charle
King Charles’ pared-down coronation on Saturday is already being dismissed as coronation-lite. A goodly percentage of Brits see the monarchy as disconnected from their lives, an anachronism in modern times. Charles personally is considered boring and uncharismatic.
The reign of King Charles III is being written out of the history books before it’s really begun. He is already being thought of as the in-between king, sandwiched between the extraordinary Queen Elizabeth II and the promise of Prince William and his picture-perfect family.
My take on King Charles’ prospects is a little different. He might be just what we need in these turbulent times.
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I met the king years ago, at a small dinner in London shortly after Prince William was born and only a year into his ill-fated marriage to Princess Diana.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana with their sons William and Harry in 1984. (Lord Snowdon/REX/Shutterstock)
In the fall of 1982, I was invited by the American Ambassador to the Court of St. James's John Louis, and his wife, to come to London for a dinner, in honor of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
The ambassador wanted to introduce the Waleses to a sampling of young Americans of their own generation, drawn from all walks of life, from all parts of the country.
David and Julie Eisenhower were there, as well as a computer entrepreneur, an American Olympic athlete, a Wall Street financier, and a California real estate developer.
I represented the Reagan administration and Washington. There were also a handful of Princess Diana’s friends. We are about 40 in all, everyone under 40.
The ambassador’s residence, Winfield house, is a neo-Georgian red brick mansion inside Regent’s Park. The house and gardens were donated to the U.S. government by an American heiress after World War II. It’s a throwback to another era – think "Bridgerton" meets "Downton Abbey" but in the heart of London.
I had blown my entire clothes budget on a kelly green satin evening gown, with huge puffy sleeves and dropped waist – the height of fashion in the 1980s.
The American and British guests assembled in the living room at the appointed time and were carefully arranged in conversation groupings of six or so each.
We were the "stations" the Prince and Princess of Wales could stop at briefly for introductions and a short chat during cocktails. That way everyone got a chance to meet Charles and Diana and exchange a few sentences, even if they were not seated with them at dinner.
After cocktails, we moved into the dining room, where there were maybe six tables with six or seven each. I was seated at the prince’s table.
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I had been alerted by Ambassador Louis that the prince was interested in national security issues, and might want to break with protocol and talk about President Reagan’s military buildup.
Sure enough, Prince Charles asked me about new MX intercontinental missile system the U.S. was building, and how it would work. It was hardly the light dinner conversation I expected.
He seemed genuinely curious about the technology, and very well-informed about specifics. Charles had read his briefs, and then some. It was the kind of discussion I would have expected at a think tank conference, or Pentagon briefing, not at an elegant London soirée.
Forty years have passed since that dinner, during which the world has watched the travails and tragedies of Charles and Diana’s marriage, her death and his remarriage, and the most intimate details of the lives of the royals. But that all seems so long ago.
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We’re focused on the here and now. What kind of king will Charles be? His tabloid days are behind him. He will not be King Charles Kardashian, he will be dutiful, hardworking and earnest.
He will do his homework and make sure everyone he meets comes away with a special memory.
Right now, with much of the world upended, Charles could be the king we need, even if we don’t realize it.
We’re all exhausted by drama, division and the descent into a kind of global madness. King Charles is steadfast… no surprises… no drama….
Some people think that sounds boring. I think it sounds soothing and safe, and secure.
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I’ve had enough of the constant battering of the outrage industry. I’m looking forward to the reign of Charles and a return to normalcy.
Long live King Charles!
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