"The Duchess: The Untold Story" by Penny Junor (2017) [Duchess of Cornwall]


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"She will never be loved universally. Some people find adultery unacceptable in any circumstances, while others are so loyal to Diana's memory that they will not entertain the possibility that she had any of the frailties which make us human.
Many people, however, are more forgiving and open-minded. They understand that Camilla came into Charles's broken marriage when he was in despair, and gave him something to live for again."

Penny Junor: Camilla the mistress who was the salvation | Daily Mail Online
 
"She will never be loved universally. Some people find adultery unacceptable in any circumstances, while others are so loyal to Diana's memory that they will not entertain the possibility that she had any of the frailties which make us human.
Many people, however, are more forgiving and open-minded. They understand that Camilla came into Charles's broken marriage when he was in despair, and gave him something to live for again."

Penny Junor: Camilla the mistress who was the salvation | Daily Mail Online

I love this sentence. It encapsulates in a nutshell something that is often overlooked when it comes to discussing this turbulent period in Charles' life.

When things are going down the tubes and it doesn't seem like there's any way out, its then that the most important asset in a person's life is a best friend.
 
well no one is loved universally...
 
Except maybe the Queen... even as we get ready for the 4th of July celebration (the 1776 version of Brexit) there's even some Americans who love the Queen!


LaRae
 
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Growing up where I did in a place where both Canada Day and the 4th of July was celebrated in an International Freedom Festival, I've always been on the list as being one of HM, The Queen's staunch supporters even though I am an American. :D
 
Oh dear, the short post where I wrote that I didn't bother to spend my time on this thread has been deleted (sorry to the mods). It's been a long time since that happened to me, but I'll try keep those feelings (about threads) to myself in the future.

The reason I'm back here is to respond to a post from Iluvbertie.

Why is it ok for Morton to rehash his version of Diana's story and not allow Junor to put out Camilla's version of events?

All that is happening is the War of the Wales' Part 2 - with Charles now ranged against his sons. They have constantly thrown their father under the bus this year with their 'we got no help when Mummy died, we had to walk behind the coffin, we couldn't talk about her death' etc etc.

The Junor book is coming out now because Camilla's 70th birthday is coming up. Remember that Diana ensured that she was on the front page when Charles threw a party for Camilla's 50th birthday only a few weeks before she died so the anniversaries of her death and Camilla's milestone birthdays will come together.

This book is simply undoing all the hard work that Charles and Camilla have done over the past 20 years and the two who will be rejoicing most will be Diana's sons - they have one aim in life - to finish what they believe was Diana's aim - destroy Charles totally even if it means the end of the BRF. Harry's statement that 'no one wants to be King or Queen' is a clear shot across the bows at ending the monarchy and complete Diana's ambition as they see it.

These books have reignited the entire story and I am sure that the next polls will show a massive drop in support for Charles and Camilla and Diana's fans will rejoice again.
1. I don't agree.

2. Are you serious?

3. If this is true, then William and Harry must be very cynical and manipulative. And after what I can see, they are not.


"She will never be loved universally. Some people find adultery unacceptable in any circumstances, while others are so loyal to Diana's memory that they will not entertain the possibility that she had any of the frailties which make us human.
Many people, however, are more forgiving and open-minded. They understand that Camilla came into Charles's broken marriage when he was in despair, and gave him something to live for again."

Penny Junor: Camilla the mistress who was the salvation | Daily Mail Online

This has been written very quickly, so there are probably many writing-errors here.

She is still unliked by many, but everyone who meets her, yes, they like her.

Will she be popular? No.

Will she be beloved? No.

Will she be respected by a majority in the UK? Not sure, but I think she will be accepted.

Does she need to be all those thing stated above to be a good consort? No, she don't.

Is philip a good consort? Yes.

Do I or the UK majority like Philip? No.

Is he popular, beloved? No.

Is he respected by a majority?

When he was young? Yes. In the 80s/90s and 2000s? No.

Now? Maybe, but thats becaause he is old.

I know that this thread is for Camilla, but since the popularity of other royals has been discussed her (and I thinks it fits here), then let's go through the whole bunch of them:

Charles: Accepted, but still controversial.

Around 70% approval ratings and 60% thinks he's going to be a good king? Not bad for a man who has received so much criticism. And he is actually wery good at conecting with people - have you seen him on a walkabouts.

Is he going to be popular/beloved and admirred like his mother? No way, but I think/hope that he vill be respected.

William: 2010-2013 - Very popular, more than Diana and even more than what Harry is now - why? Because he wasn't criticized by the press.

Now - Criticized, but popular/liked with approval ratings at 75 to 80%.

When he is monarch: Likely to be quite popular, but not beloved as HM.

Kate: 2010-2013 - Very popular - why? Because she was almost not criticized by the press.

Now - Criticized, but still popular/liked by a UK majority.

Harry: Very popular (but not beloved) - why? Charismatic and good with people, but mostly because he has hardly been criticized in recent years.

Diana: Very popular in the 80's and right after the separation in 1992, but not beloved (Camilla had also been that if she had been the one to marry him at that time.)

