Prince Charles

I like Charles. He has been spot on and has said as much as his position allows on a number of very important issues. His sons adore him. I quite like Camilla too. The marriage to Diana was a mistake. However he is human as some of us have also made similar mistakes ... but we have wonderful princes.

By now not before now and still to get there.

Is anyone of the opinion that had P C played his cards right ???he would have been our monarch before now.?
Sing his praises if you must and he has done work worthy of praise but reap as you sow ?and so thankful that her majesty has seen fit to carry on to the bitter end and sensible lady, off loading many of her duties to others, but still in charge of the reins.

I am not sure the constitution says they can't express an opinion but if they did, it could cause a constitutional rethink due to the way it could slew democracy. I think that's what people mean when they say "constitutional crisis" that there might need to be constitutional changes as a result.

Did you notice his hands? They are not those of a man sitting at a comfortable desk all day, they are gnarled with arthritis from serious outdoor farm work. Many of his friends are the farmers in mid Wales where he has a home, not a castle, somewhere all the royals enjoy as a break. They often travel on that little train and have done so for decades, for as long as I can remember.

He is a farmer and is more at home with people who work with the land, who care for the environment. And so is Camilla, she has fitted in well in his life and with the people he respects.

The people he met when he was made Prince of Wales helped form the person he is now, he admitted he had been lucky to spend time with very influential people from lowly farm workers who gave him a real value of life to the most important in the land. People took him in charge, made sure he was one of the most well informed ppl in the country and he did develop a view of the future which way before his time. And he was right.

There are limits to what he can do because of his position but he would certainly be holding a high position in this country even if he wasn't Royal. The Royal family can't live like us, they are part of our constitution and have to do as they are ordered to.

So when he becomes king (and our constitution says we can't play x-factor votes on this like brexit) he will have to be silent on most matters. The Queen has opinions but can't express them, but we did see that fabulous hat for the Queens speech which millions absolutely loved.

I think Charles has done a good job of guiding his sons for the last 21 years and not restricting them to live as previous generations have lived and so avoided the life he lived

I think the next heirs did need to come from the Spencer line as I gather there was always some underlying historical tension about which family should have been in the line of succession - going back many years not sure of the details. Charles marrying Diana has kind of sorted that out, I think that's why he tried on the various Spencer sisters for size, and probably why Diana kept herself a virgin - probably already discussed in the family what the intentions were. Monarchic marriages are often "political" arrangements. Good that Charles was allowed to move on after having his kids to the woman he suited better, and so sad that Diana had her accident just as she too was free to find happiness.

I can't imagine Prince Charles fitting into my social circle with his attitudes towards hunting etc, or even his interests. But I have never spotted anything about him that would make him unable to carry out the role of monarch well. And that's the only thing most of us need worry about.

Interesting comments .on a positive nite if we look back his love for camilla was before he went into the services yes when he came back she had married.but like all the royals I think they were told in early days what they had to do and who to marry . The Diana thing could have been avoided. On a positive note the two princes seem well balanced and really good friends as well as brothers. I think they keep an eye on him!

Exactly so, Carly.

Charles seemed to be natural and at ease with everyone he saw and spoke to in the documentary; the Royal Family have to read so much rubbish and so many lies about themselves, and cannot respond as presumably they would never stop. I do think they do a good job - and Prince Charles has said so much that was worthy of attention over the years, not just about plastic which he was warning about in the 1970s. The alternative is a Presidency - oh please God no. We could end up with someone like John Bercow and his lovely, well mannered and discreet wife.

I agree it’s a very good PR exercise. Having said that I like him far more than I did so it’s working! I actually got into The Royals watching The Crown, then the wedding ++ .

Adultery on both sides

Well said Margaret. Anyone who has a family member with mental illness surely can understand it can be a living hell for the family , the person with the illness suffers but so does the family.

I've thought that a lot of the flak he got in the past was unfair. What did we expect him to do - sit back and not open his mouth, and just wait for his mother to die? What we DID expect him to do was to produce heirs - which he did via a woman who was totally unsuitable for him (and he her) and this led to adultery, but lots of upper class marriages are no worse - just ask Jilly Cooper. (The difference was that she chose to go on national tv - knowing that her sons would see it as some point - and wash her "dirty linen" in public, to get sympathy). William is not ready; far too young and needs to be with his family and mature. If we want a royal family, then we have to accept the rules of succession. Personally, I think that Charles will make a good king; let's give him a chance.

As his second cousin lives 20 miles from me in S, Germany I know he does a lot of environmental studying dealing with farming. Away from the Uk he is very relaxed and well liked and informed. If I understood the film properly I think his planes fly on chip fat. This fat can be used instead of petrol and he mentioned that.
We were all told how wonderful Diana was, her media coverage was enormous and not without bias.
I never believed it you could see that she had a personality disorder. As the only person who really knew her and who left her who are we who did not know her to judge him!
Good luck to him and I hope when he is king he opens his mouth a bit more that his mother did.

I think Charles seems happier and more relaxed than in his younger more turbulent years.

I hope he is happy and content with Camilla, and his children and grandchildren. I would hate to live my life under the scrutiny that the royals experience.

I do not begrudge my few "tax pence" which is spent on them. Charles has an income from his "Duchy" products.

Why is discussing- sniping ?

One is not amused to hear the sniping about the firm ?

I don't suppose any of us know them do we? Unless of course........

Camilla is patron of 900 charities, the press never reports her work, and she supports Charles in his work.

Charles does have a proper job, Prince of Wales , he has created a proper job for himself , again little is reported , the media are to busy reporting on William and Harry even though they do only a fraction of the work Charles does because this is what the public want.

I never saw the programme and have not a great deal of interest in the Royal Family and their affairs but it suddenly occurred to me that I have now retired from my working life and Charles who is a couple of years younger than me has not even started his 'proper job' yet!! What a strange thought.

I’m not so sure that Camilla is lazy. There was a programme a few months ago about her and she seemed to be very involved with various charities, if memory serves me right. I suppose it depends on what a person considers “lazy” to be.
I feel that she will have to be quite involved in what goes on when Charles becomes king. I doubt very much that she will be allowed to stay at home with her feet up while Charles goes off to work! ??

I've never heard of Tigga

I don't suppose she cared as long as she was fed and walked!

I thought the Queen said she would make Charles Regent when she was 95, he is taking on more of her role now.
Charles has changed a lot since his second marriage, he is more relaxed and happier. I think he will make a good King, things will be different during his reign but nothing stays the same. Camilla is quite lazy laid back and will not want to be greatly involved.