HUGO VICKERS
Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story
By Robert Hardman
Macmillan £22
Having just plodded through the final episodes of The Crown with undisguised displeasure, I found it a tonic to turn to Robert Hardman’s considerably more welcome book.
It is authoritative from the start, since Hardman was able to talk to the Princess Royal (always worth listening to), to the King’s advisers at a high level, and sources such as Dr Jill Biden, Rishi Sunak and the Queen’s sister, Annabel Elliot. He also spent a year observing the King at close quarters for the documentary shown on Boxing Day 2023.
In a review of a book by a colleague/ friend, it is acceptable to tease him a bit – andreaders will recall Ali’s meticulous dissection, in his reviews, of the authors). I need to explore his modus operandi.
