Which castles and palaces do members of the British royal family live in? Why Princes William and Charles don't want to move to Buckingham Palace in the future Prince Charles's relationship with the press
Prince Charles is a prominent representative of the modern generation of British monarchs. Raised by the Queen and her husband Philip, the Prince of Wales is an example of a true aristocrat. Raised in tradition Windsor dynasty, he is a potential heir to the British throne and could become a key figure in the British Commonwealth of Nations.
Childhood and youth
Prince Charles, the first-born, was born at Buckingham Palace a year after the wedding of Princess Elizabeth of York and Duke of Edinburgh Philip. The king's grandson at the age of three, after the death of his crowned grandfather and the accession of Elizabeth II, became the first contender for the throne. Two years later, the prince had a sister, Anna. Ten years later - in 1960 - brother Andrew. In 1964, the Queen gave birth to her youngest son, Edward.
Prince Charles, as befits the heir to the British crown, studied at an elite school in London. Despite his average academic performance, the Prince of Wales became a student at Cambridge University. Charles studied art history until 1970 and became a B.A. humanities. After 5 years, according to the tradition of the oldest (after Oxford) university, the prince was ordained a master.
Royalty
In 1952, after Elizabeth's coronation, Prince Charles became Duke of Cornwall. This is a British title that automatically passes to the eldest son of the monarch. Charles's official name is His Royal Highness the Duke of Cornwall. In 1958, the titles "Prince of Wales" and "Earl of Chester" were added to Charles's official name. If the Queen of Britain's eldest son ascends to the throne, he will become King Charles III.
Rumor has it that Prince Charles prefers to become George VII - this is his fourth name. But the royal court and its speechwriters officially denied the information, pointing out that it was premature to discuss the issue.
In the summer of 1969, at the investiture ceremony at Caernarvon Castle in Wales, the Queen Mother placed the crown of the heir to the British throne on Prince Charles's head (another name is the crown of the Prince of Wales). After the coronation, the prince became an active participant public life England. Already in next year he attended a meeting of the British Cabinet.
During the 1970s, the Prince of Wales attended several sessions of the House of Lords. For the first time in the 300-year history of the monarchy, the heir was allowed to participate in the work of ministers and Charles's name was included in the list of contenders for the post of Australian governor-general, but due to the constitutional crisis that erupted in Australia, the prince refused the post.
In the early 1970s, Prince Charles became acquainted with military service. After the training course, he was enlisted in the Air Force: Charles is a helicopter and fighter pilot. A few years later he transferred to the British Navy, where he served for 2 years.
After returning from service, Prince Charles devotes his time to charity, patronizing 350 structures. He founded the Prince's Foundation and 15 organizations working in the field of nature conservation and the urban environment. The heir is keenly interested in alternative medicine and supports projects that lobby for the rights of small nations and sexual minorities. Prince Charles is a parishioner of the Anglican Church, but is interested in Orthodoxy and has visited Mount Athos several times.
The Prince of England came to Russia in the mid-1990s and in 2003. Due to the advanced age of his parents, Charles took on more of the responsibilities of the royal family. Charles enjoys polo, fishing and gardening. He spends his free time painting with watercolors and writing scripts for documentaries. He is the author of books on painting and architecture. In the summer of 2013, I visited the film studio where my favorite TV series Doctor Who is filmed.
Prince Charles is a bright personality, his image and biography have been repeatedly used by directors. In 2006, the premiere of the historical and biographical drama “The Queen” by Stephen Frears took place, describing the first days of the royal family after the death of Princess Diana. Elizabeth II was played, and British actor Alex Jennings appeared as Prince Charles. In 2011, the film “William and Kate” was released, where the heir was played by Ben Cross.
Marriage to Princess Diana
In his youth, the eldest scion of the crowned family was known as a ladies' man. In the late 1970s, he proposed to become his wife Amanda Knatchbull, who was distantly related to the British monarchs (Charles' second cousin), but Amanda refused the heir. In 1980, Prince Charles courted Sarah Spencer, a girl from an aristocratic family, the daughter of a Viscount. But it was not she who became the prince’s wife, but Sarah’s younger sister.
The magnificent wedding took place in the summer of 1981. It is noteworthy that the newlyweds are the same height: Charles and Diana are 1.78 meters. In the first years, the young spouses managed to maintain appearances happy family, but the couple’s relatives and close friends knew that scandals were raging behind the beautiful façade. A year after the marriage, he was born, and 2 years later (in 1984) his second son appeared.
The British fell in love with Diana, and when rumors of Prince Charles's adultery broke out, the reputation of the royal heir suffered. The British sided with Lady Di, the “people's princess.” Afterwards, in a Paris tunnel in 1997, the British regretted their favorite, and Prince Charles, who divorced his wife a year before her death, was covered by a wave of negativity.
Personal life
The story of Prince Charles's relationship with the daughter of British Army major Camilla Rosemary Shand began before his marriage to Diana, in the 1970s. According to rumors, the Queen Mother considered the untitled small noblewoman (gentry) a bad match for the heir to the crown. Camilla married officer Andrew Parker-Bowles, but in the 1980s, the secret royal affair between Charles and Mrs. Parker-Bowles resumed, which was the reason for the prince's divorce from Diana in 1996. Camilla left her husband even earlier - in 1995.
After breaking up with Lady Di, Prince Charles planned to marry Camilla, but death ex-wife and a wave of indignation forced the royal family to postpone the wedding of the heir and his longtime mistress. The civil wedding ceremony took place in the spring of 2005.
For the first time in the history of the British crown, the union was not sanctified by the church, but the 35-year relationship between Charles and Camilla finally acquired legal status. Camilla received her husband's titles, but chose to abandon the title of Princess of Wales (as Diana was called), using another - Duchess of Cornwall.
Today, the wave of negativity around the name of Prince Charles’s second wife has subsided. The British noticed how genuinely happy the heir was next to a woman who, although difficult to compare in beauty with Diana, had virtues. The Queen Mother and sons accepted Prince Charles's choice.
