Changing Perceptions of the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall

[Ctf922]

Suddenly, I'm very interested in the life and thought of this prince.
Is anybody here thinking that the view about him in the long future will be huge different from now.His story with Camila will be the true love story in the future.

 

[Osipi]

Suddenly, I'm very interested in the life and thought of this prince.
Is anybody here thinking that the view about him in the long future will be huge different from now.His story with Camila will be the true love story in the future.

There is so much to Prince Charles and I'm hoping in the future that his private life will not be the focus. There is such a wealth of information in these various threads on Charles that as you read them, you'll really start to understand how hard he's worked as the Prince of Wales for his country, its people and the global community. I think now that the Diamond Jubilee is over, we're going to see Charles and Camilla coming to the forefront more and more and when the time does come, Charles will step into his role as King with the same passion he's had for extensive work he's already done.

 

[Tsar bobo Iv]

i know im starting 2 warm up 2 him i use 2 could not stand himbut now he is okay

 

[Osipi]

i know im starting 2 warm up 2 him i use 2 could not stand himbut now he is okay

Truth be told, he was always the prince of my childhood dreams that would come and ride me off into the sunset on a white horse. Over the years I was a bit put off by the ears but he captured my attention once again when he married Lady Diana Spencer. My information on him was basically tabloid fodder until I joined TRF and read up on the wealth of information on just exactly what Charles has done with his life. His passions, his concerns for humanity in general, his quirks and his works with the Prince's Trust really have opened my eyes to what an extraordinary man he really is. He's also authored and co-authored many books. I have his Harmony book and like just about everything else he's done, its done exceptionally.

 

[Tsar bobo Iv]

me 2 i just always focused on the affair and never really looked past that

 

[olebabs]

Who is Prince Charles??

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? To me he has always seemed needy, immature and very selfish.

I speak ofcouse only as a foreigner, so I am very interested to hear any views on the subject.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

To me he seems intelligent, sensitive possibly was once socially awkward. He inspires great loyalty in people because I believe he has had the same friends for decades. He was too sensitive and in need of affection and reassurance to have thrived with the kind of parents he had. But I won't say E+P were bad parents because there 3 other children seem to have not had any problems with their upbringing.

 

[Osipi]

I think other than his current events thread and his thread about The Prince's Trust, a lot of who Charles is as a man is reflected throughout many threads pertaining to the BRF.

From my perspective, Charles is a man that is more introverted rather than extroverted. He's very aesthetic and appreciates the nuances of what is around him such as art, literature and music and is very much a deep thinker. He takes things very seriously and is very passionate about what he believes and what he believes in. He's been perhaps the most hard working Prince of Wales in history and just looking at his track record of what he's accomplished in his lifetime makes one realize that he very much has the welfare and well being of the people around him at heart whether it be in the UK or globally. One thing that really astounded me was discovering how many books Charles has authored or co-authored over the years. (Charles, Prince of Wales bibliography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) I can personally attest to the fact that his Harmony is quite a work of art in itself. As he dresses to perfection, this book is the same... very beautifully done and presented. He's a man that is considered one of the best dressed men in the world yet he wears a pair of shoes that are over 40 years old and wears what he likes and suits him rather than what's popular by some one elses opinion.

Its my opinion that the average person has based their opinion on Charles the man from what has been reported in tabloids and the press. Its when one really takes the time to delve into what this man has accomplished in his lifetime that we realize just who he really is.

 

[COUNTESS]

All the "withs", mean the other person wrote the book, but allowed his name to also appear. He is a good person. Not much of a personality, and shy because he was raised in the background, until he was older. He felt his parents did not "adore" him, from his biography, not my idea. Caused many in the family to be angry. Diana was more than he could handle, as she was "adored" by the media and the world, in general. He wanted to be the focal point, she was. Camilla is his life long love. Mistress, wife. She has served him very well. He is a loving father, I believe, and a loving husband to Camilla, which he could not be to Diana. Camilla looks like an unmade bed and he looks like a fashion plate, but it doesn't matter. That's real love.

 

[cepe]

I agree 100% with Osipi. I'd add that he is very funny (see recent video of him doing the weather forecast); a talented musician (cello); writer also of a children's book; did theatre at university; pilot; polo player and a loving and supportive father. He has raised £100's millions through the Prince's trust, and he also puts his hand in his own pocket. There has been serious flooding in Wales in recent months and he has donated to the fund to help the local people.

