As a dedicated Anglophile and monarchist I read this book with interest. It had a lot of information that I already knew, but had a lot of "inside information". The portrayal of Camilla almost made me like her (almost) and reinforced the opinion of many writers that Charles is a forward thinking king. I did find the back story of the coronation fascinating and the Queen's last days made me cry. If the reader is not interested in the Windsors this book is not for him/her (the question is why would they even pick it up to read), but if you enjoy the royal family, this book will give you an up-to-date view of what is going on with the royals.

The Making of a King by R. Hardman, audiobook published by Dreamscape Media, is a wonderful, enlightening read. Thoroughly researched with a lot of insider information had me the book on the edge of my seat right from the start.
I read with beated breath, listened to the audio and couldn't for the life of me stop.
A true gem, wonderful. I recommend the book and audio.

I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s detailed descriptions of the life and work of King Charles III. He made it clear that the King enjoys his new role and that the Queen provides him with staunch support and a cheerful nature. They make a very good team. Hardman addresses both the successes the King has enjoyed and the challenges that he faces as monarch and as head of the Commonwealth. He goes into detail about many of the choices the King has made, as well as the reasons for his choices and actions. There are frank discussions about the challenges he faces concerning such issues as the scandals surrounding the Duke of York, the estrangement of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and anti-monarchy sentiment. I particularly enjoyed the many descriptions of his relationship with his mother. This book leaves me with a feeling of great appreciation for King Charles and his chosen style of leadership, especially with regard to environmental issues. His leadership style is not flamboyant, but instead solid, thoughtful, and effective. God save the King!
Much thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read and review The Making of a King on NetGalley.

Narrator: Robert Hardman (Author).

Published: 01/18/24

Stars: 2.5

This needed a professional narrator. Hardman's slow monotonic voice made it difficult to focus and/or want to finish the book.

While not a royal stalker, I have noticed highlights throughout my life. This is my first royal book. My interest was in Charles and waiting 70 years for the crown. I'm still waiting.

The book is lacking objectivity. At 70+ Charles should be able to problem solve and make decisions. I'm not interested in his idiosyncrasies. I was interested in his thought processes. It didn't enter my mind that who came to dinner, where they stand, Camilla eats cookies and Charles is obsessed with his weight were challenges that needed to be told.

I was looking for nonfiction historical not tabloidesque.

I've been a royal watcher since I was a little girl. With grandparents coming from the UK, it was as though the Queen was always this figurehead of grace and continuity. And so while I understand the ills of a past monarchy that contributed to colonialism, I also see the strength in the figurehead and the stability they give.

Perhaps, for me, it's as simple as saying that I know they aren't to be political or mess with affairs of state, but I do appreciate the spotlight and "star" that they bring to organizations and non-profit agencies.

On top of that personal history, I also am a history fan. So this new novel by Hardman was exactly what spoke to me as the change of monarch happened. The little details that we may have missed on tv, coupled with highlights of the importance on the similarities and differences King Charles will hope to do; was fascinating.

Highly recommend if you are a history lover or someone who lives in one of the Commonwealth countries

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

It's hard to properly review a book like this when so much of the content is public knowledge and has been very well publicized in the news. That being said, I did enjoy this as a very rare royal book that doesn't;t rehash every single historical detail for context. This was very straightforward about the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation and ascension of King Charles and focuses on the current state of the royal family. Of course the book rehashes stories that have been beat in the ground but I did find parts more interesting,

This book is still very much follows the "Monarchist" talking points and does not acknowledge that there is some serious colonial issues with race and the UK media. The author takes shots at Harry & Meghan about many things but there is no attempt at acknowledging that there are major race related issues at play in The Firm (cough Lady Susan Hussey cough).

I'll end this the same way I've ended my reviews of other books on the royal family: please seek therapy!

This was interesting. I liked that it focused on the king but wasn't afraid to also profile the people closest to him, such as the previous queen and her final days and the new queen. As someone who is not British, I did feel like it offered some interesting insite into both Charles as a new king and as a person. Though, at parts this book did feel out of touch and a little too much like high endorsement of the crown instead of an unbiased account (and again this may be due to being a foreigner to this culture). It felt like this was meant to be a response to Spare, which doesn't feel right if not from Charles himself. Overall, an interesting read for those looking to learn more about King Charles. The narrator was great and easy to follow.

Where do I begin with this book?

I want to be fair. If what you want is fluff about how great the new king and queen are, accompanied by extremely detailed moment-by-moment descriptions of events like Elizabeth II’s funeral, then this is the book for you.

I stopped reading before the halfway point because those detailed descriptions are boring. But also because the elitist tone of the book made me stabby.

Guys, let’s face it: the British empire is one of the most evil institutions that’s ever existed in the history of civilization. Not that there weren’t good things about it, too! But the slavery, the colonialism, the war, the plunder…the world is still working its way out of that mire. But apparently the author of this book lives in a fairy dreamland of his imagination where none of that ever happened.

I know the royal family does a lot of important charity work. But then, if I were getting paid 86 million pounds a year, I probably would, too. I mean, maybe the British people would be better off if that 86 million pounds were paid directly to the people in need, without going through a middle man. I’m American, so I have no idea why things work the way they do over there.

I don’t *really* think the royalty should be abolished. At least, I didn’t before this book. Maybe it’s the book that’s out of touch, or maybe it’s the royal family and all the trappings associated with it. The gaslighting in this book, denying the trauma of historically marginalized people, by the very institution responsible for their marginalization, is harmful, shameful, and revolting. If the king has no empathy for the trauma of his own daughter-in-law, then how can he properly serve the rest of his people?

The answer is: he can’t. Without intending to, this book starkly shows how out-of-touch the monarchy is, how devoid of substance, how focused on pomp to the exclusion of human needs.

If this book is supposed to be the king’s response to “Spare,” it utterly failed. You can’t just say, “None of that ever really happened.” You can’t just say, “Look how great the king and queen are.” Because something happened to create that rift. This book beautifully demonstrates why the Sussexes had to leave the country for their own mental health. People who can’t see past their own privilege are toxic, and that toxicity is on full display in this book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

This book was very informative and I really like how the author portrayed all of the information. I listened to the audio and I liked being able to hear the author read his own work. Hardman is a very accomplished author and it’s clear he knows a lot about the British Royal Family.