The Prince of Wales: A Biography

Jonathan Dimbleby conducted interviews with Prince Charles and his circle, and was given access to his journals, diaries and letters, though a palace spokesperson insisted that he had come to his own interpretations from the material provided. A documentary presented by Dimbleby on Charles, titled Charles: The Private Man, the Public Role, had aired earlier in June 1994 in which Charles had admitted to adultery after his marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales became broken down. The idea for the book reportedly came about following Laurens van der Post's advice to Charles to "get in touch" with his soul and in the aftermath of his wife's biography, Diana: Her True Story, in which he was heavily criticised. The book further alleged that Philip publicly humiliated Charles and reduced him to tears as a child and youngster and forced him into the marriage with Lady Diana Spencer. Among other topics discussed were Diana's mood swings and depressions. ==Reception==

The book drew immense attention in the British tabloid media and Prince Philip implied in an interview with The Daily Telegraph that he disapproved of his son's decision to go public with intimate details of his life, "I've never discussed private matters and I don't think the Queen has either. Very few members of the family have". Diana was reportedly "numb" after revelations in the book that her husband never loved her, and a friend of hers told the Daily Mirror, "She can hardly believe what her husband has done to her". Prime Minister John Major defended the institution of the monarchy, stating "The monarchy is very sound, very stable. It is an enduring part of our life and it always will remain so". In the Los Angeles Times, Margo Kaufman described the biography as "tirelessly fawning", and criticised Dimbleby for focusing on Charles's personal reflections while glossing over his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. ==References==