"Charles: The Heart of a King" by Catherine Mayer (2015)

[hernameispekka]

I meant all the ex minsters or what ever. Anyway ladies it's very late and normally I would be asleep but I have had a bad RA flare and couldn't sleep so all this has taken my mind off my pain so thank you both and goodnight


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Yeah, I understand but my argument still stands. 30+ years of ministers (many retired) and not one big "scandal". I think if he was horrible it would have been known by now.

Goodnight!

 

[soapstar]

Let's get back on topic and stop the arguing and personal attacks. I've had to delete and edit several posts as a result. Any further off topic posts will be deleted.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

The King has the right to encourage, the right to be informed, the right to warn. This means that the King has room to voice his opinion. Because in constitutional monarchies the King is inviolable and the ministers are responsible, there is a need for proper coordination and respect for the King's rights. On the Continent this is known as "colloque singulier". Compare it with the absolute discretion between a lawyer and his client, between a doctor an his patient, between a priest and a confessor, etc.

There is only a problem when this basic rule of discretion is broken by blabbermouths, like Prime Minister Cameron did against former NY Mayor Bloomberg (about the Queen's reaction on the outcome of the Scottish Referendum). He was breaking a very basal rule between constitutional monarch and a minister. Note: the Queen has had so many Prime Ministers. Never she has ever shed any light on the opinions these PM's uttered in a private audience with her.

So, a resumé: yes, the King has every right to have and to voice an opinion. Otherwise his constitutional rights (to encourage, to be informed, to warn) are a dead letter. However, the King can only execute these rights as long as he ánd the ministers stick to the constitutional rules: "The Crown May Never Be Naked".

I am sure that King Charles III will do fine. There is no any reason to assume that he will be a "poor King". The new Kings on the Continent (Willem-Alexander, Philippe and Felipe VI) were also often food for debate. All three of them have turned out to be great Kings and fresh breaths of air.

 

[MARG]

What I'm saying is no prime minister will tell what he thought of his talks with Charles. IMO he might have thought he was raving mad but he's not going to say it. If you can't understand that I can't help you.

If any PM loathed Prince Charles or thought he was a total whack job, I am sure we would have heard it through the general tenor of strain and acrimony of any public encounters between them and Clarence House. The media being ever on the ball.

The author of this tome has put words in the mouths of PM's, Ministers of the Crown, Members of Parliament, the Civil Service, members of the POW personal houshould staff and, of course, Prince Charles himself, all of which are attributed to "anonymous sources". Is there a problem with us questioning the veracity of the book, and by extension, the numerous tabloid articles quoting Catherine Mayer's book, all or in part, as a "reliable" reference.

Is it wrong to question the motives/existence of the ubiquitous 'they' who see and hear everything and are always ready to share their vast and varied experiences with Prince Charles but lack the courage of their convictions by refusing to stand behind what they say?

 

[Al_bina]

"I won't be used to peddle UK arms in Middle East", Prince Charles RT UK

The Prince of Wales wants to end his role as a promoter of British arms in Gulf States where possible, according to his new biography.

The unauthorized book, ‘Charles: Heart of a King’, is due to be published on Thursday. It was written by Catherine Mayer, an American-born, UK-educated, London-based journalist.

Reflecting on the biography, Mayer told the BBC there is a significant gap between the public’s perception of Prince Charles and the man behind the image.

 

[royal rob]

I don't blame him for wanting to stop doing that. It's a dirty business and I imagine it would play on his mind and he would hate it


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[Rudolph]

Prince Charles lawyers to examine 'unhelpful' book - Telegraph

The book has been out for a week now, does anyone know if Charles's lawyers have any issues with it?
I've searched and can't find anything other than the dispute over 'access' vs 'special access' but nothing to suggest the book is libellous

 

[Jacknch]

The book has been out for a week now, does anyone know if Charles's lawyers have any issues with it?
I've searched and can't find anything other than the dispute over 'access' vs 'special access' but nothing to suggest the book is libellous

No, there is no word on the matter as far as I can see. I will have to go to the local bookshop this weekend to see which dusty, out of the way shelf the book has been placed!

 

[Dman]

Charles: The Heart of a King review – wit, wisdom and bladder control-
Charles: The Heart of a King review – wit, wisdom and bladder control | Books | The Guardian

 

[Queen Camilla]

The article appears to be an attack on Prince Charles and not a review of the book.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Well it is in the Guardian so that is to be expected.

 

[hernameispekka]

The article appears to be an attack on Prince Charles and not a review of the book.

I agree. Very unprofessional review!

 

[Lenora]

What is the purpose of this attacking book?

 

[WreathOfLaurels]

This bio was a book I was not expecting to like but I was very pleasantly surprised by it. It's by no means comprehensive but it was insightful. Because Mayer takes C seriously, we the readers are able to take him seriously as well - something that sometimes isn't easy and is by no means C's fault. Most of Mayer's research has been criticised for over exaggerating the amount of contact she has had with C and his household; but the impression I got reading it was that a lot of Mayer's conclusions have been based on long term observation of C and his milieu albeit at a distance (Mayer is an American journalist who has worked for both the Economist and as UK correspondent for TIME magazine). Good as a "where are they now?" Addendum to the Dimbleby biography.