Prince Charles now
In August 2017, information appeared in the German media that the sons of Prince Charles have a sister, Sarah. The tabloid Globe wrote about the Queen Mother's secret order in the early 1980s to fertilize Diana's egg with Charles's seed, so Elizabeth wanted to make sure that her daughter-in-law was able to give birth to a child. When the Queen was convinced of Diana's fertility, she ordered the egg destroyed. But the doctor allegedly disobeyed and gave it to a woman who could not conceive. Because of the threats, the woman who gave birth to the “princess” moved to America.
In Britain, a story reminiscent of a Brazilian TV series was called a canard, which was invented on the 20th anniversary of the death of the “people's princess.” Much more serious are insider rumors from Buckingham Palace that the British Queen intends to pass the throne to her eldest grandson, Prince William, who has a strong family and already. In this case, Prince Charles will remain without the throne.
Charles, Prince of Wales, or simply Prince Charles Philip Arthur George (George) Windsor, is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, heir to the British throne, field marshal, admiral of the fleet and marshal of the Royal Air Force of Great Britain. He is an absolute record holder in the history of the British monarchy in terms of length of stay as heir to the British crown (as of 2015 - 63 years), as well as the oldest in age of all the Princes of Wales
For a long time, the British saw in Prince Charles a man open to the outside world, a kind of extrovert, accustomed to behaving too casually, sometimes to the point of cheekiness, and a little old-fashioned. At times, he was still perceived as warm, vulnerable, and steeped in classicism, especially when it came to his tastes. Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester (of Chester), Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Lord of the Antilles, Viceroy of Scotland, Knight of the Order of the Garter, forty-fourth heir to the throne of the Kings of Great Britain, was the embodiment of the British spirit, at once classical and pleasant, funny and weird.
Because of this, Prince Charles seemed doomed to spend better days of his royally emblazoned youth in the pleasantry-laden and decidedly dull role of a royal official, lavished, of course, with the admiration of the crowd, but also constantly overshadowed by his mother and wife, just as many of the men of the Windsor dynasty were constantly in shadows of their women. It is clear that this role could not bring him satisfaction.
Buckingham Palace outdoes itself with festivities for births, christenings and weddings. On a cold November day in 1948, Sunday 14th, at 21:14, Prince Charles was born in a boules-style hall. At that moment, a midwife, four doctors and an anesthesiologist were near Elizabeth. The birth of Prince Charles became a kind of “death knell” according to one of the old traditions, because the Minister of the Interior was not present; the whole point is that George VI, who wanted to save his daughter from the presence of a strange man, which would cause her an attack of modesty, abolished this custom.
Charles Philip Arthur George, who had just been born, already had two titles: five days earlier, George VI amended the royal decree stating that the sons of the monarch had the right to be called princes and Their Highnesses. Forty-one artillery salvos were fired in honor of his birth. The bells of Westminster Abbey rang five thousand times. Trafalgar Square was illuminated. The sailors were given a double portion of rum.
All England was moved on the day of the christening, December 15, contemplating how the prince and princess held in their arms a child drowning in white lace. Elizabeth was touched by the sight of two tiny hands, “lying like two tiny miniature candles on a christening shirt made of satin and lace.” Young godmother Margaret carried Charles in her arms during the ceremony, which took place in the Music Salon at Buckingham Palace.
Is Buckingham Palace made for children? Is it suitable for them? Charles left Clarence House and ended up at Buckingham Palace at the age of four. To somehow mitigate the unpleasant consequences of the move, the Queen asked that the nursery in Buckingham Palace be an exact copy of the nursery in Clarence House.
The rooms intended for daytime fun and activities were decorated in yellow tones and decorated with floral chintz draperies, and the bedroom was decorated in pale blue tones. The young prince's schedule did not change until the day he turned seven: getting up at 7 a.m., taking a bath at 8 (sometimes his mother washed him); a hearty breakfast at 8:45 a.m., a walk in the park at 10 a.m., lunch at noon, a siesta, that is, rest, at 4:30 p.m., tea in the presence of Elizabeth, a bath before bed, going to bed.
Charles rode a pony named William at a very early age, and his first playmate was the little rabbit Harvey, who historians and genealogists should not confuse with the Labrador dog that Charles now lives with and bears the same name. Charles then had a “royal rabbitry” built for his beloved rabbit, and he shared the prince’s love with two birds, David and Annie, as well as a hamster named Shishi. In short, this young prince with chubby cheeks had a real zoo!
But as the years passed, Charles had to humble himself and submit to the rules of the upbringing that corresponded to the future destined for him. The end has come happy times, when the governess gave him the first information on grammar, history and geography! It's time to learn to overcome your shyness and open up to the outside world. So, he will go to school, like all boys of his age (and this is an unprecedented case for children from the royal family, because all his ancestors were raised and taught in the palace by special private teachers).
Charles's childhood occurred during a period when the process of democratization and a kind of modernization of the royal court took place. So he was enrolled in Hill House School, which is located behind Harrods, exactly a five-minute walk from the palace. The newcomer entered its vaults on January 28, 1957. After Hill House there could be no return to the past: Charles then visited Cheer School and Gordon School. After high school Charles, despite a mediocre certificate, entered the University of Cambridge, where in 1970 he received a Bachelor of Arts (that is, humanities) diploma. In 1975, according to university tradition, he was awarded the degree of Master of Arts.
The most eligible bachelor of all that appeared on the pages of the famous “Gothic Almanac” (published in the city of Gotha in Germany since 1763 in German and French and contains information on genealogy, diplomacy and statistics. - Yu. R.), until the age of thirty-two, he led a rather boring, monotonous, “routine” life in his bachelor apartments in Buckingham Palace. By nature, Charles was more of a lark than a night owl, so he went to bed around midnight.
He invariably got up at half past seven, and at this time the same footman, the only one of all who had the right to see His Highness in bed, always entered the bedroom. A cool shower was followed by shaving with a badger hair brush; his favorite aftershave cream is specifically called Windsor Forest, as if this choice was predetermined (it is sold only in London at Trump's).
