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O rei. A vida de Charles III
Nesta biografia detalhada, o jornalista Christopher Andersen revela detalhes da personalidade de uma das figuras mais enigmáticas e complexas dos tempos atuais.
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Published January 1, 2019
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About the author
Christopher Andersen
55 books214 followersLibrarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Christopher Peter Andersen is an American journalist and the author of 32 books, including many bestsellers. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Andersen joined the staff of Time Magazine as a contributing editor in 1969. From 1974 to 1986 Andersen was senior editor of Time Incorporated's People Magazine. He has also written for a wide range of publications, including The New York Times, The New York Daily News, Life, and Vanity Fair.
While his early nonfiction books veered from psychology (The Name Game) to true crime (The Serpent's Tooth) to art collecting ('The Best of Everything', with former Sotheby's chairman John Marion), he is best known for his controversial biographies. Between 1991 and 2011, he published 14 New York Times bestselling biographies. Andersen wrote Mick: The Wild Life and Mad Genius of Jagger to mark the 50th anniversary of the Rolling Stones in July 2012. The book quickly became Andersen's 15th New York Times bestseller.
Christopher Peter Andersen is an American journalist and the author of 32 books, including many bestsellers. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Andersen joined the staff of Time Magazine as a contributing editor in 1969. From 1974 to 1986 Andersen was senior editor of Time Incorporated's People Magazine. He has also written for a wide range of publications, including The New York Times, The New York Daily News, Life, and Vanity Fair.
While his early nonfiction books veered from psychology (The Name Game) to true crime (The Serpent's Tooth) to art collecting ('The Best of Everything', with former Sotheby's chairman John Marion), he is best known for his controversial biographies. Between 1991 and 2011, he published 14 New York Times bestselling biographies. Andersen wrote Mick: The Wild Life and Mad Genius of Jagger to mark the 50th anniversary of the Rolling Stones in July 2012. The book quickly became Andersen's 15th New York Times bestseller.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
January 28, 2023
I have put off reviewing/rating this book for a couple of days since I am just not sure how to approach it. Let me initially say that is was interesting, although there were a couple of mistakes in the narrative (use of names,titles) which should have been caught by proofreaders/editors, Secondly, there wasn't much new information in it for readers who are familiar with the monarchy of the modern times; however, the author expands on some of that information which makes for revelatory reading. It could have fallen into the category of "gossipy" but I didn't get that impression and felt it was fact based.
We see the life of HRH Charles III, when he was still the Prince of Wales, up until the day that his mother, HRH Elizabeth II passed away and he become King. I agree with another reviewer who said that this book must have been written and ready to be released for some time before the Queen's death.
Charles was a neglected child, raised by nannies and basically ignored by his parents. His father, Prince Phillip was, frankly, a terrible bully and basically not a nice man and the Queen was cold and totally engrossed in her role as monarch. This shaped Charles's life and personality and not for the better.
We follow his life and the scandals that plagued the Royal Family, all of which don't need to be included in this review as they are still topics of conversation. The author makes no excuses for Charles and his assessment of the man and his actions seems fair and balanced. His faults and personality have mellowed over the years and he now is King after waiting 70+ years as heir (the longest in royal history).
This book has received mixed reviews but I thought it was interesting and would recommend it for those that are interested in the Royal Family.
We see the life of HRH Charles III, when he was still the Prince of Wales, up until the day that his mother, HRH Elizabeth II passed away and he become King. I agree with another reviewer who said that this book must have been written and ready to be released for some time before the Queen's death.
Charles was a neglected child, raised by nannies and basically ignored by his parents. His father, Prince Phillip was, frankly, a terrible bully and basically not a nice man and the Queen was cold and totally engrossed in her role as monarch. This shaped Charles's life and personality and not for the better.
We follow his life and the scandals that plagued the Royal Family, all of which don't need to be included in this review as they are still topics of conversation. The author makes no excuses for Charles and his assessment of the man and his actions seems fair and balanced. His faults and personality have mellowed over the years and he now is King after waiting 70+ years as heir (the longest in royal history).
This book has received mixed reviews but I thought it was interesting and would recommend it for those that are interested in the Royal Family.
