Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life

Born Charles Philip Arthur George in 1948, England's Prince Charles is arguably one of the most recognizable people in the world. If asked about him, many might immediately mention his late first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, and describe the scandals and tragedy that enveloped them both in the 1990s. Or they would know about his unshakable love for Camilla Parker-Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall, whom he finally married in 2005, and who seems to have brought him happiness. Readers also are familiar with Charles as the heir apparent to the throne, patiently waiting to ascend to king, but whose mother, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned for more than six decades. In this biography, historian and frequent biographer Smith (Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch) presents a multidimensional portrait of a complex, sensitive, and often visionary man (his ideas about sustainable living were once considered eccentric), who has carved out a dynamic public role as he waits his turn to govern.