Thursday 11 February 2010

Tea with Prince Charles

Yesterday, I received a totally unexpected invitation to a teatime event today with Prince Charles along with about 250 others.

I had to do some urgent personal 'renovation' such as getting my hair cut. It was long overdue. So I went to this event in a dark, hot basement and spent my whole time trying to stay out of his pathway. Then, suddenly he moved in my direction and I found myself seamlessly moved into his path by his equerry (assistant).

So I found myself with the heir to the throne (and descendant of many kings and queens) shaking his offered hand - but not kissing it, and not saying "your Royal Highness" which seemed utterly out of place. My strong sense of history completely left me: here was simply another person making a real effort. I told him about changing consumer behaviour. We chatted for a short time about that.

Prince Charles is very nice, rather red in the face, exactly as he looks on TV, but shorter in stature. He is ready for a quip, asks the right questions, is inclusive, outgoing, jolly, personable, very kind. My impression was that he was very keen to meet people working on issues that he most deeply cares about: it was almost as if he could not wait to greet us. I came away thinking "He is the first person, apart from loved ones, who has showed real appreciation for I am doing".

4 comments:

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  2. Wow, a tea with Prince Charles!!!!
    It should be so weird to meet him in person. I love the Royal family, I loved the sweet and sensitive Princess Diana first of all and the song that Elton John wrote for her, "Candle in the wind". And now I love William, he is fit for his mother!
    I'm so glad I found your blog.

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  3. Hi Ylenia
    HRH Charles is quite a normal person to talk to. The photo looks more intimidating that he was in person. He is very humble. At least he looks as it he was listening to me. I saw Diana once and my father had a long conversation with her. She was very thin and tall and not "gorgeous to look at". I saw them together once and I thought he was not that "in love" with her. They had little in common. She was rather flitatious (she even flirted a bit with my father). She had lived too high profile life to find real love, I think. She was funny and personable. I have written an article on her whih I will send you.So sad that they did not get on.

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  4. I see you know a lot about her. I’ll read your article with pleasure, I’ve always been interested in Diana’s life. I think she was lonely and very passionate, a person in a wrong setting. I don’t know many details as you do, I just watched some documentaries and a movie, and I think they all made her suffer!
    Thank you for posting this!

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