Robert Jobson is one of King Charles’s favored biographers/hagiographers. When Jobson speaks, you can tell he’s speaking for Charles and Camilla and giving their “perspective.” So it’s interesting to watch Jobson navigate the discussion of Charles’s first year on the throne, wanting to dutifully act as a stenographer to power, all while the monarchy is basically collapsing around him. Last week, Jobson had a lengthy piece in the Sun about the king’s big plans for his reign and how we shouldn’t pay attention to the huge raise Charles got or the fact that he’s a dogsh-t father. Some highlights:

A monarchy fit for purpose: His goal is to ensure the monarchy is “fit for purpose” by the time he hands over to Prince William, senior sources have told The Sun. That means a streamlined monarchy that works as a modern institution – with fewer working royals, less money spent on security, cuts to middle-ranking staff and more diversity. A well-placed source told me: “His Majesty believes that the monarchy needs to be a well-oiled, cost-effective machine with a clear purpose. One year into his reign he knows the buck stops with him and he is going to make sure he stamps his authority. Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth had her way of doing things, but The King has made it clear that while he respects tradition, he’s not afraid to make changes.”

State visits: I understand Charles will visit Australia next autumn ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa. The Australian Government will take the lead in planning the State visit as Charles is their King. They will have to pay for it too and such a visit doesn’t come cheap. When the Queen visited Australia in October 2011, her last official long-haul visit, the cost of her trip reportedly came to almost $1.74million (£890,000) but the bill included the charter of a plane for long-haul flights.

No more big events: Charles is keen to avoid more expensive showcase royal events. After the Platinum Jubilee, the Queen’s death and State Funeral and the Coronation, he will play down his landmark 75th birthday, with no big events planned. “For the King reducing the cost to the taxpayer and improving efficiency. He has set his mind on it and it will be done,” said one senior aid.

Firm on family issues: There were fewer royals on the main palace balcony for starters; only Charles’s team of working royals and his closest family. No Harry and Meghan, no disgraced Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Charles has dealt with both those issues firmly. He loves his son but won’t allow his petulant behaviour to undermine his reign. Disgraced Andrew too has not been allowed out of the deep freeze, although he is of course present at family gatherings as he was a Christmas at Sandringham and this summer at Balmoral. An insider said: “Talk of him allowing Andrew and Harry back into the royal fold is wide of the mark. Andrew is of course part of the family and will be at family gatherings. But no, he will not be making a comeback officially. That is not going to happen. There is very little communication with Harry. Time is a great healer, there needs to be more time.”

The Enforcers: Slowly but surely the King’s way is being introduced, with Queen Camilla, supported by Prince William, acting as his main enforcers. [Charles] has worked closely with his son and heir William to achieve this, but it is Charles calling the shots, not some kind of joint monarchy as has been wrongly suggested.

Staff issues: He is already making moves to axe middle-management staff – an estimated 20 per cent – to boost the Royal Household’s efficiency. And he also wants more diversity in the household, up to 20 per cent, with more people from ethnic minority backgrounds in senior positions. King Charles and Queen Camilla are determined to streamline staffing, where too many are doing similar jobs. Dozens will be affected.

The real estate: He also wants to reduce the number of houses in the royal portfolio and has reportedly asked Prince Andrew to move out of the Royal Lodge in Windsor. In March Harry and Meghan were also evicted from Frogmore Cottage as part of the plans.

Less security: He knows fewer royals means a cheaper security bill too. Queen Camilla, Charles’s enforcer at the palace, has already raised the matter of cuts personally with the Master of the Household, Vice-Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt. Camilla, like the King, believes the Royal Family must be seen to be in step with the times to flourish.

[From The Sun]

This is a deliberate fudge: “He also wants to reduce the number of houses in the royal portfolio… In March Harry and Meghan were also evicted from Frogmore Cottage as part of the plans.” Frogmore Cottage is still part of the Royal Windsor estate and the Sussexes were literally paying the lease, and they had paid for the extensive renovations on that dilapidated shack. Evicting the Sussexes didn’t stop Frogmore from being part of the real estate portfolio. All that’s happening now is that there are too many palaces and castles and not enough royals to fill them. Although it’s hilarious that even with all of those empty palaces, forts, castles, mansions, manor homes and cottages, Kate was still shunted off to one of the smallest houses on the Windsor estate. As for Charles’s “enforcers” – well, he just blew up William’s “king-in-training” PR, which is hilarious. But it really feels like Camilla is running the show all by herself.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar.