Prince Charles : The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The life and loves of Prince Charles are illuminated in a major new biography from the New York Times bestselling author of Elizabeth the Queen —perfect for fans of The Crown . Sally Bedell Smith returns once again to the British royal family to give us a new look at Prince Charles, the oldest heir to the throne in more than three hundred years. This vivid, eye-opening biography—the product of four years of research and hundreds of interviews with palace officials, former girlfriends, spiritual gurus, and more, some speaking on the record for the first time—is the first authoritative treatment of Charles’s life that sheds light on the death of Diana, his marriage to Camilla, and his preparations to take the throne one day. Prince Charles brings to life the real man, with all of his ambitions, insecurities, and convictions. It begins with his lonely childhood, in which he struggled to live up to his father’s expectations and sought companionship from the Queen Mother and his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten. It follows him through difficult years at school, his early love affairs, his intellectual quests, his entrepreneurial pursuits, and his intense search for spiritual meaning. It tells of the tragedy of his marriage to Diana; his eventual reunion with his true love, Camilla; and his relationships with William, Kate, Harry, and his grandchildren. Ranging from his glamorous palaces to his country homes, from his globe-trotting travels to his local initiatives, Smith shows how Prince Charles possesses a fiercely independent spirit and yet has spent more than six decades waiting for his destined role, living a life dictated by protocols he often struggles to obey. With keen insight and the discovery of unexpected new details, Smith lays bare the contradictions of a man who is more complicated, tragic, and compelling than we knew, until now. Praise for Prince Charles “[Smith] understands the British upper classes and aristocracy (including the royals) very well indeed. . . . [She] makes many telling, shrewd points in pursuit of realigning the popular image of Prince Charles.” —William Boyd, The New York Times Book Review “[A] masterly account.” — The Wall Street Journal “Thoroughly researched and insightful . . . In this profile, it is clear [Smith] got inside the circular barriers that protect the man and his position. The Charles that emerges is, as the subtitle suggests, both a paradox and a creature of his passions.” — The Washington Times “[A] compellingly juicy bio . . . Windsor-philes will be mesmerized.” — People “ Prince Charles paints an affectingly human portrait. . . . Smith writes about [Charles’s life] with a skill and sympathy she perfected in her 2012 biography of Charles’s mother.” — The Christian Science Monitor “Comprehensive and admirably fair . . . Until his accession to the throne, Smith’s portrait will stand as the definitive study.”— Booklist (starred review) “[A] fascinating book that is not just about a man who would be king, but also about the duties that come with privilege.” —Walter Isaacson “Sally Bedell Smith has given us a complete and compelling portrait of the man in the shadow of the throne. It’s all here, from the back stairs of the palaces to the front pages of the tabs.” —Tom Brokaw Sally Bedell Smith Returns Once Again To The British Royal Family To Give Us A New And Authoritative Look At Prince Charles, The Oldest Heir To The Throne In More Than Three Hundred Years. This Vivid, Eye-opening Biography--the Product Of Four Years Of Research And Hundreds Of Interviews With Palace Officials, Former Girlfriends, Spiritual Gurus, And More--is Filled With Fresh Insights Into Charles's Life, In And Out Of The Public Eye. [this Book] Brings To Life The Real Man, With All Of His Ambitions, Insecurities, And Convictions. It Begins With His Lonely Childhood, In Which He Struggled To Live Up To His Father's Expectations And Sought Companionship From The Queen Mother And His Great-uncle Lord Mountbatten. It Follows Him Through Difficult Years At School, His Early Love Affairs, His Intellectual Quests, His Entrepreneurial Pursuits, And His Intense Search For Spiritual Meaning.