Tanya Gold Tanya Gold

The strangeness of Charles III

‘He can cry at a sunset’, says one courtier of the King. A bullied child and an intellectual among George Formby fans, Charles dreams of gardening and plants mazes

King Charles wearing the imperial state crown – or ‘Rolex’, as it’s nicknamed. [Getty Images] 
issue 27 January 2024

There are two narratives in Robert Hardman’s Charles III. The first is an account of the King’s first year on the throne. This is superbly researched and fascinating. We learn, for instance, that when Queen Elizabeth II died, the state trumpeters were on a plane to Canada and the bearer party was in Iraq.

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