King Charles: The Man, the Monarch, and the Future of Britain

by Robert Jobson

Based on extensive fresh material and resources, Robert Jobson's biography provides a definitive insight into the extraordinary life of HRH Charles, Prince of Wales as he approaches his seventieth birthday at a watershed in the history of the modern British monarchy.

Exploring beyond the banal newspaper headlines that have caricatured Charles over the years, the book debunks the myths about the man who will be King, telling his full, true story; exploring his complex character, his profoundly held beliefs and deep thinking about religion - including Islam - politics, the armed services, monarchy and the constitution, providing an illuminating portrait of what kind of monarch Charles III will be.

Although this book is not an official biography, the Prince's office, Clarence House, has agreed to cooperate with the author - who has spent nearly thirty years chronicling the story of the House of Windsor as an author, journalist and broadcaster.

The author, who has met Prince Charles on countless occasions, will draw on the knowledge and memories of a number of sources close to the Prince who have never spoken before, as well as members of the Royal Household past and present who have served the Prince during his decades of public service. It will reveal that there are plans for Charles to serve as Prince Regent once the Queen turns ninety-five, how he already reads ALL the Government papers/boxes at his mother's insistence, and why he feels it is his constitutional duty to pass on to ministers his thoughts and feelings in his controversial 'black spider memos'. Beyond that, Charles at Seventy also reveals the truth about the Prince's deeply loving but occasionally volatile relationship with his second wife and chief supporter, Camilla.

The result is an intriguing new portrait of a man on the cusp of kingship.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Royalty, History, British Literature, Audiobook

359 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 16, 2020

Reviews

[Gerbera_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a curious compilation of facts and author's personal opinions on the matter that is colored by favoritism and bias towards the Prince of Wales. The book might lack a certain objectivity very much needed when writing a biography. That said, it's well written and researched, compelling, the people in it described with great care. The author expresses personal admiration of Prince Charles's personality and work ethics. But I can say that I enjoyed Jobson's story telling effort more than I expected.

The book reads easy despite sometimes jumping from one subject to another, then coming back to the starting point. It is told through personal conversations, memories, world events from a different angle unknown to public. With the help of historical facts, personal memories, other people's recollections this author builds the clear picture of Prince Charles as a man and as a future monarch when his time comes, explains the meaning of monarchy and how it transitioned to the way it operates now.

I like that the author touches every faucet of Charles's life not focusing on any specific one for too long, but through all the facts put together he creates the portrait of the man himself. What one can take from the book about Prince Charles: he is intelligent, well spoken, passionate in his beliefs, devoted environmentalist, a trailblazer and one of the most successful charitable entrepreneurs of his time, meticulous, perfectionist (excels in all he does), at times hilarious (when I got his jokes) with a dash of self-deprecating humor, not perfect but still a human being with feelings who can misstep, make mistakes and hesitate.

The book touches family history, relations, problems both publicly known and held private as well as inside workings of the royal family, deep mother and son connection despite the royal duties sometime taking precedence over everything else. Historical component is interesting. The meaning of the title Prince of Wales and where it came from was absolutely new information to me, and it was a fascinating snippet to the story of the man who now carries it.

One of the focal points of the book is the transition of duties from the Queen to Prince Charles, the possibility of him becoming Prince Regent and what the consequences will be for the royal family and British Monarchy in general, how that will impact the royal family public image and inner dynamics. The importance of public image is underlined in many ways throughout the book showing how much the royal family relies on good reputation and positive response to their public work and most of all personal relations that in some way shape public perception of them as a whole and as individuals.

Personal note:

All in all, this was a pleasant and informative experience. I am glad that I picked this book as part of my 2020 year challenge. As I have a mild fascination with the Royal Family, I found the subjects of the book absorbing. I thought it would be hard for me to read, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I do not think that biography will ever be my favorite book genre, but if the person in question is someone I am curious to know about, I will definitely read a biography again.

[Jill Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a long-time reader of royal biographies, I'm very familiar with the bios of the current royal family members being either "pro" or "anti". This is particularly true about biographies about Prince Charles and his late wife, Princess Diana. The authors make their biases known in what they write. And those biases go on to show themselves in books about the children of the couple, Prince William and Prince Harry. Authors are either "Team Charles" or "Team Diana". However, I don't think I've seen such a bias towards Charles as in the book, "King Charles: The Man, the Monarch, and the Future of Britain", by Robert Jobson.

