Britain’s Prince Charles "understands the limitations" of the monarchy.
In a letter to The Times newspaper, penned by his private secretary William Nye, the 66-year-old royal has hit back at claims his is planning to "redefine" the role after it was reported he would break with his mother, Queen Elizabeth II’s current policy of discretion over public matters and continue to express concerns for and ask questions about issues close to his heart.
The letter has been written in response to claims made by Catherine Mayer in her new unofficial biography ‘Charles: The Heart of a King’, which has been serialised in The Times.
She writes: "The prince has signalled a redefinition of the monarchy. Some courtiers – and the sovereign herself – fear that neither the crown nor its subjects will tolerate the shock of the new."
William has now rubbished the claims by stating to the newspaper: "There has been ill-informed speculation recently, in your columns and elsewhere, about the attitude of the Prince of Wales to the role of sovereign.
"His Royal Highness has always preferred not to comment on matters which relate to a future whose date is unknown, and would arise only after the death of his mother.
"After half a century in public life, few could be better placed than His Royal Highness to understand the necessary and proper limitations on the role of a constitutional monarch.
"Should he be called to the throne, the Prince of Wales will be inspired by the examples of his mother and grandfather, while drawing also on his own experience of a lifetime of service."
Clarence House has since confirmed that the biography is unauthorised and that its author has had no access to Prince Charles or his staff during its production.
Britain’s Prince Charles ‘understands limitations’ of monarchy
