Opinion: Charles III in charge

King Charles III greets crowds gathered on the Mall in London, England on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. After this morning’s proclamation ceremony, King Charles III is scheduled to have a series of meetings this afternoon, including with the archbishop of Canterbury, Prime Minister Liz Truss and members of her cabinet, and the dean of Westminster. (Andrew Testa/The New York Times) King Charles III greets crowds gathered on the Mall in London, England on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. After this morning’s proclamation ceremony, King Charles III is scheduled to have a series of meetings this afternoon, including with the archbishop of Canterbury, Prime Minister Liz Truss and members of her cabinet, and the dean of Westminster. (Andrew Testa/The New York Times)

By Maureen Dowd / The New York Times September 12, 2022 4 min read

WASHINGTON — His whole life, King Charles has been in the shadow of women with more star power.

First, his mother, the queen. Next, his first wife, Diana. Then, in recent years, Meghan Markle, with her breakaway from Buckingham Palace and her sensational Oprah interview alleging racism in the royal family.

As the women around him held the spotlight, the Prince of Wales spent decades trying to find himself and prove he was not a mere ornament.

I saw this dynamic up close, on the 1985 visit of Prince Charles and Princess Diana to Washington, four years after they married. They brought 7,000 pounds of luggage.

Charles was charming and self-deprecating, chatting with lawmakers and hoi polloi about everything from Baltimore architecture to the TV hit “Dynasty.”