November 24, 2022
There's nothing new to be seen here. I gave it three stars because I was at least entertained but red flags went up when the author wrote that the Royal Family "wiled away" time. It's whiled. And then the author told us that Charles was awarded the Victor Scully prize. It's VINCENT Scully, not Victor. I didn't even go to Yale School of Architecture and know that. I got bored toward the end and my Libby version kept freezing so I couldn't advance pages so I just stopped when Harry and Meghan moved to LA.
December 30, 2022
I'm giving it 4 stars because it was well-told and educational. I'm not giving it 4 stars because I very much liked the subject matter.
Seals the deal on my not liking and being suspicious of Charles III.
Seals the deal on my not liking and being suspicious of Charles III.
January 5, 2023
As many others have pointed out, this book is filled with errors, including perhaps, most glaringly, the author asserting that Queen Elizabeth bestowed Prince Harry and Megan with the title of Duke and Duchess of “Suffolk,” a dukedom that has been extinct for 500 years.
June 10, 2023
A well rounded look at the Royal family where no one came out squeaky clean or downright grubby; Simon Vance is a very enjoyable narrator to spend 15 hours with.
Read
March 1, 2023Another royal family book for my 2023 list. This is a quick celebrity gossip book that my mom and I got from the library.
This author churns out books and this definitely was churned out—spotted some editing errors, even. One wonders about the sources (pages of citations, but who knows about the spin—and how did the palace influence it?). Having just read Harry’s book, and also having read Andrew Morton’s book on Diana and also his book on Meghan, I have three observations:
1. In case there was any doubt, this family is a mess and it feels like a misnomer to refer to them as family at all. No love. No personal morality. Infighting and selfish warring are routine it seems. Even William, who has the best rep of all of them) comes in for it here to an extent.
2. This book seems more sympathetic to Charles, mostly by putting his pathetic moral choices into a context of a family with unending pathetic moral choices so that it doesn’t seem as much of an outlier.
3. Diana’s dalliances put her in a bad light in this book, but the significant thing in this book is that Andersen takes seriously that James Hewitt is likely Harry’s father. Andersen disputes the official insistence by Hewitt that he didn’t know Diana yet before Harry’s birth. He says they met and became involved not too long after William’s birth.
This author churns out books and this definitely was churned out—spotted some editing errors, even. One wonders about the sources (pages of citations, but who knows about the spin—and how did the palace influence it?). Having just read Harry’s book, and also having read Andrew Morton’s book on Diana and also his book on Meghan, I have three observations:
1. In case there was any doubt, this family is a mess and it feels like a misnomer to refer to them as family at all. No love. No personal morality. Infighting and selfish warring are routine it seems. Even William, who has the best rep of all of them) comes in for it here to an extent.
2. This book seems more sympathetic to Charles, mostly by putting his pathetic moral choices into a context of a family with unending pathetic moral choices so that it doesn’t seem as much of an outlier.
3. Diana’s dalliances put her in a bad light in this book, but the significant thing in this book is that Andersen takes seriously that James Hewitt is likely Harry’s father. Andersen disputes the official insistence by Hewitt that he didn’t know Diana yet before Harry’s birth. He says they met and became involved not too long after William’s birth.
May 12, 2023
Well this explains a lot!
May 11, 2023
An interesting, if biased, biography of King Charles III of England.
December 25, 2024
I've always been fascinated with the lives of the British monarchs, even though the whole idea of a monarchy in today's world is increasingly anachronistic. (Not to mention a constitutional monarchy, which is just an oxymoron.)
This bio of the present British King repeats every gossipy, nasty, mean thing that anyone has ever said about Charles III. But it also presents his good points and praises his philanthropic activities, so I guess you could say it's balanced. It's just that the author seems to take a little too much delight in telling us about the nasty stuff.
This bio of the present British King repeats every gossipy, nasty, mean thing that anyone has ever said about Charles III. But it also presents his good points and praises his philanthropic activities, so I guess you could say it's balanced. It's just that the author seems to take a little too much delight in telling us about the nasty stuff.
November 27, 2022
The king the life of Charles 111 was a good book. It examines the life of King Charles from his birth to his becoming king.
March 18, 2024
A novel condensing the life of King Charles lll.
March 22, 2024
Well written, well documented, rough character to write about.
March 24, 2024
Such a well written book, so easy to read. I'm not really a royalist by any means but it was so interesting to read about Charles's life. He has had a privileged life but by no means an easy one.
