Clive Irving, author of the new biography The Last Queen, told Today Extra the Prince of Wales is “entirely unsuitable” for the throne, likening his future rule of the monarchy to “driving over a cliff.”
“The Queen seems more modern than Charles. She’s very much timeless, whereas Charles is an 18th-century figure,” Irving told hosts Sylvia Jeffreys and David Campbell. “It wouldn’t be a problem if he didn’t try to impose his taste on other people.”
Irving, whose book chronicles over 70 years of the Queen’s crisis management and choices, claimed the heir apparent prefers to “have sycophants around him, which isn’t a good sign of a future ruler.”
“It’s a pity they can’t really jump from the Queen to William.”
The author and journalist opens his new biography with a jaw-dropping claim, writing, “Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in British history and will likely be the last queen of England.”
In his examination of the long-serving royal, Irving reveals her immediate successors are all male, bringing a powerful chapter in the British Royal Family to an end.
“She’s one of three outstanding figures in history who were Queens,” Irving tells Jeffreys and Campbell. “It’s a very emotional idea, I think. The whole history of queens in England will end with this one.”
Having dedicated his career to understanding the monarch, Irving notes the “most significant” thing he’s come to understand is how little we know about her.
“We don’t know her opinions on anything, we don’t really know her feelings on anything,” he explained. “People may tell you how she feels, but they don’t really know.”
Irving says Her Majesty’s ability to remain objective and elusive is key to her success as a reigning monarch. “She understood from the word go, when she became queen in 1952, that you have to sustain the mystery,” he said.
“The person is not the point, the crown is the point, the institution is the point.” According to a YouGov poll released last year, the Queen had a 78 per cent approval rating across all age groups, despite growing sentiment that the monarchy is unnecessary in modern times.
Comparatively, the Prince of Wales’ approval fell to 46 per cent, with younger royals also falling behind in the approval ratings. “While the whole opera of the royal family is a great attraction, it’s outlived its time in terms of it’s grander purpose,” Irving says.
“Lots of members of the royal family are freeloading off the idea of the royal family.” Irving believes a “great trimming-down” needs to occur for the royal family to maintain its relevance, calling Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s move away as important.
“They represent the 21st century,” he said, adding, “They couldn’t be themselves inside the cage.” As for the controversy surrounding the couple’s million-dollar Netflix deal, Irving said it was a “very good idea.”