You should read Hilary Rose's article in the Times of London, "Why the real King Charles was complicated -- by royal insiders." Subheading: "The coronation will be less than two months away. How will Charles shape up as a monarch? Charles is a second time, he's kind, faithful and happy to be married. Or irascible and insecure, easily frustrated by malfunctioning fountain pen?" This book reads like an exhaustive history of King Charles and his failures and triumphs, as well as his fundamentally dysfunctional nature. Although I have read many royal books, I have never heard the stories and details in this book. Here are some highlights

Camilla manages Charles. Some friends of the King compare him to Eeyore. He is prone to melancholy, self-pity and even petulance, as well as being prone to depression during the accession, when the fountain pen stopped working. Camilla is the queen's greatest asset. She can cheer him up when it's sad, indulge him when he wants it, and even give him a hug when he doesn’t. She tells courtiers "Leave It With Me", and one press secretary described her as "the last court of appeal".

Generational trauma: A private secretary to Robert Lacey remarked that if the Queen had spent half the time raising her children than she did breeding her horses, the royal family wouldn’t have been in such an emotional mess.

King Charles' typical day is when he wakes up at 7 AM to find his day's papers on a tray. He sip tea from a cup of bone china. The Today program is playing in the background. For the sake of his spine, he might take the chance to do a headstand wearing his boxer shorts. Or he may keep that for later. He wears a custom suit made by his Savile Row tailor and a Jermyn Street shirtmaker to match his bespoke shirt. His cobbler makes his shoes. He drinks Eau Sauvage, and has breakfast of seasonal fruits, seeds, and yoghurt. He starts his paperwork at 8 am. He has started the day. The day begins with engagements. He stops for a sandwich or a piece cake between 10am and 5pm. Once he's had lunch, he continues to work, taking a break for tea at 8.30pm. Dinner is served at 10pm.

Valentine Low was told by one of his staff that he is a demanding boss, because he demands a lot of himself. He was at times indecisive, stubborn, and explosive, and could kick furniture with his fury. He was not interested in receiving criticism, and he didn't intend to act on it. He wanted to be recognized for his efforts in everything, from organic farming to climate changes. He sought out people who would agree with him and not challenge him. One of his dinner companions realized that he was easily annoyed by being challenged. However, he loved the role of convener and gathered people to solve whatever passion was shining.

Camilla's work with Charles after she married Andrew Parker Bowles. Tina Brown claims that Camilla "deftly” integrated Charles into her life as an insurance policy. She made him godfather to their first child and kept the sexual chemistry alive. When Charles was with Camilla, she is reported to have passionately snubbed him on the dancefloor at one ball. The unsuitable girlfriend left in a hurry, never to return. Andrew Parker Bowles drew a picture of his wife and said, "HRH is very fond"

Basher Wills: Harry and William were raised in an unhappy home, surrounded by their warring parents, who were known for shouting, sullen silences and vicious arguments. One famous story claims that William was seven years old when he shoved tissues under his mother's bathroom door and said, "I hate seeing you sad." He was then known as Basher Wills at school. The home atmosphere was described by a nanny as toxic and at best, difficult to manage. William once shouted, "I hate, Papa, you are so horrible!" "Why are you making Mummy cry so often?"

Camilla was not wanted by anyone: His mother believed he would have to give up Camilla or the throne and his grandmother would have no choice but to leave her. Charles was not willing to compromise on Camilla. Charles was obsessed with his public image, and winning Camilla's acceptance. Tina Brown described Camilla as the "sexual and emotional comfort food for the king". Brown was told by a friend that Camilla stopped Charles from being pompous. She also said that Charles' endless complaining about how unappreciated he was, and his self-pitying paranoia made it difficult for her to bear him.

Diana's death: Robert Lacey says Charles's first reaction was self-pity. "They're all going out to blame me." Then he began to worry down the phone to his private secretary about the possibility of the fallout threatening the monarchy. He was not prepared for single parenthood by his upbringing. So he outsourced most of the work to others and immersed himself in his work and mistress. Today, the monarchy rides high on the new Princess and Prince of Wales and their three children, but Tina Brown claims that at the turn of this century, a "damp sadness" and "deep dullness” had set in. The Queen was clear that the monarchy should never be outshone again by any member of the family and that solid, reliable, middle-aged Camilla could fulfill that role once Diana's funeral is over.

The King is a complicated man: One side, the King has the emotional intelligence to write handwritten letters to strangers who have lost loved ones or are grieving. He couldn't bear to hug Harry after his mother's death. He is a gentle man with a bad temper. He is also a visionary who can sometimes see beyond his own navel. He enjoys hunting and shooting, but told Meghan Markle that he could not bear to imagine any animal suffering. He's so engaged with the world that he created the Prince's Trust. But he was so disconnected from reality that he thought Lucian Freud might like to swap a painting: one Charles's for one his. He is so detached from the feelings of his friends that he shows up at dinner parties with his own martinis and houses parties with his own furniture.

Charles is not thrifty. While Queen Elizabeth II was known for being thrifty with her one-bar electric fireplaces and Tupperware boxes, Charles's domestic life is more like that of his grandmother. She drank so many vintage pink champagne that Veuve Cliquot was her biggest client and summoned staff by ringing a Faberge pearlbell at mealtimes. Charles's home is cluttered just like hers. One friend called him a hoarder. After the Queen Mother's passing, Clarence House, Birkhall and Birkhall were both remodeled by Robert Kime. They are filled with rugs, cushions and tassels.

[From The Times]

There are some details here that make me feel almost like Charles. They also remind me of the father-in law who charmed then Meghan Markle. He is eccentric, strange, temperamental, passionate, and an interesting conversationalist. On the other hand, he is selfish, self-pitying and self-indulgent, and treated Diana and her children poorly. Camilla leads him around like a weak man. It feels like there will be more antimonarchy protests over the coming months and years, I don't think.

Images courtesy Avalon Red, Cover Images.