Charles and Camilla

Portrait of a Love Affair

By: Gyles Brandreth

Narrated by: Stephen Thorne

This is a story of the most well documented, most commented on love affair of our times. Yet the personalities behind the facade remain elusive and the nature of their relationship is an enigma. This is the first major biography of Charles and Camilla, two people who have battled against the curious lot that fate has thrown their way.

Gyles Brandreth returns to the same ground as his last book, the bestselling Philip and Elizabeth; Portrait of a Marriage. This again will be a unique royal biography, as the author has met all the principal players, has had privileged access to the royal family. This will be a powerful and revealing portrait of a remarkable relationship, told with authority and insight and illustrated with photographs from the royal collection.

©2005 Gyles Brandreth (P)2014 Audible Studios

Critic reviews

"Book of the year... Riveting, gossipy and touching" (Mail on Sunday)
"Could this be the best book ever written about the Royal Family?... A masterpiece" (Sunday Express)
"Utterly fascinating" (Andrew Marr, Start the Week)
"Highly accomplished... there is much here to entertain and inform" (Sunday Telegraph)
"Completely fascinating - written by the man who really knows" (Richard and Judy)

The title should be "Finding Charles and Camilla"

Would you try another book from Gyles Brandreth and/or Stephen Thorne?

...Because most of the book is about many, many royals and not so much about Camilla and Charles.
It's interesting, although not new nor revolutionary. It basically recounts stories from the
Victorian era to this days.
If you are looking for some juicy secrets, then you'll get disappointed.

Nothing New and Yet Still Sad

I am glad I bought the audiobook because I love Stephen Thorne's voice. But as much as I love history, I really didn't need a review of the extramarital affairs of British rulers, beginning with an Anglo Saxon King, rocketing on through James II, William and Mary, not of course skipping the Regency, Wallis Simpson, and everyone in between. We hear about Camilla's childhood, the Prince of Wales childhood, Diana's childhood, (of course she was still in her teens when she became engaged to the Prince of Wales, and btw what was her family thinking). We hear again about Diana's feelings about Charles and Camilla, and a discussion of whether they were founded. (duh) We hear the famous phone conversation between Charles and Camilla which was illicitly recorded.

I expect I am not the only person who wanted to know how these people survived the firestorm surrounding their relationship for so many years, and was naive enough to expect it to be told in a book. How have they survived such personal vilification, from being accused of bringing down the Monarchy, to being really repulsive people. Obviously many marriages crumple under much less pressure. Still these two people are still clinging to each other.

The author of this book, and his unnamed friends of the Royals, state repeatedly that the Prince of Wales and his Duchess are not talking to the press. Finally a little dignity in silence. Still I would like to know how they stood the pressure, without turning on each other, and just not giving in and giving up.

I bought this audiobook on impulse. I wish I had not.

The Real Inside Story

This is a fair and far more accurate portrait of the future King and Queen than most of the books published about them in the last twenty-five years. Excellent narration of a well documented and well-researched biography.

What a fairy tale lived!

I was enchanted by the story of a love that beat every difficulty imaginable. I felt the author portrayed the story fairly. Many times he addressed the gossip with articulation of both sides. The narrator is one of the best I've heard. His voice is very soothing. I didn't want this one to end.

May be the worst book i have ever read

Would you try another book from Gyles Brandreth and/or Stephen Thorne?

no

What was most disappointing about Gyles Brandreth’s story?

way too much detail about relatives

Would you be willing to try another one of Stephen Thorne’s performances?

maybe

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Charles and Camilla?

boring detail about family. mainly Camilla, Told me way more than I wanted to know about her family