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Prince Charles in raw magazine interview
Last updated at 12:07pm on 05.04.07
The Prince of Wales admits that it is 'no fun' confronting those who are hostile to his views
The Prince of Wales prefers videos to DVDs, worries about the nation's preference for pill-popping and feels he has to continually justify his existence, it has been revealed.
In an interview with upmarket men's magazine Esquire, heir to the throne Charles talked about "annoying" DVDs and described how it was "no fun" plucking up courage to win over those who are openly hostile to his views.
The Prince declared: "All the time I feel I must justify my existence" and adds: "What I've done is a mere pinprick but at least it's something."
On his preference for old-style videos, the Prince admitted: "I much prefer videos to DVDs.
"I find it so annoying having to go through the menu and finding the spot where you left off every time you try watching it in a different location."
Charles also talks about a move towards quick health fixes rather than preventing problems in the first place.
"Perhaps it's the media or advertising, but people somehow seem to think it's easier to get a quick fix, regardless of whether a quick fix is merely suppressing the symptoms and not necessarily dealing with the root cause."
He said people seemed to have forgotten about prevention.
"I suppose the concept of being able to pop a pill that claims to solve your problem without you having to actually do anything is enormously attractive - an easy way of avoiding boring exercise or whatever."
He added that he accepted that worrying about things like diet was "a bit of a bore".
Charles said he had come to the conclusion that most people are adversely affected by the things they loved most but insisted "you are what you eat".
Of meeting and trying to convince those who have challenged his opinions, he admitted: "It's no fun. You have to pluck up courage, I can assure you.
"But you have to say something - I feel particularly strongly about integrated health, for example."
Charles, who has recently been accused of being a "meddling Prince", talked about his need to be cautious of using his influence.
"Obviously I do have to be careful. I don't want to overdo it," he told interviewer Nick Bradshaw.
The Prince's biographer Jonathan Dimbleby described Charles like a "dog with a bone" with ideas, while his senior aide Sir Michael Peat said the Prince liked to do things at a "practical, brass-tacks level".
Esquire also noted that the Prince gets his bespoke suits from Turnbull & Asser.
The May "Great British" edition is out on Monday and features actress Emily Blunt on the cover.
