WISE WORDS FROM KING CHARLES III

Light-hearted and revelatory, this is a wonderful celebration of royal wit and a fascinating glimpse into the life of our new monarch. Charles Philip Arthur George, Prince of Wales and heir apparent for more than 70 years, became King on 8th September 2022. On 6th May 2023 the world watched as he was crowned at Westminster Abbey. This special book looks at the personality behind the pomp. Although more guarded than his famously outspoken father, Charles is not averse to sparking controversy. He is passionate about the environment and the natural world, is a conservationist speaking out about climate change, a skilled horticulturalist and he has embraced his eccentric image and relished his reputation for talking to plants. He is also a keen sportsman and music lover, interested in the arts and architecture and his views on modern buildings have prompted some of his most colourful comments. He called a proposed extension to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square 'a monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend' and compared London's evolving skyline to 'an absurdist picnic table'. 'We already have a giant gherkin, now it looks as if we are going to have an enormous salt cellar.' He likes imitating and mimicking and making people laugh. The book focuses on the wisdom the monarch which he has acquired during his long apprenticeship. Talking about his love of painting: 'I was totally absorbed. I was in another world, or another dimension; all sense of time evaporated.' Here is the Action man swimming, surfing, horseback riding, playing polo, jumping out of aircraft, piloting his own plane, friends and mentors and duty and more. 160 pages, illus.