At the beginning of the week, in the restroom of the London Palladium theatre, Shannon David was washing her face. Carefully, so as not to smudge her makeup, yet determined to remove the traces of redness and tears. Just minutes earlier, this young woman had stood on stage with Prince Charles, among the select group of nominees for an award from his charitable organization, the Prince’s Trust.
“I can’t believe this is happening. He shook my hand! When he spoke to me, I thought I was going to faint. This is the best day of my life,” Shannon told me before joining the celebration. Among the guests—comprising stars from the entertainment industry, athletes, and business figures—the Prince’s protégés were easily recognizable by their modest attire and the disbelief in their eyes that they were the true stars of this gala event.
By their early twenties, they had already experienced poverty, oppression, depression, hopelessness, addiction, illness, and loneliness. Like Sharon, a figure skater whose injury led her into alcoholism and prescription drug dependency, they had emerged victorious from their darkest nightmares. Now, they sipped champagne in the company of their favorite celebrities, holding the Prince’s trophy in their hands. This was their moment.
The annual awards ceremony of one of the UK’s most renowned charitable organizations, which this year marks its 40th anniversary, is a true reflection of the efforts of the man destined to become the King of the United Kingdom. Everyone who knows him, follows him, or works with him tells me that he is tireless. This event, impressive in itself, is merely a fraction of his ambitions. Over the past four decades, more than a million young people have found hope and a path in life through the Prince’s organization, which provides psychological, financial, and educational support to those in difficult circumstances.
Stories with happy endings, like Shannon’s—who overcame addiction and returned to figure skating—are all deeply moving. Alex, who struggled to find employment due to autism and a speech impediment, regained his confidence with the help of the Prince’s Trust and now works for DHL. Callum, despite severe health problems and mental challenges, managed to complete high school and is now an apprentice carpenter. Former addict Grace overcame her dependency, completed cosmetology school, and now owns her own beauty salon with four employees and an annual revenue of £30,000. Louise, Ryan, Lorraine, and Gill transformed their lack of confidence and life in poverty into an opportunity by launching a joint project to renovate gardens in front of social housing, bringing beauty back to many neighborhoods. After a suicide attempt, Laine spent most of the year in a psychiatric hospital. Today, she is an intern at a marketing agency and a proud recipient of the Prince’s Trust award.
Beyond highlighting the impact that the Prince of Wales has on his protégés, this event showcases what the royal family means to the British people. It is a relationship that is difficult for nations outside the Commonwealth to understand, where the focus is primarily on politicians and celebrities rather than a Queen with whom they have grown up and grown old over her six decades on the throne. The royal family does not belong to the cult of celebrity, nor to politics. They are not even aristocrats in the conventional sense. They are royalty. As one of her cousins once said—the Queen has never been anything but a queen. And her firstborn son has never known a life in which he was not the heir to the British crown.
On a Monday early afternoon, the space in front of the London Palladium, right next to Oxford Circus, is blocked off. Hundreds of people stand in front of the barriers, hoping to catch at least a brief glimpse of Prince Charles. They are willing to wait for hours for this moment. The red carpet is waiting for the Bentley limousine to bring the prince among the gathered guests. Excitement is the word that unmistakably describes the atmosphere. In the lobby, television, sports, and music stars are gathering. Cameras are ready, waiting for the prince’s arrival. A few minutes of his walk, during which he will greet the famous ambassadors of his organization, is the highlight of the day for everyone gathered in this foyer. Rita Ora is chatting with former Spice Girl Geri, joined by popular hosts Ant and Dec. There’s renowned astrophysicist Brian Cox and one of the actresses from Downton Abbey. Everyone is smiling, well-groomed, and perfect, as befits those accustomed to attention. Someone from the PR team announces that the prince has left the palace. Excitement stirs in the room. Rita Ora adjusts her blouse, cameramen check their equipment for the umpteenth time, and Geri practices a bow. Prince Charles enters quietly and unobtrusively, engaging in a series of handshakes with the guests. The prince repeats the gesture from one person to the next; his assistant introduces the guest, he extends his hand, and they engage in a brief conversation. More interesting than the topic of conversation, which the journalists try to eavesdrop on, is the reaction of the prince’s interlocutors. A combination of happiness, excitement, and awe. With a joyful smile and wide eyes, they seem as though they want to absorb the moment forever. Big entertainers, sultry singers, and self-assured celebrities turn into children before the prince. In person, Prince Charles appears a little older and shorter, but also more approachable and charming. With his deep voice and English accent that rings like crystal, he’s quick with quips, much to the delight of everyone present. Rita Ora is moved when he mentions a visit to her homeland, Kosovo. When he recognizes an athlete, the man, his face reddened, admits that “he has brightened his day.” Dynamo is also there, whom Prince Charles is especially happy to see. When he first met him, Dynamo was a poor boy from a grim social housing estate and a protégé of his organization. Today, he is one of the most famous magicians in the country, having sold over 350,000 DVDs and currently on a tour with over a hundred performances across the UK, including the O2 Arena, a feat no magician has achieved before.
