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British RoyalsKing Charles III

Prince Charles won’t ”meddle” when he succeeds as King

The Prince of Wales has said he will stop campaigning on issues close to his heart when he eventually succeeds as king. Speaking in a new BBC documentary, to mark his 70th birthday later this month, he says that he realises his position as heir to the throne is different to the role of being monarch, and he would stop speaking out about his passions and beliefs as he is ”not that stupid”.

The Prince addresses the question of whether his work in areas like the environment can continue in the same vein during his own reign, and he is clear that changes will have to be made. Charles tells the programme that ”the idea, somehow, that I’m going to go on in exactly the same way, if I have to succeed, is complete nonsense because…the two situations are completely different’. And he adds ”I do realise that it is a separate exercise being sovereign. So, of course, I understand entirely how that should operate.”

The Prince has given in-depth interviews to the documentary called ”Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70” while programme makers have also been given exclusive access to follow the royal for the past 12 months as they made the show. It also features interviews with the Prince’s nearest and dearest including the Duke of Cambridge and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Prince William tells the programme that his father is ”brilliant” with his three grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis who all feature in an official photo placed prominently behind Charles during one of his interviews in the show. But William adds that they all want more time with Charles who has a packed royal agenda even as he approaches seventy. William says ”we need him there as much as possible”.

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cornwall is full of praise for her husband and for the energy he has for his royal role. Camilla tells the programme that her husband ”wants things done by yesterday”, adding that ”he’s driven by this, this passion inside him to really help”. And his wife concludes ”he would like to save the world”.

Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70 will be shown in the UK on BBC One on Thursday, November 8th 2018 at 9 pm.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.