Changing Perceptions of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall

[Tyger]

I'd love to know how the lesson plan turns out.

No time soon - as Geology comes in the upper grades.

Cepe, I'll look into the film/show - see if I can see any snippets of it.

 

[Daz_Voz]

There is threads discussing Diana's personality etc and threads discussing Camilla and her life. But what about a thread that discusses the man Charles?
Who is he? .

I don't have any special insights or information, so my own opinion is only based on his public persona and reports from the media, but I might as well throw my 2 cents in.

Charles spends a good deal of his personal time on charity work, mostly pertaining to the natural environment, heritage conservation and opportunities for young disadvantaged people. He voluntarily pays tax on his income from the Duchy of Cornwall, and dedicates a good chunk of what is left to charitable projects. (There are members of other royal families who seem to regard their position primarily as an opportunity for personal enrichment and Charles stands in contrast to these.)

► 10:12► 10:12​

His recent address to the Rio+20 conference struck me as intelligent and moderate. www.[B]youtube[/B].com/watch?v=y129P8fVsVI

My impression is that he does care deeply about these issues. In general he strikes me as a modern minded man, with reasonable ideas about the role of the monarchy in the 21st century.

Obviously, I disapprove of his infidelity but the details of his life make me lenient in this regard. Charles fell in love with a woman when he was in his early 20s, and near as I can tell he has stayed in love with her for 40 years. He was informed that she was not an appropriate bride and that he, basically, was not allowed to pursue her seriously. This is not something that I ever had to face, and nor have most people. If anyone, even my parents, had forbidden me to marry my chosen bride I'd have told them to go hang, but he took his responsibilities seriously. She married someone else. They maintained an on-and-off clandestine relationship.

My impression is that Charles was pressured into choosing a suitable bride, and that the suitable bride turned out to be someone he did not connect well with. It has been suggested by some that his family is known for stoically putting up with bad marriages and that he could have done the same, but the fact is that some previous Princes of Wales have had life long mistresses, or gone chasing pretty young thing when his wife had faded, or even been outright whorers, and relied on matters to be hushed up, so it is not a fair comparison. Charles _married_ a pretty young thing, but had never got over the woman who (in all fairness) was not very pretty and older than himself. I tend to see him as a romantic who was not free to follow his heart.

I feel that to be the heir to the throne in the modern era is to have the worst of both worlds: you are still expected to be constrained in your actions and choices, but are no longer afforded privacy or deference by the media.

In summary I see Charles as a decent, intelligent man with many good properties, not a saint but also not someone with unusual or extreme flaws.

 

[vkrish]

Charles is the best of what we can have of him..

No one can be completely perfect in every aspect of life..He is a good father, son, and of course a leader (not politically though). But his marriage was unfortunate..leading people to mix up his character with the tragic destiny of his ex-wife..But I think we have a very good Prince of Wales..and that is more important..
I wonder how we people would have judged him, had he been like Nicolas II..remaining stedfastly devoted to his wife..an epic love story that never faded till death..but remained completely aloof to the needs of his country and people..Confining himself to just attending polo matches or European Royal Weddings,fully decked up..How long would Diana's charm satisfied the peoples scrutiny of "duty"..
And what if he started having a string of lovers..banking on his "single" status..And what if he started counter-bashing Diana..her character..question her suitability to be Queen-Consort..
Just trying to bring out some optimism to people who are frustated with him..

And one more thing..Prince Charles is the one who started this trend of royals founding their own charities with their own initiative and running them..Previously they were confined to ceremonial military roles or were just honorary heads of charities where they have nothing to do but come wave and go.In this way he has shown the light for an entire generation of Crown Princes and Crown Princesses to mould their "careers"..Guess which European nation today will tolerate its royals do nothing but come, salute, wave and go..
In this way isnt he a revolutionary?

 

[NGalitzine]

.

And one more thing..Prince Charles is the one who started this trend of royals founding their own charities with their own initiative and running them..

