WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.379 Welcome to the Deep Dive. We jump straight into 00:00:02.379 --> 00:00:04.099 the source material to get you fully informed 00:00:04.099 --> 00:00:07.219 fast. Today we're diving deep into King Charles 00:00:07.219 --> 00:00:10.779 III, Charles Philip Arthur George, the man who 00:00:10.779 --> 00:00:13.199 spent, well, basically his entire adult life 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:15.660 in a very public apprenticeship. It's really 00:00:15.660 --> 00:00:17.960 quite something when you think about it. He wasn't 00:00:17.960 --> 00:00:20.000 just the longest serving heir apparent in British 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:23.100 history. He also became the oldest person ever 00:00:23.100 --> 00:00:25.920 to actually take the throne. 73 years old. 73. 00:00:26.059 --> 00:00:28.539 An heir apparent basically from the moment his 00:00:28.539 --> 00:00:32.899 mother... Elizabeth II became queen back in 1952. 00:00:33.039 --> 00:00:35.259 He was just, what, four? Four years old. Yeah. 00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:38.759 So he officially became Duke Cornwall, Duke Rothesay, 00:00:38.820 --> 00:00:41.619 all those titles instantly. He passed Edward 00:00:41.619 --> 00:00:44.079 VII's record for longest wait way back in 2011. 00:00:44.460 --> 00:00:46.259 And that, wait, that's really the core of what 00:00:46.259 --> 00:00:48.700 we want to unpack today, isn't it? 70 years in 00:00:48.700 --> 00:00:51.700 the public eye. 70 years forming views, building 00:00:51.700 --> 00:00:54.840 things, weathering. Frankly, huge personal crises. 00:00:55.000 --> 00:00:57.759 So our mission in this deep dive is to explore 00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:01.740 that preparation. How does a man known for being, 00:01:01.780 --> 00:01:04.299 let's say, passionate... interventionist even, 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:06.420 and someone who went through so much private 00:01:06.420 --> 00:01:09.680 turmoil, how does he prepare for and then step 00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:12.879 into the role of a strictly neutral monarch? 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:16.319 Yeah. We'll be looking at his pretty unique education, 00:01:16.500 --> 00:01:18.700 those very public, very polarizing marriages, 00:01:18.859 --> 00:01:22.239 and his surprisingly deep activism on everything 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:25.620 from, well, buildings to environmentalism. It's 00:01:25.620 --> 00:01:27.500 a fascinating journey. Okay, so let's start right 00:01:27.500 --> 00:01:30.379 at the beginning. Born 1948, Buckingham Palace, 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:33.079 Caesarian section, which was noted. at the time. 00:01:33.340 --> 00:01:36.239 But his path afterwards, educationally, was really 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:38.879 quite new for an heir, wasn't it? Completely 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:40.780 new. I mean, the big thing is he was the first 00:01:40.780 --> 00:01:43.400 heir apparent to actually go to school. No more 00:01:43.400 --> 00:01:45.379 just private tutors hidden away. Right. That 00:01:45.379 --> 00:01:47.019 was a very deliberate break. Started at Hill 00:01:47.019 --> 00:01:49.719 House School in 56, then Cheem School. But the 00:01:49.719 --> 00:01:51.760 place that really looms large in his story, and 00:01:51.760 --> 00:01:54.439 maybe not always positively, is Gordonstone. 00:01:54.640 --> 00:01:57.400 Ah, Gordonstone. The famously tough boarding 00:01:57.400 --> 00:01:59.500 school in Scotland. His father, Prince Philip, 00:01:59.579 --> 00:02:01.700 went there too. He did. And this is where... 00:02:01.769 --> 00:02:02.989 As you said, the narrative gets complicated. 00:02:03.329 --> 00:02:06.129 Charles, in that authorized biography, called 00:02:06.129 --> 00:02:10.349 it coldets and kilts. Wow. Yeah. He blamed his 00:02:10.349 --> 00:02:13.310 father, suggesting Philip ignored his more sensitive 00:02:13.310 --> 00:02:15.830 nature and just forced him into this really rough 00:02:15.830 --> 00:02:19.129 environment. Sounds like he felt quite isolated. 00:02:19.409 --> 00:02:21.870 Reports of bullying, too. That image of him being 00:02:21.870 --> 00:02:24.189 miserable there definitely stuck for years. It 00:02:24.189 --> 00:02:26.590 dominated the press. Yeah. And the sources back 00:02:26.590 --> 00:02:29.639 up that emotional difficulty. But, and this is 00:02:29.639 --> 00:02:32.659 important, his view seemed to, let's say, evolve 00:02:32.659 --> 00:02:35.620 over time. Later on, Charles actually praised 00:02:35.620 --> 00:02:38.639 Gordonstoun. Really? After coldets and kilts? 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:41.180 Well, he said it taught him a great deal about 00:02:41.180 --> 00:02:42.919 myself and my own abilities and disabilities. 00:02:43.340 --> 00:02:45.400 He even followed his father in becoming head 00:02:45.400 --> 00:02:47.979 boy. And more recently, became its patron in 00:02:47.979 --> 00:02:51.419 2024. So it's complex. A lifelong kind of negotiation 00:02:51.419 --> 00:02:54.080 with those expectations, maybe. Maybe that time 00:02:54.080 --> 00:02:56.259 away helped. He had a break in 66, didn't he? 00:02:56.319 --> 00:02:58.479 Spent some time in Australia. Yes, absolutely 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:01.120 crucial. Two terms at Timbertop, the Geelong 00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:03.979 Grammar School campus in Victoria. He described 00:03:03.979 --> 00:03:05.919 that as the most enjoyable part of his entire 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:09.180 education. Much freer, less stifling than Gordonstoun, 00:03:09.199 --> 00:03:12.360 it seems. And after leaving school in 67, he 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:14.620 kept breaking the mold straight to university, 00:03:14.780 --> 00:03:17.879 not the military first. Exactly. Another huge 00:03:17.879 --> 00:03:20.979 departure from royal norms. He had Trinity College, 00:03:21.219 --> 00:03:24.039 Cambridge, started with archaeology and anthropology, 00:03:24.360 --> 00:03:26.780 interestingly, then switched to history. And 00:03:26.780 --> 00:03:28.759 he made that effort to learn Welsh, too, didn't 00:03:28.759 --> 00:03:31.680 he? Preparing for the Prince of Wales role. He 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:34.020 did spend a term at the University College of 00:03:34.020 --> 00:03:36.919 Wales in Aberystwyth, specifically studying Welsh 00:03:36.919 --> 00:03:39.539 history and language. That was, you know, Correctly 00:03:39.539 --> 00:03:41.659 relevant to his future investiture. Which all 00:03:41.659 --> 00:03:45.139 led to another first for the monarchy. Yes. Charles 00:03:45.139 --> 00:03:47.840 graduated in 1970, becoming the first British 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:50.240 heir apparent ever to earn a university degree. 00:03:50.740 --> 00:03:54.439 People often point to the grade. The 2 .2, lower 00:03:54.439 --> 00:03:56.860 second class honors. For our audience who followed 00:03:56.860 --> 00:03:58.780 this closely, that detail often comes up. Was 00:03:58.780 --> 00:04:00.699 it seen as a bit disappointing or just amazing 00:04:00.699 --> 00:04:03.300 he did it at all? Overwhelmingly, it was seen 00:04:03.300 --> 00:04:04.979 as a massive achievement. You have to remember 00:04:04.979 --> 00:04:08.539 the context. Before him, it was tutors, maybe 00:04:08.539 --> 00:04:11.580 some military college. The media focus wasn't 00:04:11.580 --> 00:04:14.939 really on the 2 .2, which is a perfectly respectable 00:04:14.939 --> 00:04:17.519 pass. By the way, it was the fact he was there 00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:20.300 sitting exams alongside everyone else. Right. 