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CNN SPOTLIGHT

Spotlight: Charles and Camilla

Aired March 14, 2015 - 19:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


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MAX FOSTER, CNN HOST (voice-over): He's the next king of Great Britain. She'll be there by his side. Charles and Camilla. Unguarded moments, never seen before video and an exclusive interview.

FOSTER (on camera): Congratulations on the imminent arrival of another grandchild.

FOSTER (voice-over): Uncommonly up front about his feelings for her.

CHARLES, PRINCE OF WALES: I'm very proud of her.

FOSTER: They first toured the United States as newlyweds.

PRINCE CHARLES: My darling wife enjoyed that visit very much.

FOSTER: Now, on the eve of their return...

PRINCE CHARLES: I picked up a lot of good ideas from the United States.

FOSTER: Tonight, in the CNN SPOTLIGHT, Charles and Camilla.

Birkhall, on the Balmoral estate, 50,000 picturesque acres, the British royal family's much loved estate in Scotland. It's here that I spent an extraordinary morning with the prince of Wales and his wife, the duchess of Cornwall. They granted me unique access, including an exclusive interview with the heir to the throne.

FOSTER (on camera): Your royal highness, thank you so much for welcoming me into your home. It's absolutely beautiful.

FOSTER (voice-over): We also requested an interview with the duchess, but she declined. She's never done a TV interview, preferring to give the limelight to her husband. Next month, they celebrate ten years of marriage. By all accounts, theirs has been a true partnership, and as we talked, Prince Charles did something quite rare for him. He publicly expressed his affection for his wife.

PRINCE CHARLES: It's always marvelous to have somebody who, you know, you feel understands and wants to encourage. And, you know, she'd certainly poke fun if I get too serious about things. And all that helps, you know. FOSTER: It's been reported that Charles first met Camilla in the

early 1970s at a polo match. There was a mutual attraction, but official duties pulled Charles away as he joined the royal Navy. Camilla would marry Andrew Parker Bowles, and in 1981, Charles married Diana Spencer. A fairy tale wedding, but the marriage would last just 15 years, ending in a 1996 divorce.

One year later, tragedy. Diana is killed in a car crash and the world mourns the loss of the people's princess. Through the years, Prince Charles and Camilla, she had also divorced, had remained in each other's lives, but mostly away from prying cameras. Then, in 1999, they would make a public appearance, their first as a couple. And on April the 9th, 2005, more than 30 years after they first met, the wedding of Charles and Camilla, the prince and his new duchess, a true love story.

FOSTER (on camera): People cannot believe it's been ten years. And in that time, the duchess of Cornwall has defined her own public role as well, hasn't she? Has that been a challenge?

PRINCE CHARLES: You can imagine, it is a real challenge, but she's, I think, been brilliant in the way she's tackled these things.

FOSTER (voice-over): The duchess of Cornwall would have to overcome the perception of being the other woman and face a public that didn't know her particularly well and had adored Diana. Over the years, the British public warmed to her as she stood by Charles and championed her own interests.

CNN has been given intimate access to her appearances. We've watched her host a Christmas party for very sick children, seen her visit a school to promote writing, spent a day at the races, and followed her to the base of an infantry regiment.

FOSTER (on camera): One of the things that struck me, obviously something that you know about her, is her charm and her humor. It's a side that doesn't always come across on television, but it's pretty powerful in real life, isn't it?

PRINCE CHARLES: Yes. It's a peculiar thing. Sometimes the camera, but also inevitably you can be perhaps a bit more relaxed when it's slightly more private or, you know, when you're meeting people without being totally surrounded all the time by the dreaded camera.

FOSTER: We appreciate you allowing our cameras in.

FOSTER (voice-over): Charles is quick to list his wife's many passions and endeavors.

PRINCE CHARLES: She's done an enormous amount for the whole issue around osteoporosis, which, of course, runs in her family.

CAMILLA, DUCHESS OF CORNWALL: I first became involved with osteoporosis after both my mother and my grandmother died as a result of this devastating disease. PRINCE CHARLES: She feels deeply about that. And then, again, you

know, all her work on literacy because she's mad about reading. And her father was a great reader and I think, you know, he encouraged her in that way, so she devours books of all kinds. So she's done a hell of a lot in visiting schools, and organizations and reading to young people, and so on. That's really as well, I think, there's a whole massive area. She takes a huge interest in, you know, hospices and care of young people, the elderly. So, I am very proud of her. And in between all that, she tries to support me, which is wonderful of her.

FOSTER: Spending time with them, you really can't help but be struck by how much affection Charles and Camilla have for each other.

PRINCE CHARLES: We laugh a lot. She sees the funny side of life, thank God. So, that, as you can imagine, that adds an enormous amount to the whole thing.