March 18, 2023
Andersen's book is the first one I've read about Charles III. In the beginning, when Charles is first born, I was sympathetic to this lonely juggeared little boy who was bullies by schoolmates and basically ignored by his mother and verbally abused by his father. Once he became a teen, I began to see a different side to him - one I really wasn't liking. By the time he had grown to manhood, he was a spoiled (by his nannies and courtiers - not his parents) king-in-waiting and made sure everyone knew that. One who required his lovers to call him "Sir" in bed...who refused to eat anything NOT made from products grown in his own gardens...who used the "do you know I'm going to be the King and you'd better do what I want" so many times, it became a mantra. Charles may be a reasonably bright man regarding environment and architecture, but he is sorely lacking in understanding of human nature. He calls his sons "Dear Boy" and yet, doesn't do anything to help them when they come to him with problems or concerns....everything he does is based on what happens when he becomes King.
I found Charles III to be a character who does not engender sympathy by me. He's a spoiled, entitled, unfailthful man who only wants what he wants and he wants it now. Once he got rid of his wife, Diana, and was able to marry Camilla, he pretty much lost interest in his boys and only cares what he looks like to the country and how they will treat him once he becomes King. Heaven help the British people now....the country would be better off with William as the King - with Charles being 74 already, that won't be very long.
The book was well written...it simply followed my own opinion of the new King and made me more sure Charles III will not be a King that will go down in history as one to be admired.
I found Charles III to be a character who does not engender sympathy by me. He's a spoiled, entitled, unfailthful man who only wants what he wants and he wants it now. Once he got rid of his wife, Diana, and was able to marry Camilla, he pretty much lost interest in his boys and only cares what he looks like to the country and how they will treat him once he becomes King. Heaven help the British people now....the country would be better off with William as the King - with Charles being 74 already, that won't be very long.
The book was well written...it simply followed my own opinion of the new King and made me more sure Charles III will not be a King that will go down in history as one to be admired.
January 14, 2023
I pulled this off the New Book shelves at a library I don't usually visit. Since only the Preface mentions Queen Elizabeth II's death, I assume this book was ready and waiting to be pushed out the moment Charles became king. The first two-thirds or so of the biography are decent, interesting, and held my attention. However, everything from 2000 on is just an endless, boring recitation of names, dates and places with little to no analysis or discussion. The only sparks come from the royal family's mutual dislike of Donald Trump. Charles remains as much of an enigma at the book's end as he was at the beginning. Andersen doesn't seem to particularly like Charles or anybody in his sphere, and the overall tone of the biography is quite negative. There are several obvious errors plus a lot of repetition. And, why no photos?
July 17, 2023
The first time I became aware of Prince Charles was when I was three-years-old. My aunt opened a Life Magazine (or perhaps Look Magazine -- a large format pictorial magazine, at any rate), and put it on the floor in front of me. There was a color photo of two children, solemn faces and soft-colored clothing. "See this little boy? He is your age," she told me. "He will become King someday."
Well that had my interest. I pored over those pages of the young princes of England, Charles and Anne, fascinated by their destiny. I later discovered that Charles was actually one year older that I was, and that Anne was a year younger, the same age as my brother. Whenever there was news of Charles and Anne afterwards, I was interested. I followed his induction as Prince of Wales when he was 21 (and I was 20), hearing the broadcast on the radio when I was working at a summer camp before the season began. And on and on, really.
When I saw this book, then, I wanted to read it to find out how much I had constructed in my thinking was factual or media hype. In reading the book I realized that my mental picture of Charles was accurate in the most part, but I was not aware of the grave difficulties that he faced as a child, and adolescent and young adult. My sense had been that he had been bullied into doing things because he was the heir apparent, and this books showed this to be true.
Author Christopher Andersen presents the complicated life of Charles over the 73 years from his birth to his ascending the throne of England as King Charles III. In many ways the book reads like a chronicle rather than a history, but then the author is dealing with a living subject, so it will be left to others to write a history in the future. I found the book worth the read.
Well that had my interest. I pored over those pages of the young princes of England, Charles and Anne, fascinated by their destiny. I later discovered that Charles was actually one year older that I was, and that Anne was a year younger, the same age as my brother. Whenever there was news of Charles and Anne afterwards, I was interested. I followed his induction as Prince of Wales when he was 21 (and I was 20), hearing the broadcast on the radio when I was working at a summer camp before the season began. And on and on, really.
