My Mother and I

By: Ingrid Seward

Narrated by: Julie Teal, Ingrid Seward

Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

The story of the real relationship between King Charles III and his mother, by the esteemed royal biographer, Ingrid Seward.

The relationship between the late Monarch and her son, the King, has long been a subject of fascination. The upbringing of an heir is especially important and places an extra burden on top of all the cares of motherhood. The demands placed on the monarch are unique and there was no one better placed to know this than the late Queen. She knew that not only must they be figureheads, but they must be seen to care for others less fortunate than themselves. They are also expected to uphold family values. Princess Elizabeth made it a point of maternal honour to try and build her routine around her young son while doing her duty. When she became Queen, it was a more delicate balance, but one which she eventually learnt to sustain.

Unlike his self-contained mother, who always put duty above personal happiness, King Charles needed love and support to function properly. This is the story of how Charles was shaped and moulded by his heritage. His mother was the woman he always loved but could never be close to. As Queen she held the Pandora’s box of the crown and all he could do was wait and learn. In his mother’s old age, he finally received the affection and respect from her he had craved for so long. This book documents his life through many personal anecdotes from his family and his friends, from the moment the guns saluted his birth to the day he was officially declared as the King at his Coronation.

©2024 Ingrid Seward. All rights reserved. (P)2024 Simon & Schuster, UK. All Rights Reserved.

Refreshing new material

I have read many books about the British royal family especially the queen. This was a fresh new take on King Charles and his mother’s relationship. While there are some anecdotes that I have read before. It was great to hear some that I had never heard, and which gave me a better understanding of this special relationship. 

Most creditable biography of the modern Windors

I'm obsessed with the British royal family. Both facts and baseless gossip distract me from my own worries and keep my hands off video screens, which hold a dangerous fascination for me. But I have to say that Seward's book is possibly the most creditable Windsor biography yet. I could hardly put it down. It features detailed and sympathetic portraits of the people who influenced King Charles. I disagree with the reader who wrote "Every chapter is just miscellaneous stories tossed in and stirred." I detect a structure to Seward's book that strengthens its coherence rather than detracting from it.

In particular, Seward found in letters, held in public and private collections (as well as other published biographies), references to how the major players thought about various well-known episodes in the 20th and 21st century. She also quotes members of the family and longtime family friends and staff who seem to have had enough faith in Seward to report conversations and incidents never written about before. Or anyway new to people who have never met a member of the family. She also manages to pull credible nuggets out of such questionable accounts as Prince Harry's memoir "Spare."

I've heard Seward talk about the Royal Family on YouTube and found her to be frankly on the side of tradition and the British monarchy. But that sure didn't stop her from laying out the facts that she uncovered, assembled and assessed without seeming to cater, by the time she finished, to any single one of Windsors or to heir detractors.

A confusing chunk of facts

If you are wanting a book that is chronological in order, do not get this book. Every chapter is just miscellaneous stories tossed in and stirred. It is bizarre. "Overall, it's a decent books with a little new info.