Well there was a little organization called the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and before that the Duke of York Youth Clubs so there was some precedence.

 

[Osipi]

Well there was a little organization called the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and before that the Duke of York Youth Clubs so there was some precedence.

Its all in the family. Like father, like son eh? British royals have been big on charities and causes for generations but I do think it was Philip's decision to actually make a role for himself with the Duke of Edinburgh Awards that influenced and steered Charles into working so hard at what he is passionate about with his Trust and patronages and causes.

 

[BellaFay]

Well there was a little organization called the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and before that the Duke of York Youth Clubs so there was some precedence.

Except that the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme was mainly targeted at teenage school children, until a cross-party Parliamentary report in 1989 criticized it for being too elitist (mainly focused in UK on private school kids) and sexist (different schemes for boys and girls) and urged it to follow the model of the Prince's Trust.Whereas the Princes Trust has always from its beginnings in the mid 1970s targeted those who have 'failed' school or college and mainly focuses on helping those NEETS (Not in Education, Employment or Training) aged 16-28 with another branch helping long-term unemployed over 50.

 

[HRH Patricia]

I've definitely warmed to Charles over the years. I remember when I first started off with my interest in royalty, and all I could see was the whole Diana saga. But over the years I've grown to like him, he's a man full of ideas and he's a great thinker with a wide range of interests. I think he will make a good King.

 

[nascarlucy]

Prince Charles is an interesting man never realized he had so many interests until I read a book about him. But I didn't really know that much about it. I never really had any strong feelings about him one way or another.

 

[rominet09]

I appreciate him very much, I was so happy to see him marry the love of his life, you can see and feel he is utterly happy now.

 

[COUNTESS]

Yes, he is and should have been. It is a pity he had to ruin someone else's life, before he got what he wanted. He deserved to marry the woman he loved from the get go. Diana deserved a man who loved her. The BRF have very strange standards and them blam others if they don't conform.

 

[BritishRoyalist]

I like Prince Charles. I have always like him but I have came to like him more over the last few years especially during the Diamond Jubilee last Year. I like the Documentary (Family Videos) he did and the Tribute he paid to his Mother at the Jubilee concert you could tell that Queen Elizabeth got a little emotions (genuinely moved) but she held back. You could tell he love his mother and that there is special bond there. I think Charles will make a Good King and will do a Good Job, his private life (The Diana/Camilla thing) should not get in the way of it or should not stop him. He is not the first King and will not be the last to have affairs and make mistakes before they came to the throne or after acceding. There are King who did much worst things then Charles ever did! I am not trying to open up another can of worms but Diana had her faults as well and cheated also let not forget (Diana was nice person but I never understood why some made her out to be some saint). obviously they both had their faults but Some peoples need to move on and let it be history. Camilla seem like a decent person to me. I have came to soften up to her more but not totally. I think Charles will make a fine King when it his time. He was raise by two Great Parents (Queen Elizabeth and Philip) The Queen was raised King George VI and The Queen Mother (Elizabeth) who I am sure prepared Elizabeth before she became Queen and The Queen Mother no doubt had a influence of her daughter up until the day she died and mostly likely had the same influence on Charles in preparing him. Charles is most trained King you could have in my opinion. Whether peoples like it or not Charles will be King when The Queen dies even if he is 65 or 77 or even if He is only King for 5 years or 15 years. it won't matter because Charles is next in line not William And the first in Line to the throne succeeds which it state in the succession Law of the Act of Settlement 1701

 

[Daria_S]

I have a lot of respect for the Prince of Wales. I think I started to really appreciate him after he had a chance to really come into his own, which in my eyes occurred after his second marriage. He appeared to be more confident, like a man who could finally really be himself, and not worry so much about what was expected. He has a wonderful sense of humor, and is very knowledgable. I love that he has a passion for the well-being of our planet. Many mock him for it, but I personally think we need people like His Highness to bring awareness to certain issues.