When I saw this book, then, I wanted to read it to find out how much I had constructed in my thinking was factual or media hype. In reading the book I realized that my mental picture of Charles was accurate in the most part, but I was not aware of the grave difficulties that he faced as a child, and adolescent and young adult. My sense had been that he had been bullied into doing things because he was the heir apparent, and this books showed this to be true.
Author Christopher Andersen presents the complicated life of Charles over the 73 years from his birth to his ascending the throne of England as King Charles III. In many ways the book reads like a chronicle rather than a history, but then the author is dealing with a living subject, so it will be left to others to write a history in the future. I found the book worth the read.
April 30, 2023
I really, very much enjoyed this book about King Charles.
I’ve always been incredibly interested in the royal family.
As easy as it always was to love the queen, I also think I’ve always felt bad for both Charles (and Diana, Camilla, William, Harry). I didn’t know the whole story of Charles’ life but I always felt that it just could not have been an easy one. His situation with Camilla alone is the stuff that makes you wonder what life must be like for someone who can’t marry the person they want to.
I’ve read plenty about Queen Elizabeth II, I even read Prince Harry’s book, but I’ve never read anything devoted to Charles before now. I was intrigued when I saw the book and had to have it.
I decided that I wanted to read this book shortly before the coronation.
I feel like I’ve learned so much about his life! My goodness. What I knew about Charles before reading this book barely scratched the surface of his life.
I thought this was incredibly well written. It was filled with interesting information. And most importantly, in my opinion, it felt like getting to know the real Charles. The book felt like it wasn’t trying to paint Charles as perfect or a villain. He is a man who has been born into a very rare life, he is a mama that dealt with very upsetting things as a child at school, he made some bad decisions, he seems like he tried hard as a dad and as a grandparent, and this book shows Charles as both human and a king.
Very interesting stuff and I’ve been recommending it to others since I started it.
I’ve always been incredibly interested in the royal family.
As easy as it always was to love the queen, I also think I’ve always felt bad for both Charles (and Diana, Camilla, William, Harry). I didn’t know the whole story of Charles’ life but I always felt that it just could not have been an easy one. His situation with Camilla alone is the stuff that makes you wonder what life must be like for someone who can’t marry the person they want to.
I’ve read plenty about Queen Elizabeth II, I even read Prince Harry’s book, but I’ve never read anything devoted to Charles before now. I was intrigued when I saw the book and had to have it.
I decided that I wanted to read this book shortly before the coronation.
I feel like I’ve learned so much about his life! My goodness. What I knew about Charles before reading this book barely scratched the surface of his life.
I thought this was incredibly well written. It was filled with interesting information. And most importantly, in my opinion, it felt like getting to know the real Charles. The book felt like it wasn’t trying to paint Charles as perfect or a villain. He is a man who has been born into a very rare life, he is a mama that dealt with very upsetting things as a child at school, he made some bad decisions, he seems like he tried hard as a dad and as a grandparent, and this book shows Charles as both human and a king.
Very interesting stuff and I’ve been recommending it to others since I started it.
July 16, 2023
Reading any contemporary book about the Wndsors is like reading an extended edition of a British tabloid: Read for the entertainment, and take whatever is written with a HUGE grain of salt.
We’ll probably have to wait another century or so before reading a scholarly assessment of the Royals.
I give this three stars, not for the content but because it’s not Penny Junor’s crap.
We’ll probably have to wait another century or so before reading a scholarly assessment of the Royals.
I give this three stars, not for the content but because it’s not Penny Junor’s crap.
January 19, 2023
If you want to know King Charles the III better you should read this one. There is tons of stuff in the biography of which I before had no idea about. I must say.
February 5, 2023
Excellent writing of King Charles. I was amazed how entertaining and honest this book is. Great read!
December 3, 2022
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I’ve been listening to a lot of royal biographies since this summer’s Platinum Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II but haven’t reviewed them, mainly because the bulk of them are just a rehash of old information portrayed in a new way. The King: The Life of Charles III is the first biography issued of the new king since ascending to the throne upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth.
