King Charles has a habit of flying into temper tantrums when things don’t go his way – but Queen Camilla acts as a calming presence, a new book has claimed.
The King’s tendency to get upset leaves palace staff “very worried”, Robert Hardman claims in his new book The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy, which is being serialised in the Daily Mail. The monarch can reportedly get “very cross about quite minor things”.
While this has occasionally been seen in public – perhaps most notably in his anger with a faulty fountain pen just days after the Queen’s death – Camilla is said to be a good influence in these situations. Mr Hardman wrote: “Now, people are worried about upsetting the King.
“They know he can get very cross about quite minor things and they have yet to find out how he will react in certain situations. At the same time, they know that Queen Camilla is a strong voice of common sense in that regard.”
The King’s old university friend, Lord Chartres, added: “That’s one of the reasons why Queen Camilla is so marvellous. She can be robust in her views and that allows him to relax.
“When things go wrong and you have to keep being nice, you need an intimate who can talk you down.”
Christopher Andersen, author of The King, alleged that Charles can be “very moody, very temperamental”. He added: “He has a volcanic temper, in fact. He’s very capable of flying into rages.”
Andersen writes that, after accidentally dropping a cuff link down a drain, Charles once pulled the sink off the wall to which it had been mounted, then grabbed his valet by the throat in his fury.
It has also been alleged that Charles threw furniture out of windows during arguments with his late wife, Princess Diana.
But it was seen most publicly when he was signing a visitor’s book in front of cameras at Hillsborough Castle, near Belfast. The King reacted strongly after the pen he was using leaked on him.
“Oh god I hate this (pen)!” Charles said, standing up and handing the pen to his wife, Camilla, Queen Consort. “Oh look, it’s going everywhere,” Camilla said as her husband wiped his fingers.
“I can’t bear this bloody thing … every stinking time,” Charles said as he walked away. However, he has also shown his ability to acknowledge his moods and joke ab out them.
In a speech at the City of London’s Manor House shortly afterwards, he said: “The British sense of humour is world-renowned.
“It is not what we do. It is who we are. Our ability to laugh at ourselves is one of our great national characteristics.”
Referring to troublesome pens after taking the throne, he joked: “Just as well, you may say, given some of the vicissitudes I have faced with frustratingly failing fountain pens this past year!”
