Prince Charles has received another honor to add to his illustrious career as a working royal. To celebrate its upcoming 900th anniversary, Britain's oldest hospital, St. Bartholomew, made the Prince of Wales the Patron of Barts Heritage.
A post on the Barts Heritage official website revealed that Prince Charles accepted his new role. His patronage will enable the organization to receive at least $15 million for the restoration of its Henry VIII Gatehouse at Smithfield and its North Wing before 2023, its actual 900th year.
St. Bartholomew, established in 1123 by an Augustinian monk, is a Grade I historic building. The North Wing was added as a managerial section, boasting of a historic Great Hall and the Hogarth staircase. It is also the health hub for many of the hospital staff.
Meanwhile, Prince Charles' new honor comes as his reputation as the future King of England might be smeared yet again with the release of The Crown season 4. The royal drama on Netflix rehashes his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles and his tragic 10-year marriage to Princess Diana, the Princess of Wales.
Friends of Prince Charles spoke to Daily Mail to defend the heir and slam the series for its depiction of the Prince of Wales. Prince Charles' son, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, allegedly feels that the show exploited his parents' tragic fairy tale romance.
Long-time royal photographer Arthur Edwards said that Prince Charles portrayed in the series is cruel, but the real Prince of Wales loved his first wife despite his affair. Edwards said that Charles and Diana had happy times as a married couple, but they did grow apart because they realized that they were mismatched.
After having followed the royal family and the heir to the throne for over 40 years on official trips, the photographer believes the breakdown of the Wales' marriage pushed Prince Charles to rekindle his relationship with Camilla. The Crown, however, depicts that the affair was on from the very beginning.
Royal biographer Penny Junor said that The Crown season 4 has been "very unfair" to the royals and has many factual errors. Prince Charles is written down as "spoilt, inept and eccentric," which was further from the actual reputation of future King, whom Junor has worked with for 40 years.
Like Edwards, Junor said she doesn't recognize the character in the Netflix series. The royal expert said that Prince Charles had a "very dysfunctional family," and he was also a victim of his circumstance.