At this time, Charles's footman is preparing his clothes... Now the prince can only swallow breakfast and go down to his office to settle all the issues and clarify all the details related to his daily schedule. When he does not have pre-arranged visits, then most He spends his days in his office. He prepares his speeches there, signs letters, reads reports from his staff and receives official visitors. The only permanent guest is his Labrador, Harvey.
His life as a bachelor was marked by loneliness: at Buckingham Palace he ate breakfast alone, looking through the mail and morning newspapers; he also often ate dinner alone in his living room, sitting in front of the TV screen and holding a tray on his lap. Sometimes, however, he dined outside the palace walls, but very rarely and on the condition that he was notified in advance who would be present at the table. In London the Prince always dined alone; however, during his trips he joined members of his " General Staff" In general, he spends quite a lot of time with this team, whose members are long years became his friends. Sometimes they were perplexed by the bizarre and changeable tastes
It is known that in the 1960s Charles courted many girls. In 1979, he proposed to his second cousin Amanda Knatchbull, the granddaughter of the legendary commander, the last Viceroy of India, Louis Mountbatten, but Amanda did not give her consent to the marriage. In 1980, Charles met Lady Sarah Spencer, the daughter of the aristocrat John Spencer - Viscount Althorp and the future 8th Earl Spencer, and met her younger sister Diana, whom he eventually married on 29 July 1981.
His Highness: for example, everyone knew that he usually did not drink tea or coffee, and the palace deliberately disseminated this information, but the prince seemed to take pleasure when, smiling slyly, he suddenly asked for a cup of tea, putting everyone in a difficult position . But then Diana appeared, and the “wedding of the century” took place. The young couple kept moving from Highgrove (outside the city) to apartments in Kensington Palace. Widowed, Charles chose St. James's Palace and retained only part of the secretariat at Buckingham Palace, but as a future king, he knows that one day he will return there forever.
Crown of Prince Frederick of Wales
On July 1, 1969, a formal investiture ceremony took place at Caernarvon Castle in Wales, during which Elizabeth II placed the Prince of Wales crown on her son's head. After this, he actively participates in public life in Great Britain. In the 1970s, he participated in meetings of the House of Lords, and also became the first member of the royal family to attend a Cabinet meeting in three hundred years. According to some reports, Charles was interested in the post of Governor-General of Australia, but in light of the constitutional crisis in this country in 1975, he was forced to abandon these plans.
Carnarvon
At the same time, in 1971-1976, Charles was in military service: he completed training as a fighter and military helicopter pilot, and also served in the navy. After Charles timidly and modestly lived in the shadow of his patron mother, Superman father and legendary cousin grandfather (Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne for the sake of his famous Mrs. Willis), after he had been relegated to the background and, as it were, deprived of the attraction of his dazzling wife, after he had been pilloried for being at five o'clock in the evening drank tea with Camilla, that is, he was convicted of adultery,
Charles, stung by the fact that in the eyes of the British he was seen as an eccentric intellectual, having intelligent conversations with growing tomatoes, did not want to play any more supporting roles. The eternal youth, who eked out an ordinary existence in the most magnificent and luxurious court on the planet, wanted to once again become a prince, charming people and subordinating them to himself.
Gradually, the heir to the throne managed to “raise the bar” and “clear the ground.” Now he is no longer tormented by doubts and indecision. There is nothing in him of a man tormented by a feeling of dissatisfaction and tormented by the endless wait for the moment when he will ascend to the throne. Everyone understands that Charles managed to find the meaning of life. He desires to promote the prosperity and greatness of his country and believes that in this capacity he can play an extremely important role in this matter.
The Prince of Wales looked for the meaning of life in specific deeds. Architecture, ecology, medicine using natural remedies, education, unemployment, the culture of distant countries - everything seems to touch some strings in his heart. Taking advantage of his outwardly obvious, but essentially imaginary, freedom and at the same time carefully and shrewdly using the power of the press, the Prince of Wales has today become the standard bearer of a certain public, social movement fighting for the environment, in the ranks of which are the vast majority of Her Majesty’s subjects (about ninety percent of the population, according to survey data). The mad cow disease crisis clearly demonstrated that the only defender of the English countryside is the queen's son.
This humanist prince, passionate about gardening, this outstanding watercolor artist, this passionate opera fan managed to “get into tune”, to become in tune with Great Britain, especially the mood of young people, despite the fact that sometimes his actions or demarches are met with ridicule and criticism. . His success is in some way similar to a bet, an unthinkable undertaking, a challenge: to recreate and modernize the ideal image of a prince, which once existed in ancient times in European dynasties, when kings died young, that is, the image of an eternally young prince, kind, noble and fair.
And with a romantic outlook on life. Indeed, romanticism is one of Charles’s favorite values, and his romanticism plays big role in the interest that the prince arouses in his person among the general public. People see his oddities and whims, but at the same time, looking at him, it begins to seem to them that one of the powers that be can influence the course of events not only with his mind, but also with his heart. It is quite obvious that Charles wants to play the role of a kind of counterbalance to the monarchical apparatus with all its luxury, pomp and splendor.
The 80s of the 20th century revealed Charles to himself. He appreciated the amazing impact his marriage had on society, which was greatly facilitated by the means mass media, because it was an exact hit on target, and his popularity grew incredibly, although it was partially stolen from him Diana. (Next post about this story)
Whatever he himself could do for his country, either by speech or by well-thought-out action, became his chief concern. From now on, he is literally obsessed with maintaining his image in the eyes of the British. The failure of his marriage to Diana, for which public opinion placed responsibility on him, and remains his Achilles heel to this day. In addition, he has the appearance of a real representative of the Windsor family, for which some of Charles’s contemporaries sometimes did not spare him, subjecting him to severe criticism.