Jobson was seemingly given extraordinary access to Prince Charles and accompanied him on several trips. He writes about Charles's 70 or so years in both private and public life as a member of "The Firm". Honestly, I've never read such positive coverage of anyone in a bio. Charles is either "right", "misunderstood", or "confused" in everything Jobson writes about him. The only interesting part of the book is about Charles and his sons. There's problems between them - though you can tell the two sons do love their father - and everything seems to be William and Harry's "misunderstanding" of their father. And Jobson subtly lays blame on Diana and her influence on their sons.

The book is written in homage of Britain's next monarch (if he survives his mother). Maybe Robert Jobson is trying for a peerage; certainly he deserves one after this book.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but it sometimes feels a bit gushing and sycophantic which is off putting and also seemingly at odds with the man Jobson is describing.

[SundayAtDusk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Robert Jobson seems to be jumping the gun a bit here by choosing the title of the book that he chose. Charles is not king and may never be king, something that Charles himself even acknowledges in this book. Mr. Jobson does everything he can to show why Charles should be king, however, although he fortunately is not as gushy as some other fanboys and girls, such as Sally Bedell Smith. He also included some very negative things in the book that he did not have to include, since they were not that well known, which surprised me; including past letters that made Charles seem undoubtedly anti-Semitic at the time; as well as letters that showed he was ardently supporting an accused pervert clergyman, before finding out the man was guilty as charged.

Of course, as a Charles fan book, Princess Diana must come up repeatedly in the story as mentally off, and the most prominent reason for their failed marriage. It was surprising at first to see Ken Wharfe’s book Diana: A Closely Guarded Secret so often quoted, since that never seemed to me to be anti-Diana. Apparently, Mr. Jobson co-wrote that book, something I didn’t notice when I read it. Mr. Jobson even adds a story in this book; not in Detective Wharfe’s book, as I remember; about Diana’s relationship with her protection officers; where one officer was so frustrated about Diana’s behavior, and the way she was letting her young sons run amuck, that he unloaded his service revolver into a tree. Apparently, the reader was then supposed to think what a bad person and mother Diana was, but all I could think was that was obviously a man unfit for his job, and he really needed to seek other employment.

Yes, Diana had mental problems, but so did Charles. He was also in his thirties when he married, while she had just turned 20. In one chapter in this book, the author amusingly repeatedly refers to “the iconic Diana”, one guesses because he was suggesting the “iconic Diana” was not the real Diana, only an image created by others, such as her sons. That was another interesting thing in this story--Prince Harry comes across very well, while Prince William is said to have a bad temper, hold grudges and act haughty. He’s the one most like his mother, according to Mr. Jobson. That’s a very different image than the one the mainstream media has of William. Is it true? Or is the author simply trying to clear the way for Charles to be king; suggesting his oldest son is not the golden boy he is pictured to be; so no one should even think for a moment that William should be crowned king when Queen Elizabeth dies, not his father?

Of course, then we have Camilla. Like all pro-Charles/anti-Diana books, Camilla comes across wonderfully. Not a hint of any mental problems, bad behavior in the past, or any other thing that should prevent her from being the next Queen of England. Personally, I think it would be both laughable and insulting for her to be named queen after the reign of Queen Elizabeth. (But then, none of my tax dollars are going to the royal family, so it really doesn’t matter what I think about the matter.) Plus, not giving her the title would rightfully show adultery can have some serious long-term consequences. Right now, however, I do think Charles should be king when his mother dies or steps down. That’s not something I thought in the past. Reading this book is not what changed my mind, however. Donald Trump changed my mind. His presidency has made many of us think deep and hard about what makes a good national leader.

A good leader should be intelligent; well-educated on most issues or always willing to learn; experienced in public service; truly caring about others, not caring only when he or she needs something from others, such as their support or votes; mentally and physically courageous; and well-mannered in all public situations, be it wired or in person. Charles appears to have all those qualifications. Yes, he would only be a symbolic leader if he became King of England, but still a national leader, no less. If he does become king, long live King Charles.

(Note: I received a free ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.)

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of The Prince of Wales's public engagements and overseas tours in recent years, views on a variety of subjects and growing responsibilities. The book is at its best when it discusses the "job share" monarchy and how Prince Charles has assumed more of the duties once undertaken by his mother, the Queen and father, the Duke of Edinburgh. The author is an experienced British journalist and royal commentator who interviewed Prince Charles for the book. Unfortunately, the information presented in the book is sometimes presented in a repetitive and disorganized fashion with digressions about the author's career and other members of the royal family. The historical sections about past Princes of Wales appear to have been written in haste and are not connected well to the rest of the material. There is some insightful, topical material here but the chapters often meander away from their stated themes. The book also could have included more information about Prince Charles's charity work, which has received extensive media coverage in recent years.