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:22.980 It instantly modernized the perception of royal 00:04:22.980 --> 00:04:25.970 education. He later got his Master of Arts in 00:04:25.970 --> 00:04:28.529 75 too, just following the standard Cambridge 00:04:28.529 --> 00:04:31.910 practice at the time. So degree in hand, he then 00:04:31.910 --> 00:04:33.930 did fulfill that more traditional expectation, 00:04:34.410 --> 00:04:36.730 military service. But it sounds like it was pretty 00:04:36.730 --> 00:04:39.350 hands -on. Oh, absolutely. Not just ceremonial. 00:04:39.370 --> 00:04:43.009 His service ran from 1971 to 1976. He actually 00:04:43.009 --> 00:04:45.269 started his RAF training while still at Cambridge. 00:04:45.430 --> 00:04:48.170 Got his wings in 71. Then it was off to the Royal 00:04:48.170 --> 00:04:51.009 Naval College, Dartmouth. Served on proper warships, 00:04:51.110 --> 00:04:53.970 HMS Norfolk, Minerva. Jupiter. He didn't just 00:04:53.970 --> 00:04:56.230 get handed things. He qualified as a helicopter 00:04:56.230 --> 00:04:58.629 pilot, too, right? And commando training. Yes. 00:04:58.910 --> 00:05:01.310 Qualified helicopter pilot at RNAS Yeovilton 00:05:01.310 --> 00:05:03.850 and did the demanding commando course at Limestone. 00:05:04.029 --> 00:05:06.009 You don't just breeze through those. His final 00:05:06.009 --> 00:05:08.069 stint the last 10 months was actually commanding 00:05:08.069 --> 00:05:10.790 a ship. Commanding. A real command. A real command. 00:05:10.829 --> 00:05:14.050 The coastal mine hunter, HMS Bronnington. So 00:05:14.050 --> 00:05:16.129 he held a proper command rank before retiring 00:05:16.129 --> 00:05:19.670 as a commander in 1976. But his flying days ended 00:05:19.670 --> 00:05:21.629 quite suddenly later on. There was an incident. 00:05:21.790 --> 00:05:25.490 There was. A serious one in 1994. He was actually 00:05:25.490 --> 00:05:28.449 a passenger on a BA -146 aircraft of the Queen's 00:05:28.449 --> 00:05:31.029 Flight, invited onto the flight deck. It crash 00:05:31.029 --> 00:05:33.230 -landed on Aisley. The inquiry found the crew 00:05:33.230 --> 00:05:36.149 negligent. After that, Charles decided to stop 00:05:36.149 --> 00:05:38.970 flying Royal Aircraft himself entirely, put a 00:05:38.970 --> 00:05:41.370 firm stop to that part of his life. So once he 00:05:41.370 --> 00:05:43.810 left active service, Charles really stepped into 00:05:43.810 --> 00:05:45.550 the role he'd been preparing for his whole life. 00:05:45.980 --> 00:05:48.279 Prince of Wales. And that meant stepping into, 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:50.620 well, an incredibly intense public spotlight 00:05:50.620 --> 00:05:53.879 for the next, what, five decades? 50 years. He'd 00:05:53.879 --> 00:05:56.240 technically held the title since 1958 when he 00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:58.879 was a boy. But the big moment was that investiture 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:02.779 ceremony in 1969. Carnarfon Castle televised. 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:04.620 That really put him on the political map, didn't 00:06:04.620 --> 00:06:07.040 it? Absolutely did. It was this huge grand affair. 00:06:07.160 --> 00:06:09.160 But it was also really tense. There was a lot 00:06:09.160 --> 00:06:12.019 of Welsh nationalist feeling at the time. Protests, 00:06:12.019 --> 00:06:14.220 even bomb threats. Right. So that effort he'd 00:06:14.220 --> 00:06:16.720 made earlier. Learning Welsh at Aberystwyth. 00:06:16.920 --> 00:06:18.920 That was a direct attempt to kind of, you know, 00:06:18.939 --> 00:06:21.600 smooth things over, show respect. It showed early 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:24.399 on he understood the political tightrope he was 00:06:24.399 --> 00:06:26.399 walking. And he didn't shy away from the political 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:28.540 sphere back home either. The sources mention 00:06:28.540 --> 00:06:30.959 his maiden speech in the House of Lords in 1974. 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:34.680 Why was that significant? It was huge because 00:06:34.680 --> 00:06:37.000 it broke such a long precedent. No royal had 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:39.860 spoken from the floor, as it were, in the Lords 00:06:39.860 --> 00:06:42.920 since the future Edward I, way back in 1884. 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:46.800 nearly 90 years wow so him doing that immediately 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:49.180 signaled i'm going to engage i'm interested in 00:06:49.180 --> 00:06:51.899 policy this was long before the whole black spider 00:06:51.899 --> 00:06:54.519 memos thing blew up it set a pattern he wasn't 00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:56.519 going to be just a ribbon cutter And on the world 00:06:56.519 --> 00:07:00.139 stage, he was essentially the queen's main representative 00:07:00.139 --> 00:07:02.899 during some really pivotal, sometimes tricky 00:07:02.899 --> 00:07:05.139 moments for the Commonwealth. Exactly. He was 00:07:05.139 --> 00:07:07.120 there for Fiji's independent celebrations in 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:10.560 1970, Zimbabwe's in 1980. And crucially, perhaps 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:13.500 most symbolically, he represented the queen at 00:07:13.500 --> 00:07:16.759 the Hong Kong handover ceremony in 1997. So he 00:07:16.759 --> 00:07:19.220 was right there navigating those complex transitions. 00:07:19.379 --> 00:07:21.800 Right in the middle of it. His presence meant 00:07:21.800 --> 00:07:24.000 he was part of managing the U .K.'s relationship 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:27.120 with its former empire as it evolved. These international 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:29.740 duties also put him in real danger sometimes. 00:07:30.199 --> 00:07:32.839 The sources highlight a couple of quite scary 00:07:32.839 --> 00:07:34.699 security incidents. Yeah, you can't forget the 00:07:34.699 --> 00:07:37.920 risks. There was that assassination attempt plot 00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:41.560 in New Zealand in 1983. An individual who'd already 00:07:41.560 --> 00:07:43.660 targeted the Queen tried to get Charles during 00:07:43.660 --> 00:07:46.639 his tour with Diana and baby William. Chilling. 00:07:46.779 --> 00:07:51.000 And then Australia. Australia, 1994. A young 00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:54.019 man named David Kang fired two blank shots right 00:07:54.019 --> 00:07:56.540 at Charles during an Australia Day event in Sydney. 00:07:56.879 --> 00:07:59.500 Blanks, thankfully, but still terrifying. Was 00:07:59.500 --> 00:08:02.540 it political? Yes, very much so. Kang was protesting 00:08:02.540 --> 00:08:05.060 the Australian government's treatment of Cambodian 00:08:05.060 --> 00:08:07.720 asylum seekers. Charles was the target simply 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:09.519 because he was the symbol, the representative 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:12.000 figure. It highlights the vulnerability that 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:13.899 comes with the role. Okay, let's move into the 00:08:13.899 --> 00:08:16.000 area that really defines so much of his public 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:18.420 image in the 80s and 90s, his personal life, 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:21.040 the marriages, the scandals. It seems his great 00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:23.180 uncle, Lord Mountbatten, played quite a role 00:08:23.180 --> 00:08:25.939 early on. Mountbatten's advice has become infamous, 00:08:26.139 --> 00:08:29.810 hasn't it? Basically, he told Charles to sow 00:08:29.810 --> 00:08:32.409 his wild oats, have as fun as a bachelor. But 00:08:32.409 --> 00:08:34.110 when it came to marriage, the bride had to be 00:08:34.110 --> 00:08:36.950 suitable, attractive, and sweet -charactered. 