Is Charles feeling dissatisfied? This theme for a long time was the leitmotif of all press publications. In a “portrait” that appeared in the pages of Life magazine, another biographer of the prince, Anthony Holden, focused his attention and the attention of readers on the description of Charles’ weak handshake, on his nervous tics, constant nervousness, on his increasing misanthropy, on the fear that haunts him failures, on his complexes acquired due to comparing himself with Diana.
It seems obvious that Charles knows the world well, that is, the higher light in which he revolves, and that he knows very well how absurd and absurd this world, his world, is. “This is a prince who knows what a “state of mind” or “mood” is,” some will mock him. “This is a responsible and serious prince,” others will strenuously exaggerate his merits. In any case, he really is a serious person, but the word “serious” is not a synonym for the word “boring.”
In fact, no one questions his sense of humor, his seriousness and his intelligence. Those who think they know him are particularly affected by his lack of self-confidence and mistrust of others. Many even quarreled with him because of this. They say that one of personal secretaries The Prince of Wales even seemed to cry more than once after listening to his reproaches. It seems that the service staff sometimes drives the prince to god knows what... and sometimes the prince even shows someone where the crayfish spend the winter...
So Charles likes to get up early. He goes to work in his office, where the servants are strictly forbidden to move anything from place to place, because the prince is very careful, to the point of pedantry. His instructions are always stated briefly, in writing, and instead of a signature there is only the first letter of his name. He has little direct contact with the servants. The servants are aware of their master's phobias: he hates the noise of water pipes and heated rooms that are too hot. By the way, he himself regulates the thermostats in the main rooms. Michael Colborne, who was his personal secretary until 1984, often became a victim of the distrustful and touchy Charles. Lord Mountbatten, having one day found him distressed by some remark of Charles, encouraged him in the following terms: “Be patient with him, Michael, please. He is not angry with you personally, he just needs a release, and you are the only one on whom he can take out his bad mood. Take this as an honor, for he needs you.”
To ensure that he is not being exploited by commercial interests, either as a person or as a name, the Prince is constantly on guard. As soon as one of the secretaries demonstrates insufficient vigilance, a scandal breaks out. Michael Verney paints, in his opinion, a rather “diplomatic” portrait of the prince: “I believe that there is a certain paradox in the deep nature of Prince Charles. On the one hand, he seems to be aware of his loneliness, his position in society, which does not allow him to be like everyone else and maintain real bonds of friendship, and on the other hand, he seems to be completely satisfied with his own company, that is, he is self-sufficient .
So, fishing is one of his favorite pastimes. Isn’t it revealing and shows a lot? But in any case, this is a person who is always positive, a positive and reasonable person who tries, if possible, to avoid any complications and conflicts. I don’t want to say that he is shirking his duties and avoiding responsibility, but if there is a way to find a solution to a problem that will avoid tension, he will immediately resort to it.”
One of Charles's biographers, Alan Hamilton, notes: “There are subtle signs of premature aging in his appearance; he compensates for this deficiency with his poorly hidden or undisguised passion as an adult joker and joker... It seems to be true that during a trip to the Hebrides, Charles, dressed in overalls, planted potatoes, extracted peat and herded sheep. As soon as this news became known, the newspapers wrote that Charles was certainly a great original.
Her Majesty's subjects no doubt understood that the royal burden is heavy, that sometimes a person burdened with this burden may want to run away somewhere, and that this is normal; They also realized that now that ecology is in vogue, it is not surprising that someone might find pleasure in gardening or gardening. Charles must be aware that now, as Prince of Wales, he can enjoy moments of relaxation and freedom that will not be possible when he begins to reign. He loves nature and has never hidden it.”
Vaclav Havel, Klaus Schwab
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Even Charles’s love for Camilla now begins to serve him well, because the fact that he has been faithful to her for so long and sacrificed so much for the sake of love, in the end, gives rise to respect for him, makes him treated with respect. Charles's intelligent and persistent psychological treatment of society in order to make his long-standing relationship acceptable to this society ultimately bore fruit. They now look like lovers who have finally united.... And in this matter, Charles’ great spiritual qualities were revealed: he was patient, diplomatic, courageous and faithful to his love.
Camilla Rosemary Mountbatten - Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay
On April 9, 2005, Prince Charles married for the second time - to his longtime mistress, with whom he maintained a relationship both before and during marriage - Camilla Parker Bowles, née Shand. The wedding ceremony took place in a civil rather than ecclesiastical manner - for the first time in the history of the British royal family. Through her marriage to Charles, Camilla received all of his titles, but chooses not to use her title of Princess of Wales as a sign of respect for the late Princess Diana. Instead, she uses the title Duchess of Cornwall (in England) and Rothesay (in Scotland).
Finally, in the eyes of public opinion, Charles became a loving, affectionate father to William and Harry, a protective father, a protective father. During Diana's lifetime, the Prince of Wales was considered a rather cold father, aristocratically distant from his children and not at all affectionate (it must be admitted that the princess was good at manipulating the media to create such an impression). After her death, Charles was seen as taking his responsibilities to the two “orphans,” as William and Harry were called, very seriously.
What happened to him? “He turned into a very loving, very affectionate, very caring father.” He took his sons to a World Cup soccer match, then went on vacation with them. He watched closely as William prepared to take his driver's license test. Countless photographs of Charles and his two sons playing polo appeared in the press. It turns out that Prince Charles is teasing them, he is playing with them! In short, Charles became almost a “mother hen.” Most of all, he wanted to protect his children; for him, there was no question of the press turning their lives into a nightmare, as happened to him when he was the same age as his sons. And in this case, public opinion could only support and approve him.
Contrary to English customs Charles did not hesitate to show his feelings: it is clear that he not only loves William and Harry, but has tenderness for them.
Prince Charles is actively involved in charity work and is a member of various societies, including patronizing about 350 structures. He is the founder of The Prince's Trust and 15 other charities. His particular areas of interest are conservation environment and improving the urban environment. Charles is interested in alternative medicine, and his work to popularize it has become the subject of public debate. In addition, the prince deals with issues of national minorities and small peoples.
