You'd think that since he's the busiest he's ever been, King Charles would have little time for his family. How packed is his schedule? Well, in 2023 he had 425 royal engagements (making him the second most hard-working member of the royal family behind Princess Anne) and the new reign has meant more outings, appointments and travel.
And let’s not forget the King’s Red Box—a case containing papers for the monarch, including documents from government ministers in the United Kingdom, representatives from the Commonwealth, and other pressing work that might need the crown's attention.
Whilst one would assume that becoming King would take Charles further away from his family, that couldn’t be further from the truth. So says royal author Robert Hardman, who has been at the King's side for the past 18 months and who spoke to HELLO!'s A Right Royal Podcast team.
LISTEN: King Charles 'loves' spending time with his UK-based grandchildren
A new reign has meant a new routine for Charles, who - to everyone’s surprise - now enjoys spending more time at Windsor Castle; which is close to where his son Prince William and his family are now based.
“For a man who had seldom spent much time at Windsor since his youth, he has quickly reconnected with the ancestral seat, to a degree that has surprised even those who know him very well,” Robert writes in his new book Charles III New King. New Court. The Inside Story.
In this week’s podcast episode, which you can listen to above, Robert tells hosts Andrea Caamano and Emmy Griffiths, as well as HELLO!’s royal editor Emily Nash: “He didn't really like Windsor very much. He spent very little time there as Prince of Wales. People said, ‘Oh, it's too noisy. It's got the Heathrow traffic going over. He won't stay there, he'll hand it over to William’, but actually, that hasn't been the case at all.”
Robert, who shadowed the King for the last year-and-a-half to write his incredible new book, admits that Charles now “loves Windsor”.
“He's there two or three nights a week,” he adds before confirming that Charles also “loves” visiting his grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, at Adelaide Cottage. Listen to the podcast to find out more about his new-found love of Windsor.