Inside King Charles’ “new era” monarchy as unseen royal moments, media strategy and surprising traditions revealed

0:00 A Callarogu Shark Media. Hello and welcome to Palace Intriggo. I'm your host, Mark Francis. Royal photographer Chris Jackson says the monarchy has already begun to operate differently under King Charles, describing the current period as a clear transition into what he calls a new era for the institution. Jackson, who has spent more than two decades photographing the royal family for Getty Images, made the observation while promoting his new book Modern Majesty the British Royal Family Today. The book gathers previously unpublished images along with behind the scenes moments from royal tours, ceremonies and private milestones. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Jackson said reviewing thousands of photographs from the past twenty years was both overwhelming and rewarding. He explained that revisiting the archive brought back vivid memories of royal tours and historic events around the world. He said the book was design to show moments that the public rarely sees. I hope the book takes the viewer behind the scenes to those slightly offbeat moments that always made me smile. Fleeting interactions and moments of humanity behind the pageantry and public ceremony.

1:14 Jackson has photographed the monarchy across more than one hundred countries and says the biggest shift he has noticed came after the death of Queen Elizabeth and the coronation of King Charles. With the parsing of Queen Elizabeth and the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, we have entered a new era and much has changed, he said. He explained that the king has taken a noticeably different approach to certain aspects of royal life. I have noticed a significant change in the way things are done. King Charles has certainly approached aspects of the role differently, diversifying and modernizing. Jackson pointed to the cover image of his new book as an example. The photograph shows Charles and Camilla from behind on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the coronation celebrations.

1:55 According to Jackson, an image from that angle would never have been permitted during the previous reign. Capturing that moment from behind the royal couple on the balcony of Buckingham Palace was something that would never have been allowed during Queen Elizabeth's reign it signaled a change. He also said the public reaction to Charles has evolved since he became king. I've noticed, even during King Charles' reign, how the public response to him has evolved. The crowds that greet them seem to have grown exponentially. The title of the book, Modern Majesty, is important to me because I think we have entered a new era for the British royal family. Over the years, Jackson has also come to observe the distinct personalities of different royal figures. He described Queen Elizabeth as calm and duty driven, while Saint Charles brings warmth and intellectual curiosity to the role. He added that the Prince of Wales combines a strong sense of responsibility with a more approachable style, particularly when interacting with younger people.

2:51 Being a royal photographer means you are present at incredible and historic moments, literally in the front row of history being written before your eyes. Family is increasingly turning to film and videos a way to shape and communicate its message in the streaming age. Charles and Camilla recently hosted what was billed as the first full scale film premiere ever held in a Royal residence a screening of Finding Harmony King's Vision. While the premiere was historic in scale, Royal engagement with film is not new. The household has long cooperated with selected documentaries, dating back to the nineteen sixty nine BBC production Royal Family, which offered rear, behind the scenes access. Queen Elizabeth I was later believed to have regretted allowing such intimate filming, and that that level of access has never been repeated. In recent years, however, the monarchy has strategically embraced controlled collaborations. The late Queen participated in filmed conversations rather than traditional interviews, including The Coronation and The Queen's Green Planet. The BBC has also aired programs such as Elizabeth at ninety, a family tribute and Elizabeth The Unseen Queen, using archival footage to reinforce a carefully framed narrative. Under King Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales's video has become even more central.

4:07 Prince William has appeared in documentaries tied to his initiatives, including Earthshot and Homewards, the latter focused on homelessness. Catherine, Princess of Wales has launched video series highlighting early childhood development, and even she had a personal filmed message during her cancer treatment, opting for direct communication rather than press briefings. Royal expert Emily Andrews notes that the shift reflects a broader trend. It's very clear that the Royal family are moving with the times and speaking directly to the public via video content through either social media or streamers. Royal journalist Richard Palmer adds they are trying to get their message out there in many ways. Critics, including some anti monarchy campaigners, argue that such documentaries can lack balance and function as image management. Palmer acknowledges that quite a lot of royal documentaries are not balanced, suggesting there may be room for greater challenge, more palace in just a moment.

5:05 A series of previously unseen letters written by Edward the Eighth during the First World War has revealed the future King's deep frustration at being kept away from the front lines. The letters, written between September nineteen fourteen and March nineteen fifteen, were sent by then Prince of Wales to his Grenadier Guard's mentor, Sir Henry Lancelot, Aubrey Fletcher and his wife Mary. A total of thirteen letters have now surfaced and are expected to sell it auction in London for between five and eight thousand dollars. Edward, who was twenty at the start of the war, had joined the Grenadier Guards, hoping to serve in combat. However, Britain's Secretary of State for war Lord Kitchener, refused to allow the heir to the Throne to fight on the front line out of concern that he might be captured by the enemy. In one letter, Edward expressed frustration remaining in London while other soldiers were fighting.

5:55 He wrote, I feel more of a shit than ever leading this soft life in London, but as you know, it is not my fault. What a bloody awful existence mine is. Edward was eventually posted to British headquarters at Saint omer in France, where he was close to the war but still restricted from direct combat. Even there, he continued to complain about the limitations placed on him. In one letter, he noted there was not much chance of seeing anything really exciting, though he observed the condition of soldiers returning from the trenches. He wrote, the men coming out of the trenches are in an awful state. A wash and sleep soon puts them right. The letters also revealed Edward's criticism of military leadership. After the Battle of Nerve Chappelle in nineteen fifteen, he blamed mistakes by officers for heavy losses. He wrote, bloody, awful and treneu. There's been some bungling. Whether they were misdirected or their orders were misunderstood. I don't know, but the fact remains apparently that the battalion marched straight into a most murderous shell fire.

6:53 Three days severe fighting, and the prices over one thousand casualties. Oh, this bloody war. Acording to Bonham's manuscripts specialist Sarah Lindberg, the letters show Edward's strong sense of frustration and guilt about his protected position. She said his frustration and self loathing at being left behind was evident in the correspondence, noting that he felt he was living a pampered life while others fought. Edward would later become king in nineteen thirty six, but abdicated the throne after eleven months in order to marry the American divorce a Wallace Simpson. He spent most of the remainder of his life outside Britain and died in nineteen seventy two at the age of seventy seven. The letters are scheduled to be auctioned in London on March twenty six. King Charles is known for his deep interest in gardening, and that passion extends even to the way plants are managed inside his private residence at Igrove House, the Gloucestershire state, which the King purchased in nineteen eighty, serves as one of his favorite country retreats where he often spends quiet weekends with Queen Camilla I.

7:56 Grove is famous for its award winning gardens, many of which were designed with charles personal input. Former senior gardener Jack Stokes, who worked at high Grove for more than twenty years, recently shared an unusual detail about how the King prefers plants to be handled inside the house. Speaking on ITVS this morning, Stukes explained that many of the house plants are temporarily removed whenever the King is not staying at the estate. When he wasn't there, they were in the glasshouse, and then when he was there they would get taken back up to the house. Stocks said He explained that the garden team would care for the plants in the greenhouse while the king was away. Once Charles returned to High Grove, the plants would be brought back inside the nine bedroom house and maintained by the household staff. The plants themselves reflect the king's person tastes.

8:38 Stokes said that ccentered geraniums and pelagoniums were among the varieties Charles particularly liked during his time at Highgrove. Moving the plants through the greenhouse while the king is away also makes them easier for gardens to care for, allowing them to be maintained in one location rather than spread throughout the house and there if you like to email us addresses the Palace Intry at gmail dot com. Please follow us on Spotify, Apple or the app and your choice and my francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is Palace Entry in Good Dames