As befits a member of the British royal family, Charles belongs to the Church of England. However, he shows an interest in Orthodoxy and visits Mount Athos in Greece every year. Prince Charles was an active polo player and loved fox hunting (until this form of leisure was banned in 2005) and fishing. He is also known to paint with watercolors and enjoy gardening.
The prince is the author of a number of books on architecture, painting and gardening, and the author of documentaries on ecology. As part of his duties as a member of the royal family, Charles visits many countries around the world. IN Lately performs more royal duties due to the advanced age of his parents. He is a fan of the TV series Doctor Who, which he first watched, according to his own statement, at the age of 15. On July 3, 2013, Prince visited the Roath Lock studio, where the series is currently being filmed.
Is Charles today the Prince of Wales that Elizabeth dreamed of? Without a doubt... For some time she considered him too much of a “revolutionary”, preaching purely European values, allowing himself to speculate that the Commonwealth could disappear, as the British Empire, the mistress of India, disappeared, and also a person who was inclined towards ecumenism in the religious sphere. But since then Charles has come to his senses.
He has become reasonable and sensible, but, on the other hand, he is not afraid to express and support opinions and judgments that cannot be called generally accepted or ordinary. He is more of a liberal than a conservative, and the queen understands and accepts this. He would be excellent as a modern king, his mother sincerely believes. Charles will be all the more a good king because he again managed to win the trust of the British after a long “descent into hell,” that is, after the torment that tormented him after the death of his ex-wife Diana.
To be continued...
Clarence House
In July 2018, Prince Charles and his wife Camilla invited members of their family to their official London residence, Clarence House. There, the Windsors celebrated the christening of baby Prince Louis. If we ignore the main characters In the photo, you can see elements of the luxurious interior of the Morning Room: a sofa with gold by furniture designer Thomas Chippendale, and in the background there is a portrait of the Queen.
Kensington Palace
Before Prince William and Kate Middleton moved into Apartment 1A of Kensington Palace, extensive work was done in the 20-room house. renovation work, and in front of the building, in addition to the impressive stone fence, another line of hedge appeared. It was possible to see out of the corner of my eye how the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge live only in 2016 during a visit to them by Barack and Michelle Obama.
Despite the pouring rain, William, Kate and Harry went outside to greet the former US President and former First Lady. This photo shows the entrance to the house, which is usually protected from prying eyes.
The meeting took place in the living room, decorated with family photographs, books, magazines, flowers and other items carefully chosen by the royal couple. The photographs taken that day also show that the decoration of the house contains antiques and masterpieces of painting. Guests from America were also greeted by Prince George, dressed in pale blue checkered pajamas and a matching terry robe with the “George” monogram embroidered on the chest. The kid incredulously shook the hand of the ex-president of the United States and quickly switched to the wooden rocking horse standing by the window. It is symbolic that this toy is a gift from the Obama family.
Thanks to the Obama family, royal watchers were able to take a look at Prince Harry's Nottingham cottage. In 2015, the Duke of Sussex invited Michelle Obama to a tea party where they discussed the Let Girls Learn initiative, dedicated to education for teenage girls around the world.
Highgrove Estate
“I have poured my heart and soul into Highgrove,” Prince Charles wrote of the estate, acquired in the run-up to his marriage to Diana Spencer.
The then fashionable London decorator Dudley Popluck, who was a great friend of Prince Charles and Diana, helped with the interior design. In Highgrove, the newlyweds spent several happy years together, and then with their children.
The place even appears on the covers of books written by Prince Charles: Harmony: A New Look at the World (2010), Organic Gardening (2007), Highgrove: Portrait of an Estate and Highgrove Gardens (2001). Today, Highgrove is the family seat of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall.
Buckingham Palace
Elements of the interior of the London royal residence can be seen annually in the Queen's Christmas messages. Her Majesty poses in the palace's White Drawing Room, Music Room, 1844 Room and Regency Room (from left to right).
Over the years, hundreds of portraits of the Queen have been taken at Buckingham Palace, but some of her early photographs are the most eye-catching. Like this black-and-white photograph taken in July 1946, when the royal and then Princess Elizabeth sat and played the piano in the State Apartments.
Windsor castle
Queen's summer residence. The photo shows Her Majesty with her grandchildren while celebrating her 90th birthday.
Sandringham Palace
Sandringham Palace, located in Norfolk, just a few hours' drive from Buckingham Palace, is the Windsors' idyllic country residence. “This is a place for informal visits and entertainment with friends,” Prince Philip wrote about Sandrigham Palace. The Queen usually spends Christmas and New Year there with her family.
Balmoral Castle
The Queen spends several weeks at the end of each summer at her private estate, Balmoral. The Scottish castle is considered the favorite among all the residences of Elizabeth II. This sweet photo shows a relaxed Elizabeth II and Prince Philip with one of their pet dogs in the castle's drawing room in 1977.
Chapter 7. “THE MAGNIFICENT HORSE” PRINCE CHARLES AND HIS RORDER CAMILLA
In 1971, Charles turned twenty-three, and it was that year that he met the woman who became his only true lover. According to other sources, this event occurred in 1970 in Windsor at a polo match. The girl, whose name was Camilla Shand, will become the prince's mistress, like other girls of her kind who spent time in the arms of English kings. Major Bruce Shand's daughter Camilla was the great-granddaughter of Alice Keppel, who went down in history thanks to her long-term love affair with King Edward VII.
However, British kings have never been paragons of virtue. A thousand years before Charles and Camilla, in January 956, the first king of England was found in bed with his mistress and her mother on the day of his coronation. The king sneaked out of the celebratory banquet to have a great time. He was only sixteen years old, but he already preferred to spend time in the arms of several beauties.
Before Camilla’s friend, the daughter of the Chilean ambassador Lucia Santa Cruz, had time to introduce her to the prince, she immediately blurted out:
My great-grandmother was your great-great-grandfather's mistress! How do you like this arrangement?