Is there anything new? Maybe, if you believe that Charles travels the world with his childhood teddy bear, lovingly patched and repaired over the years by the staff. Listen, I’ve been following the royal family since 1977, when I was four years old, and sometimes I have to say, who cares? I mean, if the story is true, so what? I have a quilt my grandmother made me when I went away to college in 1991 and still use it to this day. So no scandalous revelations in this book. As we all know, the scandalous stuff has come out in spades decades ago.
This is a comprehensive book of Charles III that is largely sympathetic to the king. There are a few chestnuts of information that I don’t believe I’ve seen in print anywhere, and I’m not going to spoil it for you beyond the teddy bear revelation if you’re interested. Diana does not come off well, and Camilla is seen more sympathetically than in some of the other books I’ve read or listened to in recent memory. I’m still on the fence about Camilla. I adored Diana growing up, and I’m sympathetic to the mental health challenges she had, but I’m also sympathetic to Camilla, who was deemed to have a past and therefore unmarriageable to the future king. As a Catholic, I’m still disappointed in the adultery, but after this amount of time, I also realize there’s only one whose judgment they need to worry about when they meet their maker and it certainly isn’t me. And from what I’ve seen, Queen Consort Camilla has worked her ass off since 2005 to be accepted by the British people and is doing a bang-up job. How long does one have to pay for past mistakes? Exactly. Those who still call her the rottweiler are unkind and unforgiving, and I for one, have a forgiving heart.
Charles had the rough luck of having a mother who became queen when he was a mere preschooler, and a father who was unsympathetic to a much more sensitive boy than he was. Over the years, the king’s description of his childhood has tempered with age, and I believe once those revelations were made, relationships with his parents got better. There was a time in my life where I was frustrated by how I was raised and held resentment against my mother for her failings after my father died, but with maturity I realized she was doing the best she could in difficult circumstances and from that point on, I had a wonderful relationship with my mother because I was able to let go of the childhood baggage. I believe the same is true of Charles III.
I’m passionate about several of the king’s pet projects, like the environment and the loathing of urban architecture. And my opinion of him has changed from those days when he was breaking Diana’s heart, to realize that it’s got to be tough waiting a lifetime for the top job, knowing that only the death of his mother would allow him to be king.
When I lost my mother earlier this year, I really didn’t have time to mourn, and I imagine the same is true for King Charles III. Life returns to normal after the funeral, and life must go on. I wonder what sort of King Charles will turn out to be.
I’ve been listening to a lot of royal biographies since this summer’s Platinum Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II but haven’t reviewed them, mainly because the bulk of them are just a rehash of old information portrayed in a new way. The King: The Life of Charles III is the first biography issued of the new king since ascending to the throne upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth.
Is there anything new? Maybe, if you believe that Charles travels the world with his childhood teddy bear, lovingly patched and repaired over the years by the staff. Listen, I’ve been following the royal family since 1977, when I was four years old, and sometimes I have to say, who cares? I mean, if the story is true, so what? I have a quilt my grandmother made me when I went away to college in 1991 and still use it to this day. So no scandalous revelations in this book. As we all know, the scandalous stuff has come out in spades decades ago.
This is a comprehensive book of Charles III that is largely sympathetic to the king. There are a few chestnuts of information that I don’t believe I’ve seen in print anywhere, and I’m not going to spoil it for you beyond the teddy bear revelation if you’re interested. Diana does not come off well, and Camilla is seen more sympathetically than in some of the other books I’ve read or listened to in recent memory. I’m still on the fence about Camilla. I adored Diana growing up, and I’m sympathetic to the mental health challenges she had, but I’m also sympathetic to Camilla, who was deemed to have a past and therefore unmarriageable to the future king. As a Catholic, I’m still disappointed in the adultery, but after this amount of time, I also realize there’s only one whose judgment they need to worry about when they meet their maker and it certainly isn’t me. And from what I’ve seen, Queen Consort Camilla has worked her ass off since 2005 to be accepted by the British people and is doing a bang-up job. How long does one have to pay for past mistakes? Exactly. Those who still call her the rottweiler are unkind and unforgiving, and I for one, have a forgiving heart.
Charles had the rough luck of having a mother who became queen when he was a mere preschooler, and a father who was unsympathetic to a much more sensitive boy than he was. Over the years, the king’s description of his childhood has tempered with age, and I believe once those revelations were made, relationships with his parents got better. There was a time in my life where I was frustrated by how I was raised and held resentment against my mother for her failings after my father died, but with maturity I realized she was doing the best she could in difficult circumstances and from that point on, I had a wonderful relationship with my mother because I was able to let go of the childhood baggage. I believe the same is true of Charles III.
