And how does one describe being Prince of Wales?
I mean, it's hardly a job.
Still less a… a vocation.
It's simply a…
predicament.
Previous Princes of Wales
have been happy to misspend their lives in idle dissipation,
but my problem is, I can't bear idleness.
Or dissipation.
Every day, I meet people from all walks of life.
Ministers, scientists, entrepreneurs,
men and women my age who've gone out into the world and made their mark.
It's precisely the thing
that I'm not allowed to do.
In any other professional sphere, I'd be
at the peak of my powers.
Instead,
what am I? I'm just a…
useless ornament,
stuck in a waiting room,
gathering dust.
There I go again. Always a little whine with my cheese.
No, it just feels so good to tell it as it is to close friends.
We understand.
You're a criminally wasted resource, sir.
Look at the extraordinary work you do with the Prince's Trust.
Turning young lives around, giving out thousands of grants a year.
Twenty thousand, to be precise.
Our latest initiative is this funding of evening centers up and down the country
where children from crowded and low-income households
can come and do their homework.
What a wonderful idea.
Doesn't sound like an ornament gathering dust to me.
-Oh, thank you, Nancy.
Now, the day's work is still not done, so will you excuse me?
-Good night. -Good night, sir.
One, two, three, pass me up.
Come on, you're doing it so slowly. Come on!
-I've got five cards. -Hello?
Andrew.
-Your Royal Highness. -Does that mean I still lose?
Mummy?
-Is she, um… -She'll be with you in just a moment.
I have to wait until she picks up in the other room.
One, two, three, pass me up.
So, is everyone, uh, there together?
Yes, all here.
Such a special time of year.
And is it just the four of you for Christmas, or…?
-I believe that's her now, sir.
Thank you.
-Right, I'm playing. Move up.
Laura, you been cheating again?
Hello.
Wish you would answer the phone. I never know what to say.
We're alone now.
I'm in the bedroom.
In bed?
On top of it. -Hmm.
-Lucky old bed.
Are you still in Cheshire?
I am, yeah.
-Missing you terribly.
Back soon though, my darling.
Are you still making the speech in Oxford tomorrow?
Yes.
That's the reason I called, actually. Could you bear to quickly listen to it?
Is it very long? We're a full house.
No, short. And punchy.
And a bit controversial.
Which is why I… want your opinion. You always know best when to rein me in.
All right.
Mm.
Remind me of the subject.
The teaching of English language in schools.
"It is quite astounding to think that in England,
we have produced one of the world's most beautiful languages."
"However, the rate at which that language is degenerating
has become a cause for concern."
"It's a tragedy for the next generation
that in the birthplace of the language of Keats,
of Shelley, of Shakespeare, efforts to preserve that language
and uphold the standards of its teaching are no longer a priority."
"If we look at the way English is used in business, in the popular press,
or on television programs,
or indeed in our schools, universities, and institutions,
you'll see just how impoverished our great mother tongue has become."
What's the address?
Sutton Drive. Sutton Drive.
-And what town are you in? -Chester.
Emergency, tell me exactly what's happened.
Ambulance. I need an ambulance.
Got a minor accident on the Hedley crossroads,
possible drink driving.
Is the patient bleeding?
Uh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, I think so.
Yeah, no, he is bleeding.
He's taking the piss. He's lost it.
Okay, sir, can you calm down and tell me exactly what's happened?
"…see just how impoverished our great mother tongue has become."
"Everything happens 'at the end of the day.'"
"And every situation is a 'win-win.'"
"As Prince of Wales, I won't be thanked for saying this,
but the rot begins in the very institutions whose duty it is
to preserve our proud linguistic and cultural heritage."
"If we want to produce the next generation of great writers,
we must use our education system
to protect what is surely our greatest national export,
-the English language."
"Which, like any language,
is so much more than a collection of words."
"It is a means of building bridges
between people of different backgrounds, cultures, and generations."
What do you think?
I think it's brilliant.
I think you could go further.
Our language is like an endangered species that needs to be protected.
It's a scandal the way we're letting it be slaughtered.
Well, I quite agree.
But I read it to my private secretary. He thinks I might have gone too far.
I suppose it might be better to leave the audience wanting more.
Yes.
I suppose one has to be aware of it in the room.
Just feel one's way along with it, if you…
-If you know what I mean. Mmm.
You're awfully good at feeling your way along.
-Stop it.
It's too dangerous.
If we run this, we'd risk being responsible
for breaking up a royal marriage.
But, uh, I don't want our friend crossing the street
and selling it to anyone else either.
