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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Journalist Robert Hardman spent a year shadowing King Charles for a BBC documentary.</li><li>Hardman is a trusted voice in the royal field and has interviewed royals from around the world.</li></ul>King Charles is perhaps one of the most misunderstood British royals of modern times, according to the man who shadowed him for a year."There's the completely wrong narrative that you get from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-crown-season-6-accuracy-fact-check-fiction-2023-11">'The Crown,'"</a> Hardman said about the Netflix series. "Charles is depicted as always trying to get his mother to step aside and let him take charge, right back to the '90s.""That's simply not what happened."Hardman should know. The British journalist shadowed King Charles for the BBC documentary, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001tw41">"Charles III: The Coronation Year."</a>The documentary gives behind-the-curtain access to Charles' first year as monarch, showing glimpses of his <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/king-charles-coronation-important-moments-in-photos-2023-5">coronation</a> rehearsal and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/king-charles-portrait-hidden-details-2023-5">first official portrait</a> as king. It also features interviews with members of his family, including his sister, Princess Anne, and Queen Camilla's sister, Annabel Elliott.I meet Hardman for the first time over Zoom in January, four days after the release of his new book, "Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story," published on January 18. (In the US, it's retitled <a target="_blank" href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Making-of-a-King/Robert-Hardman/9781639365319">"The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy."</a>)He looks polished in a crisp white shirt and a teal-printed tie. His face is framed with his signature square-shaped glasses as he recounts his royal career — which, according to Hardman, happened completely by accident.<h2>Hardman didn't intend to become a royal correspondent</h2>Hardman was working as a columnist and news reporter at the Daily Telegraph in London when, in January of 1992, he was sent on a travel assignment to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-crown-swiss-ski-resort-prince-charles-avalanche-accident-2020-12">Klosters, a luxury ski resort</a> in the Swiss Alps that doubles as a billionaire's playground.His only brief was to find some "skiing stories," he tells me. He ended up finding <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sarah-ferguson-says-skin-cancer-diagnosis-was-shock-2024-1">Sarah, Duchess of York,</a> instead."So off I went with a photographer, and while we were there, we stumbled across the Duchess of York and her daughters, who were having one of those royal photo calls on the Alps on the side of the hill," Hardman says.<div type="image" title="The Duchess Of York with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie in Klosters in January 1992" height="1361" width="1815" msid="107325927" hostid="261" sizebytes="131130"></div>Hardman didn't know it then, but 1992 was set to be a grisly year in royal history — the "annus horribilis," as Queen Elizabeth II called it in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.royal.uk/annus-horribilis-speech">now-famous speech</a> marking her Ruby Jubilee.Prince Charles, Prince Andrew, and Princess Anne ended their respective marriages, and the royal family's largest residence, Windsor Castle, was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-crown-season-5-episode-4-annus-horribilis-speech-explained-2022-11">severely damaged in a fire</a>.The years that have followed have been just as tumultuous, particularly for the king.<h2>The king's shadow</h2>Hardman tells me he was inspired to write his new book, "Charles III," while making the BBC documentary about the first year of his reign.Both projects give readers an emotional look at the origins of Charles' reign. In the book, for example, Hardman writes that Charles learned of Queen Elizabeth's death while driving back to Balmoral Castle from his nearby Birkhill Estate after previously visiting her earlier that day.<div type="image" title="King Charles III and Queen Camilla stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023." height="3592" width="4789" msid="107325930" hostid="261" sizebytes="1435066"></div>"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," Hardman wrote.