00:08:36.950 --> 00:08:39.990 And crucially... With minimal romantic history. 00:08:40.210 --> 00:08:43.169 Exactly. Minimal experience. That criteria really 00:08:43.169 --> 00:08:45.090 narrowed the field and pointed directly towards 00:08:45.090 --> 00:08:47.539 the very young Diana Spencer. They married in 00:08:47.539 --> 00:08:50.679 that huge fairytale wedding in 1981. But the 00:08:50.679 --> 00:08:54.299 age gap, 13 years, and just basic incompatibility 00:08:54.299 --> 00:08:57.700 meant it soured incredibly quickly. The press 00:08:57.700 --> 00:09:00.860 dubbed them the glums. It really didn't take 00:09:00.860 --> 00:09:03.059 long. Within about five years, the marriage was 00:09:03.059 --> 00:09:05.659 visibly struggling. And that set the stage for, 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:08.309 well... arguably the biggest royal crisis of 00:09:08.309 --> 00:09:10.389 the modern era. The timeline is important here, 00:09:10.450 --> 00:09:12.990 isn't it, about the affairs? It is. Charles himself 00:09:12.990 --> 00:09:16.029 confirmed in that big TV interview in 1994 that 00:09:16.029 --> 00:09:17.690 he had started his relationship with Camilla 00:09:17.690 --> 00:09:21.070 Parker Bowles again in 1986. And this was his 00:09:21.070 --> 00:09:23.090 key point. He insisted it was only after his 00:09:23.090 --> 00:09:26.409 marriage to Diana had, in his words, irretrievably 00:09:26.409 --> 00:09:29.250 broken down. Right. And then came Diana's own 00:09:29.250 --> 00:09:32.169 bombshell interview in 1995, the Panorama one. 00:09:32.309 --> 00:09:34.990 The Panorama interview where she delivered that 00:09:34.990 --> 00:09:37.509 line that just absolutely stunned everyone. Well, 00:09:37.529 --> 00:09:38.929 there were three of us in this marriage, so it 00:09:38.929 --> 00:09:41.950 was a bit crowded. Devastatingly effective. But 00:09:41.950 --> 00:09:44.330 even before those admissions, the public had 00:09:44.330 --> 00:09:46.049 already been exposed to something incredibly 00:09:46.049 --> 00:09:50.029 private and, frankly, humiliating. You mean tampon 00:09:50.029 --> 00:09:52.889 gate or camilla gate, as it was also known. Yes. 00:09:52.929 --> 00:09:56.669 That bugged phone call from 1989. Yeah. The tabloids 00:09:56.669 --> 00:09:58.889 got hold of and published transcripts of this 00:09:58.889 --> 00:10:02.389 incredibly intimate, frankly bizarre and embarrassing 00:10:02.389 --> 00:10:04.669 phone conversation between Charles and Camilla. 00:10:04.730 --> 00:10:07.649 The content itself was shocking enough. The tampon 00:10:07.649 --> 00:10:10.169 reference became notorious. Exactly. Yeah. But 00:10:10.169 --> 00:10:12.730 beyond the sheer cringe factor, why was that 00:10:12.730 --> 00:10:15.429 particular leak so damaging constitutionally? 00:10:15.690 --> 00:10:18.110 Good question. It wasn't just personal embarrassment. 00:10:18.269 --> 00:10:20.990 It fundamentally undermined the perceived moral 00:10:20.990 --> 00:10:24.029 authority of the future king. The monarchy runs 00:10:24.029 --> 00:10:26.570 on a degree of, you know, mystique, tradition, 00:10:26.830 --> 00:10:29.470 projecting a certain standard. This revealed 00:10:29.470 --> 00:10:32.409 the heir actively involved in adultery, showing 00:10:32.409 --> 00:10:35.409 incredibly poor judgment about security and privacy, 00:10:35.629 --> 00:10:38.110 and frankly made him look ridiculous to many. 00:10:38.250 --> 00:10:40.850 It colored public perception of both him and 00:10:40.850 --> 00:10:44.230 Camilla for literally decades. Decades. And even 00:10:44.230 --> 00:10:46.860 after the divorce. in 1996 and Diana's tragic 00:10:46.860 --> 00:10:49.460 death a year later, the shadow of that period 00:10:49.460 --> 00:10:52.240 continued, including those very serious claims 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:55.100 made by Diana's butler, Paul Burrell. The note, 00:10:55.299 --> 00:10:57.840 claiming Diana feared Charles was planning an 00:10:57.840 --> 00:11:01.019 accident. Yes. Burrell published a note he said 00:11:01.019 --> 00:11:04.379 Diana wrote in 1995, alleging Charles was plotting 00:11:04.379 --> 00:11:06.360 some kind of car incident so he could remarry. 00:11:06.580 --> 00:11:09.059 Now, it was never proven, became huge tabloid 00:11:09.059 --> 00:11:11.179 fodder, but it led to something extraordinary. 00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:13.580 Charles being questioned by the police. Exactly. 00:11:14.200 --> 00:11:16.679 The Metropolitan Police, during Operation Paget, 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:19.019 their investigation to Diana's death, actually 00:11:19.019 --> 00:11:21.500 interviewed Charles. He stated he knew nothing 00:11:21.500 --> 00:11:23.419 about the note, couldn't understand why she might 00:11:23.419 --> 00:11:25.700 feel that way. The police eventually concluded 00:11:25.700 --> 00:11:28.480 their investigation in 2023, taking no action. 00:11:28.679 --> 00:11:30.879 But it's still part of that whole grim aftermath. 00:11:31.340 --> 00:11:34.100 Yet, despite all that history, all the public 00:11:34.100 --> 00:11:36.559 negativity towards Camilla, Charles eventually 00:11:36.559 --> 00:11:40.200 made it clear. Their relationship was non -negotiable, 00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:44.250 which led to their wedding in 2005. And getting 00:11:44.250 --> 00:11:46.769 to that wedding involved navigating some very 00:11:46.769 --> 00:11:50.169 specific royal and legal hurdles. They opted 00:11:50.169 --> 00:11:53.289 for a civil ceremony, a first for a senior royal 00:11:53.289 --> 00:11:56.330 in England. But they couldn't just have it at 00:11:56.330 --> 00:11:58.409 Windsor Castle, could they? No, that's a fascinating 00:11:58.409 --> 00:12:00.929 bit of legal trivia. Why Windsor Guildhall instead? 00:12:01.769 --> 00:12:04.509 Because English law states that if you get a 00:12:04.509 --> 00:12:07.049 license for civil marriages at a specific venue, 00:12:07.580 --> 00:12:10.019 like Windsor Castle, then that venue has to be 00:12:10.019 --> 00:12:12.000 available for any member of the public who wants 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:13.779 to get married there. Right. They'd have had 00:12:13.779 --> 00:12:15.340 weddings booked at the castle every weekend. 00:12:15.539 --> 00:12:18.419 Pretty much. So to avoid that, they had to use 00:12:18.419 --> 00:12:20.919 an already licensed public venue, the Gill Hall 00:12:20.919 --> 00:12:23.960 nearby. It just shows the weird technical hoops 00:12:23.960 --> 00:12:25.779 the royals sometimes have to jump through. And 00:12:25.779 --> 00:12:28.000 the queen's role at the wedding. Also significant. 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:30.759 As supreme governor of the Church of England, 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:33.240 she didn't attend the civil ceremony itself. 00:12:33.539 --> 00:12:35.679 That might have been seen as... endorsing something 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:37.860 the church at the time still had issues with. 00:12:37.980 --> 00:12:40.100 But she did attend the religious blessing service 00:12:40.100 --> 00:12:42.740 afterwards and hosted the reception at the castle. 00:12:42.860 --> 00:12:45.360 That was the crucial public signal of acceptance, 00:12:45.639 --> 00:12:48.080 really. OK, so beyond the personal dramas, what 00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:50.639 really marks Charles out, what filled those decades 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:54.370 as Prince of Wales, was this deep... Almost restless 00:12:54.370 --> 00:12:56.889 activism on social and environmental issues. 