 

[Warren]

Princess Gloria of Thurn und Taxis has been holding etiquette seminars in the TnT family seat of St Emmerams in Regensburg, Bavaria. Among her comments was the following concerning the Prince of Wales and how he conducts himself in receptions where there are large numbers of people...

"According to Gloria nobles have a big commitment to good behaviour...Their own manners, incidentally learned not only from their parents but also by a representative of the British Royal Family. Gloria: "From Prince Charles, for example. What fascinated me enormously about him was his behaviour in a crowded room. Although there are thousands of people there, and he speaks to each person for half a minute - for this half a minute he is yours alone, and it gives you the feeling that there is nothing more important in the world than you. This has inspired me tremendously. And then there are also people of high rank that while they talk to you, they even appraise the room to see if there is not someone, somewhere, who is much more important. This is of course incredibly insulting. So I would rather be like Prince Charles." "

source: Princess Gloria in World on Sunday: "The Russians do'm sorry!"
24 March 2013

 

[BritishRoyalist]

Queen should abdicate if too ill to rule: UK poll

Charles is getting the respect he deserves.

As I said Charles is doing a good job as Prince of wales especially with Environment and Kids. Gong to the Commonwealth meeting will be good for him and will be even better in his 'public images, He will make a Good King. and I agree Charles is finally starting to get the respect he deserves and I think most people's have moved on whatever has happened in the past.

As Charles ages and the longer Queen stays on the throne the more he is going to be more and more like I think. That might sound kind of funny but most monarchs are liked most when they are young and older. Even The Queen was less popular (but was still popular) in the middle of her reign (remember she was 25 when became queen) and now she is more popular then she has ever been even at the start. Same thing Victoria. Charles was popular when he was young then became unpopular in the last 20-25 Years and now is becoming Popular again and I think after this he will become more popular now. I bet in 15 Years William is less popular then his now but still remained well- like

 

[Dman]

The heir to the throne has learned what love means:
The heir to the throne has learned what love means | Express Comment | Comment | Daily Express

Very nice article on HRH The Prince of Wales.

 

[cepe]

Is it nice? It seems to see that the writer has raked up everything from the past and said - it may have mattered once but they are happy anyway.
The only good bit is the mention of Harry and the meeting at chelsea flower show.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/20/article-2327931-19E58F60000005DC-852_634x770.jpg

This picture sums it up - Charles and the garden designer talking detail and the knowing look between Camilla and Harry - priceless. There's a lot of love and repect.

 

[Dman]

...A very good and old friend of Charles & Camilla's said in an interview several years ago that Charles has never been that good with women though.
I think as he has gotten older, he's grown wiser and have accomplished a lot. He's happy and he's about to become a grandfather. He's come a long way.
.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Charles said whatever IN love means, and heck I still don't know what it means. I know loving someone doesn't mean you are in love with them. Anyway Charles fought hard and suffered a lot he deserves some enjoyment and respect

 

[US Royal Watcher]

This poll concentrates on opinion of how the Cambridge baby should be raised, but I posted here because it shows that a majority of people still support Charles becoming the next King. Duchess of Cambridge's child must enjoy challenges of ordinary work: Evening Standard poll reveals massive support for monarchy - UK - News - London Evening Standard

 

[amaryllus]

the 10 or 15 years of scandals and bad press caused by 2 royal sons marrying totally unsuitable people and said sons acting the fool themselves has been remedied by good marriages, cute kids, the royals paying their own way some and the new generation making wiser choices... so far.

 

[Dman]

Video:
Prince Charles at 65: Charles Moore on his public persona and private character-
Video: Prince Charles at 65: Charles Moore on his public persona and private character - Telegraph

 

[MARG]

the 10 or 15 years of scandals and bad press caused by 2 royal sons marrying totally unsuitable people and said sons acting the fool themselves has been remedied by good marriages, cute kids, the royals paying their own way some and the new generation making wiser choices... so far.

Ummmm . . . you forgot to mention the daughter who also married a totally unsuitable person if that is how you explain the reason for their divorces.

