It should be a time of celebration for King Charles. After all, he turns 74 this week, and is deep in preparation for his historic coronation after waiting an agonisingly long time in the wings to become the monarch.
Instead, Woman’s Day understands that the new King is spending his birthday week reconsidering his future, confiding his fears that he is ultimately “not good enough” for the role to his sister Princess Anne.
What will Charles do?
(Image: Getty)ROUGH FEW WEEKS
As his closest sibling in age, 72-year-old Anne has long been Charles’ closest friend – first as children when they were hoodwinking their nannies and playing chase in the gardens at Sandringham, then later as youngsters coping with the eccentricities of their parents and confiding about their love-lives with the only other person they knew they could trust.
This relationship, say sources, has continued well into grandparenthood and beyond – and Anne remains Charles’ go-to for support, advice and even a pep talk when needed.
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Palace sources maintain Charles has had a rough few weeks and has been paying attention to the relentless chatter that he is perhaps not the perfect fit as King while the monarchy desperately tries to maintain its relevancy in a new world.
King Charles depends on his sister.
(Image: Getty)What’s more, there are growing fears that Netflix’s The Crown is inadvertently undoing years of rehabilitation to his image after the Princess Diana years.
“Then there’s Prince Harry’s impending book, right down to him inheriting the throne at a time where Britain hasn’t looked this economically bleak in years, he’s been very gloomy indeed,” acknowledges an insider.
The source adds that even Charles’ wife Camilla, Queen Consort, 75, hasn’t been able to turn around his pessimistic outlook – and “sent him off to talk to Anne”.
“His sister can get through to Charles even when Camilla can’t,” confesses the insider.
“It only took a few minutes of Charles moaning that maybe Diana was right and that Prince William should be king instead of him, and maybe he should stand aside, that Anne told him in no uncertain terms to pull himself together.”
Thankfully for Charles, Anne can be relied upon to tell him how it is, no matter what. A palace insider reveals that Anne told him his long face cannot possibly instil confidence in anyone, from the footman to the prime minister.
“Anne has been tasked with reminding him that there has been no one more prepared to be king than him, after decades of being the understudy to their mother’s magnificent reign, and that William deserves a few more years of learning the ropes before Charles even thinks of giving up.”
