Charles: Our New King

When Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died in September after a 70-year reign, it was truly the end of an era – most of her subjects couldn’t remember a world without her.

So, it’s no wonder some of us feel like we are still getting used to the idea of having a king, but this new two-part documentary may help as it asks what sort of monarch Charles III will be.

Of course, while he may be new to the top job, it’s not like Charles isn’t a familiar figure to the public – he is after all the longest-serving Prince of Wales in British history and the oldest monarch to ever accede to the British throne.

The programme will draw on rare royal archive footage and revealing interviews from some of the people who know him best as it looks back over the key moments in his life and offers a fresh insight into his personality.

It’s a story that begins in 1948, when Charles was born to the then-Princess Elizabeth. Although he was always destined to be king, he became the first in line slightly quicker than might have been expected – he was just three when his grandfather, George VI, died and his mother became queen.

Perhaps due to the demands of her new role, it has been claimed that the Queen was a somewhat absent mother, while Prince Philip seems to have taken a tough-love approach to fatherhood, especially when it came to his sensitive eldest son.

The documentary looks at how these formative years would shape Charles. It finds that despite the personal difficulties he may have faced during his childhood, he grew up to be charitable, with a passion for causes that may not always have seemed fashionable at time but now appear rather forward thinking.

Despite that, Charles’ relationships with the public and the press have not always been easy.

In 1981, following much speculation about when the 32-year-old Prince would marry, he tied the knot with Lady Diana Spencer.

Here it’s argued that it was his sense of duty that led him to marry her, and his choice of bride certainly met with the public’s approval – the new Princess of Wales quickly became an international sensation.

Sadly, their relationship broke down and the subsequent stories about his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles (now the Queen Consort) dented his popularity. In the wake of Diana’s death in 1997, some pundits even feared for the monarchy’s future.

This documentary asks whether the new King has truly managed to put the past behind him, or whether the past scandals will prove an obstacle when it comes to commanding the same affection and respect as his mother.

It also explores how living in a harsh media spotlight will influence his approach to his reign.

If you still have questions and can’t wait for the second instalment, ITV has its own documentary, entitled Charles: Our New King, on Wednesday, November 2.