REBEL PRINCE HB

I’m always loved the British monarchy and love the Queen like you wouldn’t believe. Reading this only goes to further confirm how sad I feel about the state of the monarchy after she passes away. I’ve often wished that Anne was destined to be Queen rather than Charles being King. The British monarchy has usually thrived when there have been Queens and I believe that Anne would have been a far better fit than Charles. Regardless, I believe, or should I say, I hope, that when Charles become King, he will learn to listen to his advisors, although that’s something he doesn’t like to do. Hopefully, his reign won’t last for long, and there will be many years of William and Kate.Tom Bowers is far too detailed and repetitive for my liking. His writing style isn’t my favorite, and this book isn’t the most readable. However, I am eagerly waiting with bated breath for the book that he’s currently working on, about Meghan Markle, whom I really don’t like. I saw someone mention that if you’re famous, hearing that Tom Bowers is about to write a book about you must be enough to ruin your day at the very least! Books like this are like junk food for me.

I never realized just how dreadful a human being this self-important prig was until I read this book. In common with the daughter in law whose actions are causing so much grief at present, he uses people and discards them when they are no longer useful to him. It’s always all about him and his wishes snd if it doesn’t work out he throws private tantrums. In my view he is a man without honor. Long love Her Majesty…please!

This is a biography of Prince Charles that focuses on his efforts to try to overcome a very low approval rating after the death of his ex wife Princess Diana and to promote Camilla Parker Bowles (the other woman in his first marriage) as wife and consort. Bower emphasizes that "most of Charles biographers recite events, statements, and comments in reverential tones. They do him a disservice. In reality, his life has been a gripping, political, financial and personal drama." The author has based much of his research on interviews with friends or employers of Charles and Camilla. Bower stresses that to protect these sources, he "made a point of disguising many" of his sources. The book covers Charles hiring of Mark Bolland to work as his Assistant Private Secretary to help rehabilitate Charles and Camilla's images. Bower describes the War of the Wales, Charles authorized biography by Jonathan Dimbleby and the televised interview where Charles admitted adultery. Dimbleby's authorized biography of Charles caused controversy since Charles derided his parents and their upbringing of him and Charles wanting to be Defender of Faith instead of Defender of the Faith. Charles efforts to promote Camilla included a 50th birthday party for her in 1997 and had planned that Camilla host a fundraiser for the National Osteoporosis Society on September 13 1997. The death of Diana on August 31 derailed all plans for Camilla promotion.Less than a year after Diana's death, the plans for PR went ahead with Penny Junor's Charles Victim or Villain--which labeled Diana "mad" and trashed her (though Charles denied cooperating, Junor contradicted that by giving details of Charles staff (with his approval) providing help for the book; Charles PR distributed the story to media outlets of Camila meeting William--much to William's consternation; and orchestrating joint appearances of Camilla and Charles and publicizing Charles birthday party at Highgrove (attended by Camilla but not his parents). The disapproval of the Queen of Camilla is emphasized in the book with Charles working to win support for marrying Camilla and her becoming his consort. Ultimately the couple married but not without problems of popularity that still are an issue. The author depicts Charles personality wise as petulant and tending to blame others for his own choices, and not taking criticism well (sometimes losing his temper). Camilla appears to have become more "grand" after the marriage and ordering people around and expressing disapproval of women who get too close to Charles, and having one of these women, Elizabeth Buchanan, an employee of Charles, fired. Charles interference in political issues and in promoting alternative medicine and architectural reforms are recounted. Other key events in Charles world told here are: the Burrell trial and its outcome, family discord with Charles often at odds with his parents and siblings and Charles long term association with employer and long term confidante, Michael Fawcett. This book offers a unique look at Charles during the late 1990s to the present day and his work with the Prince's Trust and other charities as well as the more controversial side of the Prince of Wales. The only quibbles I have are: Bower's statement that Diana admitted an affair with Mannakee during the Settelen tapes--she didn't, when asked by Settelen if "it was sexual" with Mannakee, Diana said no. I don't know why the author ignores it. And he mentions some unconfirmed gossip about Diana emerging from a restroom of an airplane "covered in blood" (surely that would have involved her being placed in an ambulance and moved to a hospital), and a statement talking about Diana's "using drugs" (Diana was always health conscious and it would make no sense that she'd be a drug user), and it was a surprise that he said Princess Margaret was "sympathetic" to Charles and Camilla when other biographers have said she called Camilla "that mistress" and had nothing to do with her. Also the late , James Whitaker is said by the author to have been "loyal to Charles" but his sympathies rested with Diana, to the very end of his life. I read his columns and books and he was one of the people who contended that Charles and Camilla slept together the night before the Charles and Diana wedding. I liked this book because it did not put the Prince of Wales on a pedestal and it was "warts and all." Camilla also is not the saintly person as depicted in Penny Junor's The Duchess. Highly recommended.