00:12:57.110 --> 00:12:59.809 He wasn't just turning up. He was driving agendas. 00:13:00.350 --> 00:13:03.129 Highly unusual for a future king. That's absolutely 00:13:03.129 --> 00:13:05.389 the defining characteristic of his time as heir. 00:13:05.529 --> 00:13:07.990 He wasn't passive. He poured his energy into 00:13:07.990 --> 00:13:10.509 creating things. Huge charitable ventures. It 00:13:10.509 --> 00:13:12.590 started with the Prince's Trust back in 1976. 00:13:13.269 --> 00:13:14.970 Found it with his own money. Yeah, his Royal 00:13:14.970 --> 00:13:18.700 Navy severance pay. Just 7 ,400 pounds. From 00:13:18.700 --> 00:13:20.840 that small start, it grew into something enormous. 00:13:21.100 --> 00:13:23.779 The King's Trust, as it is now, is huge, isn't 00:13:23.779 --> 00:13:26.620 it? Massive. It became the UK's largest multi 00:13:26.620 --> 00:13:28.980 -cause charity setup, raising over $100 million 00:13:28.980 --> 00:13:31.720 a year, helping young people, environment, arts, 00:13:31.860 --> 00:13:35.460 architecture, you name it. The stats are pretty 00:13:35.460 --> 00:13:38.159 staggering by 2020. Supported over a million 00:13:38.159 --> 00:13:41.500 young people, helped start 125 ,000 businesses. 00:13:41.799 --> 00:13:44.649 That's a very real, tangible legacy. But, and 00:13:44.649 --> 00:13:47.309 it's a big but, this charitable empire wasn't 00:13:47.309 --> 00:13:49.990 without serious controversy, particularly around 00:13:49.990 --> 00:13:52.350 where some of the money came from. We need to 00:13:52.350 --> 00:13:54.230 tread carefully here, but it's important for 00:13:54.230 --> 00:13:56.690 understanding the scrutiny he faced. Absolutely. 00:13:56.850 --> 00:13:58.409 This is where you see that constant tension. 00:13:59.029 --> 00:14:01.309 Needing big money for big projects versus the 00:14:01.309 --> 00:14:04.210 absolute need for squeaky clean ethics when you're 00:14:04.210 --> 00:14:06.409 the heir to the throne. This high -profile case 00:14:06.409 --> 00:14:08.629 involved cash donations from Sheikh Hamad bin 00:14:08.629 --> 00:14:11.269 Jassin Jabir al -Thani, the former prime minister 00:14:11.269 --> 00:14:13.450 of Qatar. And we're talking significant cash, 00:14:13.629 --> 00:14:17.649 3 million euros between 2011 and 2015. Yes. And 00:14:17.649 --> 00:14:19.370 the detail that really caught the public eye, 00:14:19.429 --> 00:14:21.490 as the sources reported, was how it was delivered. 00:14:21.690 --> 00:14:23.730 Sometimes allegedly in Fortnum and Mason carrier 00:14:23.730 --> 00:14:26.370 bags, sometimes even a suitcase or a hold -all 00:14:26.370 --> 00:14:28.649 full of banknotes. I mean, the optics of that 00:14:28.649 --> 00:14:31.830 are just terrible, regardless of legality. Precisely. 00:14:31.830 --> 00:14:34.470 It looks awful. Now, the Charity Commission looked 00:14:34.470 --> 00:14:36.809 into it. They reviewed the information and closed 00:14:36.809 --> 00:14:41.049 the case in July 2022. No further action. They 00:14:41.049 --> 00:14:42.669 said there was no evidence the payments were 00:14:42.669 --> 00:14:44.690 illegal or that they weren't intended for the 00:14:44.690 --> 00:14:47.850 charity. But the way it was done, accepting huge 00:14:47.850 --> 00:14:50.610 bundles of cash, that raises questions about 00:14:50.610 --> 00:14:53.289 judgment, doesn't it? About due diligence within 00:14:53.289 --> 00:14:56.710 his team? It absolutely does. The failure to 00:14:56.710 --> 00:14:59.169 see the massive reputational risk was really 00:14:59.169 --> 00:15:01.309 the core issue there. And it wasn't the only 00:15:01.309 --> 00:15:03.990 funding controversy. There was also the one million 00:15:03.990 --> 00:15:07.470 pound donation accepted in 2013 from Bakker and 00:15:07.470 --> 00:15:09.929 Shafiq Bin Laden. Osama bin Laden's half brothers. 00:15:10.049 --> 00:15:12.389 That sounds incredibly problematic. How is that 00:15:12.389 --> 00:15:14.649 justified? Well, the Prince of Wales, the charitable 00:15:14.649 --> 00:15:16.750 fund trustees argued they'd done due diligence, 00:15:16.889 --> 00:15:19.009 consulted widely. They stressed the money came 00:15:19.009 --> 00:15:21.309 from the half brothers who had no known links 00:15:21.309 --> 00:15:23.409 to terrorism themselves. But again, the public 00:15:23.409 --> 00:15:25.629 perception, it's difficult. The Charity Commission 00:15:25.629 --> 00:15:27.789 looked at this, too, and basically said it was 00:15:27.789 --> 00:15:30.029 a decision for the trustees. No formal investigation 00:15:30.029 --> 00:15:32.809 needed. It paints a picture of constant tightrope 00:15:32.809 --> 00:15:35.740 walking, doesn't it? balancing fundraising needs 00:15:35.740 --> 00:15:38.480 with the impeccable image required by the crown. 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:42.580 Exactly. And there was a third major issue. The 00:15:42.580 --> 00:15:45.299 Metropolitan Police investigation into cash for 00:15:45.299 --> 00:15:47.759 honors claims linked to the Separate Princes 00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:50.799 Foundation. Allegations that big donations might 00:15:50.799 --> 00:15:54.379 lead to gongs or citizenship? That was the allegation. 00:15:54.700 --> 00:15:57.519 Foreign donors giving large sums and potentially 00:15:57.519 --> 00:16:00.940 getting honors in return. Again, the police investigated 00:16:00.940 --> 00:16:04.080 and announced in 2023 that no further action 00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:06.940 would be taken. But taken together, these three 00:16:06.940 --> 00:16:09.779 situations meant his charities, despite all the 00:16:09.779 --> 00:16:12.299 good work, were operating under this cloud of 00:16:12.299 --> 00:16:14.659 financial scrutiny right up until he became king. 00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:16.980 Let's shift focus to another of his great passions, 00:16:17.259 --> 00:16:19.460 architecture. He wasn't just interested, he was 00:16:19.460 --> 00:16:22.000 a fierce advocate for a particular style. new 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:25.440 classical, and a very vocal critic of modernism. 00:16:25.700 --> 00:16:27.740 Fierce is the word. His whole philosophy was 00:16:27.740 --> 00:16:29.840 about traditional urbanism, keeping things on 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:33.220 a human scale, conservation. And he wasn't afraid 00:16:33.220 --> 00:16:37.120 to voice his opinions, often quite bluntly. The 00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:38.919 most famous example, the one everyone remembers, 00:16:39.100 --> 00:16:42.480 was in 1984, talking about a proposed extension 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:45.200 to the National Gallery in London. A monstrous 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:48.759 carbuncle on the face of a much -loved friend. 00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:52.289 That phrase became legendary. But was it just 00:16:52.289 --> 00:16:55.009 talk? Did his criticism actually change things? 00:16:55.289 --> 00:16:57.149 Oh, absolutely. That's the crucial point. His 00:16:57.149 --> 00:17:00.429 intervention had real power. Because he said 00:17:00.429 --> 00:17:03.070 that, the proposed design was completely scrapped. 00:17:03.289 --> 00:17:06.190 It showed he could and would use his platform 00:17:06.190 --> 00:17:09.329 to basically impose his aesthetic views. It wasn't 00:17:09.329 --> 00:17:11.710 just an opinion. It had consequences. And he 00:17:11.710 --> 00:17:13.509 didn't just criticize. He started building his 00:17:13.509 --> 00:17:16.450 own vision, didn't he? Poundbury. Exactly. Poundbury 00:17:16.450 --> 00:17:19.210 in Dorset is the ultimate real -world test case. 00:17:19.430 --> 00:17:22.309 An entire town built on Duchy of Cornwall land, 00:17:22.509 --> 00:17:24.690 designed according to his traditional principles. 