^ It Tells Of The Tragedy Of His Marriage To Diana; His Eventual Reunion With His True Love, Camilla; And His Relationship With William, Kate, Harry, And His Grandchildren. Ranging From His Glamorous Palaces To His Country Homes, From His Globe-trotting Travels To His Local Initiatives, Smith Shows How Prince Charles Possesses A Fiercely Independent Spirit And Yet Has Spent More Than Six Decades Waiting For His Destined Role. His Life Is Dictated By Protocol, Yet He Often Struggles To Obey It. He Seeks Influence And Authority, Yet He Lives Perpetually In The Shadow Of His Mother And The Beloved Next Generation Of Royals. With Keen Insight And The Discovery Of Unexpected New Details, Smith Lays Bare The Contradictions Of A Man Who Is More Complicated, Tragic, And Compelling Than We Knew, Until Now. This Is The First Authoritative Treatment Of Charles's Life That Sheds Light On The Death Of Diana, His Marriage To Camilla, And His Preparations To Take The Throne One Day.^ Drawing Upon Hundreds Of Sources, Many Of Whom Are Speaking On The Record For The First Time, [this Book] Is The Surprising And Definitive Portrait Of The Man Who Will Be King.--jacket. The Lonely Schoolboy -- Cold Showers In The Morning -- Heir To A Fortune -- Nixon Plays Matchmaker -- The Shadow Of Camilla -- Wild Oats -- Searching For Meaning -- Prince Without A Princess -- Diana Snares Her Man -- Glamour And Heartache -- Naming And Shaming -- A Marriage In Shambles -- Dangerous Liaisons -- Butterfly Mind -- Midlife Melancholy -- Timeless Principles -- Love Tape -- Diana's Revenge -- Wounded Feelings -- Scarlet A -- Three In A Marriage -- Breathing The Same Air -- Tragedy In Paris -- No Ordinary Pilgrim -- Media Makeover -- Out Of The Shadows -- Cracking The Ice -- Deaths In The Family -- Blackadder's Revenge -- Hitched At Last -- Camilla Joins The Firm -- Royal Infighting -- A Prince In Full -- Rising Sons -- On The Defensive -- The Magnificent Seven -- Rehearsing New Roles -- The Shadow King's Legacy -- Don't Ever Stop. Sally Bedell Smith. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [515]-569) And Index. From the New York Times bestselling author of Elizabeth the Queen comes the first major biography of Prince Charles in more than twenty years?perfect for fans of The Crown . Sally Bedell Smith returns once again to the British royal family to give us a new look at Prince Charles, the oldest heir to the throne in more than three hundred years. This vivid, eye-opening biography?the product of four years of research and hundreds of interviews with palace officials, former girlfriends, spiritual gurus, and more, some speaking on the record for the first time?is the first authoritative treatment of Charles's life that sheds light on the death of Diana, his marriage to Camilla, and his preparations to take the throne one day. Prince Charles brings to life the real man, with all of his ambitions, insecurities, and convictions. It begins with his lonely childhood, in which he struggled to live up to his father's expectations and sought companionship from the Queen Mother and his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten. It follows him through difficult years at school, his early love affairs, his intellectual quests, his entrepreneurial pursuits, and his intense search for spiritual meaning. It tells of the tragedy of his marriage to Diana; his eventual reunion with his true love, Camilla; and his relationships with William, Kate, Harry, and his grandchildren. Ranging from his glamorous palaces to his country homes, from his globe-trotting travels to his local initiatives, Smith shows how Prince Charles possesses a fiercely independent spirit and yet has spent more than six decades waiting for his destined role, living a life dictated by protocols he often struggles to obey. With keen insight and the discovery of unexpected new details, Smith lays bare the contradictions of a man who is more complicated, tragic, and compelling than we knew, until now. Advance praise for Prince Charles "Comprehensive and admirably fair . . . Until his accession to the throne, Smith's portrait will stand as the definitive study."? Booklist, starred review "Astute . . . a sympathetic psychological study . . . [Smith's] portrait is enormously touching and supported by wide-ranging interviews and research. . . . A thorough, timely biography."? Kirkus "Prince Charles is an eighteenth-century gentleman with a twenty-first-century mission. His love of tradition combines with an outlook that can be bracingly avant garde. Sally Bedell Smith captures his contradictions and his convictions in this fascinating book that is not just about a man who would be king, but also about the duties that come with privilege." ?Walter Isaacson "For all we know about Prince Charles, there is so much we didn't know?until now. Sally Bedell Smith has given us a complete and compelling portrait of the man in the shadow of the throne. It's all here, from the back stairs of the palaces to the front pages of the tabs. Read all about it!" ?Tom Brokaw NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the author of Elizabeth the Queen comes the first major biography of Prince Charles in more than twenty years--perfect for fans of The Crown . Sally Bedell Smith returns once again to the British royal family to give us a new look at Prince Charles, the oldest heir to the throne in more than three hundred years. This vivid, eye-opening biography--the product of four years of research and hundreds of interviews with palace officials, former girlfriends, spiritual gurus, and more, some speaking on the record for the first time--is the first authoritative treatment of Charles's life that sheds light on the death of Diana, his marriage to Camilla, and his preparations to take the throne one day. Prince Charles brings to life the real man, with all of his ambitions, insecurities, and convictions. It begins with his lonely childhood, in which he struggled to live up to his father's expectations and sought companionship from the Queen Mother and his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten. It follows him through difficult years at school, his early love affairs, his intellectual quests, his entrepreneurial pursuits, and his intense search for spiritual meaning. It tells of the tragedy of his marriage to Diana; his eventual reunion with his true love, Camilla; and his relationships with William, Kate, Harry, and his grandchildren. Ranging from his glamorous palaces to his country homes, from his globe-trotting travels to his local initiatives, Smith shows how Prince Charles possesses a fiercely independent spirit and yet has spent more than six decades waiting for his destined role, living a life dictated by protocols he often struggles to obey. With keen insight and the discovery of unexpected new details, Smith lays bare the contradictions of a man who is more complicated, tragic, and compelling than we knew, until now. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “masterly account” ( The Wall Street Journal ) of the life and loves of King Charles III, Britain’s first king since 1952, shedding light on the death of Diana, his marriage to Camilla, and his preparations to take the throne Sally Bedell Smith returns once again to the British royal family to give us a new look at the man who was the oldest heir to the throne in more than three hundred years. This vivid, eye-opening biography—the product of four years of research and hundreds of interviews with palace officials, former girlfriends, spiritual gurus, and more, some speaking on the record for the first time—is the first authoritative treatment of Charles’s life. Prince Charles brings to life the real man, with all of his ambitions, insecurities, and convictions. It begins with his lonely childhood, in which he struggled to live up to his father’s expectations and sought companionship from the Queen Mother and his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten. It follows him through difficult years at school, his early love affairs, his intellectual quests, his entrepreneurial pursuits, and his intense search for spiritual meaning. It tells of the tragedy of his marriage to Diana; his eventual reunion with his true love, Camilla; and his relationships with William, Kate, Harry, and his grandchildren. Ranging from his glamorous palaces to his country homes, from his globe-trotting travels to his local initiatives, Smith shows how Prince Charles possesses a fiercely independent spirit and yet spent more than six decades waiting for his destined role, living a life dictated by protocols he often struggles to obey. With keen insight and the discovery of unexpected new details, Smith lays bare the contradictions of a man who is more complicated, tragic, and compelling than we knew, until now. Prince Charles is the oldest heir to the British throne in more than three hundred years. This biography -- the product of four years of research and hundreds of interviews with palace officials, former girlfriends, spiritual gurus, and more -- is filled with fresh insights into Charles's life, in and out of the public eye. It begins with his lonely childhood, in which he struggled to live up to his father's expectations and sought companionship from the Queen Mother and his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten. It follows him through difficult years at school, his early love affairs, his intellectual quests, his entrepreneurial pursuits, and his intense search for spiritual meaning. It tells of the tragedy of his marriage to Diana; his eventual reunion with his true love, Camilla; and his relationship with William, Kate, Harry, and his grandchildren.-- Adapted from dust jacket