If, with a slight sense of sarcasm, I observed Rita and Geri being nervous in front of the prince, it became clear to me that the rule of maintaining composure when meeting celebrities does not apply to the royal family. As soon as Prince Charles saw me, quite unexpectedly, he addressed me. With a bow and “Your Royal Highness,” I mumbled my wish for a pleasant stay in Croatia. “You are from Croatia? Will we see you somewhere in the background?” the charming prince smiled at me. He said he was really looking forward to the visit and recalled his last visit to the former Yugoslavia in the seventies. “That was a long time ago, 1978. Tito was still there!” he said. When I asked him about his impressions from the first visit, he smiled and said, “It was very interesting.”
I can imagine. It was his first visit to a communist country. On that trip, he was accompanied by the legendary royal photographer Arthur Edwards, who told me several charming anecdotes from the trip, including a walk around Dubrovnik and his first meeting with Tito, who received him at his villa in Belgrade. Tito greeted the prince with a cigar in his mouth and asked if he would like one. “No, thank you,” Charles replied. “I stopped smoking at the age of nine.”
The Croatia that Prince Charles, accompanied by his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will encounter will be very different in many ways; not just because of the changes brought by time and wars, but also judging by the program that starts with Their Majesties’ arrival in Zagreb tomorrow. As is typical for Charles’s travels, he touches on many areas of interest. After meeting with President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and Tihomir Orešković, the royal couple will visit Gornji Grad to learn about the restoration of buildings damaged in the Serbian aggression of 1991. They will visit Osijek to encourage interreligious dialogue, meet experts dealing with sexual violence in war, support entrepreneurs at Osijek Software City, visit the State Stud Farm Đakovo, whose Lipizzan horses were visited by Queen Elizabeth II in 1972, and tour Zlatna Greda, an example of environmental protection and sustainable development, which is a particular passion of Prince Charles. During the meeting, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will tell me that unfortunately, they chose poor weather conditions for their visit to Croatia. However, despite the English tendency to comment on the weather, it should not significantly affect their stay. There will be no time for coffee by the sea or a stroll along Stradun. A small group of journalists who accompany them on most international trips tell me that they are already physically and mentally preparing for the dynamics of travel to the Western Balkans (after Croatia, Their Majesties will visit Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo). “You can’t even imagine what Prince Charles and Camilla fit into their schedule. So much interest, so much energy! From every visit, they want to extract the absolute maximum. I always return exhausted from the trip,” a colleague from the Daily Mail tells me. During a recent visit to Canada, the royal couple had as many as 50 activities in four days. Along with socializing with journalists, which Camilla is always particularly friendly and ready to engage in conversation. Among the journalists who, it seems, follow them everywhere – one of them, after traveling to Croatia, is now following Prince Harry in Nepal – there’s no sign of the well-known journalistic cynicism. These journalists do not complain, they are not intrusive or impatient, and even if they seek exclusives, they do not show it. They have friendly relationships with the royal staff, and when they spot Their Royal Highnesses, they are visibly excited. Even Arthur Edwards, who has such a close relationship with Prince Charles that after a recent operation, the prince sent him a written message and a box of chocolates. “Prince Charles is the most fascinating person I know. I could talk about him for days. The only purpose of his life is to do good, to help the old and the young. Through his charity organization, The Prince’s Trust, he has helped more than a million poor children and made some of them very successful. Then, his contribution to saving rainforests is fascinating; I followed him when he visited probably every rainforest in the world in an effort to save them for our grandchildren. He is an incredible person. He’s amazing. He works non-stop, from ten in the morning to two at night, writing his speeches, he’s met almost every world leader and maintains friendly relations with many of them. He is a great ambassador for the United Kingdom. I believe he will be a great king, and I hope to experience that, even though it seems like the Queen will live forever,” said Arthur Edwards, who has been following the royal family for the past forty years for the best-selling British tabloid, The Sun. Despite this, when he saw Prince Charles, it created a special atmosphere. Arthur, who is a true legend in London’s journalistic circles and has received a special decoration from the Queen for his services, I can also thank for the photos he took documenting my meeting with Prince Charles.