00:17:24.910 --> 00:17:26.910 He tried something similar in Scotland, too, 00:17:27.009 --> 00:17:28.910 with the Knockroon development people called 00:17:28.910 --> 00:17:31.349 it the Scottish Poundbury. He even intervened 00:17:31.349 --> 00:17:33.950 in private projects like Chelsea Barracks. He 00:17:33.950 --> 00:17:36.750 did. He famously wrote to the Qatari royal family 00:17:36.750 --> 00:17:38.869 who owned the Chelsea Barracks site back in 2009. 00:17:39.289 --> 00:17:42.970 He told them Lord Rogers' modern design was unsuitable 00:17:42.970 --> 00:17:46.390 and urged them to reconsider. And they did. It 00:17:46.390 --> 00:17:48.410 showed the reach of his influence. That same 00:17:48.410 --> 00:17:51.349 level of deep, long -term commitment is obvious 00:17:51.349 --> 00:17:53.450 in his environmentalism, too. He was talking 00:17:53.450 --> 00:17:55.369 about this stuff way before it became mainstream. 00:17:55.769 --> 00:17:59.250 Decades before. His first major speech on pollution 00:17:59.250 --> 00:18:03.190 and plastics was in 1970. He was 21 years old. 00:18:03.269 --> 00:18:05.829 Think about that. Remarkable foresight. Truly. 00:18:05.890 --> 00:18:08.289 And he put his money where his mouth was, became 00:18:08.289 --> 00:18:11.009 a huge advocate for organic farming, launched 00:18:11.009 --> 00:18:13.369 his own organic food brand, Dutchie Originals, 00:18:13.470 --> 00:18:16.069 in 1990. And that was successful. Didn't make 00:18:16.069 --> 00:18:19.069 money. Very successful. And significantly, all 00:18:19.069 --> 00:18:22.230 the profits, millions of pounds, over 6 million 00:18:22.230 --> 00:18:25.430 pounds by 2010 alone, went straight to his charities. 00:18:25.900 --> 00:18:27.680 It wasn't a vanity project. It was integrated 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:30.140 into his philanthropic work. He also waded into 00:18:30.140 --> 00:18:32.019 the political side of food science, didn't he? 00:18:32.099 --> 00:18:35.079 GM foods. He did. He was a very outspoken critic 00:18:35.079 --> 00:18:38.039 of genetically modified crops. He even wrote 00:18:38.039 --> 00:18:39.960 privately to Prime Minister Tony Blair about 00:18:39.960 --> 00:18:43.579 it in 1998, laying out his concerns. So again, 00:18:43.640 --> 00:18:45.339 you see that pattern of private intervention 00:18:45.339 --> 00:18:47.799 on policy. And as the climate crisis became more 00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:50.519 urgent, his rhetoric became stronger. Copy 26, 00:18:50.859 --> 00:18:54.700 copy 28. Very strong. At COP26 in Glasgow, he 00:18:54.700 --> 00:18:57.380 warned world leaders it was the last chance saloon. 00:18:57.539 --> 00:19:00.500 And he called for a vast military -style campaign 00:19:00.500 --> 00:19:03.099 to get the private sector mobilized on climate 00:19:03.099 --> 00:19:06.319 action, a phrase he repeated at COP28 in Dubai. 00:19:06.819 --> 00:19:09.720 Really forceful language. It seems his personal 00:19:09.720 --> 00:19:11.799 habits reflect these beliefs, too. Some quite 00:19:11.799 --> 00:19:14.579 specific dietary things. They do. We know he 00:19:14.579 --> 00:19:16.720 famously skips lunch, apparently, to fit more 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:19.759 into the day. But more pointedly, in 2021, he 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:22.299 revealed he cuts out meat and fish entirely two 00:19:22.299 --> 00:19:25.319 days a week and dairy one day a week, specifically 00:19:25.319 --> 00:19:28.000 for environmental reasons. And foie gras. And 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:30.039 from all royal residences now. He'd actually 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:32.180 banned it from his own homes years before becoming 00:19:32.180 --> 00:19:34.480 king. It shows these aren't just public positions. 00:19:34.619 --> 00:19:37.380 They're deeply held personal convictions. And 00:19:37.380 --> 00:19:40.059 it's exactly this passionate interventionist 00:19:40.059 --> 00:19:42.880 approach that caused so much constitutional friction 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:46.180 when he was Prince of Wales, especially with 00:19:46.180 --> 00:19:49.190 the government. Which brings us to the Black 00:19:49.190 --> 00:19:53.549 Spider memos. Ah, yes. The famous memos. Called 00:19:53.549 --> 00:19:55.250 that because of his handwriting apparently quite 00:19:55.250 --> 00:19:58.990 sprawling and, well, spidery. These were letters 00:19:58.990 --> 00:20:01.329 he regularly sent to government ministers on 00:20:01.329 --> 00:20:04.029 all sorts of topics. What kind of things? Oh, 00:20:04.049 --> 00:20:06.829 everything. Farming subsidies, helicopter specifications 00:20:06.829 --> 00:20:08.809 for the military, architectural conservation, 00:20:09.250 --> 00:20:13.049 alternative medicine. A really wide range. Critics 00:20:13.049 --> 00:20:15.230 immediately jumped on this as political meddling. 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:18.920 arguing it breached that core rule of royal neutrality. 00:20:19.059 --> 00:20:21.079 There was a long legal battle to get them published, 00:20:21.180 --> 00:20:23.039 wasn't there? The Supreme Court ruled on it. 00:20:23.119 --> 00:20:24.779 Yes, after years of the government trying to 00:20:24.779 --> 00:20:26.960 block their release, the Supreme Court cleared 00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:29.960 the way in 2015. But when they finally came out, 00:20:30.119 --> 00:20:33.079 the reaction was a bit of an anticlimax, wasn't 00:20:33.079 --> 00:20:35.259 it? Yeah, the general consensus seemed to be 00:20:35.259 --> 00:20:37.779 they were mostly underwhelming, maybe even harmless. 00:20:38.059 --> 00:20:40.259 Some said the whole thing backfired on his critics. 00:20:40.539 --> 00:20:43.180 That was the dominant take. But your earlier 00:20:43.180 --> 00:20:45.970 point is critical here. Yeah. Even if the content 00:20:45.970 --> 00:20:48.970 wasn't earth shattering, wasn't the real constitutional 00:20:48.970 --> 00:20:51.509 issue. In fact, he was lobbying ministers privately 00:20:51.509 --> 00:20:53.910 at all, whatever the subject. Exactly. It's the 00:20:53.910 --> 00:20:56.130 principle. The heir to the throne trying to influence 00:20:56.130 --> 00:20:59.410 policy behind the scenes consistently over years. 00:20:59.789 --> 00:21:02.049 That's the potential problem. And the concern 00:21:02.049 --> 00:21:04.589 was real enough that senior cabinet ministers 00:21:04.589 --> 00:21:06.849 reportedly warned him about needing to change 00:21:06.849 --> 00:21:10.220 his approach once he became king. which led to 00:21:10.220 --> 00:21:12.940 him making a very public promise in 2018. He 00:21:12.940 --> 00:21:15.079 addressed it directly in an interview, didn't 00:21:15.079 --> 00:21:17.299 he? He did. He was asked if his meddling would 00:21:17.299 --> 00:21:20.440 continue as king. His answer was blunt. No, it 00:21:20.440 --> 00:21:23.319 won't. I'm not that stupid. I do realize that 00:21:23.319 --> 00:21:25.500 it is a separate exercise being sovereign, so 00:21:25.500 --> 00:21:27.740 of course, I understand entirely how that should 00:21:27.740 --> 00:21:30.789 operate. A clear statement. Yet we have to connect 00:21:30.789 --> 00:21:33.210 this history of interventionism to his role in 00:21:33.210 --> 00:21:35.049 things like the World Economic Forum's Great 00:21:35.049 --> 00:21:37.509 Reset project. That feels important for understanding 00:21:37.509 --> 00:21:39.990 his global influence. It's absolutely crucial. 