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9 stories from that new book about Prince Charles most likely to turn you republican

6.

Charles is highly critical of the Chinese government, boycotting the Chinese premier’s 2005 state visit to London to protest China’s treatment of Tibet, and describing Beijing’s “corrupt” rulers as “appalling old waxworks”. He is less critical of Arab dictatorships, developing close relationships with Prince Khaled Al-Faisal and King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and the Qatari royal family. In his 2010 book Harmony, the Prince describes his ideal society as being run by an absolute monarch, ruling over a pre-industrial feudal society

7.

Charles has a bit of a temper. He frequently smashes his radio in anger while listening to Radio 4’s Today programme, throws a plate to the floor at a dinner party, and rails at his private secretary, complaining that “the office… is useless, people cannot spell and the world is so unfair… this is part of the intolerable burden I put up with. This incompetence!”

8.

Prince Charles uses his influence to get vast donations to support his hobby horse of alternative medicine. He urges the government to fund research into the Gerson Therapy to treat cancer, suggesting that chemotherapy be replaced by coffee enemas, carrot juices and natural supplements. He persuades the Department of Health to invest £18.5 million to the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital and donate £1.1 million to fund his “Foundation for Integrated Health”. The foundation closes in 2010 after its finance director is found to have stolen £253,000 from the fund

9.

When Royal Mint designed coins with his profile on them in preparation for his succession, Charles was unhappy that the design made him look too bald and too old. “He demanded that he be shown with a full head of hair, and considerably younger”

And two other things we learned …

10.

Charles once asked the artist Lucian Freud if he would like to swap one of his oil paintings (which are worth millions) for one of his own watercolours (valued at around £2,000). “I don’t want one of your rotten paintings,” said Freud

11.

When appointing a private secretary in 1990, Charles dispatches Jimmy Savile – who else? – to interview prospective candidates. “The Prince had even sent Savile a box of Havana cigars – a gift from Fidel Castro – with a note: ‘Nobody will ever know what you’ve done for this country, Jimmy’.” Quite so, Your Royal Highness, quite so

In the interests of further reading, there’s a Guardian review here of Bower’s book, Rebel Prince: the Power, Passion and Defiance of Prince Charles.