Prince Charles felt ‘trapped’

Prince Charles confided to a friend how he felt ”trapped” and like his life was ”mapped out” for him.

The heir to the British throne told journalist Selina Scott of his frustration and his issues with confidence, which have made his job as a royal even harder.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday newspaper, Selina said Charles had told her: ”You’re lucky, you don’t have your life mapped out for you for as far as you can see, for every minute, for every hour, for every day, for every year.

”Let me tell you, there are many times when I feel totally trapped.

”I lack a great deal of confidence so it is quite a struggle. I could quite happily decide to lead a much quieter existence, and make speeches which were purely replete with platitudes, but I don’t think that’s going to get anybody anywhere.

”I actually feel – my trouble is that I feel very strongly about things. I can’t help it. I don’t know where it comes from. I just do. And I find that I must express it.”

The Prince of Wales made his comments to Selina when she filmed a programme about his relationship to Gaelic-speaking people in 1991. She had long been a friend of the prince, even receiving invites to the royal residence at Sandringham. Charles also told her how his conscience often got the better of him

He added: ”I have a very well-developed conscience, I suppose, which is always needling me, and I look around and I see so many people in far less fortunate positions than I am, and I feel, ‘Here am I in this position. What can I do to the best of my ability to improve their lot?’ ”