<div type="image" title="King Charles laughs as Prince William pins something to his chest." height="1371" width="2000" msid="107325931" hostid="261" sizebytes="184076"></div>Hardman tells me the experience allowed him to see a different side of the king."In fact, as I hope I make clear in the book, he was almost painfully reluctant to even discuss plans for his reign," he said, adding that Charles wouldn't have wanted to undermine the Queen's authority when she was alive.<div type="image" title="King Charles (Dominic West) and Camilla Parker-Bowles (Olivia Williams) in &quot;The Crown&quot; season six." height="1000" width="1333" msid="107325932" hostid="261" sizebytes="79516"></div>Hardman is among a handful of people to publicly dismiss the characterization of Charles and Camilla in "The Crown." In 2020, two royal staff members <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prince-charles-camilla-staff-say-the-crown-gets-couple-wrong-2020-12">told Business Insider</a> they considered the show's portrayal of the couple unfair.Netflix did not respond to a request for comment.Looking back at Charles' life, Hardman said he's noticed the king has appeared much "happier" as he gets older (the king turned 75 in November). He said he noticed a similar pattern for the late Queen, who he described as more "smiley" and overall more content after her Golden Jubilee in 2002.For his book, Charles gave Hardman special permission to access the Royal Archives (a private collection of documents, letters, and diaries relating to the royal family) to assist with his research.<div type="image" title="Robert Hardman Queen Camilla" height="1500" width="2000" msid="107326270" hostid="261" sizebytes="124050"></div>Hardman also spoke to an anonymous palace aide who alleged Queen Elizabeth was "as angry as I'd ever seen her" in 2021 after Prince Harry and Meghan announced that she had given her blessing to name <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prince-harry-meghan-markle-meaning-daughters-name-2021-6">their daughter, Princess Lilibet</a>, after her."The couple then fired off warnings of legal action against anyone who dared to suggest otherwise, as the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57408163">BBC</a> had done," Hardman wrote in the book."However, when the Sussexes tried to co-opt the Palace into propping up their version of events, they were rebuffed. Once again, it was a case of 'recollections may vary' as far as the Queen was concerned. Those noisy threats of legal action evaporated and the libel action against the BBC never materialized," he added.<div type="image" title="prince william, prince harry, meghan markle, king charles" height="1477" width="1969" msid="107326273" hostid="261" sizebytes="292152"></div>Hardman received criticism from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/royal-biographer-omid-scobie-endgame-interview-2023-11">royal author Omid Scobie</a>, best known for co-authoring <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prince-harry-meghan-markle-finding-freedom-biography-surprising-things-2020-8">"Finding Freedom,"</a> a biography on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, in 2021.<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/scobie/status/1747164917646741604">Writing on X</a>, Scobie said Hardman's story contradicts details shared in Gyles Brandreth's biography of Queen Elizabeth, titled "Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait." Brandreth, a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/queen-weeks-without-seeing-prince-philip-royals-book-claims-2022-11">friend of the royals</a>, writes that she reacted positively to Lilibet's name, according to screenshots of media coverage shared by Scobie.The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Buckingham Palace, and Pegasus Books did not respond to a request for comment on the matter. Hardman declined to comment on Scobie's post.<h2>Hardman's success will be remembered</h2>Hardman's access to the royals is something that most journalists can only dream about. When I ask what his secret is, he insists that he's been turned away by the palace for documentaries and press opportunities in the past."I don't pretend to have any kind of special access, but I think it's important to be fair. I think if people know that you are fair, then they won't feel they've been turned over," he says.For now, Hardman says he's perfectly content with not knowing what comes next for him."It's the joy of journalism — you don't really know what's happening. I don't know what I'm doing this week or next," Hardman says."I did promise my wife that there would be no more books after the last one, and then this one came along. So I may have to press the pause button for a little bit," he adds. "But yeah, you can't stop in this game."