A few days later, I find myself in one of the most beautiful city parks, Green Park. It’s a sunny day, and groups of tourists are walking toward Buckingham Palace. The path leading to Clarence House is hard to spot, and I’ll need directions from a few heavily armed police officers to find the right entrance. Clarence House, the residence of Prince Charles and Camilla, is nestled next to St. James’s Palace from the 16th century. Before Charles and Camilla, it was the home of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as a young married couple, and later, Queen Mother lived here until her death. For Charles and Camilla, this is where they host guests, organize banquets, and carry out their daily duties with more than 350 organizations they collaborate with. However, for them, it is primarily their home. We are in the beautiful “Morning Room” on the ground floor of the palace, which the public had the chance to see in the official photograph of Prince George’s christening, in the arms of his mother Catherine, with the entire family present. If the atmosphere weren’t warm and lively, I’d think I was in a museum. Every detail is sensational – the carpet covering the floors, stylish furniture, portraits, decorated ceilings, collections of brooches and miniatures, lavish lamps. There are frames with photographs of royal family members everywhere. Queen Elizabeth II in her younger days, Prince George with his sister Charlotte, Princes William and Harry in their childhood, Queen Mother, the family together. I’ve seen similar photographs in Hello!magazine and in the living rooms of retirees. With one significant difference – here, they function as private family photographs, images of children and grandchildren, intimate moments, and touching memories. However, although none of the gathered guests can resist, we are not here for sightseeing; we are here for work. It’s International Women’s Day, and the Duchess of Cambridge is hosting a reception in honor of the Women of the World festival. About fifty successful women are waiting for the Duchess’s arrival. There are leading British women from politics, media, and business – powerful women with great ambitions. Like her husband a few days earlier, Camilla shakes hands with each of them. With some, it’s obvious that they are close; she greets them with a hug, like old friends. Rachel Johnson, a distinguished British journalist, better known as Boris Johnson’s sister, tells me that “everyone loves Camilla.” “It took us some time to accept her, but now she’s really dear to our hearts. We really like her,” she says. Surrounded by the royal palace, the gathered women are relaxed, happy, and ready for conversation. That day, while Camilla was greeting her guests without a break, with a glass of chilled champagne, I chatted with Rachel Johnson about her brother Boris, the Mayor of London; with Theresa May, the UK Home Secretary and convincingly the most powerful politician in the UK, I discussed Brexit, and with Princess Catherine’s favorite fashion designer, Amanda Wakeley, I talked about women in fashion. They were all here with one goal – to be close to the Duchess of Cornwall. Is there a better way to celebrate International Women’s Day than with champagne at the royal palace, surrounded by impressive women?
After the official part, Camilla’s personal secretary, Amanda, introduces me to the Duchess, who comments: “I look forward to visiting Croatia. This is my first official visit to your country. What a shame, it seems we have chosen bad weather conditions.” Camilla is warm and approachable, one of those women who knows how to give attention to the other women in the room. If she’s tired from two hours of concentration, smiling, talking, meeting people, all in front of the cameras and photographers, she doesn’t show it. Royal family analysts call her “The Firm,” arguing that the royal family is truly organized like a company, with its members needing to be in top form to perform their duties. Although those who are not fond of the monarchy imagine their days to be spent on luxurious holidays and occasional handshakes, much of what happens is beyond the public eye. I discovered this for myself this week; just peeking into their world is enough to conclude that a lot goes on there, is done, and succeeds.
