Drawing on her extensive access to the royal family's inner circle, Sally Bedell Smith delivers unprecedented insights into Prince Charles, a man who possesses a fiercely independent spirit, and yet has spent his life in waiting for the ultimate role. Beginning with his lonely childhood, Smith details his intellectual quests, his entrepreneurial pursuits, and his love affairs, from the tragedy of his marriage to Diana to his eventual reunion with Camilla, as well as his relationship with the next generation of royals, including Will, Kate, Harry, and his beloved grandchildren.

"This vivid, eye-opening biography--the product of four years of research and hundreds of interviews with palace officials, former girlfriends, spiritual gurus, and more--is filled with fresh insights into Charles's life, in and out of the public eye. [This book] brings to life the real man, with all of his ambitions, insecurities, and convictions. Drawing upon hundreds of sources, many of whom are speaking on the record for the first time, [this book] is the surprising and definitive portrait of the man who will be king."--Jacket.