The man who shadowed King Charles for a year describes what life for the royal is really like

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I have visited many European countries, but I found Luxembourg to be one of the most affordable. </li><li>It has free public transport and luxury hotels for less. </li></ul>I love traveling, but I also love saving money.This year, I've been fortunate enough to visit an array of European countries for personal vacations and work trips, including Spain, Belgium, <a href="https://www.insider.com/travel-by-train-europe-belgium-norway-on-budget-photos-2023-4">Norway</a>, and <a href="https://www.insider.com/things-to-know-change-trip-to-sicily-italy-2023-5">Italy</a>. But Luxembourg — the <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-parts-about-luxembourg-wealthiest-country-photos-2023-4">wealthiest country in the world</a>, according to an August 2022 report by <a href="https://www.gfmag.com/global-data/economic-data/richest-countries-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Finance</a> — stood out to me due to its affordable accommodation and <a href="https://www.insider.com/luxembourg-train-bus-travel-free-what-its-like-photos-2023-3">free public transport</a>. Luxembourg, which is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-luxembourg-like-travel-tips-2018-5?r=US&amp;IR=T">smaller than Rhode Island</a>, is a landlocked nation that shares borders with Belgium, France, and Germany and has 645,000 residents, a spokesperson for <a href="https://www.visitluxembourg.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Visit Luxembourg</a> confirmed to Insider. The country is known for its magnificent castles and gorgeous countryside. In March, I spent a day in Luxembourg City, the country's capital and only city, and two days in Clervaux in the countryside before <a href="https://www.insider.com/scenic-train-luxembourg-to-brussels-belgium-for-25-dollars-photos-2023-3">taking a train to Brussels, Belgium</a>. I had a fantastic experience and would recommend it to anyone looking for a luxurious vacation that won't break your budget. <h2>Experience luxury for less</h2>Travelers who visit Europe often overlook Luxembourg in favor of London or Paris, respectively the first- and second-most visited cities in Europe in 2022, according to the geography resource website <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/the-15-most-visited-cities-n-europe.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Atlas</a>.But, in my opinion, those who disregard Luxembourg are missing out on experiencing luxury travel for less. When I visited in March, I spent one night at Hotel Le Royal, a five-star hotel in Luxembourg City. I stayed in a traditional queen room, which cost $275.70 for one night and had a queen-sized double bed, a TV, a dressing table, and a bathroom with a bath and shower. There was also a complimentary fruit bowl and a box of chocolates in my room upon my arrival. <div type="image" title="mikhaila le royal thumb" height="1500" width="2000" msid="100676294" hostid="261" sizebytes="110398"></div>I loved that the hotel was located in a central location, as I could walk to all of the shops, restaurants, and tourist attractions in the city center. There was also plenty to do within the hotel, as there was a bar, a restaurant, a spa, and an indoor pool. <div type="image" title="hotel le royal pool" height="1536" width="2048" msid="100676295" hostid="261" sizebytes="167222"></div>Hotel Le Royal isn't the first five-star hotel I've stayed in, but it's certainly the most affordable. Last year, <a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-royal-hotel-beside-buckingham-palace-2022-6">I stayed at The Rubens at The Palace</a>, a five-star hotel across the road from Buckingham Palace in London as I was covering <a href="https://www.insider.com/disappointing-photos-show-london-during-queens-jubilee-weekend-2022-6">Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee</a>. I spent one night in The Royal Themed Queen room that had a queen-sized bed, a desk, an armchair, and a TV which cost £564 per night, or around $713 per night. Then in April this year, I spent one night at San Domenico Palace, <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-white-lotus-hotel-sicily-taormina-four-seasons-review-2023-5">the five-star hotel where "The White Lotus" was filmed</a> in Taormina, Sicily. I stayed in a sea-view room with a terrace, which cost $2,248, or around €2,047, for one night, and the price included breakfast.San Domenico Palace was the most luxurious hotel I've ever stayed in, thanks to the incredible customer service, the delicious food, and the glamorous decor. However, Hotel Le Royal had a lot of similar amenities, such as the spa and pool, the piano bar, and a restaurant, and it cost much, much less.<h2>The free public transport was a highlight of my trip</h2>In my opinion, the best thing about Luxembourg is the free public transport that's available to all residents and visitors <a href="https://www.insider.com/best-parts-about-luxembourg-wealthiest-country-photos-2023-4#the-free-public-transport-was-a-highlight-of-the-trip-6">as part of the government's plan to support people living on lower incomes</a>.<div type="image" title="mikhaila luxembourg/belgium train" height="516" width="897" msid="100676297" hostid="261" sizebytes="31000"></div>I made use of this during my visit, as I used the tram system to get around the city before taking a free train and bus to the countryside, where I visited castles and saw rolling hills and forests. <div type="image" title="Vianden Castle in Luxembourg" height="1536" width="2048" msid="100676298" hostid="261" sizebytes="439472"></div>The expense of public transport is something all travelers should take into consideration, especially those who don't have a driver's license or are unable to rent a car while traveling.It's also something worth considering for those who don't want to spend a good chunk of their vacation budget on the underground or trains. In London, for example, a Visitor Oyster card for the London Underground and National Rail train services costs £5, or around $6.18, and the <a href="https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/visiting-london/visitor-oyster-card" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Transport For London (TFL) website</a> recommends adding £15 credit, or around $18.55, for two days of travel. And in France, a Paris Visite travel pass costs €22.05, or around $23.56, for two days of public transit in central Paris, according to <a href="https://www.ratp.fr/en/titres-et-tarifs/paris-visite-travel-pass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RATP</a>, the public-transport operator in the city. And those costs are for city travel, not countryside adventures like I got to experience in Luxembourg.So next time you're looking for a European vacation, I'd urge you to step outside your comfort zone and give Luxembourg a try — you might be pleasantly surprised by the value of what you discover.

