If you’re steeped in Prince Charles/Princess Diana gossip, you probably remember that Prince Charles has cooperated with biographers before, to sometimes disastrous results. While Diana’s Panorama interview is the stuff of legend, some people don’t remember that Diana only gave that interview as a response to a book and interview done with Prince Charles’ approval, all of which made him look (in the eyes of many of his subjects) unequipped to handle to throne. Well, Charles is back. He unofficially cooperated with yet another biographer, this time with Catherine Mayer. The book is Charles: The Heart of a King. Mayer gained access to his staff, to his charities and to Charles himself. The result is… interesting. Excerpts are already being published and it seems like Clarence House is a clusterwhoops of petty grudges, power plays and ridiculousness. So much so that Charles is already distancing himself from the book and from Mayer (even though he gave her interviews!). Some interesting pieces:

His home/office of Clarence House: The “tense” environment is described as “every bit as brutal as in the days when a twitching arras might signal a hidden assassin.” One former householder likens working at Clarence House to the treacherous world of Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel’s novel centered around the rise of Thomas Cromwell under Henry VIII. Another insider spoke about “glaring flaws” in its organizational structure with “a lot of backstabbing.”

Charles can’t handle criticism: “Criticism has the power to cast him into despair” one source tells Mayer, while the prince (known as “the Boss” amongst staffers) is said to identify himself with the Baldrick, the long-suffering servant whose cunning plans are often ridiculed in the British comedy Blackadder.

He’s very frugal: Charles’ former secretary Clive Alderton says, “When you are having tea with him [he] gets leftovers wrapped up and brought back for his next meal. I’ve rarely met someone so frugal, not in the sense of meanness but an absolute allergy to waste.”

Reshaping the monarchy? Charles is “set to reshape the monarchy in his own image” and one who “will never be remote and silent like his own mother.”

As for the potential changes to come: “In defining his role as heir apparent, the prince has signalled a redefinition of the monarchy. Some courtiers – and the sovereign herself – fear that neither the Crown nor its subjects will tolerate the shock of the new.”

Charles isn’t looking forward to being King: He’s said to be “joylessly” taking over more and more of the Queen’s duties and comparing the ascension to “prison shades” closing in on him. “Far from itching to assume the crown, he is already feeling its weight and worrying about its impact on the job he has been doing.”

[From People Magazine & The Evening Standard]

Personally, I think you can tell that Charles had something to do with this biography because of the positioning of the “reluctant monarch” – who really thinks there’s anything reluctant about Charles? He’s been dying to be King since he was a young man. But it helps him to look like he doesn’t want it too much. He’s trying to look like he’s not mad with the hunger for power. I’m also shocked that there doesn’t seem to be much reference to Camilla. That’s probably another sign that Charles’ fingerprints are all over this. Don’t talk about Camilla, just talk about him!!

Anyway, Clarence House is scrambling to do damage control. Even Buckingham Palace is helping out, with the Queen’s courtiers telling The Evening Standard that the Queen has complete faith in Charles and his eventual leadership (which is a total lie, but sure).

Photos courtesy of WENN.
[pgallery]