Charles At 60

[poliphilo]

Prince Charles is 60. Funny bloke.

I'm of the same generation as him- two years younger. He's always been there, just a little ahead of me- enjoying his schooldays (ha!) going to university, travelling abroad. I got married before he did. We both made a horlicks of our first marriage.

When Ailz comments- as she so often does- on my thinning hair, I say, "No, that's Prince Charles you're thinking of."

There was a specially commissioned, entirely grovelling BBC documentary about him last night. He seems to spend his life talking. He says he listens, but we didn't see any of that. His staff say that when he's not there to talk at them he sends them handwritten memos. Has there ever been a man so full of opinions?

Perhaps he should write a blog.

The Prince's Trust seems to do good work. We saw him in Burnley- on a mission to save the town from itself. Believe me, Burnley needs saving. His views on agriculture and architecture are harder to swallow. Actually I think they're batty.

We got a stroll round his gardens at Highgrove. They're very lovely. The Prince's walk (so-named) has topiary to die for. In a nook of the garden- beyond the arena of tree stumps- very creepy- which he's dedicated to the memory of his gran- is a private chapel. So private we didn't get to look inside. The Bishop of London ("We were at Cambridge together") consecrated it for him. All the measurements are based on the measurements of Charles' own body- the length of his outstretched arms, of his finger joints. Solipsistic? Yes, just a little.

He says that when we switched from traditional measurements to decimal, we "lost our connection to the universe".

Ailz and I were discussing him in bed afterwards. We agreed that he seems happier, more at ease with himself since he married Camilla. He twinkles as he talks, talks, talks.

That twinkle reminds me of Olivier's Lear in the opening scene of the play- a man entirely sure of his welcome, of his own charm and amiability. And who wouldn't be sure of his charm if everyone in the neighbourhood bowed or curtsied and called him "Sir" and listened with smiles while he talked?

Comments

[jfs.livejournal.com]

I saw a quote attributed to him, from the mid 90s, where he allegedly said "Did you really expect me to be the first Prince of Wales in history not to have a mistress?"

Like he felt it was his duty?

I don't care that he had a mistress; it simply means that whenever he bangs on about morality, or our connection with the universe, I know I'm not missing much.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think anyone who grows up in the ambience of the Royal family is both an oppressor and a victim. They live by a very weird moral code.

Charles' treatment of women- not only his wife- has been pretty skanky.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

He always seemed to me to be to be a bit of a bumbling boob in terms of personality.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think that's right. The former royal he most reminds me of is George III- the one who lost us America :)

[glitzfrau.livejournal.com]

What a great post!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[dadi.livejournal.com]

I had the honour to shake hands with Prince Charles in 1992. He does have a certain charme, and I have always profoundly disliked the mediatized Lady Diana, and all the hype around her. Camilla may not be as telegenic, but she looks a lot more like his soulmate. And I know he does a lot of work for sustainability projects, serious work, not only the usual fundraisers. I wish there were more public personalities doing what he does!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm not a huge fan of any of the royals- living or dead. I think Di was badly treated- but that Charles was also a victim- growing up as he did in that weird ambience, according to those weird rules. I think he has an impossible job, but has been doing his best to make some sense of it. The Prince's Trust seems to be an entirely good thing. I believe even the Queen thinks he spends too much on himself.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

I too have always had a soft spot for Charles. Also I thought he and Camilla looked so relaxed together as they walked through the woods, something you never saw with him and Di. I will draw a veil over my feelings about Di because I never liked her but also felt sorry for her. The royals are sporty out-doorsy sort of people and she wanted to look glamerous and wear designer clothes. One or other of them was always out of their element.

The royal I like best, however, is Princess Anne.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I know almost nothing about Charles, but I loved reading this post.

His views on agriculture and architecture are harder to swallow. Actually I think they're batty.


Made me laugh.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

re war

[(Anonymous)]

just sent you an email...
Jenny

Re: re war

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Ah, right you are. I'll go look.

[oakmouse]

"All the measurements are based on the measurements of Charles' own body- the length of his outstretched arms, of his finger joints. Solipsistic? Yes, just a little."

At one time in England, *all* measurements were supposedly based on the King's body. I doubt that was literally true, but it's a powerful idea. And for a poor gink who never had a chance to grow up to be normal, I can imagine it having even more power.

I honestly have to agree with him about decimal measurement, but then I've never been able to see decimal measurement as anything but a ridiculous and unnecessary abstraction. A foot, a pint, a pound (in the sense of weight) are more than just numbers, they're distinct entities that have a history behind them, a reason for existing, and a sense of solidity. They relate to existing phenomena, to everyday human life. A meter, a liter, a kilo? Just numbers somebody pulled out of their *ahem*. The old measurement system is human; the decimal system is abhuman. That's how it looks from my point of view.

[mamadar.livejournal.com]

I agree with you, Mouse, and the *really* irritating part is that all the decimal units are just slightly *off* the old system's units anyway!

[oakmouse]

That is vexing, yes!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I agree.

I grow up with the old weights and measures and I've never adapted. I know roughly how much a foot is, but I haven't a clue about a metre- and so on and so forth. It's the same with temperature; I know what 80 degrees farenheit feels like, but the centigrade system is just numbers to me.

[oakmouse]

Yes, exactly.

Also, to me, metrics has always had that faint flavor of Kamazotz. Not appealing, to say the least.

[mamadar.livejournal.com]

My personal theory is that monarchy is a good way to rule a fairly small population. Most nations outgrew that size population decades or even centures ago, but a few countries seem to make a go of supporting a ceremonial monarchy on top of later democratic structures.

The real absurdity, I think, is that Charles has been held to notions of marriage, breeding, and succession that came out of the Dark Ages. To be more objective, the English monarchy seems to be hanging on to the pre-troubadour, pre-romantic concept of marriage as a form of property transfer, in an age when even the sacred Emperor of Japan has been allowed to marry beneath his station, because he fell in love with a "commoner". A lot of unhappiness could have been averted if Charles had been permitted to do that.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think Charles will have been the last royal to be forced into such a marriage. Hopefully the Palace has learned from the embarassing shambles that followed never to try anything like it again.

There are two words that almost persuade me that a ceremonial monarchy is preferable to the republican alternative. They are these: President Blair.

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

Yes, every time I feel republican urges, I realise that our dear Queen isn't all that bad when compared to the alternative. Imagine if we'd had President Thatcher? But Blair applies also. :)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think the Queen does a fair-to-middling job. High marks for application and perseverance, low marks for charm and charisma. And why, after fifty years in the job, is she still so bad at public speaking?

[shullie.livejournal.com]

I thought he sounded very pagan'...lol

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Well yes, a lot of his ideas tend that way. Left to his own devices, I think he would probably have been a hippie.

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

But I will never forgive him for the way he egregiously used Diana. Who was 2 years older than me. That was a cynical exploitation of a young woman because he hadn't the guts when he was younger to marry Camilla, who was not a virgin. He never finished his affair with Camilla and he just used Diana to breed from.

Nasty man, uninformed opinions, parasite on the people.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It wasn't just him. The whole royal family, including the sainted Queen- cold-hearted woman- colluded in that travesty of a marriage.

There was an interesting documentary a few days back about Lady "Kanga" Tryon- another woman (admittedly a bit of a gold-digger) whom Charles used and dumped.