Forget London and Paris — here's why Luxembourg is the best European destination for affordable luxury this summer

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-delaying-buying-homes-us-homeownership-decline-2019-4">Homeownership rates have begun to fall</a> again after a slight two-year reprieve thanks in part to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-wiping-out-starter-homes-real-estate-2019-4">millennials delaying home purchases</a>.</li><li>One main culprit may be the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/student-debt-preventing-the-us-from-having-normal-housing-market-2019-5">rapidly-ballooning $1.6 trillion in student loan debt</a>.</li><li>Economists seem to think student debt cancellation could give a boost to homeownership rates.</li><li>The Federal Reserve found that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/student-loan-impact-on-housing-market-according-to-federal-reserve-2019-1">more than 20% of the decline</a> in young-adult homeownership between 2005 to 2014 can be attributed to increased student loan debt.</li><li>Skeptics are worried that student debt cancellation could <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/commercial-construction-survey-shows-70-of-contractors-struggling-to-meet-project-deadlines-as-labor-shortage-persists-1028030902">exacerbate a labor shortage in construction and the trades</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-federal-deficit-fiscal-year-2019-2019-3">balloon the federal deficit</a> until the Fed raises interest rates, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-millennials-are-changing-the-us-housing-market-2018-9">drive up the costs of housing.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prime?module=article&amp;area=summary">Click here for more BI Prime stories.</a></li></ul>Shalyn Powell is one of many millennials who would love to be a homeowner."It's always been a personal goal to be able to own my own home," said Powell, who is 33 years-old and living in the Pittsburgh metro area. "I'm actually the first girl out of nine grandchildren, and I was the first one to go to law school."Powell told Business Insider she wants to be the first to buy a home on her own, without a partner's income. Powell lives in the suburban South Hills neighborhood, and is looking to buy a home near where she rents now. She has been pre-approved for a mortgage twice, but for $40,000 less than the $180,000 she'd need to buy a home that meets her standards.The problem? Powell has $178,000 in student loan debt, almost exclusively from law school.Powell works an hourly contract position as an attorney for an energy company. Even though she takes home roughly $100,000 a year with overtime, her debt has kept her dream out of reach.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-delaying-buying-homes-us-homeownership-decline-2019-4">Homeownership rates are beginning to fall again</a>, ending a two-year reprieve from 2016 to 2018 and continuing a trend that first started in<a href="https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/currenthvspress.pdf"> 2005</a>. As<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-wiping-out-starter-homes-real-estate-2019-4"> millennials delay home purchases</a>, one main culprit may be the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/student-debt-preventing-the-us-from-having-normal-housing-market-2019-5"> rapidly-ballooning $1.6 trillion in student loan debt</a>.Read more:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/average-american-millennial-net-worth-student-loan-debt-savings-habits-2019-6"> Meet the average American millennial, who has an $8,000 net worth, is delaying life milestones because of student loan debt, and still relies on their parents for money</a>The campaign trail has brought an increased spotlight to student debt. Elizabeth Warren's plan to<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/student-loan-debt-forgiveness-elizabeth-warren-economic-impacts-2020-election-2019-4"> eliminate up to $50,000 in debt</a> per borrower and Bernie Sanders' plan for a<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bernie-sanders-student-debt-forgiveness-wall-street-tax"> full debt jubilee of private and federal loans</a> have attracted the majority of the attention, though other candidates have their own plans. Politicians are pairing<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-we-should-take-bernie-sanders-free-college-tuition-crusade-seriously-2015-5"> debt forgiveness with plans for free tuition at public college</a> to keep future debt down, as well as new taxes to cover costs. While these policies might cause a panic among<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-budget-deficit-hits-record-february-national-debt-2019-3"> already-nervous deficit hawks</a>, economists seem to think student debt cancellation could give a boost to homeownership rates.The Federal Reserve found that<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/student-loan-impact-on-housing-market-according-to-federal-reserve-2019-1"> more than 20% of the decline in young-adult homeownership</a> between 2005 to 2014 can be attributed to increased student loan debt. The 2019 study tracked both an increase in the amount borrowed per student and the numbers of borrowers.The study also attributed a 1-2% decrease in homeownership rate among borrowers for every $1,000 they owe on average. David Bergeron, a senior fellow for postsecondary