Prince Charles in quotes

From a young age, Charles was widely quoted and often in the spotlight as the son of the most famous woman in the world and heir to the British throne.

He spoke publicly about marriage, love, work and, later in life, the environment, which came to be a central cause. 

Here are some of Charles's most colourful quotes and remarks:

- Early views -

'Colditz in kilts'

-- His description of his time at Gordonstoun boarding school, northeast Scotland, which he attended from age 13 and found a stark and lonely experience.

'Cherry brandy'

-- Aged 14, Charles walks into a Scottish pub and feels obliged to order a drink -- four years underage.

"I Charles, Prince of Wales, do become your liege man of life and limb and of earthly worship and faith and truth I will bear unto thee to live and die against all manner of folks."

-- On being invested as the Prince of Wales by Queen Elizabeth II at Caernarfon Castle in 1969.

'Pommie bastard'

"I've been through my fair share of being called a Pommie bastard, I can assure you. Look what it's done to me -- but by God it was good for the character.

"If you want to develop character, go to Australia."

-- In 2011 on his schooling in Victoria.

- On love and marriage -

"Whatever 'in love' means, yes. You put your own interpretation."

-- Charles' answer when asked if he was in love with his fiancee Lady Diana Spencer in their 1981 engagement interview.

"Just delighted and happy. And I'm amazed that she's been brave enough to take me on."

-- What he said immediately before.

"I'm sure it must be absolute hell living with an ancient old thing like me!"

-- 1985 joint interview with Diana.

"Yes. Until it became irretrievably broken down, us both having tried."

-- Asked in a 1994 interview if he had been faithful to Diana.

"It is a deeply regrettable thing to happen. But it does happen and unfortunately in this case it has happened. It is the last possible thing that I ever wanted to happen. I'm not a total idiot."

-- From the same interview.

"Mrs Parker Bowles is a great friend of mine... and will continue to be a friend for a very long time."

-- From the same interview, the first time Charles had spoken of his marriage split.

- Architecture to gardening -

"Like a monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend."

-- 1984 speech blasting a proposed extension to the National Gallery in central London.

"I'm not interested in the occult or dabbling in black magic or any of these kind of things. Or, for that matter, strange forms of mysticism. I am purely interested in being open-minded."

-- 1985 interview.

"I just come and talk to the plants, really -- very important to talk to them. They respond, I find."

-- Discussing gardening in a television interview, 1986.

- On the environment -

"I don't want to be confronted by my future grandchild saying, 'why didn't you do something?'"

-- In 2013 on environmental damage.

"Time has quite literally run out"

-- To the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, November 2021.

- Whoops! -

"Appalling old waxworks."

-- Charles's leaked description of the Chinese delegation at the 1997 handover of Hong Kong.

"Bloody people. I can't bear that man. He's so awful, he really is."

-- A microphone picks up Charles' thoughts on the BBC's royal reporter at a begrudging photo-call with his sons on a pre-wedding skiing holiday in 2005.

"Ah, dig that crazy rhythm!"

-- Charles tries his hand at scratch DJ-ing in 2001.

- On his role -

"There is no actual, laid-down, job or role. And you have to, to a certain extent, do as you think right and fit. It would be quite easy to do nothing.

"The important thing is to serve this country and its people and the Commonwealth."

-- 1985 joint interview with Diana on his royal role as heir apparent.

"I'm not very good at being a performing monkey."

-- 1994 on posing for photographers.

- On his future -

"We are deeply conscious of the honour represented by my mother's wish."

-- Charles reacts to the queen's announcement on the eve of the start of her 70th year on the throne that Camilla will become "Queen Consort", after years of speculation.

"We have now reached the official age of retirement. But I do hope yours is going to be a bit more realistic than mine."

-- 2013 speech at retirement of Jonathan Sacks as Commonwealth chief rabbi.

- On his mother -

"Your Majesty; Mummy."

-- 2012 speech closing Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee concert, delivered to rousing cheers. Charles repeated it again at the 2022 Platinum Jubilee.

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© Agence France-Presse

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