Author: Tierney Bricker / Source: E! Online
Meet the most modern Monarch: Prince Charles.
Surprised? It’s easy to see why, given how notoriously private the Prince of Wales has been over the years, sometimes in stark contrast to his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, two men who were literally plastered on teenage girls’ bedroom walls growing up (and might still be).
But over the last year, things have started to shift. We’ve slowly started to see more and more of Charles’ much-whispered about sense of humor and sensitivity come through, especially in the last month, which has seen him take the cover of Vanity Fair‘s December 2018 issue and be the subject of an intimate BBC documentary, which celebrated his 70th birthday. Oh, and then there’s that biography, Charles At Seventy: Thoughts, Hopes And Dreams, written by royal biographer Robert Jobson who traveled with Charles on his official tours.
And you thought Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were everywhere! (To be fair…they are.)
In the past month especially, it seems like the low-key PR mission is clear: Prince Charles is ready to be the King of England, a role he’s been preparing for for over 70 years. (And you thought you were overqualified for your job.)
Queen Elizabeth II was just 25 when she took the throne in 1952, and after celebrating her 65th year serving as the Queen in February 2017 she is now the longest-reigning monarch in British history. On the flip side of that, it also makes Charles the longest waiting heir apparent in history.
“I think it’s vital to remember there’s only room for one sovereign at a time, not two,” Charles said in the Vanity Fair profile, “But the idea somehow that I’m going to go on exactly the same way, if I have to succeed, is complete nonsense.”
Slow and steady has been the strategy when it comes to Charles’ preparations to one day rule the monarchy, quietly putting in the work. Vanity Fair actually tallied the amount of royal duties attended to by each member of the royal family in 2017 and Charles was at the top of the list with 546 engagements. William, his fellow future king, had the least, with 171.
“Anyone of my age knows that days pass at a far greater speed than when they were young,” a man nearing his 70th birthday recently told me. “But in my case there are so many things that need to be done.”
Earlier this year, Charles also somewhat unexpectedly became one of the biggest players at Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding in May, stepping in to walk his daughter-in-law down the aisle when her father, Thomas Markle, pulled out of doing the honors after suffering an apparent heart attack. It was a touching move, one that also happened to show how close Charles and Meghan had become, a win-win for both parties. (It was also revealed Charles gave Meghan a beautiful diamond tennis bracelet in the days before the ceremony.)
According to the new BBC documentary, Prince Charles immediately accepted the offer when asked. “I asked him to and I think he knew it was coming,” Prince Harry said, “And he immediately said, ‘Yes, of course, I’ll do whatever Meghan needs and I’m here to support you.”
Harry continued, “For him that’s a fantastic opportunity to step up and be that support, and you know he’s our father so of course he’s going to be there for us.”
And then, of course, there’s the relationship between Charles and William, his first son and future successor. Royal watchers (and fans of Netflix’s The Queen) know Queen Elizabeth has a somewhat complicated relationship with her son, which is understandable considering he was born to replace her. (She was described as “not indifferent so much as detached” as a mother, according to Jonathan Dimbleby‘s 1994 book The Prince of Wales: A Biography.)
In the BBC documentary, William expressed he would like Charles to spent more time with his grandchildren as he’s getting older, referring to his sons Prince George, 5, and Prince Louis, 6 months, and daughter Princess Charlotte, 3.
“It’s something I’m working on heavily. I think he does have time for it, but I would like him to have more time with the children,” he said. “Having more time with him at home would be lovely—and being able to, you know, play around with the grandchildren. When he is there, he’s brilliant, but we need him there as much as possible.”
He continued, “Now that he’s reached his 70th year, it’s the perfect time to consolidate a little bit. You’re worried about having them around and making sure their health is OK. He’s the fittest man I know, but equally, I want him to be fit until he’s 95.”
Charles’ wife Camilla Parker-Bowles‘ nephew Ben Elliot also made sure to note in the Vanity Fair profile that the future King is “unbelievably physically fit. I’ve never seen a man his age who is as strong as he is.”
But when he turns 70 on Nov. 14, Charles will have yet to take on the role he was born to assume. So yes, while most men his age are looking to retire or settle down, he’s still making preparations for arguably the biggest moment of his life.
There is a secret plan in place that has been at the ready for quite some time called Operation London Bridge, which will go into action when the Queen, 92, dies, per Vanity Fair, which notes the Queen has no intention of ever resigning, with a source recalling her…
The post Watch the Throne: Prince Charles Is Making Sure You Remember He’s the Next King appeared first on FeedBox.