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Rating: 
Summary: A needed antidote to the gush about Diana
Review: As a lifelong Anglophile, I've always been interested in the royal family, and sympathetic to the fact that they have to live in a fishbowl, forbidden the common rights that any Fred Bloggs takes for granted---the right to marry whom they will, the right to walk down the street in peace, to name two. So, when Charles' marriage went on the rocks, I felt sorry for both of them and felt that the endless coverage couldn't have helped---could anybody have worked out problems in their marriage with Fleet Street all but crawling down the chimney to report every bit of tittle-tattle they could? The majority of coverage took Diana's side, so I always did kind of lean toward Charles, if only because I'm suspicious of one-sided coverage of anything. Junor's book, although not wildly well-written and prone to gush over Charles' virtues, is a needed antidote to a lot of the sentimental pishposh that came out in the wake of the accident. BTW, one thing that really, really disgusted me in the wake of the accident was the cold-blooded way the news media in the UK whipped up the mob at the royal family. How _dare_ they not be in London? Never mind that they had two boys on their hands who had just lost a mother they loved! We, the people, _demand_ that they mourn, and mourn _our_ way! Okay, so the royals showed the stiff upper lip---what was expected of them? To gash their cheeks like Huns mourning the death of Attila, mourning with blood instead of water? To howl and wail like Chinese professional mourners?
Rating: 
Summary: Hoping for better
Review: I knew when I picked up this book that Ms Junor was always very anti-Princess Diana - even when she was alive she was very outspoken - and was obviously very pro - Prince Charles. I had hoped though that with the death of the Princess even this hardened lady would present a balanced view of both sides. Instead I was left with the distinct impression that she had swallowed the whole "poor Charlie " line. It takes two to make a marriage and two to destroy it. But her bitterness towards both the princess and the Queen were quite frankly astonishing - especially for someone who used to be editor of the Majesty magazine. This lady has more chips on her shoulder than a totem pole.I was horrified when Ms Junor decided she had the right to take on the role of amateur psychiatrist. That for me - was the end. I finished the book - but at the end of it all her superior attitude and downright condemnation of the Princess was appalling. I have no illusions that the Princess was not perfect. But she sold the princess as someone so calculating and evil that it does not equate with anything the rest of the world saw. I am not sure any of us thrown into that kind of limelight at the age of 19 would have coped any better - most of us would not. That does not excuse bad behavior. We all behave badly but most of us do not have "staff" to tittle tattle and exagerate our worst points. I enjoyed certain parts of the book and learned a lot more about Prince Charles - assuming that that part of the book is a true and detatched discription. However - having just read the introduction to another biography where the biographer states that it is easy to become self absorbed with the person they are writing about and to loose their sense of detatchment. I feel that Ms Junor did not achieve that.
Rating:
Summary: Hoping for better
Review: I knew when I picked up this book that Ms Junor was always very anti-Princess Diana - even when she was alive she was very outspoken - and was obviously very pro - Prince Charles. I had hoped though that with the death of the Princess even this hardened lady would present a balanced view of both sides. Instead I was left with the distinct impression that she had swallowed the whole "poor Charlie " line. It takes two to make a marriage and two to destroy it. But her bitterness towards both the princess and the Queen were quite frankly astonishing - especially for someone who used to be editor of the Majesty magazine. This lady has more chips on her shoulder than a totem pole. I was horrified when Ms Junor decided she had the right to take on the role of amateur psychiatrist. That for me - was the end. I finished the book - but at the end of it all her superior attitude and downright condemnation of the Princess was appalling. I have no illusions that the Princess was not perfect. But she sold the princess as someone so calculating and evil that it does not equate with anything the rest of the world saw. I am not sure any of us thrown into that kind of limelight at the age of 19 would have coped any better - most of us would not. That does not excuse bad behavior. We all behave badly but most of us do not have "staff" to tittle tattle and exagerate our worst points. I enjoyed certain parts of the book and learned a lot more about Prince Charles - assuming that that part of the book is a true and detatched discription. However - having just read the introduction to another biography where the biographer states that it is easy to become self absorbed with the person they are writing about and to loose their sense of detatchment. I feel that Ms Junor did not achieve that.
Rating:
Summary: THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLES AT LAST!
Review: There are plenty of books that try to glorify Diana and don't always tell the whole story, "big suprise"! this book dares to tell the story from Charles side as well as Diana. The marriage was screwy from the beginning. With all the media hipe and the constant nagging from the royal family to produce an heir to the thrown. It is a wonder that the marriage lasted as long as it did. It shows that Princess Diana was human just like everyone else, she was not a saint. Diana had a good side as well as a dark side. Prince Charles has made some mistakes, but he has also helped many people. They were both human and if you Can't handel the truth, well then Get a life!
Rating:
Summary: Spin on marriage favors Prince Charles
Review: This book is very interesting! The author is obviously a GREAT fan of Prince Charles! From interviews that I have seen with the author, I fully expected a Diana-bashing book and I wasn't far from the mark! Just the mere fact that the Princess of Wales is not here to defend herself against these so-called "facts" of Ms. Junor's shows you what kind of diabolical mind the author has! Ms. Junor herself is making quite alot of money writing about the misfortunes of the Prince & Princess of Wales. I should hope that the proceeds for this book would go directly to royal charities and those who are TRUE victims all around the world! Surely Ms. Junor would not want to line her own pockets with this scathing book - or would she? Think on, Ms. Junor!
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely A Page Turner !
Review: This book is very interesting! The author is obviously a GREAT fan of Prince Charles! From interviews that I have seen with the author, I fully expected a Diana-bashing book and I wasn't far from the mark! Just the mere fact that the Princess of Wales is not here to defend herself against these so-called "facts" of Ms. Junor's shows you what kind of diabolical mind the author has! Ms. Junor herself is making quite alot of money writing about the misfortunes of the Prince & Princess of Wales. I should hope that the proceeds for this book would go directly to royal charities and those who are TRUE victims all around the world! Surely Ms. Junor would not want to line her own pockets with this scathing book - or would she? Think on, Ms. Junor!
Rating:
Summary: Charles: Victim and Villain
Review: This book is very pro-Charles which was to be expected. After all, both author and Charles are still alive. Diana can't fight back. And who knows what the truth is anyway? There isn't anything really new in this book except details about how news of Diana's death was received at Balmoral, actions of Charles and the Queen then, etc. There are conflicts with other accounts I've read. Was Diana's face damaged? Was an autopsy done in Paris? Other sources said her face was unmarked and body was not autopsied until it was returned to London. It is little details like this that make me wonder about rest of the book. What is the truth? I continue to be amazed at the influence the press has in England. Do they really have that much control over the Royal Family? Apparently they just make stuff up and everyone believes it. The Royals are so out of touch and isolated. I think they should just be left alone and out of the newspapers like they used to be.
Rating:
Summary: Charles: Victim and Villain
Review: This book is very pro-Charles which was to be expected. After all, both author and Charles are still alive. Diana can't fight back. And who knows what the truth is anyway? There isn't anything really new in this book except details about how news of Diana's death was received at Balmoral, actions of Charles and the Queen then, etc. There are conflicts with other accounts I've read. Was Diana's face damaged? Was an autopsy done in Paris? Other sources said her face was unmarked and body was not autopsied until it was returned to London. It is little details like this that make me wonder about rest of the book. What is the truth? I continue to be amazed at the influence the press has in England. Do they really have that much control over the Royal Family? Apparently they just make stuff up and everyone believes it. The Royals are so out of touch and isolated. I think they should just be left alone and out of the newspapers like they used to be.
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