OPINION:
In April 2022, journalist Robert Hardman climbed the rigging of the 1869 clipper ship Cutty Sark to report on the experience for Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper. He was 70 feet in the air, protected from falling by secure harnesses, and had a commanding view of London from the height. Still, it wasn’t a task for the faint of heart.
Mr. Hardman, a veteran royal correspondent who has authored biographies of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III when the latter was Prince of Wales, needed no such feats of derring-do to complete his latest volume, “The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy.”
Released in mid-January, the book is a stunning, intimate recapitulation of the king’s first year. While Charles, who was 74 when he became king, was technically new to the role, he had a lifetime of on-the-job training, beginning in July 1969 when he was formally installed as Prince of Wales.
The ensuing 53 years before his accession saw a variety of ups and downs, from his ill-fated marriage to Lady Diana Spencer, their divorce, and her death in a 1997 car crash. Eight years later, Charles married Camilla Parker-Bowles, the love of his life, and the two were happy together. Queen Camilla’s upbeat attitude and determined community service have earned her the respect and admiration of millions, a shift from previous negative views.
Starting with the Sept. 8 phone call where the then-prince was first addressed as “Your Majesty“ — which informed him of his mother’s death — and ending with the first anniversary of her death, “The Making of a King” provides an inside view of the royal family that is grounded in authoritative sources — the king’s sister, Princess Anne, who holds the title of Princess Royal, is one on-the-record source; Camilla’s sister, Annabel Elliot, is another — and insider information including interviews with the monarch’s staff.
There’s precious little gossip to be found here, unlike many books on the Windsors. Yes, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and his wife, Meghan Markle, the Duchess, loom large in the shadows, their 2020 “Megxit” from active duty in the family taking them to California. Harry’s dislike for some in the family — particularly Queen Camilla — is present, as are Ms. Markle’s complaints about how she was treated when she married into the family. But just about everything concerning the Sussexes is sourced, albeit sometimes anonymously, and readers will not find the venom extant in other accounts.
It’s not that the book is without its surprises or interesting speculations: Charles likes the windows of Buckingham Palace and his other residences open year-round, while Camilla prefers a warmer temperature. The king favors Wagner and English choral works, while Prince William — now heir to the throne — likes AC/DC and The Chemical Brothers.
For this reader, two elements of the story stand out: the detailed, precise planning for Charles’ coronation in May 2023 and the king’s first year, as well as Mr. Hardman’s examination of what Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales, are likely to do when it’s their turn.
The coronation reflected much of the pomp and ceremony of Queen Elizabeth’s 1953 installation, but 70 years on, it was updated for a king who was sensitive to the United Kingdom as a nation of many faiths and a shorter ceremony to reflect changing times.
Mr. Hardman reports that in office, Charles is personable, rather humorous in public situations, and relaxed as head of the family. Camilla, as mentioned, has won the hearts of her subjects and is a superb host.
Of great interest to both is the strengthening of relationships within the Commonwealth of Nations, the association of mostly former crown colonies that are now independent nations. Whether more of these will become republics and depose Charles as head of state remains to be seen; the monarch doesn’t interfere and has said countries must choose for themselves.
Whenever the job passes to William, who is now 41, there will be further changes, the author says. A less-frequent churchgoer than his father, Mr. Hardman reports speculation that the Prince of Wales won’t assume the Supreme Governor of the Church of England position the monarch has held since Henry VIII. But that’s about as far as the guessing goes.
Instead, readers are treated to a fast-paced inside view of royal life’s intricacies and mundane aspects. With Mr. Hardman’s sources and experience — he interviewed the king several times when Charles turned 60 and produced a BBC documentary on the king’s first year — “The Making of a King” is an up-close-and-personal look at a world most readers will never directly experience.
• Mark A. Kellner is a national reporter for The Washington Times.
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The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy
By Robert Hardman
464 pages, Pegasus Books, $35, Jan. 18, 2024
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