So pay him what he wants.
Keep the tape.
Put it in the safe and hope for another day.
- Lift going down.
Have you gone to sleep?
No, I'm here.
Night. Love you.
Adore you.
Night.
You are both resolved on this?
No doubts? No hesitancy?
This is really what you want?
Very well.
With permission, Madam Speaker, I wish to inform the House
that Buckingham Palace is, at this moment, issuing this statement.
It reads as follows.
"It is with regret
that the Prince and Princess of Wales have decided to separate."
"Their Royal Highnesses have no plans to divorce,
and their constitutional positions are unaffected."
"We share the great sorrow which this announcement will cause
and ask the public to join us in praying
that God will bring comfort and strength to the prince and princess."
"The decision by the Prince and Princess of Wales to separate
has been reached amicably."
"They'll continue to participate fully in the upbringing of their children…"
"…and will continue to carry out
full and separate programs of public engagements."
"The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, though saddened,
understand and sympathize with the difficulties
that have led to this decision."
That is the text of the announcement.
I'm sure that I speak for the whole House
and millions beyond it in offering our support
to both the Prince and Princess of Wales at this difficult time.
Hear, hear.
When a vessel is in rough seas,
it's sometimes necessary to alter her course.
That's why we're all here today.
Now, this particular expedition is the brainchild of the lord chamberlain.
David, did you want to say a few words?
Thank you, sir.
I think we can all agree
the last few years have been particularly challenging for the monarchy.
The fire at Windsor Castle,
the failure of several royal marriages,
questions being raised
as to the family's value for money, its relevancy--
Yes, all right. No need to go over it all again.
And so, in consultation with Her Majesty the Queen
and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh,
we've decided to set up an informal council of war.
A task force to safeguard the monarchy's survival
in a rapidly changing world.
And, since the idea is to find new directions for a way forward…
Ahead.
Sir?
Ahead, David.
Way ahead.
…we would call it the Way Ahead Group.
I suppose I should be grateful.
I've been preaching the gospel of change for…
I don't know how long, and after 25 years, they finally agree.
-And what did they come up with? -Oh, you ready for this?
Allowing the public into the royal box at the Albert Hall from time to time.
Mmm. Radical.
Making the requirement to bow or curtsy
to some members of the royal family optional.
Giving the Royal Air Force Central Band a more enhanced role
in the Changing of the Guard ceremony at the Palace.
That's progressive because…?
They have women members within their ranks.
Vive la révolution!
Quite. Meanwhile, nothing on constitutional reform,
nothing on the monarch being both head of state
and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
How to square that with a country that's supposed to be a modern democracy?
I told them, we should be thinking of something much more…
…radical.
You talk of cost-cutting measures and reform of the civil list.
I say why not abolish it altogether? Have the monarchy fund itself.
You talk about including more women in the pomp and pageantry,
but why not something more far-reaching than that?
Ending the bar on the eldest daughters inheriting the throne?
The problem with the ideas that you've presented today
is that they don't reflect a modern Britain,
what it looks like, what it feels like, what its concerns are.
Education, the threat to the environment,
better opportunities for disadvantaged youth,
things I've been campaigning on for years.
I'm afraid I did get rather carried away.
Even dared bring up our great leader.
To her face.
God.
We all saw the unfortunate poll recently about Queen Victoria Syndrome
and how many people find the Crown… remote and out of touch.
You claim to want to refresh the monarchy.
Well, what I'm proposing is precisely that.
A new welfare monarchy
that's less about… mystery and magic and divine right,
and more about our practical role in today's society.
That was a different Charles today.
Separation from Diana has liberated him.
Energized him.
And what if being informed and in touch is what people want from their sovereign?
Having controversial opinions and agitating politically
is not what people want from their sovereign.
I just think, while we're setting up committees or task forces,
hoping to find ways forward…
it might be useful to acknowledge
that the solution we are looking for…
could be right under our noses.
Buzzing around me here.
Aylard.
Yes.
Yep.
-We've checked our end. -Right.
Sir.
The recording was made by an amateur radio enthusiast.
Having correctly identified your voices, he then sold it to the Daily Mirror.
At the time, the newspaper decided not to go ahead with it
because of the potential damage it might do to the royal marriage.
But now you and the Princess of Wales have officially separated,
the newspaper feels at liberty to publish.
And I think we must brace ourselves
for the transcripts to be published in the UK in the coming days.
How can they get away with this?
It's a private conversation.
A private matter between two adults. No one else's business.