[Sue Whiting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles, Future King

Interesting and informative insight into HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, future King, who cares deeply about many issues, in particular the devastating affects of climate change and plastic pollution. A worthy read.

[Brigitte Prior · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well Written book on Prince Charles

A man that thinks a lot and who is striving to make the world and his country a better place

[Fiction Addition Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this book about our future king.
Beyond the banal headlines that have characterized Charles over the years this biography has provided a true insight into how committed the Prince of Wales is. From March 17 to March 18 Charles undertook 620 official engagements in 45 counties across the UK and 15 foreign and commonwealth countries alone. In his travels, sustainability and climate change - constant themes of his work for four decades have been at the core of his message as he bids to raise awareness-of the ways which changes to our natural environment are having a negative impact on the world around us. The author Robert Jobson has spent nearly 30’gears chronicling the story of the house of Windsor.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the author’s view of Charles at 70, his charities, his environmental concerns, his love of his family and his country.

He feels very confident that he could take over for his mother, Queen Elizabeth, and has been assuming more and more of her duties over recent years.

There are detailed instructions on what will happen if, and when, the Queen passes away. It also discusses the possibility of her retiring and passing the monarchy on to Charles.

Charles shows himself as well-read and self-educated. He has studied all religions and enjoys discussing them. He supports the UK’s open door policy to have a diverse population. He is a supporter of climate change and organic gardening.

Charles’s open arrogance and disdain shown to U.S. politicians is sad and something he needs to rein in. The UK enjoys huge amounts of money from tourists and many of them are from the US. Here is where he needs to take a leaf from his mother’s book and keep his political opinions to himself.

My take on Charles is as it has always been. I feel sorry for him for the cold way in which he was brought up and admire his ability to show an interest in many things. However, I cannot help but feel that having his fingers in too many pies could spell disaster too. He needs to concentrate on keeping things on an even keel.

There are many comments made by the author that are definitely anti-Diana and pro-Charles. It’s always amusing to me to read a royal family’s biographer bias for either Charles or Diana. It would be so refreshing for an author to simply state the facts and let the reader decide how they feel about someone. Tut-Tut!

The author obviously researched the information he put in this book, even though much of it is well-filtered to put Charles in as a good light a possible. For that reason, I am giving the book 4 stars instead of 3.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, the book was clearly a puff piece written by a sycophant to the Royal Family. It was an interesting choice this week because the chapter I read yesterday was full of how wonderful and what a breath of fresh air Meghan Markle is. Well, that didn't turn out so well. On one hand I felt sorry for Charles and then I remembered how fricking rich the whole lot is and how they don't really do much of anything.

[Tasha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just a rehash of everything else that has been written or said of Prince Charles.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

For this and other book reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com

I was happy to find this book available for free for Audible Plus members and downloaded it some time ago. With the upcoming coronation of King Charles III, I finally took the time to listen to the audiobook.

I had not previously read or listened to anything by Robert Jobson, but the first thing I noticed is that for a royal historian, he seems to protest too much that one can’t really be a historian of an importance unless s/he has interviewed the subject at hand. And what do you know, Jobson has interviewed Charles several times, therefore making him a more qualified historian than other royal biographers.

Despite that, I found the book interesting. It’s not a straight biography of Charles, rather a look at his stance on a variety of positions over the last 50 years. Since this book was first published in 2018 (audiobook in 2019), we don’t have to deal with the drama of the Sussex family and their exit from the senior royal position.

Jobson is definitely in the “Team Charles” camp and makes excuses when Charles behavior is unacceptable, paints Princess Diana in a bad light, and can find no wrong with Camilla. This makes it a patently biased biographical look at the King of England, but one I found enjoyable despite its shortcomings. I haven’t followed Charles too closely and the works he’s done haven’t made their way to this side of the pond, as it were, so I got a better feel for the man who waited all his life to become king.

[Królewsko Zaczytana · Rating 4 out of 5]

O Karolu jako księciu Walii napisano wiele. W roli następcy tronu spędził 70 lat swojego życia. W tym czasie najczęściej pisano o nim źle. Wyzywano go od eko-świrów, gdy już pod koniec lat 60. zaczął zwracać uwagę na tematy związane z ochroną środowiska, a jego działalność w ramach fundacji The Prince's Trust (dziś The King's Trust),założonej w 1976 r., której celem jest pomaganie młodym ludziom w życiowym starcie, przyćmiewają rodzinne dramaty. Smutnym faktem jest, że w mediach lepiej sprzedają się afery niż pozytywne aspekty czyjegoś życia.