My favourite royal.

 

[EIIR]

Anyone wanting to see the real Charles need look no further than this recent documentary. He is an inspirational person.

Prince Charles - The Royal Restoration (Full Documentary) - YouTube

 

[NGalitzine]

A man who cares deeply about his country and his people; a man who is very pro active and takes the iniative when he sees a need for something to be done; a man who has been ridiculed for many of his beliefs but carried on and today many of those beliefs have become accepted wisdom; a man who doesn't care that some of his interests are not chic or "in"; a man who has always known what his destiny is and has carved out a productive life for himself while he waits for the day when he must succeed his mother on the throne; a man who is loyal to his friends; a man with a cheeky sense of humour; a man who is finally comfortable in his own skin; a man who is happy in his private life; a man who is concerned about the world that we all live in and strives to make things better where and when he can; a man who appreciates the finer things in life and has great taste; a man who likes and appreciates traditions but understands that even traditions need to adapt to modern times; a man who made sure that his children were brought up differently than he was but also that they understood the role and traditions they are heir to.

 

[US Royal Watcher]

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? To me he has always seemed needy, immature and very selfish.

I speak ofcouse only as a foreigner, so I am very interested to hear any views on the subject.

Interesting topic, Olebabs. I do think Prince Charles may be emotionally needy. I don't know about immature. I take issue with the idea that he is very selfish.

Certainly, he has been an unselfish father. There may be an exception or two, but I think he put his sons' needs first and refrained from publicly criticized his sons' mother.

He has certainly devoted his adult life to his country. Prince Charles was born as heir to the throne and, from what I have read, most members of the royal family are perfectly happy to let him succeed the throne. He's had no choice in a career. If he had been the second or third son, I think he would have chosen to stay in the military, like William, Harry and Andrew rather than become a full time royal after his military service.

If he hadn't been in the royal family, I tend to think he would have been a businessman, but his goal would not have been just to make money, I think he would have wanted to help others, probably by setting up a charity, like Warren Buffet or Bill Gates.

I think the perception that he is selfish stems from his refusal to give up Camilla even though the public didn't like her. From what I read, he threatened to give up his claim to the throne, which threatened the existence of the monarchy.

Obviously, I am very interested in the royal family, but I think it is extremely selfish for any outsider--especially people who don't know him--to demand that he give up the woman he loves.

The duties of the monarch are mainly ceremonial. When you think about it, what is in it for him? When he is King, he will have to tone down his political statements, which would be a major sacrifice for him because he is obviously very passionate about his causes. Basically, he will meet with the prime minister once a week and take a higher profile role.

I understand that his position has made him comfortable financially. I am not sure how his income would change if he stepped aside, but I doubt he would be destitute. His siblings seem to get along.

Charles has been hounded his whole life, all of his relationships--not just with Diana and Camilla--have been the subject of gossip and speculation. The breakdown of his marriage made front page news throughout the world. People who have never met him or Diana declared him to be the "villain." Diana apparently even talked to the press about their sex life!

Even worse, his most private phone conversations were taped and released to the public. At least Anne's letters were returned to her and the media edited the tapes between Diana and her lover. It must have taken a great deal of courage for him to go out in public after that incident, but he did.

Few, if any of us, can withstand that kind of scrutiny, but through it all he has continued raising money for charity, traveling across the world promoting Britain, and raising two sons.

I don't think selfish is an accurate description

 

[Daria_S]

All the "withs", mean the other person wrote the book, but allowed his name to also appear. He is a good person. Not much of a personality, and shy because he was raised in the background, until he was older. He felt his parents did not "adore" him, from his biography, not my idea. Caused many in the family to be angry. Diana was more than he could handle, as she was "adored" by the media and the world, in general. He wanted to be the focal point, she was. Camilla is his life long love. Mistress, wife. She has served him very well. He is a loving father, I believe, and a loving husband to Camilla, which he could not be to Diana. Camilla looks like an unmade bed and he looks like a fashion plate, but it doesn't matter. That's real love.