Before she died? Controversial.

Now? Adored by her fans, not liked by people who is the opposite of her fans and the others (the majority) don't care.

The Queen Mother: Very popular and admirrred for the things she did during the war and her commitment to duty, but I wont call her beloved (I'm personally not a big fan of her)

Now? People know who she was, but (as with Diana) the majority don't care much about her. The same thing that happens to everyone who have been dead for awhile (with exception of historical persons as heads of states or heads of governments).

HM, The Queen: She is (as commentators/experts says) the most beloved, popular, iconic, famous and most successful head of state (many would say person) in the world.

Almost everyone I know in the UK likes her and almost all the comments on The Royal Family, the British Monarchist League and the British Monarchist Society & Foundation facebook pages are positive.

Even many of the ignorant and evil minded thugs in the DF comment section (the best rated comments) and on twitter likes her.

Her Ipsos MORI approval ratings were above 70% from 1992 to 2000 (with the exception of 66% in 1998), over 80% from 2002 to 2016 (sometimes 90%) just 5% dissatisfied in 2016, a YouGov approval rating in 2012 showed 86%.

And let's go through the YouGov most admired person in the UK poll:

2014 - The 30 most admired persons in the UK:
1: The Queen with 18,74%
9: William with 2,6%
19: Kate with 0,80%
Harry was not even included in the poll.

2015 - The 15 most admired Women in the UK:
1: The Queen with 17%
5: Kate with 5,2%

2015 - The 15 most admired Men in the UK:
5: William with 6,5%
8: Harry with 5,9%

2016 - The 30 most admired Women in the UK:
1: The Queen with 19,5%
7: Kate with 3,6%

2016 - The 30 most admired Men in the UK:
4: Harry with 6,4%
6: William with 5,6%

The Queen was also polled the most admirred woman in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Germany in the 2016 poll.

The unserious/stupid favourite royal polls are meaningless, but let us go through them:

The Queen came first (over both the Queen Mother and Diana) in almost all of the few polls that were made in the 80/90s.

From 2002 to 2010, the Queen came first in almost all of the few polls that were made.

The Queen has (since 2011) shared the first place with William, Kate and Harry. But as you see in polls when you ask, who is the most popular/admired person in the UK, then she beats all of them.

I'm not a person who brags unconditionally of people, but when it comes to this lady, then I don't keep anything back - as you can read in this I long post that I wrote about her: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f235/elective-or-hereditary-monarchy-33311-4.html#post1980864

And as David Walliams said it, she is the heart and soul of UK (and as others have said) to the rest of the world too.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I simply can't imagine a world without Elizabeth II, our beloved history-making monarch with her record breaking reign.
 
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Something has been nagging be about this recent book and I think I've finally nailed it down. Its the title.

From what I've read on what the book includes so far, the title may actually be misleading to the general public. When seeing the words "Camilla" and "The Untold Story", I think most people would instantly assume that the "untold story" would be the telling of Camilla's side to things in the War of the Wales. This doesn't seem to be so as, from what I gather, most of the book is a biography of her life with the "war" being only a part of it.

Maybe that book should have been just titled The Duchess of Cornwall and left at that?
 
:previous: They are just using that misleading/stupid title to sell the book.
 
The Duchess: The Untold Story by Penny Junor – digested read

‘After leaving school with one O-level in kennel hygiene, Camilla was a much sought-after debutante’

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2...nny-junor-digested-read-camilla-parker-bowles
:previous: Satire. :D Pretty funny.
Did either of you actually read the article that John Grace wrote? It is vile, vulgar and inaccurate.

The Guardian is an anti-monarchist paper. And reported blow-jobs their level.
 
It's satire. And I've read both the article and the book.
 
Actually I thought it was pretty good satire once I read it. Very good job at poking fun at royal "insiders" who know the "scoop" as in Camilla wouldn't have gotten out of bed to go to the registry hall unless he was there to assure her of all the wondrous things to come.

Anyone who read that article and took it seriously should reread it again.
 
Its very possible too that with both Camilla and Charles being on the young side during the "sexual revolution" of the 60s, both of them could easy state at the time "whatever in love means". :D

Perhaps Camilla, herself, was in a quandary. She was dating both Andrew and Charles at the same time. Andrew was dashing and debonair and Charles was a relationship more at the emotional level. I don't know. It could be that the dashing and debonair won out over the emotional. I do know that the Parker-Bowles marriage was more of the aristocratic open and discreet kind and with that, Camilla was able to explore the emotional relationship with Charles (at different levels) while still having the dashing and debonair Andrew.

It just so happens that in the end, the emotional bond between Charles and Camilla won out.

Just that! That all important and major aspect of the relationship between Charles and Camilla - the emotional bond - was always there. Even the much younger Diana recognised that. Whenever the physical relationship resumed is neither here nor there, it only cemented the other.

For me, I don't think there is any doubt who Charles' soulmate has always been. Jury still out on Camilla!
 
