Valentine Low’s Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown was excerpted in the Times. Most of the excerpts – and most of the headlines from those excerpts – were about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and “bullying” and the organized and unhinged smears against M&H. I wondered idly if that’s what the whole f–king book was about. Nope – it turns out that Low did cover/transcribe what then-Prince Charles’s courtiers said about him. After reading all of those ridiculous statements from Kensington Palace’s courtiers, would it surprise you to hear that Charles’s call-at-any-hour, workhorse energy is spoken about a lot differently than Meghan’s work ethic?
Charles is a demanding boss. Working for him is not a nine-to-five job. This, according to one former member of his household, is because he is very demanding of himself. “He is never satisfied with himself, or what he has achieved. People around him had to work hard to keep up. He had enormous stamina.” Another said: “He was demanding in that he is always working. Seven days a week. Never stops. At any moment he may want to call you about something. Working on his boxes, on his ideas, on his papers. The pace is pretty intense.” The phone calls could come at any time, from after breakfast until 11 at night, even at Christmas. In contrast to the conviviality of his grandmother’s household, Charles’s office is suffused with a ferocious work ethic: he is a man with a mission.
Oh, Charles has a temper, wow! “He would drive people hard. He was full of ideas, always asking people to go and do things. The workload as private secretary would be immense. He had strong opinions. He also had a proper temper on him, which was quite fun. He would rarely direct it at the individual. It would be about something, and he would lose his temper. He would throw something. He would go from zero to 60 in a flash, and then back down again. Things would frustrate him, especially the media.”
Charles can’t keep staff either, how weird: In the space of about seven years, Charles had five different private secretaries. Promotion, preferment, who’s in, who’s out: no wonder Charles’s household has been compared to Wolf Hall.
Charles’s office is full of dysfunction: In her book on Prince Charles, Catherine Mayer quotes a businessman who helped to set up an event with the prince’s household and later spoke “with amazement” about the “glaring flaws” in its organisational structure. He got the impression that aides used to obstruct planning so they could tell the boss of problems, which they would then solve. “There was a lot of backstabbing,” he said. According to another insider, some courtiers, though loyal and able, are also cunning and “involve themselves in the dark arts of undermining other people”.
Charles goes outside the palace walls for advice, to disastrous results: Charles was not always a good judge of who should have his ear. Jimmy Savile, the broadcaster and charity fundraiser who, after his death, was revealed to have been a serial sexual abuser, wrote a handbook for Charles on how the royal family should deal with the media after big disasters. Charles passed on his tips to the Duke of Edinburgh, who in turn showed them to the Queen.
Charles falls under people’s spells: One of Charles’s former members of staff said the most pernicious effect of his outside advisers was the way they suggested that his usual team were not doing a good job. “The prince is quite susceptible to new voices who tell him, ‘They are stopping you doing what you want to do. They are holding you back, the suits.’ He loves it when someone says, ‘Oh, they have got it wrong, sir, listen to me. I can see it better; I am outside of this.’ The prince falls under people’s spell. That could then lead to real problems for individuals.”
Low includes several stories of Charles bitching out various aides and keeping aides glued to their phones over weekends and holidays, awaiting his calls over non-urgent business. Low includes stories of Charles’s short temper and the real crisis of leadership and management within his dysfunctional office. It’s actually giving me a better sense of just how poorly Meghan was treated and how thoroughly she was scapegoated. As for Charles “falling under people’s spells” and, equally, being a terrible judge of character, welp, now he’s the king. It will only get a lot worse now.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
King Charles III and the Queen Consort at Westminster Hall, London, where both Houses of Parliament are meeting to express their condolences following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.,Image: 721928710, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Stefan Rousseau / Avalon 
Britain’s King Charles III at the presentation of Addresses by both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall, inside the Palace of Westminster, central London on September 12, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8.,Image: 721936686, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Eddie Mulholland for The Telegraph / Avalon 
Britain’s King Charles III and Britain’s Camilla, Queen Consort listen as The Speaker of The Commons Lindsay Hoyle (unseen) speaks during the presentation of Addresses by both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall, inside the Palace of Westminster, central London on September 12, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8.,Image: 721936899, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: BEN STANSALL / Avalon
Britain’s King Charles III speaks during the presentation of Addresses by both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall, inside the Palace of Westminster, central London on September 12, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8.,Image: 721936912, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: BEN STANSALL / Avalon 
The body of Queen Elizabeth II is carried to the Palace of Westminster, London followed by His Majesty King Charles III his sons Prince William and Prince Harry as well as Prince Edward, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew, September 14 2022. Thousands have turned out to watch the spectacleafter which the former monarch will Lie in State in Westminster Hall. There will be a short service upon the Coffin’s arrival at Westminster Hall, which will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.,Image: 722721802, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Tony Kershaw / SWNS / Avalon 
CARDIFF, WALES – SEPTEMBER 16: King Charles III arrives at Cardiff Castle to conduct audiences on September 16, 2022 in Cardiff, Wales. King Charles III is visiting Wales for the first time since ascending the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died at Balmoral Castle on September 8, 2022.,Image: 723280480, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Chris Jackson / Avalon
Britain’s King Charles attends a vigil, following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, inside Westminster Hall in London, Britain, September 16, 2022. REFILE – QUALITY REPEAT‚Ä®,Image: 723505061, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: HANNAH MCKAY / Avalon 
London, UK, 19th Sep 2022. King Charles III. Behind the Coffin, King Charles III walks with Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward behind him, followed by Prince William and Prince Harry and Peter Phillips, and others. The Queen Consort, Princess of Wales, Duchess of Sussex and others follow in cars. The funeral procession for Queen Elizabeth II makests way from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace, via Horse Guards Parade and the Mall. People line the street and watch military personnel march, and the coffin pass along the route. The procession is led by massed Pipers and Drums of Scottish and Irish Regiments, The Brigade of Gurkhas, the Royal Air Force and a total of 6,000 representatives from all three Armed Forces.,Image: 724175863, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Imageplotter / Avalon 
WINDSOR, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 19: King Charles III and Prince William, Prince of Wales before the Committal Service for Queen Elizabeth II at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on September 19, 2022 in Windsor, England. The committal service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, took place following the state funeral at Westminster Abbey. A private burial in The King George VI Memorial Chapel followed. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III.,Image: 724223940, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Setterfield / AvalonncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcHBlbIR4e8uorpijmaO0oK%2FHmqmlnaOUtrSryKWjZqyVor2mvsSdlp2xo5vCr6%2FToqanmZyUtaarxZqjpauPqrulsdGYp56noKGytKvSqZylpF8%3D