I’m passionate about several of the king’s pet projects, like the environment and the loathing of urban architecture. And my opinion of him has changed from those days when he was breaking Diana’s heart, to realize that it’s got to be tough waiting a lifetime for the top job, knowing that only the death of his mother would allow him to be king.
When I lost my mother earlier this year, I really didn’t have time to mourn, and I imagine the same is true for King Charles III. Life returns to normal after the funeral, and life must go on. I wonder what sort of King Charles will turn out to be.
April 18, 2024
⭐️⭐⭐⭐- STORY
⭐️⭐⭐⭐ PERFORMANCE
Very informative and seemed to be very truthful, yet when it got to the part about Harry and Megan, there were some startling inaccuracies, which made me question the accuracy of the rest of the book. It did seem very true to form until it portrayed Harry and Megan’s departure from Canada inaccurately as Megan missing her mother and Hollywood friends and with the closing of the border due to Covid, she wanted to get back to the US, when it was actually primarily due to the fact that their royal protection had been yanked and they were being besieged by paparazzi, just like Princess Diana had been. It was a frightening time and this is when Tyler Perry had them flown out to the safety of his estate. It also stated that William advised Charles not to cut them off from the family and he agreed, but they had already cut off their finances and protection. In my view, a lesson was never learned from Diana's death that if a member of the royal family leaves their duties, they still have the earned right for continued protection. Finances, no. Protection, yes, although Diana's withdrawal of protection was due to her own wishes.
With these exceptions, it did seem to be spot on, especially regarding Charles’ spoiled, narcissistic behavior and Camilla’s conniving, manipulative personality, which is also supported by Harry's book 'Spare.' What a pair. Also, the depiction of Queen Elizabeth, as lovely as she was on a personal level, was spot on as to how aloof and cold she could be as Queen all in the name of protocol.
⭐️⭐⭐⭐ PERFORMANCE
Very informative and seemed to be very truthful, yet when it got to the part about Harry and Megan, there were some startling inaccuracies, which made me question the accuracy of the rest of the book. It did seem very true to form until it portrayed Harry and Megan’s departure from Canada inaccurately as Megan missing her mother and Hollywood friends and with the closing of the border due to Covid, she wanted to get back to the US, when it was actually primarily due to the fact that their royal protection had been yanked and they were being besieged by paparazzi, just like Princess Diana had been. It was a frightening time and this is when Tyler Perry had them flown out to the safety of his estate. It also stated that William advised Charles not to cut them off from the family and he agreed, but they had already cut off their finances and protection. In my view, a lesson was never learned from Diana's death that if a member of the royal family leaves their duties, they still have the earned right for continued protection. Finances, no. Protection, yes, although Diana's withdrawal of protection was due to her own wishes.
With these exceptions, it did seem to be spot on, especially regarding Charles’ spoiled, narcissistic behavior and Camilla’s conniving, manipulative personality, which is also supported by Harry's book 'Spare.' What a pair. Also, the depiction of Queen Elizabeth, as lovely as she was on a personal level, was spot on as to how aloof and cold she could be as Queen all in the name of protocol.
May 21, 2025
‘The King’ offers a fascinating biography of King Charles, tracing his journey from childhood to his ascension to the throne. If you're looking for an in-depth exploration of his life, this is definitely a book worth picking up.
While I found the content incredibly interesting, the lengthy chapters made it a slower read than I expected—especially in hardback format, which meant it took me three months to finish when I usually complete a book in a week. Additionally, certain sections leaned heavily into speculation, occasionally bordering on gossip rather than pure biography.
The book provides a thorough look at King Charles’ life, covering both personal and public aspects, including various scandals. However, I felt that some topics were explored for too long, at the expense of other significant moments. Most notably, while the book covers his journey up to becoming King, I thought it was missing a crucial chapter on his coronation—especially given the title ‘The King.’ This final piece would have rounded out the story perfectly.
Overall, despite a few shortcomings, this biography remains an insightful and compelling read for those interested in the life of King Charles.
