Prince of Wales Charles - King Charles: the man, the monarch, and the future of Britain

Also by Robert Jobson:

Bullet Proof

Diana: Closely Guarded Secret

Guarding Diana

Harrys War

Queen & Commonwealth

The Future Royal Family

The New Royal Family

William and Catherine

William and Kate

Williams Princess

Copyright 2019 by Robert Jobson

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions
thereof in any form whatsoever.

Unless otherwise noted, all images are courtesy of John Blake Publishing.

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Diversion Books

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First Diversion Books edition November 2019

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-63576-672-1

eBook ISBN: 978-1-63576-671-4

First published in the United Kingdom by John Blake Publishing

Printed in the United States of America

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Dedicated to Charles L. Jobson

(19332017)

A regent, from the Latin regens , [one] ruling, is a person appointed to administer a state because the monarch is a minor, or is absent or incapacitated. The title Prince Regent is given officially to a prince who acts as regent at the monarchs side.

I have spent most of my life trying to propose and initiate things that very few people could see the point of or thought were plain bonkers at the time. Perhaps some of them are now beginning to recognize a spot of pioneering in all this apparent madness.

hrh the prince of wales, september 7, 2016, in a speech on being named londoner of the decade at the evening standard s progress 1000 party, held at the science museum to honor the uk capitals innovators

When this book was first published in the United Kingdom in November 2018 it received widespread attention and acclaim. It also became a bestseller. Middle East Eye described it as the most in-depth study of his (Prince Charless) beliefs since broadcaster Jonathan Dimblebys authorized book Prince of Wales: A Biography in 1994 .

The Daily Mail called it a compelling book full of ground-breaking new material...that includes everything from Charless political views to his less-than-perfect relationship with his sons and what he really felt in the run-up to his wedding to Princess Diana. The Daily Mirror , a British newspaper thatlike the rest of UK national pressreproduced stories first revealed in the Daily Mail serialization, described it as shocking and ground-breaking. The biggest selling tabloid in the UK, The Sun , described it as a bombshell new book. The respected royal author and editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, Ingrid Seward, went even further in saying, This book effectively rewrites the Charles and Diana story with its significant interpretation that Charles as well as Diana felt the marriage was doomed from the beginning.

Such positive responses are both humbling and gratifying.

But as the saying goes, you cant please all of the people all of the time, and it is clear that the Prince of Wales polarizes opinion. Apparently, he quite likes it that way, as in his view it hopefully encourages informed debate. Even among his detractors, however, anti-monarchist writer Nick Cohen, who penned a review of the first edition of this book for The Spectator on November 24, 2018, showed his extreme and unbending anti-Charles viewpoint. It amounted to a parochial rant. Cohen acknowledged that my book had been well briefed but wrongly assumed that its publication was part of what he called a vigorous PR campaign to persuade the public that now is not the worst possible moment for The Queens zealous and under-educated son to succeed. What utter uninformed drivel.

This book is my assessment of Charles, Prince of Wales and mine alone. It is based on what I have observed during my travels alongside the prince around the UK and the world over a two-year period. It should not, however, be considered an official biography, nor would I want it to be described in that way, normore importantlywas it ever part of some orchestrated PR campaign. All the information used in the book I gleaned from a number of impeccable sources whose views and recollections I trust implicitly from my own sources using my own resources as an experienced author and journalist. I fear that Cohen, who has penned such articles for Time magazine entitled Royal Pain: The Republican Case Against Britains Monarchy had already made up his mind about my bookand certainly about the princebefore he had even turned the first page. The daft headline, After 70 years, has the Prince of Wales learnt nothing about the monarchs role? too, was perhaps a giveaway. The subheading sums up his personal assessment of the man. It read, Contemptuous of politicians, Prince Charles seems convinced that he will inherit the throne through his own efforts, and become the first self-made king. Cohen goes further: Robert Jobsons soft-focused portrait of the Prince to reassure readers that he will not seek to divide a fraying country further.

As my objective in writing this book was always to enlighten readers about the real prince and not to gain praise from dyed-in-the-wool anti-monarchist columnists with set-in-stone beliefs about the man and the monarchy, his preconceived assessment is inconsequential. But Cohens stance gives the reader an insight into what this current heir to the throne is up against from certain unbending sections of the media even before he ascends the throne.

I set out to write an authentic, fair, and honest portrayal of a man who is destined to be the United Kingdoms next king as well as the next Head of the Commonwealth. In that journey I have been assisted by a number of impeccable inside sources both on and off the record. Many of those sources I cannot identify for obvious reasons, but I am also deeply indebted to them. Among those I spoke to on the record was His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales himself, which was invaluable for this project. Naturally, I would like to thank His Royal Highness for sparing his precious time to speak to me.

With the assistance of such impeccable sources I have been able to unearth groundbreaking new material about the prince and his life. Importantly, I have also been able to correct a number of past inaccuracies that, unless revised, were in serious danger of being regarded as the truth. These errors have been unwittingly repeated and reprinted in a number of other books and articles claiming to be accurate parts of the media narrative of the Charles story, and have never been challenged.

Some of those reports, a profoundly frustrated prince told close friends, were unbelievable and pernicious lies in danger of going down as historic fact unless corrected. I am happy to put the record straight here. The princes royal rank means he is understandably well protected by his modern day Praetorian Guard of advisers (thankfully no longer armed with sharp Roman swords). That said, I have tried my very best to get as close to the truth as possible and to unmask the real prince and what makes him tick .