Andrew Marr, the leading British journalist, in his analysis of the royal family, notes: “Prince Charles has pushed the boundaries of what members of the royal family need to do. He has raised an incredible amount of money for causes such as saving rainforests and giving young people a new start. Almost all of his work is done out of the spotlight due to his dissatisfaction with the effect media attention has on him,” he says. Marr, perhaps the most influential political journalist in the country, claims that it’s naive to say that Prince Charles stays away from politics (as is expected of him as a member of the royal family). “He is a politically aware man with a political vision that is, for the most part, much broader than the current debates in Westminster,” says Marr. How politically and intellectually active he is has been shown several times when he clashed with Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair. His recent series of letters to ministers shows not only that Prince Charles follows British political life but also how much he cares about Britons and their natural and cultural heritage. And not just Britons. For example, he wrote to the then Environment Minister that illegal fishing of Patagonian fish should be a top priority because, unless it is stopped, there is little hope that the good, old albatross will survive, “for which he will continue to campaign.” To the Minister of Education, he apologized for his “old-fashioned views,” and warned Tony Blair that the army had an exceptionally challenging job without the necessary resources. As Marr concludes, Prince Charles is a man of strong opinions and tremendous energy, using his unusual position to bring together politicians, businessmen, and campaign leaders to change things for the better. Prince Charles has so completely distanced himself, both literally and symbolically, from the rules of Buckingham Palace that some speculate that, when he becomes king, he will abolish the palace’s role as the royal residence and turn it into a government hotel. In any case, Prince Charles is expected to be a different and very interesting king.
His image among the British is unique. While the Queen is the most popular and beloved family member, as shown by the enthusiasm with which her Diamond Jubilee was celebrated and the recent anniversary that made her the longest-reigning British monarch in history, and William and Catherine are the royal version of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Prince Charles holds a different position in the national consciousness. The princely position does not come entirely naturally to his character. Charles was only four years old when his young mother became Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Her duties left little time for caring for little Charles, who was a sensitive boy. When his parents went on their first major state trip, he did not see them for months. Boarding school also contributed to the prince’s dissatisfaction in an environment where he didn’t feel comfortable. As a young man, he had the image of a playboy and the most eligible bachelor in the world, but he quickly found his chosen one, Camilla Shand, who, due to her previous marriage, was not considered suitable for the royal court. His unhappy marriage to Princess Diana made him extremely unpopular, and after Diana’s death, it threatened the survival of the royal family. Those who know him say that only with Camilla, whom he married in 2005, did he find the happiness he had long sought.
Apart from his described activities, Prince Charles is a businessman. In 1990, he founded his line of food products, Duchy, which are sold in luxury supermarkets like Waitrose. It began with oat biscuits made from his Highgrove estate. Duchy today has a wide range of products sold in thirty countries, including Australia and Japan. The income generated by Duchy is used for Charles’s charitable organization, “The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation.” In between travels, handshakes, business dealings, and attempts to change the world, the Prince of Wales is a painter. His gentle character and love for nature come to life in atmospheric watercolors depicting scenes from the British countryside.
During the week I followed Charles and Camilla, the royal family was filling the headlines of the British press. A storm was raised by the claim of an anonymous source that Queen Elizabeth II supports Brexit. Prince William was criticized for using a private jet for a family holiday at the luxury French ski resort of Courchevel. Meanwhile, Prince Charles and his Duchess maintained their usual working routine. In addition to the events described, there were several others that week, such as marking the 40th anniversary of the Prince’s Trust with Queen Elizabeth II and a charity concert at St. James’s Palace, where Charles acted as host.
At the palace and their residence, they often host receptions, like the one in honor of women that day. After greeting the guests, the Duchess of Cornwall retreats to her private quarters. Now that they are empty, the rooms of Clarence House take on the feel of someone’s living room. It is fresh, and the fire in the fireplace is not enough to warm the vast spaces, an eternal problem that palace owners from aristocratic homes complain about. Yet, with the pleasant crackling and family memories on the shelves, the space transforms from a backdrop of spectacle to a home. Alongside portraits of queens and kings, Charles’s grandparents, there are images of rural scenes. Someone told me that Charles’s favorite magazine is Country Life. As usual, I take a glance at the bookshelves because I believe they reveal much about the person who collects them in their home. In Prince Charles’s home, they are traditional, English. Shakespeare’s works. Tess of the d’Urbervilles. In the basement room where they keep our coats, by the window, a book titled Harmony by Prince Charles is set aside. It’s likely that someone from the staff is reading it. As I leave the garden, where the first signs of spring are sparkling, I remember that the book’s subtitle is “A New Look at the World,” perhaps one of the desired influences of great people who accomplish great things.
The article was published in Jutarnji list in March 2016.