While I found the content incredibly interesting, the lengthy chapters made it a slower read than I expected—especially in hardback format, which meant it took me three months to finish when I usually complete a book in a week. Additionally, certain sections leaned heavily into speculation, occasionally bordering on gossip rather than pure biography.
The book provides a thorough look at King Charles’ life, covering both personal and public aspects, including various scandals. However, I felt that some topics were explored for too long, at the expense of other significant moments. Most notably, while the book covers his journey up to becoming King, I thought it was missing a crucial chapter on his coronation—especially given the title ‘The King.’ This final piece would have rounded out the story perfectly.
Overall, despite a few shortcomings, this biography remains an insightful and compelling read for those interested in the life of King Charles.
February 19, 2024
[3.5 rounded down to 3 stars] Eh, this was a hard book to rate because at times it was hard to read, and not all of that is the author's fault. I am not a royalist (most of my knowledge of the English monarchy is via The Crown, like any good American) so while I knew the broad outlines of the life of King Charles, this certainly filled in some gaps. Truly it sounds like a terrible childhood -- to be loved more by nannies than your own parents and to be sent time and again to an abusive school environment to be tortured and teased. However, I do have a belief that at some time we have a chance to try to shape our lives differently, especially in adulthood... and it felt like King Charles remained snippy, arrogant, and ungrateful with all of the resources he could possibly want to do anything. The greatest sadness was probably that he wasn't allowed to marry the woman of his choosing (which didn't stop the relationship, obviously). Anyway, Anderson takes on a complex and rather unlikeable figure and does a decent job, so I can't say for sure if I was speed-reading the last hundred pages because I was tired of HRH or because it could've been edited to be a bit shorter.
December 23, 2024
The King: The Life of Charles III by Christopher Andersen offers an engaging and in-depth exploration of King Charles III’s life, painting a complex portrait of the man who now sits on the British throne. Andersen delves into Charles’s personal and public struggles, from his upbringing under Queen Elizabeth II to his turbulent marriage to Princess Diana, and his eventual marriage to Camilla, now Queen Consort.
The book provides a balanced perspective, capturing both his strengths—such as his passion for environmental causes and his dedication to modernizing the monarchy—and his flaws, including moments of indecision and personal vulnerability. Andersen’s vivid storytelling and well-researched anecdotes bring the King’s journey to life, offering readers a nuanced view of the challenges and triumphs that have shaped his character.
For those fascinated by the British Royal Family, The King is a compelling read that illuminates the life of one of the most enigmatic figures in modern monarchy. It’s both insightful and humanizing, making it a must-read for royal enthusiasts and biography lovers alike.
The book provides a balanced perspective, capturing both his strengths—such as his passion for environmental causes and his dedication to modernizing the monarchy—and his flaws, including moments of indecision and personal vulnerability. Andersen’s vivid storytelling and well-researched anecdotes bring the King’s journey to life, offering readers a nuanced view of the challenges and triumphs that have shaped his character.
For those fascinated by the British Royal Family, The King is a compelling read that illuminates the life of one of the most enigmatic figures in modern monarchy. It’s both insightful and humanizing, making it a must-read for royal enthusiasts and biography lovers alike.
March 30, 2023
It took me awhile to finish this book because I couldn’t decide if it was worth my time.
It is pretty much a rehash of everything we already know.
Andersen is quite biased in his opinion of which royals he cares for and which he doesn’t. They are all pretty spoiled in my opinion. None worse than Harry, but Harry and Meghan seem to be put on a pedestal and made to look like Po Pitiful Things. I don’t buy it. More like money hungry brats who tried to call a bluff and the Queen smacked them down like the mosquitoes they are.
I am pretty sure this book was written not long before the Queen died and was sitting on a shelf waiting for the day it happened.
Only a small mention of her death in the forward and she was still alive in the last chapter, but Philip had passed away.
Pretty much a money grab to get it out to the public as soon as the Queen died. Pretty pathetic.
I got this from the library. I was hoping to read things I didn’t know, but it’s truly just a mashup of all of Andersen’s older books and much stolen from other authors.
Nothing new to see here. Skip it.
It is pretty much a rehash of everything we already know.
Andersen is quite biased in his opinion of which royals he cares for and which he doesn’t. They are all pretty spoiled in my opinion. None worse than Harry, but Harry and Meghan seem to be put on a pedestal and made to look like Po Pitiful Things. I don’t buy it. More like money hungry brats who tried to call a bluff and the Queen smacked them down like the mosquitoes they are.
