As we discussed yesterday, Prince Charles is the subject of a new “unauthorized” biography. I really think Charles agreed to parts of the book, likely in an effort to frame certain issues, scandals and controversies a certain way, but since excerpts began to be released this weekend, Charles and Buckingham Palace are closing ranks and claiming that the biography is utterly unauthorized. So, with that controversy brewing, how funny is it that Richard Kay at the Daily Mail did an exclusive, Charles-friendly propaganda piece? Kay used to be one of Diana’s favorites too – she used to leak information to him all the time. This Daily Mail article – which you can read here – is all about Charles and Camilla’s marriage and how Charles finally got a woman who “gets” him. Also: Charles and Camilla live apart much of the time?! Some highlights from the piece:

Separate lives by design: A source says, “Camilla seems to spend less time in Highgrove these days than she did when Charles was still married to Diana.” She likes to have her five grandchildren at Ray Mill, running noisily around the house and the garden. He likes the peace of Highgrove 17 miles away, where he can bury his head in his books and papers, and, of course, work in his garden and have space to himself.

When they are together: ‘But when they are together they are fantastic,’ says a close friend. ‘Camilla knows how to soothe him, when not to be there, when to leave him to his thoughts, when to be jolly, when to be his confidante, and when to be his lover. She is quite brilliant at being every kind of woman to him at the appropriate time. Poor Diana could never do this for him. I saw how she struggled to make it work, but it never did. But then, she was so young, while Camilla — well, she’s virtually made a lifelong study of the Prince of Wales. No one knows him better than she does.’

Charles plans to make Camilla “Queen” not Princess Consort: ‘It’s because he believes that when faced with a fait accompli, the British nation will always look to its strong tradition of forgiveness and fair play,’ says one close figure.

Camilla has always known what to say to Charles: ‘For a long time it was sex,’ snorts one of her lady friends. ‘Camilla would tell Charles what to do in bed. And he liked that.’

He hates that his sons & Duchess Kate get so much attention: ‘It makes him quite gloomy at times,’ says a country friend of the Duchess. ‘Camilla doesn’t hog the limelight as Diana did, thank goodness, but everyone knows he’s desperate for people to show their approval. Camilla’s so good at cheering him up when he’s like that. But even she can get fed up with his moods.’

They go days without seeing each other: ‘You must remember they are two people who have spent most of their adult lives apart,’ says a friend of the duchess. ‘They don’t feel a need to be in each other’s pockets all the time. Camilla’s not a needy person in herself, and that is why it works so much better for Charles than in his previous marriage.’

What would Camilla do if Charles cheated on her? According to one of her closest friends: ‘She would go bonkers. After what they’ve been through she expects him to be loyal — in every way.’

Residual guilt about Diana: ‘When Diana died, his instinctive reaction was to feel a terrible guilt because of everything that had led to that dreadful moment. But he no longer feels guilt for her death because he has come to accept that had nothing to do with where she was or who she was with at the time. Where he does still feel guilty, of course, is that it was him who brought Diana into the royal world and a life she couldn’t handle.’

Charles knows what ‘in love’ means now: ‘He knows exactly what love means now,’ says one of Camilla’s friends. ‘He knows that everything she does for him, from letting him be himself to listening to what he thinks, from consoling him to making him laugh, is because she loves him. He worships her for it.’

[From The Daily Mail]

I billed this as pro-Charles propaganda, but reading some of those quotes, it seems more like pro-Camilla propaganda. The genius of Camilla – if you want to call it that – is that once Charles’ divorce came through, she’s pretty much been stage-managed by Charles and his staff. Camilla doesn’t hold court with a group of advisors that are only loyal to her. She doesn’t publicly kneecap Charles or anyone else in the royal family. She has made herself into everything Charles wants. But what does Camilla want, I wonder? To be Queen? See, I don’t even believe that. Charles wants her to be Queen and I don’t think she really cares either way.

Photos courtesy of WENN.