Unfortunately, sir,
while the intentional interception of private phone calls is illegal,
the amateur radio operator in this case
claims to have stumbled upon the conversation by chance.
Which could be difficult to disprove.
Don't even remember the conversation.
Have we discovered what was actually said?
No details yet, but we're told it was… intimate.
Very intimate.
-What do you think? -I think it's brilliant.
I think you could go further.
Our language is like an endangered species that needs to be protected.
It's a scandal the way we're letting it be slaughtered.
I quite agree.
I read it to my private secretary. He thinks I might have gone too far.
I suppose it might be better to… leave the audience wanting more.
Yes.
I suppose one has to be aware of it in the room.
Just feel one's way along with it, if you…
-If you know what I mean. -Mmm.
You're awfully good at feeling your way along.
Stop it.
God, I want to feel my way along you.
All over you.
Up and down you. In and out.
Particularly in and out.
That's just what I need at the moment.
Is it?
I know it would revive me.
I can't bear a Sunday night without you.
God.
It's like that program, Start the Week.
I can't start the week without you.
I fill up your tank.
Yes, you do.
-So you can cope. -Then I'm all right.
What about me?
The trouble is, I need you several times a week.
So do I.
I need you all week.
I need you all the time.
Oh darling, I just want you now.
Do you?
So do I.
Desperately. Desperately.
God, I wish I could just
live inside your trousers or something. It would be so much easier.
What are you going to turn into? A pair of knickers?
Or, God forbid, a Tampax. Just my luck.
You're a complete idiot.
What a wonderful idea.
My luck to get chucked down the lavatory
and keep on going on and on forever,
swirling around on top, never going down.
Oh, darling.
Till the next one comes through.
Perhaps you could just come back as a box.
-What sort of box? -A box of Tampax.
-You could just keep going.
That's true.
Have you gone to sleep?
No, I'm here.
Will you ring me when you wake up?
Night-night, my darling. I do love you.
I love you too.
I don't want to say goodbye.
Neither do I.
But you must get some sleep.
Bye, darling.
-Bye. -Bye.
Press the button.
Going to press the tit.
All right, darling, I wish you were pressing mine.
Oh God.
So do I.
Harder and harder.
Oh, darling…
Night.
Love you.
Adore you.
Night.
There's uproar in Britain over the publication
of the so-called Camillagate tapes.
The call, allegedly between Prince Charles and a close female friend,
was taped three years ago.
He will not come back from this. The tapes are filthy.
It's raised doubts whether the Prince of Wales can ever be king.
Yet another royal scandal making headlines.
Yet another bitter blow to a monarchy in crisis.
Sally Hinkman, NBC News, London.
Here.
I brought you some weapons-grade, entirely chemical cold medication.
I know you're probably taking some sort of root or herb.
Garlic, ginger, and elderberry.
Mmm. I thought I'd bring you something that actually works.
Poor you.
It's an assassination.
Complete decimation of my character and…
of everything I've worked so hard for.
It's no secret I think, over the years,
you've brought a great many of your problems upon yourself.
But no one deserves this.
Thank you.
It's the hypocrisy that gets me.
As if none of these journalists have ever spoken to a lover over the phone.
Said embarrassing things.
It was all a bit embarrassing, wasn't it?
Mmm.
It was a little… gynecological for my taste.
Well,
once I'd taken my head out of my hands
-and my fingers out of my throat… -God.
…there was a surprising residue left,
of being touched by
two teenagers of a certain age being
so gloriously human and…
entirely in love.
For that alone, you deserve some credit.
In this family, especially.
-You are sweet. -Hmm.
I doubt our dear papa will see it that way.
All right.
I'll speak to you tomorrow. Or whenever.
If I weren't so ashamed,
I might confess to admiration of the sheer scale of your achievement.
In one fell swoop,
you've succeeded in alienating the church over your moral fitness,
the politicians over your conduct unbecoming…
The House of Commons is in uproar.
They're saying we've pressed the self-destruct button.
Among your many, entirely unjustified military honors
is colonel-in-chief of the Royal Regiment of Wales.
I wonder if you might remind us of their motto?
In English.
Better death than dishonor.
-What's that? Speak up! -Better death than dishonor.
A sentiment on which you would do well to reflect.
Are you still here?
It was so painful.
And so public.
And so unnecessary too.
Everyone at HQ is frightened, my dear father included.
They don't know how the world has changed, and everyone's just blaming everyone else.
That's no excuse for gratuitous, sadistic exhibitionism.
It sounds like playground bullying.
The way the sycophants all nodded.