00:21:40.130 --> 00:21:42.549 The Great Reset initiative, which he co -launched 00:21:42.549 --> 00:21:46.029 with the WEF in 2020, aiming to reshape economies 00:21:46.029 --> 00:21:49.210 sustainably after COVID. That's perhaps the ultimate 00:21:49.210 --> 00:21:52.230 example of his using his platform for massive 00:21:52.230 --> 00:21:55.650 systemic change proposals. Officially nonpolitical, 00:21:55.650 --> 00:21:58.569 maybe, but hugely influential on global policy 00:21:58.569 --> 00:22:01.730 discourse. And even very late in his time as 00:22:01.730 --> 00:22:04.049 prince, his private opinions on government policy 00:22:04.049 --> 00:22:06.829 were still making headlines. The Rwanda asylum 00:22:06.829 --> 00:22:10.589 plan. Yes. Sources reported in 2022 that he had 00:22:10.589 --> 00:22:12.789 privately described the U .K. government's plan 00:22:12.789 --> 00:22:16.130 to send asylum seekers to Rwanda as appalling. 00:22:16.309 --> 00:22:18.569 Whether it was meant to leak or not, it showed 00:22:18.569 --> 00:22:20.990 those strong personal views on policy hadn't 00:22:20.990 --> 00:22:23.329 just vanished. So after that record -breaking, 00:22:23.369 --> 00:22:25.910 wait, September 8th, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II 00:22:25.910 --> 00:22:29.049 passes away and Charles becomes king. There had 00:22:29.049 --> 00:22:30.910 been so much speculation beforehand about his 00:22:30.910 --> 00:22:33.190 regnal name. Would he avoid Charles's? Yeah, 00:22:33.230 --> 00:22:35.109 because of the historical baggage. Yeah. Charles 00:22:35.109 --> 00:22:37.569 VIII beheaded. Charles II, the merry monarch 00:22:37.569 --> 00:22:39.490 known for his affairs. There was talk he might 00:22:39.490 --> 00:22:41.569 choose George VII after his grandfather. But 00:22:41.569 --> 00:22:43.750 he didn't. He stuck with Charles III. He did. 00:22:43.869 --> 00:22:46.349 And right from the start, there was a signal 00:22:46.349 --> 00:22:48.910 of wanting to do things a bit differently, perhaps 00:22:48.910 --> 00:22:51.470 more openly. His accession council ceremony, 00:22:51.789 --> 00:22:54.869 that ancient ritual formally proclaiming him 00:22:54.869 --> 00:22:57.940 king. It was televised. For the first time ever. 00:22:58.079 --> 00:23:00.519 Exactly. Letting cameras in on that moment felt 00:23:00.519 --> 00:23:03.039 like a statement. A nod towards transparency, 00:23:03.380 --> 00:23:06.000 maybe modernizing the monarchy's image from day 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:08.400 one. And that modernizing theme carried right 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:11.119 through to the coronation, Operation Golden Orb, 00:23:11.259 --> 00:23:14.759 on May 6th, 2023. It was very carefully designed. 00:23:14.900 --> 00:23:17.640 The key themes were shorter, smaller, less expensive 00:23:17.640 --> 00:23:20.630 than his mother's coronation in 53. And crucially, 00:23:20.730 --> 00:23:23.029 more representative of different faiths and communities 00:23:23.029 --> 00:23:25.509 across the UK, trying to reflect the country 00:23:25.509 --> 00:23:27.589 as it is now. There was a lovely detail that 00:23:27.589 --> 00:23:29.750 connected back to his environmentalism too, wasn't 00:23:29.750 --> 00:23:32.730 there? The anointing oil. Yes. The holy chrism 00:23:32.730 --> 00:23:35.049 oil. Traditionally, it contained animal products 00:23:35.049 --> 00:23:38.589 like civet oil and ambergris. But Charles' coronation 00:23:38.589 --> 00:23:41.519 oil was specifically made to be vegan. Based 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:43.480 on olive oil from the Mount of Olives, where 00:23:43.480 --> 00:23:45.539 his grandmother is buried, scented with sesame, 00:23:45.720 --> 00:23:49.200 rose, jasmine, cinnamon. A really personal, symbolic 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:51.680 touch, reflecting his own values right at the 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:53.519 heart of that sacred ceremony. Since becoming 00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:56.119 king, he seems to focus quite heavily on diplomacy, 00:23:56.279 --> 00:23:59.140 especially in Europe. Historic speeches. He really 00:23:59.140 --> 00:24:01.279 hit the ground running there, especially focusing 00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:04.680 on rebuilding ties post -Brexit. March 2023, 00:24:04.940 --> 00:24:07.359 he became the first British monarch ever to address 00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:10.099 the German Bundestag. German news parliament. 00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:12.920 In German, partly. Yes, switching between fluent 00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:15.119 German and English. Then later that year, September, 00:24:15.400 --> 00:24:17.779 another first, addressing the French Senate. 00:24:17.940 --> 00:24:20.279 These weren't just state visits. They were deliberate 00:24:20.279 --> 00:24:23.059 acts of political symbolism, using the monarchy's 00:24:23.059 --> 00:24:25.700 soft power to smooth relations. He also faced 00:24:25.700 --> 00:24:27.680 that very difficult issue of colonial history 00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:30.279 head on during his state visit to Kenya in 2023, 00:24:30.700 --> 00:24:33.259 calls for an apology. That must have been incredibly 00:24:33.259 --> 00:24:36.779 tricky to navigate. Extremely delicate. Kenya 00:24:36.779 --> 00:24:40.160 was the site of the brutal Mao Mao uprising suppression 00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:43.099 in the 1950s. Charles directly addressed it. 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:46.039 He acknowledged the abhorrent and unjustifiable 00:24:46.039 --> 00:24:48.259 acts of violence committed during that colonial 00:24:48.259 --> 00:24:51.599 period. Strong words. But not quite an apology. 00:24:51.940 --> 00:24:54.180 No, he stopped short of a formal apology. That 00:24:54.180 --> 00:24:55.980 would have huge constitutional and potential 00:24:55.980 --> 00:24:58.240 legal implications, opening up debates about 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:01.059 reparations. So it was a carefully calibrated 00:25:01.059 --> 00:25:03.859 statement. Expressing deep regret and acknowledging 00:25:03.859 --> 00:25:06.220 wrongdoing, but staying within the constitutional 00:25:06.220 --> 00:25:09.819 bounds. That balancing act is key to modern royal 00:25:09.819 --> 00:25:12.140 diplomacy. And his commitment to reconciliation 00:25:12.140 --> 00:25:14.700 in Ireland was already well established, wasn't 00:25:14.700 --> 00:25:16.720 it, that handshake with Gerry Adams? That was 00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:19.559 a landmark moment back in 2015, years before 00:25:19.559 --> 00:25:21.839 he became king, shaking hands with the leader 00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:24.660 of Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams, in Galway, especially 00:25:24.660 --> 00:25:26.759 poignant given that the IRA had murdered his 00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:29.799 beloved great uncle, Lord Mountbatten. It showed 00:25:29.799 --> 00:25:32.339 a real personal willingness to move beyond historical 00:25:32.339 --> 00:25:34.839 enmity for the sake of peace. He also seemed 00:25:34.839 --> 00:25:36.980 to handle the Commonwealth's evolution pragmatically, 00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:39.579 attending Barbados becoming a republic. Yes. 00:25:40.009 --> 00:25:43.210 In 2021, he was there representing the Queen, 00:25:43.410 --> 00:25:45.890 but also as the acknowledged future head of the 00:25:45.890 --> 00:25:48.930 Commonwealth, a role that isn't hereditary, remember. 