Prince Charles a fan of things green, says UC royal expert

Prince Charles a fan of things green, says UC royal expert

November 15, 2012

A University of Canterbury (UC) royal expert says he is hardly surprised Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will visit the 150th Canterbury A & P Show in Christchurch tomorrow.

UC Professor David McIntyre said when Charles goes on regional tours in the United Kingdom he makes a point of visiting green farms to find out what is going on and to encourage the farmers.

But Professor McIntyre said being heir to the throne was a very difficult position for Charles to be in.

``He can’t appear to be competing with his mother and he never tries that. He has managed to carve out various niches for himself as a pioneer of green issues and the Prince’s Trust finances many worthy enterprises that have been helpful to people with problems.

``He’s also been honest in letting people know that he didn’t like the tough boarding school his dad sent him to and he didn’t impose that on his kids.

``He is a little eccentric and once suggested that the monarch should be ‘Defender of Faiths’ rather than ‘Defender of the Faith’. He has created an elaborate garden at his home Highgrove which, among other things, utilises the sewage in a traditional way using various sorts of planting.

``But Charles commands a lot more respect these days. He used to be rather outspoken and say tactless things like his father. But he’s more low key and suitably boring these days. On the other hand, his sticking with Camilla is regarded by some people as one of the great love affairs of the century.

``He’s well-educated, has many interests, is quite a good artist, quite a pioneer on green issues, very innovative and an interesting gardener. He’s not very colourful; a bit stiff and dull (which can be a strength in some ways), and doesn’t take enough interest in the Commonwealth.

``Some commentators have suggested Charles should be skipped in favour of Prince William as king. The idea is complete nonsense. It would not be fair to either of them. And hereditary monarchy simply doesn’t work that way. The only way it could happen is for Charles to die first,’’ Professor McIntyre said.

ENDS

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