Prince Charles’ alleged campaigns to make Camilla fit to become next queen

Britain's Prince Charles of Wales (R) and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, gesture at the Al-Azhar park in Cairo March 20, 2006. Prince Charles and Camilla on Monday started a two-week tour of the Middle East and India. Reuters

Prince Charles is reportedly doing everything he can to further build Camilla’s reputation and make her suitable to become the next queen. Patrick Jephson, Princess Diana’s former private secretary, has revealed the prince is going above and beyond to improve Camilla’s profile.

In “The Today Show,” Jephson said that advisors to Prince Charles have crafted a systematic, sustained and expensive campaign to boost Camilla’s reputation over many years. Charles making sure Camilla is in the public favour when he takes over the throne is allegedly costing him a lot.

“This may have cost the Prince a lot of money, paying for PR spin doctors,” Jephson said. His statement comes as the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death draws near.

Charles relationship with Diana is perceived to have caused damage to the prince and Camilla’s image and popularity. Recordings recently released in the run up to the death anniversary of Diana discuss her problems as a member of the royal family, with a focus on Charles, their failing marriage and her suffering through his affair with Camilla.

Sunday Express has conducted new poll revealing that 27 percent of people thought less of Charles because of the recordings, and that many have not forgiven his wife for her part in the affair. Based on the recent poll, only 19 percent believe Camilla was fit to be queen.

Meanwhile, latest figures show that Prince William and Prince Harry have gained popularity. Respondents also view the younger royals as people who shake up the palace by doing things differently.

William, for instance, is reportedly raising his kids away from the palace. Harry, on the other hand, is in a relationship with a divorced actress.

For the first time, Harry recently opened up about how it was like to walk behind Diana’s coffin. "My mother had just died and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin surrounded by thousands of people watching me while millions more did on television," Harry told Newsweek.

Harry said he did not think any child must be asked to do that under any circumstance. Earlier this year, he has spoken about his near breakdown after his mother’s death. He credited William for encouraging him to get counselling.

The majority of UK surveyed expressed their desire for William to inherit the throne. But experts warned that Charles forgoing his duty to be king might cause chaos.