King Charles III learned he had become Britain's new monarch while sitting behind the wheel of his car, just hours after visiting his dying mother at Balmoral Castle, according to a biography.
Royal commentator Robert Hardman made the claim in his book, The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy, which charts the 77-year-old's path to the throne and the immediate aftermath of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
Moment of succession revealed
In Chapter Three, titled London Bridge, Mr Hardman unveils previously unknown details surrounding the moment King Charles discovered he had acceded to the throne. Having visited the Queen at Balmoral Castle in Scotland earlier that day, he was navigating a quiet, unmarked Scottish country road when his title changed forever.
Mr Hardman writes: "King Charles III succeeded to the throne at the wheel. To be more precise, he had just turned off the B976 onto the back drive of the Balmoral estate and was driving through a part of the world as dear and familiar to him as any, when he learned that he was now sovereign of the United Kingdom and fourteen other realms, covering a large part of the Earth's surface."
Parallels with the late Queen
The royal expert continued: "History will also record that, seven decades later, on the afternoon of 8 September 2022, her son and heir was on an unmarked Scottish country road, at the wheel of his car, when he was first addressed as 'Your Majesty'. He had been to visit the Queen at Balmoral Castle earlier in the day and had then spent a few hours at his nearby home, Birkhall, before returning to the castle.
"In the manner of his late mother, he had climbed into the car as both Prince of Wales and Duke of Rothesay (his title when in Scotland). Twenty minutes later, he would climb out of it as King Charles III - with the new Queen at his side."
Book also covers royal rift
The book also sheds light on the estrangement between King Charles and his son Prince Harry. According to Mr Hardman, the King is desperate to welcome his youngest son back into the fold and is eager to mend their deeply damaged relationship.
While the book, released in 2024, lays bare the bitter falling-out between Charles and his youngest son, Robert is firmly convinced that the new King will eventually reconcile with Harry somewhere down the line.
The Duke of Sussex and the King have taken major steps in recent years to mend their relationship, most recently having a private family meeting at Highgrove in July, which was also attended by Queen Camilla, Meghan Markle and the Duke and Duchess' children Archie and Lilibet. Harry also had a private tea with his father in Clarence House last September, and with the Sussexes now once again residing in the UK, many royal watchers have expressed their wishes for the Royal Family to reconcile after years of turbulent relations.