You've said it beautifully . I think that it's only after visiting this site that I really started to understand this member of the British Royal Family, but of course not fully, because in order to do that one would have to know him personally and interact with him on regular basis. I agree, he's very passionate about what he does, and has some wonderful ideas regarding the environment and its' preservation, and many other things. He's determined to help others, and one only needs to look at what the Prince's Trust does to have any proof of how dedicated he is to making sure that people have a chance to achieve their dreams. He strikes as someone who is very sensitive and introverted; someone who loves to really sit down and think. I can only how interesting a conversation with him would be. He's well-rounded and at this point in life, well-adjusted as well. I think he's a great father (and one only has to look at some pictures of him and his sons to see the truth of that statement [not to mention the said sons had nothing but great things to say about their 'Papa']).

I agree 100% with Osipi. I'd add that he is very funny (see recent video of him doing the weather forecast); a talented musician (cello); writer also of a children's book; did theatre at university; pilot; polo player and a loving and supportive father. He has raised £100's millions through the Prince's trust, and he also puts his hand in his own pocket. There has been serious flooding in Wales in recent months and he has donated to the fund to help the local people.

My favourite royal.

I love his sense of humor (and I love the 'weather forecast' video). I have a feeling that his sense of humor would put others at ease (at least it would in my case). I didn't know that he wrote a children's book! Would you happen to have a title of it? I'd love to see what that's all about (and maybe even purchase it to use in my classroom at some point). He's giving me an impression of a real Renaissance Man.

 

[Roslyn]

Anyone wanting to see the real Charles need look no further than this recent documentary. He is an inspirational person.

EIIR, thank you so much for linking that documentary. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've always had a lot of time for Charles and have never doubted his bona fides and desire to do really good and worthwhile things, often in the long term and on a large scale, such as this. And he gets the job done. I admire him very much.

 

[Grandduchess24]

Who is prince Charles ?
A.k.a. The prince of wales
Eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II
Heir to the house of Windsor
Father of princes William and Harry
Brother of the princess royal, the duke of York and the Earl of wessex
Uncle of Beatrice, Eugenie, Peter, zara, lady Louise and viscount James .....
Husband of the duchess of Cornwall
Ex husband of the late princess of wales
Father in law of the duchess of Cambridge ....
He's also passionate about being green and saving the planet.

 

[LadyGabrielle]

Very good. He is all of that. I think Charles has come a long way from way back when. To me he was the young playboy in his youth striving for attention. He then had to grow up and get married and produce an heir. He met this shy young girl who in truth was young not only in age but in experience. I dont think he was happy with the situation since he obviously was in love with Camilla but he had to do what was expected of him. I think he was miserable and made no effort to make a go of the marriage because all that he thought about was Camilla. To me he was selfish but at the same time I cant blame him since at that time marrying Camilla was out of the question. I saw how that life affected him and it took a tragedy for him to come around and become the man he is now which I feel is someone who does love his wife and children and he is truly happy. I think he has reached a point in his life where he is more than happy and content. He is a good man with a great sense of humor. He looks forward to everyday Im guessing with the woman he loves and the thought that his children have grown into wonderful young men and that he did the best he could. I think Charles has become a great man and he will make a great king someday. I can say I didnt like the young Charles but this man I admire.

 

[Artemisia]

In my opinion, Prince Charles - like most humans - is a very complex man.

- He is a good person who is passionate about the things he does and who doesn't waver even in face of ridicule. Remember how his views on global warming or organic gardening were initially received? And now most scientists, most people agree with those views. The Prince simply goes ahead with what he believes in, and most of the times he turns out to be right.

- Charles is a wonderful father; a lot of people commend Diana for being a great mother and bringing normality to William and Harry's lives, and there is no denying her influence or love for her kids. But those same people forget that Prince Charles has essentially been the boys' sole parent for most of their lives, and virtually all of their adult lives; their successes, the good persons they became are largely his doing.

- The Prince has also been an exemplary Prince of Wales. The best, in fact. Faced with an extraordinary long wait (and I'm sure he is perfectly happy to wait for as long as possible, as becoming King means, among other things, losing his beloved mother), he decided to devote his life to helping others. The Prince's Trust alone is enough to laud him, but it is just one of his many charities and patronages.

- Prince Charles has a great sense of humour. He is one of those people who don't mind laughing at themselves - something that personally I find absolutely essential. He also knows how to choose the right words at the right time. Remember that Jubilee Concert speech? The "Mummy" and the tribute to his father were just perfect, both for the sentiments behind them and for the perfect timing.


On the other hand, much as I love Charles, I'm not oblivious to his flaws and mistakes either.

