King Charles' gesture which speaks volumes about his true character, expert says
King Charles' emotional visit to Auschwitz acted as a stark reminder that the horrors of the Holocaust must never be forgotten. And his decision to join world leaders on the visit speaks volumes about his reign, according to one expert. To mark Holocaust Memorial Day, Charles became the first monarch to visit the Nazi concentration camp Poland to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
It was a historic moment which saw the King speak of "the depths to which humanity can sink when evil is allowed to flourish, ignored for too long by the world." While the harrowing visit clearly left its mark, a leading expert has explained why the decision to visit the historic site is entirely in line with King Charles' approach and hopes for his reign.
"I've always thought you can only speak as you find, and I have to say that I have always found Charles to be an incredibly thoughtful and essentially kind man. He is sensitive, sentimental, a worrier and a doer," former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond tells OK!
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"Born to occupy this strange platform in life, he has - I believe - done his best to use it to do some good in this world by helping disadvantaged young people, the environment, organics and the reduction of food waste," Jennie adds.
"For all his privilege and wealth, life has not been easy for him: a broken marriage, the death of his ex-wife, his estranged younger son and his disgraced brother. Kings of old might have had them sent to the Tower, exiled or beheaded... but Charles has tried to find a kinder way out."
"His is a very simple philosophy," Jennie tells us. "Why on earth can we not just get along with one another, accept our differences and rejoice in what binds us together as human beings?
"People often ask me what I think of Charles, and the answer is that I've always thought him to be essentially a decent human being: deep thinking, philosophical, sometimes quite tortured, but essentially someone who wants to make his mark on the world by doing as much good as he can… and, hopefully, little harm."
Despite being the oldest heir to succeed to the throne, the King's approach is far more in-keeping with modern Britain, the expert says. It's warm, approachable and one that is less restricted by the late Queen's old-fashioned upbringing, devout Christian faith and her love of tradition.
Much like his great-great grandfather, King Edward VII, perhaps Charles' legacy will be that he was a friend to the people; a monarch who is immensely well-liked for his natural abilities, tact and the way he has never been afraid to voice his opinion on challenging and politically sensitive subjects.
You need only look at his five decades of environmental campaigning or his acute sensitivity to nations reassessing their relationship to the Commonwealth, to see how the King has at least one foot firmly planted in the 'real world'.