 

[Warren]

She's come of age too - thanks to team Camilla: From a pariah pelted with bread rolls to the Duchess who has won over her doubters | Mail Online
by Rebecca English
15 November 2013

She's come of age too - thanks to team Camilla
​

Only a day after becoming a pensioner, Prince Charles is reaching another landmark – representing his mother at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting for the first time.But if tonight’s grand event is an historic moment for the prince, spare a thought for the woman in the designer evening gown by his side. For while Charles sets out to prove he is a worthy king-in-waiting, Camilla will be there as his queen, laughing, chatting and gently massaging the egos of 50 world leaders and their spouses.

Much has already been made of the significance of the Prince’s role at the bi-annual meeting of the Family of Nations – an organisation deemed historic by some, but one which the 87-year-old monarch considers among the most significant legacies of her reign. But as one official put it: ‘This is not just an historic moment for the Prince of Wales, it is a huge leap forward for the Duchess too. ‘She’s gone from effectively being a country housewife to holding court with world leaders in the space of just a few years.’

It is a remarkable turn of events for the woman who was once such a pariah she was said to have been pelted with bread rolls outside her local supermarket *. Slowly but surely, Camilla, now 66, has won over the doubters. It has been a slow process. But she has surrounded herself with a small coterie of advisers, largely women, who are fiercely loyal and helped her prepare for this, one of her biggest tests so far on the world stage.

For someone once considered to be one of the most famous mistresses in the world, it is surely telling that the Duchess of Cornwall is able to inspire genuine friendship and loyalty in so many of her own sex. The gate-keepers to her inner sanctum are her approachable but astute private secretaries: Joy Camm, a former sister at St Bart’s Hospital who is known for her unflappable coolness, Sophie Densham and Amanda MacManus. All are fiercely protective of their boss, and act as her eyes and ears, carefully watching the goings-on at Clarence House for Camilla.

She relies on a chirpy Geordie dresser called Jacqui Meakin, who formerly worked at Buckingham Palace and has been with Camilla since her wedding to Charles. It is Jacqui who has helped Camilla assemble a working wardrobe appropriate for a woman of her age, largely with the help of the discreet couturier to ladies who lunch, Anna Valentine. Camilla’s style is not at all cutting edge. But it projects the image she wants: a mature, regal woman. Certainly, when Charles selected her for the ‘Girls in Pearls’ frontispiece in a special edition of Country Life to commemorate his birthday, she won plaudits for her style and elegance.

...Looking good is not the be all and end all for the Duchess, but it has helped her growing confidence on the international stage. This latest nine-day tour has seen her tackle her public engagements with self-assurance and lately she has cultivated a series of core themes to her public work – but without any of the desire to take centre stage that Diana had. She has also never lost her earthy and slightly politically-incorrect sense of humour (no wonder she gets on so well with Prince Philip). And above all else, she has the backing of the only person who really matters: the Queen.

As she stands by her husband’s side tonight, Camilla would be the first to admit it’s been a long and rocky road. But the way things are going, the future glitters as bright as the rather lovely diamonds her mother-in-law has lent her for this milestone event.

- - - - - - - - - -
* the pelted-by-bread-rolls-outside-the-supermarket story is believed to be apocryphal. Despite there being no witnesses or evidence to the alleged event, it remains in the Journalists' Handbook of Fit to Print Fabrications, Tired Cliches & Dubious Urban Myths.
The reliance on copy and paste is evidenced by the invariable use of "pelted". Never tossed, thrown, hurled or flung, or any variation thereof, but always and for evermore, "pelted".

​

 

[LadyGabrielle]

Camilla has had a rough rise of things and she was able to overcome alot of adversities. I have to take my hat off to her for sticking with it and winning over people who at one time could not stand her. She has made Charles very happy and continues to show everyone that she is a strong woman and can be a strong force to her doubters. If she can go through what she has and come out with hardly any scratches then maybe she can be a positive influence when Charles comes to the throne.

 

[Dman]

They have come a long way and may their happiness continue.