A not-so-princely portrayal
Britain’s in a stir over upcoming Charles bio.
After being portrayed as a coldhearted, adulterous villain for much of his marriage to Princess Diana, Prince Charles’ image has undergone a restoration in the two decades that have passed since her death. That includes what appears to be a warmer relationship with sons William and Harry.
Which is precisely why Charles and his courtiers at St. James’ Palace will not be pleased with Rebel Prince: The Power, Passion and Defiance of Prince Charles, a new exposé by British investigative writer Tom Bower set to publish March 22 in the U.K., ahead of Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle on May 19 and Charles’ 70th birthday on Nov. 14. (It’s not clear whether the book will be released in the USA.)
Bower has written controversial bios of Virgin founder Richard Branson, Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone, former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and Mohamed Fayed, the father of Diana’s beau, Dodi Fayed, who died with her in the 1997 car crash in Paris.
Natalie Forster, a press secretary for Prince Charles, declined to comment on Bower’s book, which was excerpted Saturday by The Daily Mail, or on any of its claims. The most noteworthy: 1 William had to get the queen to intervene when Charles showed disrespect to Kate’s mother. When William and Kate took their kids to spend Christmas with the Middletons in Bucklebury instead of with the royals at Sandringham in Norfolk, his father believed they were enjoying a close relationship with the grandchildren at his expense.
Courtiers loyal to Charles then began snubbing Carole Middleton during gettogethers. An incensed William took the issue to the queen, who invited Middleton to Balmoral, where she had a cameraman film them driving around the estate together. 2 He was “blind” to his sons’ resentment of Camilla after Diana’s death. Bower writes that Camilla Parker Bowles’ presence in those early years after Diana’s death damaged Charles’ relationship with his sons, who saw her as “a constant reminder of their mother’s torment.”
The author also says the staff at Clarence House, Charles’ London residence, noticed that the boys made use of the servants’ entrance to avoid running into either their father or his girlfriend.
3 Charles was worried the public would ignore him and Camilla in favor of William and Kate. His concern was seemingly validated when Canada asked him to postpone his own tour until after his son and daughter-inlaw had visited. Camilla, on the other hand, didn’t share his concern. When people around them talked of Kate becoming the first commoner queen, Camilla corrected them. “That’ll be me,” she laughed.
4 He’s super-self-indulgent, and it’s all to get back at his father. Sources interviewed by Bower say Charles’ fondness for finery, including his preference for private planes and trains, is a form of revenge against Prince Philip, who insisted that Charles attend his alma mater, the decidedly unluxurious Gordonstoun School in Scotland, instead of Eton.
5 Charles once sent two bedrooms’ worth of furniture ahead of an overnight visit to friends. Bower claims that before one visit to a friend in the north, Charles dispatched a truck to ferry the entire contents of his and wife Camilla’s bedrooms, complete with his own bed, linens, toilet seat, liquor, bottled water and art.
The future king is also said to bring along his own food and cocktails. According to Bower, Charles’ personal police escort would arrive at functions ahead of Charles to deliver a pre-mixed martini in a flask and a glass for the host’s butler to pour it into. Aides would deliver his meals beforehand as well. Bower points out that even the queen eats whatever is served by her hosts.
He cites a lunch served during a visit to India where Charles admonished an American diner about to grab a piece of bread: “No, that’s mine! Only for me.”