- If he loved Camilla, he should have insisted on marrying her in the first place. I'm not buying the whole "unsuitable bride" story; Camilla came from excellent background and previous boyfriends would not have been such an issue, even for the early 80's. King Harald insisted on marrying Queen Sonja despite the opposition; if Charles had been similarly persistent, I don't see the Queen or other royals actually strongly opposing. Camilla would have a lot to prove - then again, the far more difficult road she had to take following their marriage in 2005 proves she had been more than capable of doing that. As far as I understand, he simply didn't think he was ready at the time. Or perhaps Camilla didn't want to marry him back then; Andrew Parker Bowles was a very handsome man in his youth, and Camilla never stroke me as someone who'd marry a man just for his title or position. I think their love was one that developed over the time, unfortunately after both were married.

- He shouldn't have rushed into marriage with Diana; a handful of dates only were just not enough. True, he believed the marriage could last because Diana told him exactly what he wanted to hear (comforting words about the late Earl Mountbatten, her faked love for countryside, etc), but he should have understood a 19 year old from a highly unbalanced family was not the best candidate.

- Charles could and should have handled his marriage better. Now, I believe all parties behaved themselves really stupidly and with complete disregard for the position they were in. And I do believe Charles when he said he went back to Camilla only after the marriage was irrevocably broken. And I know exactly how it feels to live with someone with mental issues - with all the mood swings, instability, tantrums and everything else that entails. I understand the impossible situation he was in, and am sure he tried, to the best of his abilities, to help his young wife (going as far as firing his most trusted servants she simply didn't like). He didn't understand Diana, and didn't know how to help. This said, I do believe that the royal family should have handled the situation better, and that includes Diana (especially the Morton book and the Panorama interview).


Overall, my opinion of Prince Charles is very positive; he has his flaws, like any human being, but is essentially a decent, hard-working and passionate man.

 

[cepe]

Daria, the book by Prince Charles is called The Old Man of Lochnagar. He wrote the story for his youngest brother Edward.

Since then it's been formally published, made into a film and I think there is a DVD. Google for more info

 

[Kataryn]

I

- If he loved Camilla, he should have insisted on marrying her in the first place. I'm not buying the whole "unsuitable bride" story;

It takes two to marry, Artemisia. While I believe Charles has loved her enough to have married her finally, I never had the feeling Camilla wanted to become Charles' princess at all. IMHO she wanted to have the life she was raised for and could have as Andrew Parker-Bowles' wife (one should not forget that Andrew's mother was a De Trafford-heiress and that he came from both sides from very old, aristocratic families, so quite a catch!)

IMHO Charles couldn't have Camilla, so he looked for someone else (he had to get married, after all) and chose Diana. He might still have been in love with Camilla all the time, but I have no doubt that Camilla at first was quite happily married to APB. And that they really were only friends for a long time - with Charles the needier one and Camilla the nurturing, a bit motherly, friend. But APB was a womanizer and Diana a difficult wife, so I personally believe they started out comforting each other and that became a real affair and a real love affair.

Still I think Camilla would have preferred to stay in the background, that Charles' love is enough for her and she never had a craving for the trappings of Royal life, but that Charles wanted to have her at his side as much as possible, which was not püossible due to protocol issues. When Charles finally was fed up with the situation (the Grosvenor-van Cutsem-wedding comes to mind), IMHO, of course, he got Camilla to agree and forced the issue.

It is obvious that these two are in love and enjoy to be in each other's company, but I bet Camilla would be happier to live quietly in the countryside, gardening with Charles then to be a HRH. But she does it for him and she is good at representing the monarchy.

I simply don't buy it that it was Charles who botched the relationship with Camilla in his youth, it was just that he couldn't offer Camilla the life she wanted back then. As it was, she had a different alternative, probably even loved APB more than Charles back then, so she decided to get married to APB.

 

[Artemisia]

I agree with you, Kataryn - that could well be true. I did write about the possibility that it was Camilla who didn't want to marry Charles back then.

Or perhaps Camilla didn't want to marry him back then; Andrew Parker Bowles was a very handsome man in his youth, and Camilla never stroke me as someone who'd marry a man just for his title or position. I think their love was one that developed over the time, unfortunately after both were married.

At the end of the day, one of the reasons I respect Charles and Camilla so much is that they never spoke of their private lives, even to defend themselves.
We don't know what really happened between them, all we can do is guess.

 

[Artemisia]

Maybe because it's not a very polite thing (to put it mildly) to say about anyone?
I had no fits of rage, incidentally; just pointed out that the comment is not something personally I would like to be seen in regards to any woman, royal or not.