Grateful that his invective wasn't directed at them for once.
It leaves me no choice but to…
To protect yourself.
To… look after yourself.
Yes.
Historians will not be able to pinpoint a moment
when the breakaway happened because nothing official has happened.
But a change is happening. I ask you to look around you. What do you see?
Not old stuffy courtiers, but young, professional men and women of today.
The Way Ahead Group,
or the Lagging Behind Group, as I like to call them,
was set up to prepare the monarchy for the coming millennium,
but it seems they hold some confusion as to which millennium we're actually in.
I think, as a guiding principle, if we're interested in saving the monarchy,
we should do the exact opposite of what the Way Ahead Group recommends.
I think we all agree, and polls certainly show, the monarchy is in a rut.
A dangerous rut.
It's vital that people are given a reason to believe in
and be excited about the future.
If one asks oneself
what the future of the monarchy is, then the answer is… is you, sir.
But right now the problem is, no one knows you.
They don't know who you really are, nor what you think, or feel--
I quite agree.
But what should we do about that?
Well, one thought that we had
was that, um… perhaps a mature, progressive, open television special
would be a way to go.
Where the Prince of Wales is finally given the opportunity
to freely air his voice.
Alongside an expansive and wide-ranging interview,
we could grant cameras
unprecedented access to a future king, at work.
An intimate and authoritative profile
of an enlightened, thoughtful, forward-thinking man
who has been Prince of Wales for a quarter of a century,
and a chance for him to lay out his vision for a modern monarchy, a modern Britain.
Who were you thinking of as the interviewer?
There are a number of candidates
but the name we're most excited about is Jonathan Dimbleby.
Mmm.
He's serious. He's forthright. He's independent-minded.
County Durham would be ideal if we're going from South Shields to…
People will know that it's not puffery
or chocolate box royalism with Dimbleby.
There is an element of risk.
He's bound to ask about the marriage at some point.
But, in our view, there's… there's a far greater prospect of reward.
Mmm.
Just take your time.
Think measured, considered…
-Chaps, we all set? -Ready to go.
-Good. -Right, this is it.
Thank you.
Hello, Jonathan. How are you?
-Sir. -Where do you want me?
Sitting here, please.
-Please. -Quiet, please.
-Right. -Five, four, three…
Your Royal Highness, it's… it's fair to say that, in recent years,
the royal family has been plagued by a certain amount of adversity.
Do you think, with all these setbacks to your family and to you personally,
that the monarchy can still survive?
Well, more than that.
I hope it can… can flourish.
But to do so, it needs to adapt.
It's no secret that I'm open to the idea of reform.
I think that we're at a make-or-break time for the monarchy,
and we need to be radical.
But of course, there's only so much that I can do as Prince of Wales.
As king, you will also find yourself at the head of an established church.
In the past, you have shown an interest in other faiths.
How does that sit with a future role
as Supreme Governor of the Church of England,
Defender of the Faith?
Because I prefer to think of myself not as defender of just one faith,
the Church of England, but as defender of faith in general.
Why should the Church of England have a monopoly on the Crown?
What about the Jews and Catholics and Sikhs and Muslims and Hindus?
Are they not its subjects as well?
There is, of course, one question above all that burns in the public's mind
and that relates to your marriage to the Princess of Wales.
One of the most serious allegations concerning your marriage
is that you were repeatedly unfaithful,
and that your close association with Camilla Parker Bowles
was a deciding factor in its collapse.
How do you answer that?
Mrs. Parker Bowles is a dear friend of mine,
a wonderful friend that I'm jolly lucky to have.
And, even within a marriage,
one must still nurture outside friendships.
And Mrs. Parker Bowles is just one of a number of friends
that I've been close to over the years.
When you married your wife, you made a pledge before God
to uphold your wedding vows.
Did you at least try to be faithful from the start?
But of course.
-And were you? -Yes.
Until…
until it became
obvious that, uh…
the marriage couldn't be saved.
Both of us having
done our best.
At which point, I…
tried to do my duty.
But there was…
there was nothing to be done.
So, yes, um…
…old friendships were rekindled.
You've been very forthright in your response, very honest.
Is it your hope that this issue will now go away?
Well, I'd certainly prefer it.
And the difficulty stems, I think, from when…
when we in the monarchy set ourselves up as a sort of ideal.
As husbands or as wives or as… as parents.
And very often, the truth is very far from that.
The question people have to ask themselves is what do they want in their leaders?
Do they want someone who errs,
but who learns from their mistakes, who grows,
who… who recognizes the need for change,
who has a vision?
