Barry, Stephen P. (King Charles III)

Royal Service: My Twelve years as Valet to Prince Charles

New York, NY: Macmillan, 1983. First Edition. Hardcover. “Since the fairy-tale marriage of the dashing Prince to the blonde and beautiful Lady Diana in July 1981, followed by the birth a year late of Prince William of Wales, the public’s fascination with Great Britain’s Royal Family has continued unabated. And Stephen Barry, personal valet to Prince Charles for the twelve years prior to the Prince’s marriage, was privy to more confidential information and closer to the day-to-day activities of the future monarch than almost anyone else” (from front flap). The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla seems a fitting occasion to look behind the curtain with Stephen P. Barry (1949-1986) at his career in Buckingham Palace. Barry worked in the palace since the age of 17, moving through various positions before being appointed as valet to Prince Charles at 21. They were similar ages and familiar enough with each other. With the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in July 1981, many of the little tasks for the Prince that had been Barry’s responsibility were taken over by the Princess or her staff. It was the end of an era, the bachelorhood of the Prince, and Barry recognized the transition as the right time to make a graceful exeunt. It is rumored that he didn’t get on with the Princess or she didn’t like him, but his story paints it as a very natural development. He followed up Royal Service with Royal Secrets two years later. The palace saw both publications as a violation of protocol that restricts the disclosure of royal duties, and publishers in the United Kingdom refused to take on his writing “in deference to the palace,” according to the New York Times. He purportedly earned over a million dollars from these publications, but he sadly died at a London hospital in 1986 at the age of 37. His cause of death was not confirmed by the hospital, but it was reported he died of AIDS. The palace declined to comment, but the newspaper Today reported that the prince was aware of Barry’s homosexuality and that Barry had confirmed his AIDS diagnosis earlier that year. No public comment has been made by the royal family, but the suspicion of their involvement wouldn’t be the only time such surreptitious villainy by the royal family would be rumored. Included are two 8-page sections of black-and-white photos of royal moments, traveling, and activities. [ISBN: 0-02-507490-3]. Hardcover in unclipped dust jacket; First Edition, though not explicated as such on the copyright page, First Printing, as indicated by number sequence thereon. Book is in Very Fine condition with no discernible flaws; pages aging ever-so-slightly. Dust jacket is in Good condition (navy blue, not magenta) with significant rubbing, scratching to front, back covers and spine and moderate shelf-wear to fine-edges of same; front flap creased. Very Fine / Good. [Item #5539]

Price: $20.00