00:25:49.390 --> 00:25:52.170 His presence signaled acceptance of Barbados' 00:25:52.309 --> 00:25:54.430 decision, supporting the Commonwealth framework 00:25:54.430 --> 00:25:57.309 even as its structure changes. Domestically, 00:25:57.410 --> 00:25:59.369 he's made some quite significant moves on the 00:25:59.369 --> 00:26:02.029 financial side, pushing for modernization and, 00:26:02.089 --> 00:26:04.849 it seems, fiscal discipline. This has been one 00:26:04.849 --> 00:26:06.809 of the most striking aspects of his early reign, 00:26:06.869 --> 00:26:09.990 I think. In 2023, he agreed to maintain the sovereign 00:26:09.990 --> 00:26:12.710 grant, the public funding for the monarchy, at 00:26:12.710 --> 00:26:15.740 12 percent of the Crown Estate's profits. But 00:26:15.740 --> 00:26:18.640 the really big move concerned the huge boom in 00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:20.859 profits from offshore wind farms on Crown Estate 00:26:20.859 --> 00:26:23.319 land. Right. Those profits surged massively. 00:26:23.380 --> 00:26:25.799 What did he do? Instead of letting that windfall 00:26:25.799 --> 00:26:27.880 automatically inflate the sovereign grant, which 00:26:27.880 --> 00:26:30.059 historically would have happened, Charles requested 00:26:30.059 --> 00:26:32.099 that the extra billions be used for the wider 00:26:32.099 --> 00:26:34.480 public good. Essentially, he put a cap on his 00:26:34.480 --> 00:26:36.829 own funding increase out of principle. It was 00:26:36.829 --> 00:26:38.650 a powerful statement about financial responsibility. 00:26:38.990 --> 00:26:41.910 And he got rid of the royal train. He did. Approved 00:26:41.910 --> 00:26:45.609 its decommissioning in June 2025 after 180 years 00:26:45.609 --> 00:26:49.269 of service. Again, the reasoning given was fiscal 00:26:49.269 --> 00:26:52.430 discipline, cutting costs, even symbolic ones. 00:26:52.609 --> 00:26:55.690 It sends a message that traditions aren't untouchable 00:26:55.690 --> 00:26:57.859 if they don't make financial sense anymore. He 00:26:57.859 --> 00:27:00.359 also maintained that direct engagement with Commonwealth 00:27:00.359 --> 00:27:03.519 realms, like visiting Canada in 2025. Yes, making 00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:06.480 his first visit there as king. And notably, he 00:27:06.480 --> 00:27:08.900 opened the 45th Canadian Parliament in person 00:27:08.900 --> 00:27:11.200 and delivered the speech from the throne the 00:27:11.200 --> 00:27:13.319 first time a Canadian monarch had done that since 00:27:13.319 --> 00:27:16.519 his mother back in 1977, reasserting that direct 00:27:16.519 --> 00:27:19.339 constitutional link. Of course, early 2024 brought 00:27:19.339 --> 00:27:21.599 those very public health concerns, the cancer 00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:24.380 diagnosis. Yes, that was a shock. First, the 00:27:24.380 --> 00:27:26.460 announcement about treatment for a benign enlarged 00:27:26.460 --> 00:27:29.839 prostate in January 2024. Then the news that 00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:31.900 during that procedure, a separate issue cancer, 00:27:32.200 --> 00:27:34.359 though not prostate cancer, had been discovered. 00:27:34.539 --> 00:27:36.480 Which immediately raised questions about continuity, 00:27:36.759 --> 00:27:40.099 workload. Absolutely. The palace was clear he 00:27:40.099 --> 00:27:41.880 would continue his constitutional duties, the 00:27:41.880 --> 00:27:45.839 paperwork, state boxes, audiences, while undergoing 00:27:45.839 --> 00:27:48.299 outpatient treatment. But his public -facing 00:27:48.299 --> 00:27:50.700 engagements were postponed for a period. Which 00:27:50.700 --> 00:27:53.480 meant Queen Camilla had to step up quite significantly. 00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:56.200 She did. She represented him at several events, 00:27:56.339 --> 00:27:58.480 including the traditional Royal Maundy service. 00:27:58.839 --> 00:28:01.759 It showed the firm has mechanisms to cope, but 00:28:01.759 --> 00:28:03.359 it certainly put the focus on the king's health 00:28:03.359 --> 00:28:05.500 and the line of succession. He made a public 00:28:05.500 --> 00:28:08.019 return later in the spring. Yes, a very visible 00:28:08.019 --> 00:28:10.599 and I think well -received return to public duties 00:28:10.599 --> 00:28:13.740 in April 2024. There was another brief hospitalization 00:28:13.740 --> 00:28:17.299 reported in March 2025 due to side effects. But 00:28:17.299 --> 00:28:19.240 generally, the narrative has been one of carrying 00:28:19.240 --> 00:28:21.940 on. And interestingly, his public approval ratings 00:28:21.940 --> 00:28:23.960 have actually climbed quite sharply since he 00:28:23.960 --> 00:28:27.160 became king, up to 59 percent by August 2025. 00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:29.720 Quite a turnaround from the difficult years. 00:28:29.880 --> 00:28:31.700 And he's even getting recognition for his style. 00:28:31.980 --> 00:28:34.480 Believe it or not, yes. British GQ called him 00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:36.819 a true guardian of traditional British menswear. 00:28:36.940 --> 00:28:39.680 And Time magazine included him in their 100 most 00:28:39.680 --> 00:28:42.940 influential people list in 2023. So his image 00:28:42.940 --> 00:28:45.140 seems to be consolidating in a fairly positive 00:28:45.140 --> 00:28:47.180 way. Let's touch on some of the more personal 00:28:47.180 --> 00:28:49.599 aspects, his beliefs, his interests. He seems 00:28:49.599 --> 00:28:52.680 quite a philosophical, spiritual person. How 00:28:52.680 --> 00:28:55.960 has that translated into his role as king, especially 00:28:55.960 --> 00:28:58.099 regarding religion? It's been quite deliberate. 00:28:58.589 --> 00:29:00.730 He is, of course, a confirmed member of the Church 00:29:00.730 --> 00:29:03.349 of England, and as king, he's the supreme governor. 00:29:03.970 --> 00:29:06.910 But he made a point, even before accession, of 00:29:06.910 --> 00:29:09.309 saying he wanted to be seen not just as defender 00:29:09.309 --> 00:29:12.250 of the faith singular, meaning Anglicanism, but 00:29:12.250 --> 00:29:14.849 as a defender of faith, plural. So protecting 00:29:14.849 --> 00:29:17.789 religious diversity. Exactly. Committed to creating 00:29:17.789 --> 00:29:20.809 space for all faiths to flourish in the UK. He's 00:29:20.809 --> 00:29:22.430 also, remember, a member of the Church of Scotland 00:29:22.430 --> 00:29:25.170 when he's north of the border. This multi -faith 00:29:25.170 --> 00:29:27.369 commitment wasn't just talk, it was actually 00:29:27.369 --> 00:29:30.430 woven into the coronation ceremony itself. How 00:29:30.430 --> 00:29:32.569 so? Wasn't it still a very Anglican service? 00:29:32.950 --> 00:29:35.849 The core oath and anointing were, yes. But they 00:29:35.849 --> 00:29:38.349 added a special preamble, spoken by the Archbishop 00:29:38.349 --> 00:29:40.809 of Canterbury right near the start, explicitly 00:29:40.809 --> 00:29:44.109 acknowledging the king's duty to foster an environment 00:29:44.109 --> 00:29:46.289 in which people of all faiths and beliefs may 00:29:46.289 --> 00:29:49.759 live freely. That was new. and a direct reflection 00:29:49.759 --> 00:29:52.859 of Charles' stated aim, making the ancient ceremony 00:29:52.859 --> 00:29:56.119 feel relevant to modern, diverse Britain. Beyond 00:29:56.119 --> 00:29:58.180 religion, he's always been deeply involved in 00:29:58.180 --> 00:30:00.440 the arts, hasn't he? Especially painting. Very 00:30:00.440 --> 00:30:03.819 much so. He's a keen watercolorist himself. Quite 00:30:03.819 --> 00:30:06.240 accomplished, actually. He exhibits his work, 00:30:06.339 --> 00:30:08.319 sells lithographs, apparently raised over two 00:30:08.319 --> 00:30:10.700 million pounds just from sales at Highgrove over 00:30:10.700 --> 00:30:13.359 the years, all for his charities. He founded 00:30:13.359 --> 00:30:15.700 a drawing school, too. Yes, the