Had Diana been alive, Camilla would never have been queen.”

Former executive editor of “Tatler”, “Vanity Fair” and “The New Yorker” and biographer of Princess Diana will be present at the coronation ceremonies of King Charles III.

In an interview with CNN Portugal, the author of the book “The Secrets of the Palace – The Private Life of the House of Windsor” guarantees that Queen Camilla will never reach “the peak of popularity”, but that William and Harry “recognize that she made their father happy”.

What are your expectations for the reign of Charles III? Being a prince who has waited so many years to reign, is he well prepared for the role?

Nobody prepared better than Charles for this role. His mother and grandfather were both accidental monarchs after Edward VIII’s abdication, but he was groomed from the cradle.

He spent 50 years as the Prince of Wales carving out his own niche in philanthropy, always feeling like a sidekick to his mother or overshadowed by Diana. The time has come to take his place in the sun, and you can see he’s loving it.

In the book, it is said that Charles is an eccentric person. What curiosities can you tell us about the man who is about to be crowned King of the United Kingdom?

He travels with his own toilet seat and his childhood teddy bear, which has been patched up for years by his childhood nanny. And he never eats lunch, much to the regret of his advisors.

The UK has been ruled by a woman for 70 years. Now there will be a man as monarch and the next heirs will be men. How do you think the nation feels about this change?

It’s a very different feeling, as for a long time we saw the Queen as the mother of the nation. Charles is rapidly evolving into the nation’s grandfather, but that puts a lot more pressure on Queen Camilla and the future Queen Kate to bring out that feminine glow.

Will it be a reign very different from that of Elizabeth II? More modern? Will Charles manage to modernize the British monarchy?

Charles has always been more progressive than people think. It’s interesting, for example, that he chose Jony Ive, the former Apple designer, to design the coronation logo, reflecting his love for the planet. He’s already shown he’s modernizing by reducing the coronation numbers from 8,000 to 2,000, and he’s busy redistributing all the real estate. There are many houses! Plus, he’s trying to make Balmoral his mother’s museum.

Will he be able to achieve the popularity his mother enjoyed during her long reign?

No one can match the popularity of Elizabeth II, who was there for 70 years and has been present in the nation’s memory since World War II, which made her so iconic.

Also, the media is completely different now than it was in the mother’s time, when nobody criticized anything the monarchy did. From its earliest years, it had to deal with aggressive coverage of scandals.

Will Charles carry the reign to the end, like his mother, or will he abdicate to William?

Yes, he will carry the reign to the end, having achieved it so late. I assume he’ll die on the job, just like his mother.

In the book “Palace Papers” it says that “Camilla and Kate have the necessary qualities to play the long game of royalty”. Do you think the nation will continue to welcome Camilla as queen, as she has done so far, or that it was just a transitional period?

Camilla has found her place in the affections of nations. She will never be at the top of popularity, but she is accepted and respected. Everyone can see how happy she makes Charles and how hard he has worked.

If Diana were alive, how would she view Camilla’s accession to the throne?

Had Diana been alive, Camilla would never have been queen. A spurned living wife would always have been very controversial.

Do you think Charles’ children are comfortable with Camilla’s accession to the throne? Or just conform to grandma’s wishes?

I think William accepted it and Harry hates it, but they both recognize that she made their father happy.

And what about William and Kate? Will they reign?

They are next in the line of succession and have accepted their fate very well. I think that sometimes they find it very embarrassing, but they understand that this is what has to be done.

How was the relationship between William and Harry? Will there be redemption after everything Harry has revealed in the Netflix series, the book and the interviews he has given?

Right now, their relationship is at rock bottom. There are many, many months without any communication. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to rectify this situation.

What will Prince Andrew’s royal role be with Charles as king? Will he be permanently removed from his role in the royal family?

I think Andrew is unlikely to return to a formal role, but he’s working hard to make that happen. No one in the family wants him.

What role will Princess Anne and Prince Edward play in Charles III’s reign?

Princess Anne will be a very important figure in Charles’ reign. She is the king’s consigliere and closest confidant, who, like him, has dedicated herself to public service since the day she was born.

She is his wise advisor and he shows his respect for her by assigning her the role of the Golden Wand in Waiting, the person entrusted with the sovereign’s safety, which is essentially the role she plays. Charles showed his gratitude to Edward and Sophie by letting them use the title of Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, which their father had.

They will be included as real supporting actors, doing all the tedious tasks that nobody else wants to do.