 

[Daria_S]

Daria, the book by Prince Charles is called The Old Man of Lochnagar. He wrote the story for his youngest brother Edward.

Since then it's been formally published, made into a film and I think there is a DVD. Google for more info

Thank you for the information! I will Google this and see if any of the Amazon sites have it.

 

[Osipi]

Thank you for the information! I will Google this and see if any of the Amazon sites have it.

I just checked abesbooks.com and they have several copies there for $1.00 with $2.95 shipping and handling. I just might order one myself for my newest great grandchild due the end of August.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

When did Charles write this book for his brother? Was it when Edward was a child?

 

[cepe]

When did Charles write this book for his brother? Was it when Edward was a child?

Yes it was. It was formally publsihed in 1980 with proceeds going to the Princes Trust. I've known about it for years as I bought it for a nephew. Here's the wiki link about it

The Old Man of Lochnagar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Pranter]

I agree with you, Kataryn - that could well be true. I did write about the possibility that it was Camilla who didn't want to marry Charles back then.
At the end of the day, one of the reasons I respect Charles and Camilla so much is that they never spoke of their private lives, even to defend themselves.
We don't know what really happened between them, all we can do is guess.

Well Charles did give an interview on TV about his private life with Diana so I don't think you can say he never spoke of it.


LaRae

 

[maryr0249]

Maybe because it's not a very polite thing (to put it mildly) to say about anyone?
I had no fits of rage, incidentally; just pointed out that the comment is not something personally I would like to be seen in regards to any woman, royal or not.

They know you had no "fits of rage". A lot of people have said some wonderful things about Prince Charles here. OTOH, when this thread started describing Prince Charles as "needy, immature and very selfish," I wondered if the opening tone of the thread would invite the "cute", ugly comments about Charles or Camilla, or Camilla's or Charles' appearance, or their relationship, etc. It didn't take very long. There are always people who want to provoke a group or take out their anger at who knows what, on whoever will listen. Camilla is still an easy target - her perceived (to her critics) rival is deceased. Here, in this section of the Forum, they know there are people to hurt with a nasty jab at Camilla, so they go for it.

 

[camelot23ca]

One thing I like about Charles is that he is who he is. He doesn't try to change with the times or iron out all his little quirks. I think he is a fairly complicated person, with a lot going on under the surface. He's extremely hard working and dedicated. IMO he is, and always has been, a good father, although sometimes I think he might not be the easiest person to have as a family member. I think he's an intelligent man who's made a success of what has to be a difficult position - life long heir to the throne.

On the other hand, I get the impression he's thin skinned and perhaps prone to pettiness. I also wonder if he lacks insight into how his own actions have contributed to the negative situations he's found himself in over the years.

 

[COUNTESS]

They know you had no "fits of rage". A lot of people have said some wonderful things about Prince Charles here. OTOH, when this thread started describing Prince Charles as "needy, immature and very selfish," I wondered if the opening tone of the thread would invite the "cute", ugly comments about Charles or Camilla, or Camilla's or Charles' appearance, or their relationship, etc. It didn't take very long. There are always people who want to provoke a group or take out their anger at who knows what, on whoever will listen. Camilla is still an easy target - her perceived (to her critics) rival is deceased. Here, in this section of the Forum, they know there are people to hurt with a nasty jab at Camilla, so they go for it.

Charles is who he is. He has been given, by fate a position that allows him to do what he wants. So, he is nice and quite petulant at the same time. He was a miserable husband to his first wife ( he loved someone else and kept her as his lover) and a wonderful husband to his mistress whom, by fate, again, he could marry. Camilla is a target, because she was "the other woman" and to that end she was a problem in their lives. But, to realistic thought she never pushed her way in and it was Charles who was the problem for Diana. Diana was a fool, because she could have had him, he could have been the only villain. She chose otherwise. Charles has little regard for what is outside his realm. Don't tell me about the Princes's Trust. which was fabricated for him, at his name placed on it. You never see him in overalls in someone's home trying to physically help. He is above the fray. He will never work at a Habitat for Humanity, which even some of our presidents do. He doesn't get his hands dirty with human soil, nor does his mother. They smile and give a bit and that is their donation to travail. I, actually, have more respect for Camilla. I, think she knows how to get her hands dirty, in a good way, like Diana.