FOSTER: Ten years ago, polls found that between 57 and 73 percent of Brits opposed Camilla being known as queen, but a recent poll conducted through CNN found that that figure is now down to only 35 percent, with one in four people liking her more now than they did then. Still, royal aides say that when Charles becomes king, Camilla will not use the title of queen.

Next, on the eve of their upcoming return to the U.S., the prince reminisces about past visits.

PRINCE CHARLES: In 1970, we were invited to stay at the White House, but they were trying to marry me off to Tricia Nixon.

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FOSTER (voice-over): On a recent cold and blustery morning, Prince Charles and Camilla, the duchess of Cornwall, took a stroll in the Scottish highlands. They allowed only CNN to capture these moments, a rare, intimate glimpse of them in the gardens of a private residence, Birkhall on the Balmoral estate.

PRINCE CHARLES: General Eisenhower, he came up here (inaudible) to Balmoral in the '50s, and I remember meeting him then. I must have met quite a lot of presidents of the United States.

FOSTER: And quite often, those encounters have taken place at the White House during Charles' tours of the United States.

FOSTER (on camera): It's a country that you've visited many times, officially and privately. It must be a country you're very fond of.

PRINCE CHARLES: I think I've been 20 times or something in the last 45 years. And just shows how old I'm getting. FOSTER (voice-over): As Prince Charles and the duchess of Cornwall

prepared for their upcoming four-day tour of the U.S., he granted me an exclusive interview and he shared memories of past visits.

PRINCE CHARLES: I remember the first time was we were invited to stay, my sister and I, in 1970 at the White House by President Nixon for the weekend. That was quite amusing, I must say. That was the time when they were trying to marry me off to Tricia Nixon.

FOSTER: Charles would remain a bachelor for another decade.

A few years after marrying Diana, princess of Wales, they took their first trip together to America. It was 1985, and at the White House, Diana dazzled, famously taking to the dance floor with former Hollywood actor, now president, Ronald Reagan and John Travolta.

20 years later, Camilla joined Charles, their first official overseas visit, starting in New York.

PRINCE CHARLES: Ladies and gentlemen, can I just say that my wife and I are so pleased to have this opportunity to be with you all today.

FOSTER: Prince Charles may have been pleased, but some Americans weren't as accepting of the duchess.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Has it been a bit nerve-racking?

CAMILLA: A bit at first, but I got used to it.

FOSTER: Then, it was on to Washington, D.C., and a bit of glitz and glamour with events at the British embassy and at the White House.

PRINCE CHARLES: My wife and I are deeply grateful to you, Mr. President, and Mrs. Bush, for your generous hospitality towards us.

FOSTER: What the prince and duchess experienced next would be very different. They traveled south to New Orleans, to a city devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

CAMILLA: Very, very heartbreaking.

FOSTER: The last stop on their itinerary would take them to the West Coast.

FOSTER (on camera): 2005, your first joint overseas tour with your new wife, the duchess of Cornwall. What are your memories of that visit?

PRINCE CHARLES: Well, I remember we had a very, very jolly time in California I seem to remember. And, I mean, they were all so friendly there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you for coming, sir. Thank you for coming.

PRINCE CHARLES: It was a great opportunity to see all sorts of interesting projects there, farmers markets and goodness knows what else.

FOSTER (voice-over): Prince Charles pioneered organic farming techniques on his English estates and created Duchy Originals, a highly successful brand of natural foods that helps fund his charities.

PRINCE CHARLES: How we maintain biodiversity and ecosystems serves all these things (ph), and these things, I hope, with more interest, I think, in the United States now and some of these issues, where our food comes from, you know, the fact we are what we eat, all these things. That's one area I hope we can continue to pursue.

FOSTER: The royals clearly enjoyed their visit to the edible schoolyard at a middle school in Berkeley. It's part of an innovative program where students learn about nutrition, gardening, and cooking.

PRINCE CHARLES: The thing I think is so riveting about the United States is people are so much more -- they tend to be more open minded and interested in ideas. And, you know, I picked up an awful lot of good ideas from the United States. I hope a few ideas from here are going to cross the Atlantic.

FOSTER: Prince Charles and the duchess are embarking on another tour of America. The trip will begin in Washington, D.C., where they'll visit the White House, Mt. Vernon, and the national archives, highlighting historical links between the U.S. and the U.K. They'll cap off their visit in Louisville, Kentucky, Charles giving a speech on health and the environment, Camilla visiting a project that connects young people to farming.

PRINCE CHARLES: I have very fond memories always of visits to the United States. Sadly, because it's so huge, I can never get to see all the places I want to see.

FOSTER: Coming up, proud father and grandfather.

FOSTER (on camera): Congratulations on the imminent arrival of another grandchild.