Frankly it was so sugary I had to give up reading it, and it almost put me off Camilla.
 
Osipi, where do you find books for 4$ and no shipping charges? I am another cheapskate when it comes to books and would love to know your source. Thank you
 
My favorite supplier for my passion of buying books is abebooks.com

They're used books and old library books and donated books but they come at the right price for me. :D

What you get may surprise you. I got a first edition, signed copy of one of the Outlander series in hardback and paid less than $4 for it.
 
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Osipi, where do you find books for 4$ and no shipping charges? I am another cheapskate when it comes to books and would love to know your source. Thank you


I am a bookaholic- always have several books going.

But they cost nothing at all! Because my source is the local library.

(If my local doesn't have something I want, I just ILL it. Nothing easier!)
 
It ends up being cheaper for me to buy and have the book in my mailbox than to drive down off the mountain into town to the small library there considering the amount of gas used. I also reread my books quite a bit and like knowing they're near at hand.

I will be getting the new Camilla biography but not until the list price goes down a bit. Not in any hurry to get it but I will eventually get it and read it. :D
 
Frankly it was so sugary I had to give up reading it, and it almost put me off Camilla.

Ditto - I got it from the library and I couldn't finish it as Junors tone and style was making me queasy. Also, there were no notes or references for me to check some of her assertions against. Felt like a rehash of the Dimbleby bio of Charles but without the sources to back it up. It did have some good pictures though so not all bad.

Giles Brandreth's book is still the better volume for the time being IMO.
 
Ditto - I got it from the library and I couldn't finish it as Junors tone and style was making me queasy. Also, there were no notes or references for me to check some of her assertions against. Felt like a rehash of the Dimbleby bio of Charles but without the sources to back it up. It did have some good pictures though so not all bad.

Giles Brandreth's book is still the better volume for the time being IMO.

I have that book here. Somewhere. I should dig it out an reread it again. I do like how Brandreth writes. I liked his Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Marriage.
 
It ends up being cheaper for me to buy and have the book in my mailbox than to drive down off the mountain into town to the small library there considering the amount of gas used. I also reread my books quite a bit and like knowing they're near at hand.

I do purchase books I want to reread.
But these are few, only the ones I can't bear to part with!

(If I kept them all they'd fill my entire house and leave no room for anything else.)

Btw, if you like to read, Osipi, there is a book I think you'd love (one of those I bought when I found I didn't want to give it back).
It is The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison.
 
I'm not a fan of Penny Junor's work, with one exception. I thought her book about Prince Harry was stellar. Outstanding. Very thorough, very interesting read. Just putting that out there.
 
??? The Untold Story!!!!! Brilliant choice, bravo, Penny, what a triumph of originality with that title!

I'm sorry for my vicious sarcasm. Not I'm not! :lol:

I remember very well in the few years following Morton's Diana book, Ross Benson came out with "Charles: The Untold Story." To be fair, there were some previously "untold" things in there, as Ross had been at Gordonstoun..... roughly overlapping his time with Charles.... I don't think they were exactly in the same year.

I wonder what's "untold" about Camilla. Quotes to Penny from Mon Fertile teachers and mates? The time Camilla singlehandedly carried five cows from a burning barn? :lol:
 
I'm not overly fond of Penny Junor's works and have read some of them but I cannot say I'm overly impressed by her works. She's kind of low on my totem pole of royal biographers. Come to think of it, I even forgot that she had written this one or is it two? Seems she released a book call "The Duchess" in 2017 and has released "The Duchess: Camilla Parker Bowles and the Love Affair That Rocked the Crown" in March of 2018.

The first one didn't do too hot? Hmmmmmmm....
 
I'm not overly fond of Penny Junor's works and have read some of them but I cannot say I'm overly impressed by her works. She's kind of low on my totem pole of royal biographers. Come to think of it, I even forgot that she had written this one or is it two? Seems she released a book call "The Duchess" in 2017 and has released "The Duchess: Camilla Parker Bowles and the Love Affair That Rocked the Crown" in March of 2018.



The first one didn't do too hot? Hmmmmmmm....



Probably not. But considering a Penny Junor type feels compelled to do a Charles bio every ten years, it’s hardly surprising she and the like will try to recycle this stuff on Camilla in the same fashion.
 
I think if there's a biography of Camilla that I would put on my must have list it would be done by Sally Bedell Smith. She does an excellent job, IMO, with Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life which does cover Camilla. I also was impressed by her biography of the Queen and her book on Diana called "Diana In Search Of Herself: Portrait Of A Troubled Princess"
 
The Duchess: The Untold Story by Penny Junor – digested read

‘After leaving school with one O-level in kennel hygiene, Camilla was a much sought-after debutante’


https://www.theguardian.com/books/2...nny-junor-digested-read-camilla-parker-bowles

I recently read the book & I find John Crace's satirical digest hilarious. I like Camilla a lot but Junor was too sugary for me. I'd recommend it though as a fairly detailed account of Camilla's family & background. I also liked reading about her wide ranging charity work, which I hadn't fully appreciated.
 
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