Royal Drawing 00:30:15.700 --> 00:30:18.269 School in 2000. He's passionate about promoting 00:30:18.269 --> 00:30:20.569 traditional skills, and he's patron of loads 00:30:20.569 --> 00:30:23.130 of performing arts organizations, Royal Opera, 00:30:23.230 --> 00:30:25.230 Royal Shakespeare Company, the list goes on, 00:30:25.309 --> 00:30:27.609 over 20 of them. And he was quite the sportsman 00:30:27.609 --> 00:30:29.730 in his day. Polo was a big part of his life. 00:30:29.930 --> 00:30:32.910 A huge part. He played competitive polo quite 00:30:32.910 --> 00:30:35.670 seriously for decades, only really stopping around 00:30:35.670 --> 00:30:39.569 2005. He was also keen on fox hunting, until 00:30:39.569 --> 00:30:42.309 the band came in that same year. He wasn't afraid 00:30:42.309 --> 00:30:44.210 of the physical side of things. Picked up a few 00:30:44.210 --> 00:30:46.589 injuries along the way. Definitely. broke his 00:30:46.589 --> 00:30:49.490 arm playing polo in 1990, fractured his shoulder 00:30:49.490 --> 00:30:52.509 in 2001, several other knocks. He certainly didn't 00:30:52.509 --> 00:30:54.730 wrap himself in cotton wool. OK, finally, we 00:30:54.730 --> 00:30:56.609 have to talk about the money. Royal finances 00:30:56.609 --> 00:30:59.549 are always complex and often controversial. What's 00:30:59.549 --> 00:31:01.710 the picture regarding Charles's personal wealth? 00:31:01.869 --> 00:31:04.910 It's substantial. Estimates in 2023 put his personal 00:31:04.910 --> 00:31:08.329 fortune around $1 .8 billion. A significant chunk 00:31:08.329 --> 00:31:10.910 of that was inherited, tax -exempt, from his 00:31:10.910 --> 00:31:13.460 mother, the queen. But his main income stream 00:31:13.460 --> 00:31:15.680 for all those decades as Prince of Wales was 00:31:15.680 --> 00:31:18.240 unique. The Duchy of Cornwall. Exactly. This 00:31:18.240 --> 00:31:21.660 vast private estate land property investments 00:31:21.660 --> 00:31:25.839 covering about 133 ,000 acres. It generated millions 00:31:25.839 --> 00:31:28.299 in income for him every year. And the Duchy itself 00:31:28.299 --> 00:31:30.660 hasn't been immune from financial scrutiny over 00:31:30.660 --> 00:31:33.420 the years. No, it hasn't. Because it's a private 00:31:33.420 --> 00:31:36.039 estate, it's exempt from corporation tax, which 00:31:36.039 --> 00:31:38.519 has always raised eyebrows. It also got caught 00:31:38.519 --> 00:31:40.940 up in the Paradise Papers leak, which shone a 00:31:40.940 --> 00:31:43.480 light on some of its offshore investments. There 00:31:43.480 --> 00:31:45.900 were earlier allegations about tax avoidance, 00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:49.420 too. It highlights the very unusual, privileged 00:31:49.420 --> 00:31:52.119 financial status the heir enjoys through the 00:31:52.119 --> 00:31:54.880 duchy. So now he's king, his income source changes 00:31:54.880 --> 00:31:59.240 to the sovereign grant. And William gets the 00:31:59.240 --> 00:32:01.380 duchy. That's right. William is now the Duke 00:32:01.380 --> 00:32:03.539 of Cornwall. and receives the duchy's income. 00:32:04.599 --> 00:32:06.559 Charles's funding comes from the public sovereign 00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:09.680 grant linked to crown estate profits, which he 00:32:09.680 --> 00:32:11.700 himself has now helped regulate regarding those 00:32:11.700 --> 00:32:13.920 wind farm profits. Which leads to that slightly 00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:17.000 strange situation with Highgrove House, his longtime 00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:19.859 family home. It's a very odd reversal. Highgrove 00:32:19.859 --> 00:32:22.440 is owned by the duchy of Cornwall. So Charles, 00:32:22.579 --> 00:32:24.000 who lived there and developed the gardens for 00:32:24.000 --> 00:32:26.839 decades, now has to essentially pay rent to the 00:32:26.839 --> 00:32:28.960 duchy, controlled by his son William. How much 00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:31.700 rent? The figure reported is around 700 ,000 00:32:31.700 --> 00:32:34.700 pounds a year. It's a constitutionally necessary 00:32:34.700 --> 00:32:37.839 arrangement, but yes, a bit strange on a personal 00:32:37.839 --> 00:32:40.259 level, paying rent to your son for your own home. 00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:43.000 So looking back over this deep dive, what we've 00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:45.470 seen is this incredible arc. From that sensitive 00:32:45.470 --> 00:32:47.890 boy sent off to Gordonstown through the intense 00:32:47.890 --> 00:32:50.730 scrutiny and scandal of his middle years to becoming 00:32:50.730 --> 00:32:53.289 this deeply driven Prince of Wales. A man who 00:32:53.289 --> 00:32:55.910 really defined his half century as air by launching 00:32:55.910 --> 00:32:58.109 ambitious projects often ahead of their time 00:32:58.109 --> 00:33:00.829 on the environment, architecture, youth opportunity. 00:33:01.009 --> 00:33:03.210 And often wading into controversy while doing 00:33:03.210 --> 00:33:05.720 it. Absolutely. And he finally inherits the throne 00:33:05.720 --> 00:33:08.299 as arguably the best prepared, most experienced, 00:33:08.519 --> 00:33:10.720 yet also one of the most publicly known and analyzed 00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:13.539 monarchs in history. And that transition from 00:33:13.539 --> 00:33:15.839 Charles, the lifelong activist prince, to Charles, 00:33:15.859 --> 00:33:18.400 the neutral king, is where the real tension lies, 00:33:18.539 --> 00:33:21.920 isn't it? Our sources, the record, it's crystal 00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:25.700 clear. He spent decades using every tool available 00:33:25.700 --> 00:33:28.279 to him, those black spider memos, his public 00:33:28.279 --> 00:33:30.859 speeches, his charitable foundations, his architectural 00:33:30.859 --> 00:33:33.240 interventions, his global platform with things 00:33:33.240 --> 00:33:35.579 like the Great Reset, to push his deeply held, 00:33:35.740 --> 00:33:39.220 sometimes very contentious views. That vast military 00:33:39.220 --> 00:33:41.480 -style campaign for sustainability he called 00:33:41.480 --> 00:33:43.700 for. Not exactly neutral language. Not at all. 00:33:43.740 --> 00:33:46.200 His life as prince was defined by interventionist 00:33:46.200 --> 00:33:48.700 advocacy. He clearly believes passionately in 00:33:48.700 --> 00:33:50.859 these causes. Yet he gave that very clear promise. 00:33:50.940 --> 00:33:53.359 I'm not that. stupid. He said he understood he 00:33:53.359 --> 00:33:55.000 had to operate differently as sovereign, that 00:33:55.000 --> 00:33:57.140 the meddling would stop. Exactly. And that fundamental 00:33:57.140 --> 00:33:59.619 conflict is where we want to leave you, our listeners 00:33:59.619 --> 00:34:02.759 today. We know he promised neutrality, but we 00:34:02.759 --> 00:34:05.160 also know his entire life has been about passionate, 00:34:05.259 --> 00:34:08.500 hands -on advocacy for causes he demonstrably 00:34:08.500 --> 00:34:11.500 still believes in. We see hints in the vegan 00:34:11.500 --> 00:34:14.019 anointing oil, the fiscal discipline on the sovereign 00:34:14.019 --> 00:34:16.639 grant. So the provocative question we're left 00:34:16.639 --> 00:34:19.559 with is this. In a modern monarchy where neutrality 00:34:19.559 --> 00:34:21.840 is constitutional law, how will King Charles 00:34:21.840 --> 00:34:24.619 III channel a lifetime of passionate interventionist 00:34:24.619 --> 00:34:26.739 advocacy without speaking a single political 00:34:26.739 --> 00:34:29.679 word? And how will his established global influence, 00:34:29.820 --> 00:34:32.300 such as his leadership in the Great Reset, continue 00:34:32.300 --> 00:34:34.559 to shape global policy from a position of silence?