I am pretty sure this book was written not long before the Queen died and was sitting on a shelf waiting for the day it happened.
Only a small mention of her death in the forward and she was still alive in the last chapter, but Philip had passed away.
Pretty much a money grab to get it out to the public as soon as the Queen died. Pretty pathetic.
I got this from the library. I was hoping to read things I didn’t know, but it’s truly just a mashup of all of Andersen’s older books and much stolen from other authors.
Nothing new to see here. Skip it.
February 25, 2023
A professional purveyor of gossip attempts to write history. He cites lots of sources, interviews, etc. but who really know how much is true. He describes Charles at at various times as inherently weak, feckless, out of touch, a liar and so on, but Charles also comes across as intelligent and extremely hard-working. Diana comes across as a spoiled and neurotic sexual adventuress, who was involved in extramarital affairs from the very beginning of her marriage to Charles, who was at least (mostly) faithful to Camilla. Camilla comes across as realistic and a good sport. So, there is certainly a lot of entertaining stuff in here, probably a good bit of it true, but with the caveat that a lot of his sources were just out to make a quick buck on their salacious "insider tells all" books. The judgmental author loves to wallow in this stuff. He must be a loathesome twit.
November 30, 2023
I found it interesting and mostly plausible, but no sources were named often enough to make me believe everything I read. The lobbying done by Charles to gain acceptance of his relationship with Camilla was nothing short of relentless. Some “horse trading” so to speak, behind the scenes with the Queen, was how Charles got her to endorse Camilla as Queen Consort. This is something that would NEVER have been possible without the Queen Mother’s passing. She was vehemently opposed to Camilla becoming part of the royal family, let alone Queen Consort. The whole messy monarchy, & family scandals, estranged brothers, etc. , past death of Princess Diana and so on, all because of “what’s done and not done” (Royal Traditions), seems so destructive in the end. I wish all of the family (except Camilla)😆well and hope they can patch things up.
January 1, 2025
A dear friend gave me this book. I had just finished reading “Spare” and so I was not ready to read more about the British royal family. I feel sorry for them. They truly did have a terrible life. Even with all the money and privileges they each had terrible parents, and were teased as children. Their lives were not normal. It would be terrible to be always in the limelight. It would be so hard to never have a private moment. And because his mother was queen, he never really had her as a mom. I’m glad he did have a grandmother.
The book is well written, I just wasn’t interested in reading more— so it wasn’t that great to me. (The 3 star review). It does give great insights into Charles and his life as a young boy, growing up and then becoming King. I feel bad that he had to wait so long to gain the crown. Not an easy task—- waiting. Worth the read.
The book is well written, I just wasn’t interested in reading more— so it wasn’t that great to me. (The 3 star review). It does give great insights into Charles and his life as a young boy, growing up and then becoming King. I feel bad that he had to wait so long to gain the crown. Not an easy task—- waiting. Worth the read.
July 14, 2025
Such an intriguing and interesting look into the life and times of King Charles III.
it's unfortunate that it falls short in my humble opinion, which is several respects that warrant the 3 star review.
The ending is absolutely devoid of any mention of the Queens passing, it's affect on King Charles, and the effect on the nation as a whole.
There is no mention at all of Charles ascension to the kingship upon the queens death and what it entails.
Finally, there are just too many "gossipy" segments and swipes at Trump that ultimately seem the author intersects his own political biases in that respect in chapters that deal with the 2016ish time frame.
All in all, a good read on King Charles formation but subpar when King Charles actually ascends the throne.
Me thinks this was prewritten for a time before Queen Elizabeth's actual passing.
it's unfortunate that it falls short in my humble opinion, which is several respects that warrant the 3 star review.
The ending is absolutely devoid of any mention of the Queens passing, it's affect on King Charles, and the effect on the nation as a whole.
There is no mention at all of Charles ascension to the kingship upon the queens death and what it entails.
Finally, there are just too many "gossipy" segments and swipes at Trump that ultimately seem the author intersects his own political biases in that respect in chapters that deal with the 2016ish time frame.
All in all, a good read on King Charles formation but subpar when King Charles actually ascends the throne.
Me thinks this was prewritten for a time before Queen Elizabeth's actual passing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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