education at the Center for American Progress and former Obama Department of Education official, conservatively estimated a 30% increase in homeownership among young adults with student debt after cancellation."From my perspective, it would have been a much better way to spend money than to give me a tax cut," Bergeron said. "If you give someone who is lower-income and just starting out their lives a break, you'll be stimulating the way they make all purchases."Read more:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-do-when-drowning-in-student-loan-debt-2019-5"> 5 ways to take control when you're drowning in student loan debt</a>Stephanie Kelton, Bernie Sanders' senior economic advisor, co-authored a report in 2018 for the Levy Institute titled "<a href="http://www.levyinstitute.org/publications/the-macroeconomic-effects-of-student-debt-cancellation">The Macroeconomic Effects of Student Debt Cancellation."</a> The report uses two models to simulate how cancelling student loan debt would affect the economy, although it did not include the new taxes in Warren or Sanders' plans. It found that over 10 years the GDP would increase by at least $860 billion, job creation would peak at 1.5 million added a year, and the policy would only create a minor inflationary bump. Kelton explained that cancellation would be less inflationary than it may seem at first, as the loans wouldn't be paid off all at once. "It works effectively like a tax cut for the tens of millions of people who now have freed up $250, $500, $1200, depending on what they were paying to service their student loan debt each month," Kelton said. Kelton also explained that full cancellation of student loans would have a disproportionate benefit for minority students, who often have<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/student-loan-gap-for-black-and-white-students-triples-after-graduation-2016-10"> larger student debt loads when they leave college</a>. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/zillow-stock-ceo-spencer-rascoff-out-rich-barton-in-2019-2-1027973916">Zillow</a>, the real-estate database company,<a href="https://www.zillow.com/research/student-debt-homes-renters-22051/"> studied the effect that student loans have on the ability of an average buyer to afford a home</a>. They found that student loans cut down the number of homes an average buyer could afford by 10%.Jeff Tucker, Zillow economist, agreed that cancelling student loan debt would boost homeownership, but also pointed to tighter lending standards post-recession and<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/income-qualify-mortgage-buy-house-us-cities-2018-11"> home prices that grow faster than income</a> as other factors behind declining rates.Others are less bullish. Lawrence Yun, chief economist and senior vice president of research at the National Association of Realtors, agrees that student debt has played a large role in the recent drops in homeownership rates. A 2017 study by NAR showed that<a href="https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/2017-student-loan-debt-and-housing-09-26-2017.pdf"> student loans delayed non-homeowners first home purchase by a full seven years</a>.However, Yun raised concerns over the impact cancelling student debt could have on the economy.Read more:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-already-saving-planning-for-homeownership-2019-4"> Gen Z is ambitious about homeownership, and it's becoming clear that even high costs and student loans won't stop them</a>"In terms of actual policy, one has to weigh the pros and cons," Yun said. He added that he worries student debt cancellation could<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/commercial-construction-survey-shows-70-of-contractors-struggling-to-meet-project-deadlines-as-labor-shortage-persists-1028030902"> accelerate labor shortages in construction and the trades</a>, as college is perceived to be more affordable. He is also concerned that a<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-federal-deficit-fiscal-year-2019-2019-3"> higher deficit</a> could make the Fed increase interest rates. This could cause higher mortgage rates, which would raise the cost of home-owning. As for Powell, the six-figure student debt she continues to pay off represents the house she's hoping to one day get."I have a lot of lawyer friends, and we're all pretty much in the same amount of debt. And we generally joke that our debt is the house we can't live in," she said.

Millennials aren't buying homes because of the $1.6 trillion in student loan debt, but some experts aren't convinced debt cancellation plans will fix the problem

A famous poet's advice for college graduates in this 177-year-old commencement speech is still surprisingly relevant 

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The man who shadowed King Charles for a year describes what life for the royal is really like

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Forget London and Paris — here's why Luxembourg is the best European destination for affordable luxury this summer

Mikhaila Friel

Millennials aren't buying homes because of the $1.6 trillion in student loan debt, but some experts aren't convinced debt cancellation plans will fix the problem

Alex Nicoll

A famous poet's advice for college graduates in this 177-year-old commencement speech is still surprisingly relevant

Abby Jackson

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