The girl was not only quick-witted, but all sorts of rumors had been circulating about her in society for a long time. Apparently, the great-granddaughter passed on the family “recklessness”, bordering on arrogance, courage and audacity - qualities that can hide a strong personality who knows her own worth, even despite the fact that God offended her with her beauty (however, Camilla looks like Prince Charles , they have a clear resemblance in appearance, as if they were close relatives... who knows?!).
Camilla Shand, whose love Charles will carry throughout his life
A woman with the gift of seduction, who knew men, she quickly curbed the young crowned stallion, flattering ambiguously:
You have a magnificent horse, sir!
Emphasizing the word “horse,” Miss Camilla lowered her gaze and voice, causing her interlocutor to immediately feel a sexual thrill. And at that very moment, Prince Charles fell in love!
Camilla was a year and a half older than the prince, and life experience, according to biographers, was ten years superior to him. And Charles liked this too, who found himself in the bed of an experienced temptress who managed to convince him that he was the best of a series of others...
On New Year's Eve 1973, while spending a weekend at Lord Mountbatten's Broadlands estate, Charles confessed to Camilla that he loved her. Patricia Mountbatten subsequently spoke about that moment:
Charles could achieve nothing with his proposal. In 1973, his marriage to Camilla was impossible. She had a "history" and the royal family didn't need the past nipping at its heels. Besides, people talked about her everywhere. And in high society they never marry those about whom they gossip a lot.
They say that by the time she met Charles, Camilla had relationships with eleven men, who did not at all limit themselves to chaste kisses on the cheek towards her. But from the very first evening of meeting Charles, at all events, be it a ball, a party or a race, they appeared together, holding hands.
AIF journalist Daria Aptekareva talks about the turning point on the eve of 1973 in the material “Camilla Parker-Bowles: Tears of the Queen” as follows:
Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. Photo 1974
“The Christmas holidays of 1972 were drawing to a close. Passers-by on the streets of London were wrapped in colorful mohair scarves. And Camilla and Charles fled from the holiday bustle to the Brownlands, where the family estate of Uncle Charles was located. Lord Mountbatten left at the disposal of the young people a huge house with seven bedrooms, a supply of food and champagne, which could easily last until next Christmas. It was the third day of their stay at the Brownlands estate. Camille was sitting on the bed, her legs tucked under her, sipping some scotch. She was looking at old photographs, so she did not notice Charles, who had been standing in the doorway for several minutes and did not dare to take the step that separated him from his beloved. Camilla raised a thoughtful face to him, which, at the sight of Charles, instantly broke into a smile: “Are you frozen to the door? You shouldn’t be embarrassed to ask for help, I could have fallen asleep without noticing you. You would have to spend the night standing, my dear. Like horses." Charles, who always laughed for a long time at his friend’s jokes, this time remained silent and serious. He walked up to Camilla, got down on one knee in front of her and, taking her hand in his cold palms, said: “Will you marry me?” Without thinking for a moment, the girl answered: “No,” and continued to look at the photographs as if nothing had happened.
The inhabitants of Buckingham Palace fell into a state of deep confusion when they learned about the prince’s unauthorized matchmaking..."
Perhaps this is where we should talk a little about Camilla Rosemary Shand. Her family came from noble family and was one of the most influential in Britain. The girl, the eldest of the couple's three children, was born on July 17, 1947 in London, in the family of Bruce Middleton Hope Shand and his wife Rosalind Maud, née Cubitt. In 1951 the family moved to the countryside in East Sussex. Camilla attended Dumbrells School in Sussex and then Queens Gates School in South Kensington, London. Later she studied at the Mont Fertil school (in Switzerland) and the British Institute in Paris.
Camilla is seventeen years old. At a social reception
As for her highborn favourite, Prince Charles Philip Arthur George is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain (then a princess) and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Born in London on November 14, 1948. On February 6, 1952, Elizabeth's father, King George VI, died, the princess ascended the throne, and Charles became heir to the throne. The Prince of Wales is heir to the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the sixteen Commonwealth Realms; Member of the House of Lords, President of The Prince's Charities.
Charles was brought up at court and then in privileged public schools. In 1967 he entered Trinity College, Cambridge University, where he studied archaeology, anthropology and history. In 1969, he studied Welsh for one semester at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. In the same year, he officially received the title Prince of Wales. On February 11, 1970, the prince took a seat in the House of Lords, and in the same year he graduated from Cambridge with a bachelor's degree.
In March 1971, Prince Charles began military service. He trained as a fighter and helicopter pilot and served on Royal Navy ships. In 1976 he was appointed commander of the Coast Guard minesweeper Bronington and spent the last nine months of his service in this capacity. He completed his service with the rank of naval captain.
The reason for sending the prince to military service was... Camilla Shand, whose relationship greatly worried Elizabeth II.
To discourage the prince from an unacceptable marriage match, compassionate parents sent their offspring on an eight-month cruise on the royal frigate Minerva. Immediately his friend Camilla, realizing that the road to the throne was cut off by the queen’s strong-willed decision, stops playing the lover and returns to her long-cherished plan - to marry the handsome man, Major of the Royal Horse Guards Andrew Parker-Bowles. Their relationship had lasted for six years.
Charles and Camilla at a polo game
“The girl laughed loudly, drank champagne and kissed a new gentleman every night, until at one of the dinner parties she saw Andrew Parker-Bowles,” journalist D. described the first meeting of a strange couple - the daring, boyish-looking Miss Camilla and the sleek officer Parker-Bowles. Aptekareva. “He was a real handsome man and a heartthrob, and in addition, a brilliant officer of the royal cavalry, so it was not surprising that he was accompanied everywhere by a flower bed of skillfully flirting young ladies.”
After the prince left, they started talking about the wedding, but thirty-three-year-old Andrew still had doubts. And then Camilla, like a real intriguer, posted an engagement message in The Times. The groom had no choice but to marry the persistent miss.
The wedding took place on July 4, 1973. The wedding ceremony in the Guards Chapel of Wellington Barracks was attended by the Queen Mother and the daughter of Elizabeth II, Princess Anne, who not so long ago was also madly in love with Parker-Bowles. The gala reception was held at St. James's Palace, and the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, also arrived there as a guest.
