'Thoroughly Inappropriate': King Charles Is Furious Over Candid Photographs of Queen Elizabeth in New Royal Book

King Charles III was royally enraged over images of Queen Elizabeth II in Ingrid Seward's new book, My Mother and I, which explores his decades-long relationship with his mother. The pictures in question were taken in the last years of the revered monarch's life, and depict her in a candid, laid-back tone that was against the norm for the stoic Queen.

Despite their sometimes distant dynamic together, the then-Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, was always protective of his mother, Seward revealed. This was particularly seen during her last few years, when Her late Majesty started to show signs of her advanced age.

In June 2022, three months before her death, the monarch celebrated her unprecedented Platinum Jubilee marking 70 years as Britain's sovereign. The longest-reigning monarch in British history was frail at the time, and her "mobility issues" were constantly cited as reasons for her cancellation of appearances. Some royal analysts have spilled that Elizabeth II was battling bone cancer, which she commanded to be kept secret.

Despite her lack of public attendance, she did film a now-classic sketch with Paddington Bear, which took half a day at Windsor Castle. Her heir was said to have "loved the piece," although he felt that a monarch should not be so candid as to break the veneer of mystery. But the future monarch, drew the line at his mother dressing down and showing a down-to-earth side she seldom displayed.

"Charles never enjoyed his mother taking part in things he thought were undignified, but even he had to admit it was a resounding success," Seward wrote. "He was, however, irritated when Angela Kelly, the Queen's dresser and later private assistant, persuaded Her Majesty to allow herself to be photographed looking like a model, with her hands in her pockets, something apparently she had always wanted to do."

The Queen's longtime fashion assistant took the images in the early 2010s and used one of the shots — which showed Her Majesty smiling at the camera with her hands in her pockets — as the cover for her 2012 book, Dressing the Queen.

"It was enough to incur Charles's wrath — he felt it was thoroughly inappropriate, however good the photographs may have been. He was protective about his mother and thoroughly disliked what he considered was taking advantage of her good nature," Seward continued.

The author also revealed details about the late Queen's thoughts on her son, who succeeded to her throne upon her death.

"The Queen never understood Charles' pampered lifestyle and found it rather mystifying, as by nature Charles is not a selfish man, but a life of being deferred to often stopped him from considering others," the scribe observed. "He has no sympathy for trivial ailments and combats his own sinus problems by sleeping in an oxygen tent. Tiredness or oversleeping are not acceptable excuses for missing even an hour's work, and he will never have a lie-in on a Sunday morning, even if he is feeling unwell."

Daily Mirror reported on excerpts from Seward's book.