MISE À DAY
After 70 years of waiting, the time has now come for Charles, who is nicknamed the unloved, to ascend to the throne. His unpopularity may even threaten the monarchy. Yet in the new biographyCharles III the Unloved, which depicts every aspect of the life of the misunderstood and clumsy monarch, we discover behind the new king the man whom we knew very little and who will surprise readers.
If in your mind Charles is a dull man, think again. Reading the new biography of the new king, we discover a personality with a thousand and one whims, endowed with a strength of character, often angry, demanding and inconvenient, in short anything but dull.
Crown Prince of the United Kingdom for 70 years, his demands are seen on a daily basis. His breakfast must be served to him with care. His cup and saucer must be to his right with a silver spoon pointed at five o'clock. The coat of arms on the plates must imperatively be directed towards noon. There should be three scoops of glazed butter to go with the bread. In his glasses he must be offered round ice cubes because he finds that the square ones are too noisy.
Charles can change his outfit up to eight times a day. To make this possible, his daily life is managed by a multitude of valets, butlers, cooks, secretaries, gardeners and drivers. More than 125 servants take care of the comfort and well-being of the monarch and his wife Camilla.
It is said of Charles that he is very extravagant for his wardrobe, and that he is also renowned for his elegance. In addition to his prestigious watch collection and bespoke suits, his shoes must shine and the laces neatly ironed. Some of his military titles, particularly those of the Royal Navy, require at least eight different outfits and his medals and decorations must imperatively be transferred to his different jackets.
But it's not only bad sides. The king of the United Kingdom in office since September 8, 2022, the day of the death of Elizabeth II, also has an artistic side. He does watercolors and has even exhibited in a gallery. His talent has also been recognized among specialists.
Charles is a loving and protective father and he broke the rules of royalty under the influence of Diana by bathing his children himself.
He also imposes an iron discipline on himself. He trains daily, following a physical exercise program developed for pilots of the Royal Canadian Air Force to maintain his mobility, his back causing him pain due to numerous falls from horseback.
Raised by servants
Raised by an army of servants, he would have suffered from loneliness, totally neglected by his parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, being too often absent. He was raised with rigidity, attending schools where discipline exceeded the limits.
All his life, he remained number two. Second only to his mother in office, second in the heart of his mother who had a soft spot for his younger brother, Andrew, and also in that of his father who treasured his sister, Anne more.
Of course, the book chronicles his love life at length, starting with his reputation as a playboy. After many conquests came Camilla Parker-Bowles.
Among the many anecdotes in the book, it is said that Camilla's great-grandmother and Charles's great-great-grandfather been lovers.
- What is the true portrait of King Charles: Listen to the interview with Benoît Tanguay, editor of the Journal La Riposte sociale on Benoit Dutrizac's show via QUB radio:  ;
A long-standing love< /p>
One thing is certain, the monarch fell in love with Camilla, adoring her sense of humor and considering her as his equal. He will say that with her, he felt safe. She did, however, marry another, Andrew Parker-Bowles, and had two children. Quite surprisingly, it was she who suggested that he take an interest in Diana.
Then it was the two grandmothers who organized the meetings, Lady Ruth Fermoy, grandmother of Diana, and the Queen Mother. We were looking for Charles, a young virgin woman who loves children and who is not too complicated.
The prince gave in to his mother's insistence on finding a perfect wife and offering her a successor, even though he was not in love with Diana, whom he found too young.
< p>The rest is known, they were married in 1981, a real princely wedding worthy of a fairy tale, but less than 10 years later, Charles will move away from Diana who gave birth to the two princes, William and Harry. Throughout this period, he always maintained his affair with Camilla.
There will be the divorce in 1996, then the tragic death of Diana in 1997. Charles will finally marry his former mistress, Camilla Parker-Bowles, in 2005.
Good causes
You should also know that Charles likes to get involved. As honorary leader of 147 companies, honorary colonel-in-chief of ten regiments, officer of three others, ruler of the Duchy of Cornwall, inevitably his agenda includes many conferences and meetings. He chairs nearly half a thousand charities while traveling to go about his business.
The now 74-year-old man has the preservation of the planet at heart . In fact, it has become his hobbyhorse. In addition to the environment, he wants to improve the living conditions of the most disadvantaged, giving a lot of his time to the unemployed, offering various scholarships.
After reading the book, do you like more Charles III? Not really, even if the book is excellent, full of anecdotes. On the other hand, we understand certain things much better and we can even appreciate certain aspects of his personality.
- The Franco-Irish author, Bertrand Meyer-Stabley, former journalist for the magazine She has published numerous biographies translated into several languages.
- He has notably authored Buckingham Story, The True Duchess of Windsor, Sir Elton John, The True Diana, Majesty, Reign of Elizabeth II.