Z książki Jobsona wyłania się ten bardziej pozytywny obraz Karola, człowieka głęboko zaangażowanego w rolę monarchy, mającego za zadnie łączyć, a nie dzielić. Mimo że autor nie unika poruszania tematów zapalnych jak liczne miłostki młodego księcia, romans z Camillą czy rodzinna waśń z synem Harrym i jego żoną Meghan, to wydźwięk tekstu jest w tonie bardziej laudacyjnym niż pełnym przygany. Czy to źle? Z jednej strony nie, bo Karol swoim życiem próbuje od lat odzyskać nadwątlone zaufanie i wychodzi mu to całkiem nieźle. Z drugiej strony można Jobsonowi zarzucić pewien brak obiektywizmu, którym powinny cechować się biografie. Nie mam nic przeciwko pozytywnej narracji, o ile jest ona prawdziwa. Bo przecież o prawdę w tego typu książkach powinno chodzić.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

This biography reads as though it were written by the King’s publicity team. I can’t think of a truly negative characteristic in the whole thing unless it belong to Princess Diana or Prince William. It was pure flattery from cover to cover. Charles is kind, compassionate, a deep thinker, a man of strong faith, witty, a fine father, dutiful, well respected by world leaders, politically astute, forward thinking, and on it goes ad nauseam. The author goes so far as to excuse or defend every perceived blunder or fault attributed to Charles. If he can’t do that, he just dismisses it. His disastrous marriage was attributed to his being more or less coerced into it.
There are better biographies out there on the man, but this one isn’t worth reading.

[Lisa Covington · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was nice to read a positive book about King Charles even though the book is somewhat outdated. A lot has happened since 2019. After so many years of reading or hearing about Princess Diana or Prince Harry's difficulties with "The Firm" its good to read the viewpoint from the other side. My only thing is I'd probably recommend a newer release now that he's King Charles III. I have a fascination with British Royalty so maybe this isn't for everyone.

[Phyllis H. Rhyner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding out more about King Charles III

I've always enjoyed history and learning about Great Britain. This is a very good book about both. I've had the privilege of visiting London a few times. The author is familiar with the King, at least before he became king. He traveled with him as a newspaper reporter to various places, so he had a close-up view while he was still a prince.
Phyllis Rhyner

[Kristy W · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very journalist writing, lots of stories about the author’s involvement with Charles, lots of repetition like maybe these chapters started out as separate essays, and the author seems like a rather unreliable narrator. Still, some good info if you want a sort-of biography by someone who has spent some time with the new king.

[Abbie Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off really poorly written and repetitive. Gave some interesting insight into the Prince and for once wasn't all about Diana (of course there was some in there) which often seems to be the main focus when Prince Charles is involved.

[Janelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seemed to be strongly partisan. Also somewhat repetitive. It made some interesting points and it was engaging to see a more sympathetic portrait of Charles III, but it could have benefited from both a more balanced tone and some judicious editing.

[peggy lovorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable Read

This book was informative and interesting. A good look into the life of Princec Charles. Charles comes across as a very decent individual and one that strives to serve others.

[Carrie Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Learned a lot about King Charles, both positive (intelligent & caring) & concerning (naive). There is definitely an agenda within this book, so I wouldn't say it's an unbiased look at the man. In regards to writing style, it contains a bit of repetition.

[Connor Iontton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Simply awful.

[Karoline · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a love letter to Charles. As much as Jobson criticizes anti-monarchist journalists, he writes as if they've come down from heaven. I'd be reluctant to say this is unbiased.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

Now that he is King interesting to learn about his plan and

Thoughts for Great Britain's future His family is
a crucial part of his moving forward

[Foxglove · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overly worshipful although very interesting

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting.

[Gabriela · Rating 1 out of 5]

A sycophantic, repetitive, and chaotic mishmash of insignificant events and factoids. Not a biography.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fair.but a bit repedative

Well written .a bit biased but for the most part quite good. Would have liked less about climate etc
..

[Alicia C Gephart Gephart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an overall really great read! I learned a lot about the monarchy and how it works; and doesn't work. I have more respect for King Charles after reading this book. Other than some things that were repeated several times, this is a very good book and a great read for anyone that is interested in all things British.

[Jeffrey Thiessen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a full-life biography as much as a snap-shot look at the Prince's life around his 70th birthday. If you're looking for a full biography, I'd recommend Sally Bedell Smith's work. I was disappointed in Jobson's book. It rambled at times and repetitive at others however there were parts that were interesting and insightful.