Prince Charles has always been known for his somewhat shy and sensitive personality, however there was a time when his “fearsome temper” made members of his family “break down and cry”.
WATCH: Moment Prince Charles rolls his eyes at Diana night before wedding
According to royal biographer Penny Junor’s 2005 book The Firm, Charles was once so “difficult” to advise, many of his team “walked away” from working with him.
Speaking with one of the Queen’s former press secretaries, she was told: “The trouble with the Palace is always there are advisers and courtiers.
“Advisers are the professional civil service type, they will give impartial advice.
“The courtiers will blow with every wind that’s blowing and their main objective is to keep their job and to tell their principal person what they want to hear,” they revealed.
“That’s what I saw in my time, and why you have a whole lot of private secretaries to the Prince of Wales walking.
“The Prince of Wales didn’t want to hear impartial advice; he wanted to hear people agreeing and he’s always been a bit like that,” the source said.
They went on to reveal details of the Prince’s sometimes formidable temper.
“The Prince of Wales has a fearsome temper.
“It’s never been directed at me, but I’ve seen several members of the Royal Family break down and cry in my presence over the years.
“They are human beings like everyone else, with tempers; fury in inbuilt in several of them.”
Details of Charles temper could reveal why when Prince Charles once offered his brother, Prince Andrew a job as his aide, Andrew declined.
When the Duke of York left the Royal Navy in 2001, the Prince of Wales extended an offer of employment to his younger brother.
Prince Andrew was asked if he wanted to become an aide to the future king, which he turned down.
“Andrew could have been the one member of the family that Charles relied on,” a source told Royal Central. Instead, he accepted an offer from senior Labour MP Peter Mandelson to become an international trade emissary for the government.
Prince Charles was also said to be angered by Prince Andrew’s appointment as trade envoy.
“My understanding is that Prince Charles was less than happy that Andrew was given the role of Trade Envoy back in 2001 after he left the Navy,” royal correspondent Robert Jobson told Vanity Fair.
In 2011, however, Prince Andrew’s friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein forced him to stand down from his position.
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