All the KING'S MEN

Who are the mentors who've shaped Charles and his thinking on the long road to the throne?

- SHARON WRIGHT

Throughout his very public life, Charles has relied on the private friendship and guidance of a few good men. He has been blessed with a series of key male relationships within his 'inner circle' during his 74 years that have been crucial in helping to make him into the King he is today.

'My dear Papa' 

His earliest influence was Prince Philip, who initially worried his son was too sensitive and arty to be a future monarch. His criticism did affect the younger Charles' self-confidence and put a strain on their relationship. Yet when Charles followed in his father's footsteps at 22 by joining the Royal Navy, Philip could offer valuable advice about life at sea and, as the years went by, with Charles single-handedly creating extraordinary institutions such as the Prince's Trust, Philip realised he'd been wrong, and they grew closer. So while they may not have always seen eye to eye, when Philip died aged 99 in 2021, Charles described his 'Papa' as 'a very special person'.