make sure whatever I’ve done has been non-party political. But I think it’s vital to remember there’s only room for one sovereign at a time, not two.
‘‘So you can’t be the same as the sovereign if you’re the prince of Wales or the heir. The idea somehow that I’m going to go on exactly the same way, if I have to succeed, is complete nonsense because the two situations are completely different.’’
The accusation of ‘‘meddling’’ has long been levelled at the prince but the problem intensified when in 2015 a cache of socalled ‘‘black spider’’ letters were made public. The letters sent to ministers in 2004 and 2005 showed the Prince making direct interventions battle to get them to run it on used cooking oil,’’ the Prince confided.
‘‘Which actually in the end worked quite well.’’
Earlier this year, the prince also took delivery of the Royal Family’s first all-electric car, a to the then prime minister Tony Blair and key figures in his Labour government.
Asked whether he could continue to use his ‘‘convening power’’, which sees him gather experts together to make progress on his chosen issues, the prince adds: ‘‘Well you never know, but you could only do it with the agreement of ministers. That’s how it works.’’
The Duchess of Cornwall, also interviewed, is asked whether she thinks her husband’s future as king weighs heavily on his shoulders. ‘‘No I don’t,’’ she replies. ‘‘I think his destiny will come, he’s always known it’s going to come and I don’t think it does weigh on his shoulders at all. ‘‘It’s just something that’s going to happen.’’
– Telegraph Group