Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life

I'll admit I'm fascinated with all things English Royal Family, so I began reading already knowing I'd rate it 5 stars. What a fantastic, well written book. The private Prince Of Wales is vastly different from the public Prince Of Wales (duh) but what I really liked about this book is while the author strips off the veneer she doesn't judge. She lays everything out, warts and all, but doesn't offer any opinion as to how we should view or treat the Prince. Some things aren't pretty, but Bedell-Smith doesn't pass any judgement on character. I knew I liked the Prince, but after reading this book I really like him. He's so quaint, traditional, and formal I want to be like him. I admire his refusal to adapt despite his views, lifestyle, and show more attitude being stuck in the past. Good for him. It does cause him to be petty, pedantic, inflexible, and even mean, but at the same time he sticks to his ideals and doesn't waver. He has a vision of what a Prince Of Wales and king should be, and if it causes him to be unpopular so be it. On a simpler level I've re-committed to keeping up on my written correspondence, and I'm inspired to take up drawing and possibly watercolor painting. And long walks in the garden. You go, Charles. show less

So Prince Charles turns out to be a complicated man. By turns sad, morose, furious, lashing out, unsure of himself, taking on causes and doing good work, foisting ill-informed opinions on everything you can think of, etc., etc. He nearly wore me out in this book alone, which makes as good a story out of all those bits as possible. But I stand by my long-held conviction that there are quite a few people in the royal family who sure as heck need a JOB.

A clunker of a book, with over 500 pages of dining, whining, partying, complaining, inability to stay on one path -- Prince Charles of England

I thought some of the book was noteworthy, and I learned a lot about the authors perception of British politics, there was a lot of rambling, title changing, and down-right disdain of Diana, Charles ill fated marriage to a woman much younger, much more spontaneous and loving abilities that Charles clearly lacked.

Camilla Parker Bowles was a meddler. As Diana noted, "There were three of us in the marriage; it got quite crowded."

Camilla learned the nuances of Charles', she knew he needed to be first. Unlike Diana who had a bright-star personality, Camilla is very content to garden, look at books of show more fabric swatches, and listen, listen to this ever whining personality.

Newspapers reported that Charles needy personality was off scale. People knew he had a self centeredness that would hinder his ability to lead the nation.

Much of the book revolved around the love between Camilla and Charles. When they married, they knew each other well, they were both in their 50's when they married, and Camilla was very pleased to simply hold his hand and listen to him.

I found it interesting that he started many projects and renovations of historical buildings, only to not follow through.

Sadly, he even remarked that there were too many photo opportunities for son William and wife Kate Middleton.

Charles is a sad man. Hopefully, he will not inherit the throne. show less

This book was sent to me by the publisher Random House via NetGalley. Thank you.

The latest biography of Prince Charles is a balanced and sympathetic work by the biographer of the Princess of Wales and Queen Elizabeth II. She acknowledges the good Charles has done, but also does not play down his missteps and there have been many in his life.

Charles was raised very differently than Elizabeth II. While she had a loving, carefree family environment until the age of ten when her parents had to assume the throne, Charles was three when his mother became queen. The 27 year old queen was a monarch who took her duties very seriously so she and Prince Philip traveled the world in her capacity as head of the Commonwealth. Charles and Anne were show more left behind in the care of nannies and the Queen Mother who gave him the hands-on affection children crave. If Charles was the first heir to attend school rather than be taught by governesses and tutors, the schools, from day school in London to Gordonstoun to Trinity College Cambridge, had to deal with the heir for the first time. It did not make for a fulfilling time for Charles where he could not be treated just as another student. He had body guards and special foods; students were either in awe or dared to bully him. Even university was not memorable; he made lifelong friendships with his tutors, but not with his contemporaries. The 60’s were tumultuous and Charles was a traditionalist. He had nothing in common with the long-haired protesting demonstrators.

Of course, a great part of the book concerns his disastrous marriage to Diana Spencer. Why he would propose to a girl he had been alone with a mere twelve times, was twelve years younger than he was, was unintellectual with a minimum education, remains a puzzle. Smith suggests that he felt pressured into getting married and needed a suitable unspoiled female. Even while he had doubts, the press train was chugging down the tracks and he could not back out without damage to his reputation and even more interestingly, to the hapless Diana’s. Even Prince Philip cautioned that Diana’s reputation would be in shatters if Charles broke the engagement. So the tragedy unfolded with everyone scarred.

Smith examines his long time love affair and marriage to Camilla Parker-Bowles. How different the history of the monarchy have been if he had married this funny, caring woman instead of the fragile Princess of Wales. She dicusses his relationship with his children and the irony that when he was married to their mother, Diana overshadowed him and now William and his family are doing the same thing.

But the Charles in this biography, with all his baggage, is a very capable, astute, person. His many charities have benefited the underdog, especially the Prince’s Trust which gave seed money to disadvantaged young people who set up their own businesses. So many were helped with very little publicity. Charles sponsored everything from small farmers in Scotland to saving traditional villages in Romania and gave more than just his name to the cause. He worked one-on-one with the administrators to achieve the best results for the price. A few times a charity might not succeed, but most times it did.

So many of his ideas when he first mentioned them were laughed at by the experts. But today organic farming is an accepted alternative to using chemicals and his view on the environment/global warming is the norm. If his antipathy to modernist architecture has not changed and probably never will, he has had an influence on town planners to make new developments more “liveable”. Still, Smith discusses the controversies, especially his opposition and even interference with architectural firms who are changing the skyscape of London. He has been unsuccessful in getting the National Heath to include homeopathic medicine as an option to traditional care.

Charles is a complicated, charming, and prickly man. Sometimes he is too hands-on and sometimes his insecurities make him lash out. He has been described as an 18th century man out of his time. Smith does him justice in her biography, showing his attributes and not shying away from his flaws. show less

I didn't learn much that I didn't already know, but I did get a better sense of just how hard he works. I think Smith paints what is probably a fairly realistic picture of the true prince. He is, like all of us, a mixture of good and not-so-good, mellowing with age. I learned about many projects that he has championed over the years and can appreciate the struggles he has had becoming a more modern member of the royal family.

This book is a very comprehensive biography about the life of Prince Charles. There is so much more to him than the average person sees on the surface. Sally Bedell Smith provides the reader with an insight on just who he is – not on the public face that most of us here in the United States see on television or in our newspaper.

The Prince is a very complex person. It is interesting to learn how his early life shaped his personality and to see how he can wallow in self-pity one day and throw himself head first into a cause that he feels strongly about on the next. He walks a fine line with his public stance on political issues as that is not in keeping with the role of the monarchy.

No book on the monarchy, especially one devoted to show more the Prince of Wales, would be complete without touching on his marriage to Diana. This book covers the subject well. Of course, his relationship and marriage to Camilla is also carefully explored.

I appreciate the author’s inclusion of information related to succession to the throne. It explains the chain of hierarchy and the complications if the role is passed through any reason other than the reigning monarch’s death.

I received an Advance Reader’s Copy from the publisher in a giveaway. I am not required to write a positive review, or even write a review at all. However, this book is well worth the read for anyone with an interest in Prince Charles or the Royal Family. show less

Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life by Sally Bedell Smith is a comprehensive biography of the Prince and heir to the throne. If he succeeds to the throne he will be the oldest ever to assume it. This biography devotes much coverage to the Prince's charity efforts which I found boring. In fact this Prince Charles comes off as boring. I prefered the parts that talked about Charles' private life much of which we know from the years of news. But it was fun. Would I run out to buy this biography? NO but I did finish it which says something about the book.