Prince Charles: A King in Waiting
VOCABULARY
As Charles, Prince of Wales, approaches another milestone birthday, people ask themselves the same question: "Will he ever become King of England?" which is usually followed by: "Will Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, ever become Queen of England?" There was a time when this would have been unthinkable, but now the people of Great Britain are mellowing towards the duchess. However, will Queen Elizabeth II ever stand down and make way for her son to become king? If she keeps the promise that she made in 1947, to serve until her death, she will never give up the throne.
Next Wednesday, 14 November, the heir apparent to the throne and the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II, will turn 70. Rumours are already circulating that the queen could abdicate in three years' time. She has handed over many duties to younger members of the royal family. While Prince William takes care of matters on British soil, his brother, Prince Harry, accompanied by his pregnant wife, Meghan, have completed a very successful 16-day official tour of Australia. So this would be the ideal time to hand over the crown to Prince Charles but, despite being 92, Queen Elizabeth is showing no signs of slowing down.
To commemorate the Prince’s 70th birthday, a BBC documentary: "Prince, Son and Heir: Prince Charles at 70" was broadcast on British television. It showed the Prince of Wales in a different light. The prince, who has in the past gone against royal protocol by meddling in politics, has promised to change his ways. He has often aired his views on issues concerning climate change and the environment, agriculture and genetically modified crops or architecture in Britain. Some people found this positive, while others complained that his views were influencing government policy.
The documentary also features close family members. His wife, Camilla, pays tribute to her husband by calling him "an exceptional man". She also says that she wished people would get to know him better and not only see the serious side of the prince, but his amazing sense of humour too. When asked what advice she would give him for his 70th birthday, she said: "I would love to tell him to pace himself, but I am afraid that’s not going to happen".
Prince Harry explains how grateful he was to his father for stepping in to walk Meghan down the aisle on their wedding day, when her father couldn’t make it due to illness. His eldest son, and second in line to the throne, Prince William, talks about wanting his father to spend more time with his grandchildren. He calls him a "brilliant" grandfather, who loves to read Harry Potter books to his grandchildren and can imitate all the voices.
According to a new Royal biography, which was written by journalist Robert Jobson who toured the world with Prince Charles, the prince has admitted that he had almost called off his marriage to Princess Diana, knowing that it was a massive mistake. They had only met a few times before their engagement was announced and Charles was still in love with Camilla, whom he had dated since the early 70s. Unfortunately, Camilla was not considered a suitable match for the prince. She had been married before which, as in the case of King Edward VIII and the divorcée Wallis Simpson, or Princess Margaret, the Queen’s younger sister, and Peter Townsend, was not accepted by the monarchy.
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