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FOSTER (voice-over): The life of a British royal is filled with plenty of pomp and pageantry. Appearances, ceremonies, and soft diplomacy. But the main part of the job is the most personal, championing the causes they care about.

The duchess's interests are varied, literacy, homelessness, the issue of sexual assault.

PRINCE CHARLES: And she's done wonderful things, I think, with the whole issue around, you know, violence against women, and rape, and sexual violence, the whole thing, done a huge amount, again, to raise awareness, and visited all sorts of organizations on different parts of the world.

FOSTER: Prince Charles is even busier. He's involved with hundreds of organizations, 13 of which he founded.

PRINCE CHARLES: Putting these things together is not easy, believe you me.

FOSTER: The first one being The Prince's Trust back in 1976.

PRINCE CHARLES: Next year is going to be the 40th anniversary of my starting up this organization called The Prince's Trust, to try and help young people develop self confidence and self esteem, start their own businesses, develop their own potential.

FOSTER (on camera): What gap do you think it's filling in society? Why has it been a success?

PRINCE CHARLES: The key to it, I think, has been not just providing money to start your business, but also, I think, essentially advice. What we do is provide free marketing advice, and financial advice, and all of these things, which otherwise, you're on your own with.

FOSTER (voice-over): The Trust not only supports entrepreneurs, but also those with artistic ambitions. Past beneficiaries include Idris Elba, who starred in HBO's "The Wire," and David Oyelowo, who portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in the move "Selma."

DAVID OYELOWO, ACTOR: That means protest, that means march, that means disturb the peace.

FOSTER: To date, The Prince's trust says it's helped more than 750,000 disadvantaged young people.

PRINCE CHARLES: All around the world, people are beginning to come to my trust, saying, can you help us, over issues around youth unemployment. So, we're now setting up something called Prince's Trust International.

FOSTER: The trust is about to expand to other countries, including the U.S. Prince Charles has also encouraged his sons, William and Harry, to pursue their interests.

PRINCE CHARLES: I mean, as well, what Harry's been doing to help veterans. And I think he was particularly inspired to do this because of his (inaudible) to Afghanistan twice.

FOSTER: In 2013, in Colorado, Harry attended the Warrior Games, a paralympics for wounded war heroes.

PRINCE CHARLES: he was so taken by the Warrior Games in the United States, I remember when he came back and infused (ph) about them.

FOSTER: Inspired by what he saw, Harry helped launched the Invictus Games in the United Kingdom.

PRINCE CHARLES: I thought it was fantastic that he went through all the effort to get the Invictus Games going. So, I tip my hat off to him over that. It's fantastic.

FOSTER: Harry is also drawing attention to the dangers of leftover land mines, one of his mother's passions.

William has also carried on the work of his mother.

PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIGE: This place is inspirational.

FOSTER: By assuming her former position as president of the Royal Marsden Hospital which treats cancer patients.

William's main interest, though, is one he shares with his father, saving Africa's wild life.

PRINCE CHARLES: William has been very, you know, enthusiastic quite understandable, I think, about illegal wild life trade.

FOSTER: When I spoke to William two years ago, he expressed his fears about illegal poaching leading to extinction.

PRINCE WILLIAM: Seeing how badly injured animals, such a rhino, you know, missing its horn, its come to me to symbolize human greed.

FOSTER: William is patron the Tusk Trust which supports conservation efforts in Africa.

PRINCE WILLIAM: It is a genuine pleasure for Catherine and me to be here tonight at the Tusk Awards for conservation in Africa, to support a cause that has never been closer to our hearts than it is right now.

PRINCE CHARLES: His efforts there to bring in sorts of conservation bodies and others together, and people battling on, you know, legal trades (ph), I think, are hugely commendable.

FOSTER (on camera): Is it heartening to you to see them picking up on causes actually that you were already working on, and they must have picked up from you?

PRINCE CHARLES: I don't know if they picked it up from me, but maybe they did. I don't know. They never tell you that, and you're always amazed when you hear from other people who know them, that they've actually told them something which they would never tell you.

FOSTER (voice-over): Nearly two years ago now, Charles became a grandfather when the duchess of Cambridge had Prince George. She's not pregnant with her second child, which is due next month.

FOSTER (on camera): Congratulations on the imminent arrival of another grandchild. Just wanted to say that to finish up with, because that's - the family continues to expand.

PRINCE CHARLES: Yes, I know, exactly. Very nice having grandchildren, actually. It's rather fun with small people (ph) again, you know, get down on the floor and do silly things with them.

FOSTER (voice-over): With the arrival of the next generation, the line of royal succession is secured. It's Prince Charles, though, now 66, who will be the next Monarch with Camilla by his side.

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