Charles learned of his girlfriend's wedding when he went ashore in Antigua. They say this news broke his heart. According to other sources, one morning the prince went out to breakfast and, picking up the latest issue of The Times newspaper, turned white as death and almost fainted. The gossip column wrote about the engagement of Camilla Shand and Andrew Parker-Bowles...
However, the magnificent ceremony turned out to be just another provocation, a holiday for the elite, a conditional sign that did not prevent the prince from continuing his love affair with the newly-made Mrs. Parker-Bowles.
“Neither of the spouses was going to stop having affairs on the side. Andrew returned to the capital's beauties, and his wife returned to his beloved Charles; now they could often be found having a pleasant conversation with each other,” the prince’s biographers tell us.
Andrew and Camilla Parker Bowles on their wedding day
Almost the next day after the wedding, the Parker-Bowles couple agreed that their marriage would be “free”, and everyone had the right to their own personal life. As if asking a question about the most ordinary thing, the husband asked his young wife:
Are you going to keep dating this paranoid guy?
Having received an affirmative answer, Andrew continued:
In that case, please excuse me from communicating with His Highness, he is not my type.
And soon Prince Charles bought the Highgrove estate, which was located five minutes from the Parker-Bowles house. Highgrove House was a three-storey rectangular mansion built in the Georgian style between 1796 and 1798, with nine bedrooms, four drawing rooms, eight bathrooms and a separate servants' wing.
In December 1974, the first child was born into the family of Andrew and Camilla. The future British monarch Prince Charles became the godfather of baby Thomas.
And while some authors convince us that the shy prince never decided to propose to Camilla, others cite heart-warming stories of as many as two marriage proposals, and it wasn’t just that it was proposed to marry again married woman, but to a woman who is in an “interesting position.”
Parker-Bowles' wife was six months pregnant, and Charles, as before, continued to look after his beloved, being near her almost constantly. They walked together in the palace park, dined together in restaurants and rode together in an open-top car, not embarrassed by any paparazzi or sidelong glances from random passers-by. They say that Andrew Parker-Bowles also walked, but on his own and at a considerable distance from his wife, who was pregnant with her first child. On one warm July day in a park near Windsor Palace, Charles knelt before the plump Camilla and said:
Highgrove House estate. Country residence of the Prince of Wales
Please be my wife.
In response, Camilla laughed, lifted the emotional prince from his knees and answered:
Honey, it's impossible. I'm married, and you know it very well.
They spent this night, like the previous one, together, but only this time Camilla swore to Charles that she would never leave him...
Let's give it for reference: in 1974, the Parker-Bowles had their first child - son Thomas Henry; in 1978 - daughter Laura Rose. Prince Charles, as already mentioned, became the boy's godfather; the only question is: what is the real degree of kinship between the heir to the British throne and the children of his mistress?!
Looking far ahead and thereby making our story more meaningful, we point out that the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker-Bowles, who had long since remarried the widowed Prince Charles, stirred up an unheard-of scandal in Buckingham Palace and British society when she proposed to Kate Middleton, who had recently given birth to her first child. her husband Prince William (son of Charles and Diana), do... a DNA test, as he suspects his daughter-in-law of infidelity. As they say: he judges by himself?!
But let's go back to the times when this same Parker-Bowles had just married her officer... Everyone knew perfectly well that while Major Andrew and his regiment were taking part in the first foreign policy action of Margaret Thatcher, who had just assumed the post of Prime Minister, - in the Southern Rhodesian War of Independence, his wife Camilla free time spent with my dear friend Charles. Or here's another example of the righteous relationship between prim British puritans: going to Zimbabwe's Independence Day celebrations in April 1980, Charles took Mrs. and Mr. Parker-Bowles with him. As one classic hero ironically said: “High relationships!”
Despite her marriage, Camilla continues to date Prince Charles
The royal couple, frightened by the long affair, which spoke of the seriousness of Prince Charles’s feelings for his married lady, increasingly recalled the unsightly story that happened in this family, which ended with the abdication of the throne. Journalist Andrew Morton put it this way:
Members of the royal family were troubled by the ghost of the abdicated Duke of Windsor. In addition, the Queen Mother, and Elizabeth, and her husband - they all understood perfectly well that the older the Prince of Wales gets, the more difficult it will be for him to find a suitable match, namely a virgin, a Protestant and an aristocrat, who will become his wife.
Society put more and more pressure on the Prince of Wales, demanding clarification about adultery, while the family saw only one way out of the unpleasant situation - an early marriage to a worthy candidate. An official representative of Buckingham Palace never tired of giving abstract comments, covering up the indecent behavior of the royal offspring.
Finally, in January 1975, in an interview with the Evening Standard, the Prince of Wales began to talk about marriage:
Most people have the wrong idea about what love is. This is much more than just falling in love and living like that for the rest of your life. The basis of marriage is friendship. You share each other's interests and thoughts, and a feeling of affection arises. And the one who manages to meet a beautiful person both externally and internally is truly happy. For me, marriage is one of the most responsible actions in this life. Living together- this is what you need to work on.
The Prince as Honorary Commander of the Welsh Guards wearing a fur shako during the Horse Guards Parade in London in July 1975
But thoughtlessly the prince revealed his cards, saying:
When choosing a companion, I will not allow my feelings to guide my mind.
The royal family could finally breathe easy. In high society, such an answer also received an approving “yes.” But ordinary people looked with regret and sadness at the prince, who was ready to forget about feelings for the sake of duty. The fairy tale didn’t work out... it didn’t work out until blue-eyed Cinderella appeared on the horizon.
A blue-eyed Cinderella appeared on the horizon...
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On November 14, Charles Philip Arthur George Windsor, Prince of Wales and number one contender to the British royal throne, celebrates his 65th birthday. In this collection you will find selected images and facts from the life of Prince Charles.