I love reading about the Royals. After reading this book about Charles and Camilla I hope the Queen lives to be well past 100 for the sake of the Monarchy. Good grief I don't think I have ever read about a more spoiled, selfish, self indulgent mopey moody whiny person in my life. Then there is the love of his life Camilla. And yes, he should have been allowed to marry her back in the day. She is the only person next to the Queen Mother who babies and coddles him, poor wee prince. That said, "the help" says the Camilla is the absolute laziest woman they have ever dealt with. Diana longed to be loved by HIM, but he was too selfish to work with her and show her the affection she so desperately longed for. He basically fueled her mental illness which she did have. The boys tolerate Camilla because they have no choice. Very good read, although gets boring reading about Charles' political views. He makes a fool of himself often.

Very well written critical bio of the heir to the throne, not the hatchet job I thought it would be, although it was unrealistic about the goddess Diana.

Charles has taken quite a licking in the press since Diana’s tragic death so many years ago. This account is quite well-documented and it presents Charles as somewhat stodgy and way too puerile in the way he courts sycophants for his entourage. When you compare fussy Charles to Her Majesty, the Queen, Charles comes up way short. He has this notion of resetting our environment without really having studied science in depth. His degree is in history, which makes his opinions regarding science to seem inaccurate. The writer is honest, not necessarily kind. Fans of Charles will likely not it enjoy this account as it IS brutally honest about his short-comings.

This is an excellent look at the real heir to the British throne and also Camilla to a degree. They certainly were made for one another both selfish and self absorbed. I doubt if they can last the monarchy and it may be best for the world if the monarchial system is absolved permanently , Bowers gives you a real inside look at these spoiled beyond hope folks and the priviledged world they live in.. Could barely put it down wanting more. Its as good as Kitty Kelly's "The Royals."

I bet this book isn't in the princes' library! He comes across as someone who is quite needy, in an emotional and personal way. Not a very nice person to get along with and someone who might make the passage from prince to king as a struggle. In so much as he has got used to doing the role he has and the way he does it. This way clearly won't be possible when he becomes king. Whether he does or doesn't has never bothered me one way or the other, and still doesn't! The royals seem to come across as a very dysfunctional family, with plenty of skeletons in their respective cupboards, just like most people if you took as close a look as this book does to them and their relationships. Add on the royal aspect where people as there just to help them function, not just in an official capacity but with their personal fads and ways and you get some a right mixed bag. It comes to something when you come away from a book about the royal family and you get the impression Prince Phillip is the sensible down to earth one!

I read the Acknowledgements (Kindle version) before reading the book. He says that the book was born out of an explosion of anger from a friend about Prince Charles's enthusiasm for complementary medicine. 'You should write a proper book about Charles' she urged. Well, in my opinion, this isn't it. It was not an enjoyable read. Prince Charles has believed in organic farming for decades, and I admire him for that. I have recently watched the ITV programmes about the Duchy of Cornwall. Much more interesting and informative than all the title tattle in this book.

Our future monarch is in some respects a very prescient man, having been beating the drum for organic farming, countryside and heritage conservation, action on climate change, the dangers of plastics pollution, and the viler aspects of modern architecture long before they went mainstream.That is the good part. It is largely downhill from there.Tom Bower reveals a selfish, muddled, chaotic, cranky individual who behaves at times like an absolute monarch, with no regard to the careers and reputations of others, no concept of management, not the faintest idea of money, and no concern whatsoever that he might be causing offence on a grand scale.His charities multiply dizzyingly, and he shamelessly hits up the same rich donors time and again for funding, unaware or unconcerned that some charities overlap and some just aren't working out. He takes no interest in the Commonwealth, a slight that does not go unnoticed amongst many of the member states. He sees nothing wrong with scrounging lifts on private jets, holidays on mega yachts, and on claiming credit for work done by others.The book focuses on Charles after the death of Diana, and the swirls of scandal that surround him; and which keep popping up, Whack-A-Mole style. Only the activities of a few dedicated courtiers manage to contain the damage, but his guardian angels, in the end, get no thanks. Everyone leaves him with some degree of bitterness, often cast aside when no longer useful.None of this, of course, is Charles's fault. He is totally lacking in self-awareness. Self-pity is his defining quality, voiced loudly and constantly.Long, long, long, long live Her Majesty the Queen.

This is an excellent book. A masterpiece and a good case for a republic. Obviously power corrupts and princes are powerful. Tom Brower discloses how Princes Carles, Andrew and Edward, with their consorts, are tremendously corrupt. Charles is a lost case of rent-a-royal. Besides his ingratitude, selfish indugence and pampering makes him a nasty character. There are a few mistakes like courtiers addressing Charles as Majesty but I believe it is not the author s fault

This is a profoundly depressing book without a single redeeming feature. It starts with a jumble of facts or non facts regurgitated on the reader and it is only when the chapters on Charles begins does on have any intimations of a human story. However it is a perpetual fight for perspective and balance and then ulitimately any feelings of empathy for Charles is quickly replaced by feelings of dispair and mistrust ..... not only for Charles but the whole Royal machinery. Can anything in the book be true? I will never view anything about the Royal Family again in the same way and without experiencing a marked feeling of mistrust , not only for what I am reading but also for such suspicious imbalance of opinion and a situation seemingly without a vestige of hope.