Or someone who is content to continue making the same mistakes
and to keep things as they are?
Really, I think that's the clear choice that, uh, that people are faced with.
This desire for progression
extends to many aspects of your work as Prince of Wales…
Prince Charles bared his soul to the nation last night
in a television documentary
designed to showcase his work as Prince of Wales,
and he appeared to have no regrets as he greeted onlookers today
during his first public appearance since the program aired.
His aides were letting it be known they've been delighted
with the response to his controversial television profile.
Palace officials said they'd been deluged with calls of support.
The program contained a number of intimate revelations,
including the prince's close friendship with Mrs. Camilla Parker Bowles.
The admission divided viewers
between those who felt it was a refreshing attempt to clear the air
and those who felt the prince had made an error of judgment.
There was no comment from Kensington Palace,
but the Princess of Wales upstaged her husband
by attending the Serpentine Gallery's annual summer party this evening,
putting on a defiant display
in what many are already calling her revenge dress.
The prince and princess remain focused on their public roles.
But there is little doubt that the war of the Waleses
has entered a new and more volatile phase.
-Diana!
-Camilla!
Camilla! Camilla!
The newspapers called you Plain Jane. What do you say to that, Camilla?
Just move back.
Reaction to the interview is divided
between those that feel the prince has shown himself unfit to be king
and should have had the good grace to stay silent,
and those that have been…
pleasantly surprised by what they saw and heard.
Interestingly, it was his desire to be defender of faith in general,
to… Jews, Muslims, Catholics, Sikhs, Hindus,
rather than Defender of the Faith that has won most favor.
His words having undeniably connected with whole constituencies
that are traditionally left unreached by the monarchy.
It is not a monarch's role to campaign or chase constituencies like a politician
because the Crown itself is a unifying symbol.
It binds together a kingdom of four nations
and a worldwide, multi-racial Commonwealth.
Symbolically.
Charles is frustrated
because the Crown has many of the functions of an inanimate object.
He prefers to be animate.
But there's a danger in that.
One can end up undoing more than doing.
Your Royal Highness.
You're not eating?
No, I don't have an appetite.
Must say, I'm surprised you do.
Why? It's delicious.
What's all this I hear about a book?
The idea is to do a book following on from the interview.
Taking some of the points further.
Why?
Because a lot of the important things I wanted to say
about education and environment and architecture
got drowned out by all the… hoo-hah about adultery.
-Also, people are interested. -Mmm.
Maybe not as interested as you think.
Maybe more interested than you think.
If my postbag is anything to go by.
In the 18th century, it was considered perfectly normal
for the Prince of Wales to set up shop at Leicester House
to generate fresh ideas.
A shadow monarchy, in essence. A rival court.
But this is not the 18th century.
And creating rival courts is not what we do in this family.
We close ranks behind the sovereign, not criticize her.
We're all after the same thing, Anne.
You sure you won't have some of this asparagus?
It's fresh from the garden.
Right.
Thanks for coming.
For years, I've doubted Charles.
That he wasn't strong enough.
Tough enough.
But look what he's just come through.
First that phone recording, subsequent humiliation.
Then that interview and subsequent criticism.
And it hasn't broken him.
The opposite.
He might be as mad as everyone thinks,
but he's not as weak as everyone thinks.
The Charles I saw today was strong.
Confident.
Mature.
Not only does he have what it takes for the job,
in some ways, he's already begun.
What do you mean?
For the past year,
possibly more,
Charles has been slowly but surely setting up his own court at St James's.
His own Camelot.
His own advisors, his own…
modern, progressive agenda.
He knows one day he will be King Charles III.
And if we want to know what that will look and feel like…
well, he's starting to show us.
The whole point of the Prince's Trust
is to equip young people like you
with the skills and the confidence to fulfil your dreams and ambitions.
It's nice to meet you.
Now, you may think that someone of my age and background
wouldn't understand young people in your communities
and the unfair judgment of society that you sometimes face.
Well, as it happens, I do understand a little bit
about what it is to be criticized and judged.
And I also know that those judgments are mostly not true.
That people out there have no idea who I really am.
How about you?
I'm sure that each of you has something within you.
An unacknowledged greatness.
A talent that deserves to be recognized.
And that's what the Prince's Trust is all about.
To give you the confidence to believe in your ideas
and the money to bring them to fruition.
I want to reach those that have been overlooked. Rejected.
To make sure that you've been given a chance.
Because it's only when we risk reaching too far
that we find out how far it's possible to go.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.