1. Prince Charles was born on November 14, 1948 at the residence of the royal family - Buckingham Palace. In the photo, Queen Elizabeth II holds the prince in her arms after the baptism ceremony, which took place on December 15. During the ritual, the baby was dipped in water taken from the Jordan River. 2. In the photo, Elizabeth is seen with her husband Prince Philip and two children Prince Charles and Princess Anne at the Westminster residence of members of the British royal family, Clarence House, in August 1951. Anna was only 1 year old at that time. 3. In 1952, Charles's mother became Queen Elizabeth II. She is pictured here with the Prince and Countess Edwina Mountbatten arriving at a polo game in Malta. Charles would later become an excellent polo player.
4. In 1960, Charles discovered another exciting activity - and became a frequent visitor to equestrian events. In the photo he walks along the edge of the field during a show jumping competition in Badminton. This event is considered one of the most important in the life of equestrian sports enthusiasts.
5. In 1965, Prince Charles had a brother, Prince Andrew. In the photo they are riding go-karts with their sister Princess Anna. 6. Prince Charles stands next to a horse during a polo match in Jamaica in 1966. He played until 1992, when he had to leave the sport due to injuries. Until 2005, the prince participated in charity games. 7. As heir to the throne, Charles received many titles and titles, for example, when he was only 9 years old he was proclaimed Prince of Wales. In 1968, Charles was made a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, pictured here at a ceremony held at Windsor Castle. 8. When the prince turned 21, he was given some official duties. Pictured here in August 1968, he visits Tilbury Docks in East London, which was being refurbished. 9. With the advent of the prince's responsibilities, he instantly became the center of attention of the press. Pictured here is him being interviewed by David Frost for documentary film"A Prince for Wales." 10. Queen Elizabeth II places the crown on Charles's head during the ceremony in 1969 where he was named Prince of Wales. 11. In 1970, Charles met Camilla Shand. The royal family and those around them were not particularly happy about this acquaintance. The photo shows Charles and Camilla at a polo game. Shand later married Andrew Parker Bowles and Charles married Diana Spencer. Despite this, Camilla and the prince continued to communicate, and eventually resumed their close relationship. 12. The Prince acted as honorary commander of the Welsh Guards and wore a fur shako in July 1975 during the Horse Guards Parade in London. 13. Charles joins his father Prince Philip at the funeral of his uncle and mentor Earl Louis Mountbatten, who was killed in an Irish Republican Army attack in 1979. 14. In the summer of 1980, Prince Charles began a relationship with Diana Spencer. In the photo she is on the right with Camilla Parker Bowles, with whom Charles continued to communicate. In February 1981, Charles and Diana got married. 15. Charles and Diana pose for photographers after announcing their engagement in 1981. Judging by the photo, it looks like Charles is taller than his fiancée, but that's only because he's a step above Diana. In fact, he is half an inch shorter than his future wife. 16. On July 29, 1981, a magnificent wedding ceremony of Diana and Charles took place in London's St. Paul's Cathedral. The ceremony was broadcast on television and was seen by about a billion people. In the photo, the prince and the new princess kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. To the right of the couple is Charles' mother. 17. Diana and Charles held their Honeymoon not somewhere in the Caribbean, but in the royal castle in Balmoral, Scotland. The photo shows the couple relaxing on the banks of the River Dee. 18. The Prince and Princess of Wales are surrounded by the press at the entrance to St Mary's Hospital a few days after the birth of their first child William, who was born on June 21, 1982. Charles became the first member of the British royal family to attend the birth of his child. 19. Charles and William at Kensington Palace in December 1982. This palace was given to Charles by his mother Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen herself lived nearby at Buckingham Palace.
20. In September 1984, Prince William had a brother -. The brothers were jokingly called “heir and spare.” In the photo, Charles and Harry are walking near Highgrove House, a country house in Gloucestershire.
21. An avid polo fan, Charles took part in games whenever time allowed. Pictured is the Prince playing for the Diables Blues at Cowdray Park in Sussex in August 1985. 22. Princes Harry and William with their parents at the parade in London in August 1995. It was during this period that relations between Charles and Diana were strained. The Prince lived primarily at Highgrove, and the Princess at Kensington Palace. A year later they divorced. 23. On August 31, 1997, Princess Diana died in a car accident that occurred in an underground tunnel under Place Alma in Paris. Her companion Dodi al-Fayed and the driver of their car were also killed. The picture shows Diana's brother, her sons and ex-husband, while the coffin is carried through the streets of London. An estimated 2.5 billion people watched the broadcast of Princess Diana's funeral. This event attracted the most a large number of viewers throughout history. 24. Prince Charles serves at the tomb of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth (who was commonly known as the Queen Mother) in London on April 8, 2002. Charles was very close to his grandmother, who had a cheerful personality and open opposition to the Germans during World War II. She died at the age of 101. 25. After the death of Diana and the Queen Mother, Charles's former lover Camilla Parker Bowles moved into the prince's house in 2003 and began to often appear on television cameras. The picture shows the couple at the Highland Games competition in Scotland in August 2004. 26. Before the couple Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles announced their engagement on February 10, 2005, their photographs never left the covers of newspapers. 27. Since both Charles and Camilla were divorced, they had to limit themselves to a regular wedding ceremony, which took place on April 9, 2009. After they were officially married and the union was blessed in the Church of St. George at Windsor Castle, where this photograph was taken. 28. The official photo from the wedding ceremony of Charles and Camilla shows all family members. From left to right, back row: Prince Harry, Prince William, Tom and Laura Parker Bowles. From left to right, bottom row: Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II and Camilla's father Major Bruce Shand. 29. Charles in a group photo of the Royal Black Watch Regiment after the ceremony of presenting commemorative medals for his participation in military operation January 20, 2010 in Fort George, Scotland. The regiment lost 5 people during the military operation in Afghanistan, which lasted seven months.
30. Prince Charles visited a bison reserve in Poland on March 16, 2010. A visit to this country was part of his 3-day tour of Eastern Europe. Unlike his mother, Charles intends to increase the influence of the royal family in society.
