His Royal Editor: Prince Charles to Guest-Edit British Magazine

'Country Life,' a British weekly dedicated to the upper-class rural lifestyle, will have a royal mark of approval this November

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What does a man that has everything get for his 65th birthday? If you’re Prince Charles, you guest-edit a British weekly that celebrates the bucolic lifestyle and culture of the country’s farmland communities. But of course.

The Prince of Wales, who celebrates his birthday on Nov. 14, plans to edit the Nov. 13 issue of Country Life that will feature an exclusive interview with His Royal Highness.

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“Since its launch in 1897, Country Life has been privileged to be given access to the royal family at times of national celebrations. However, this is the first time that a member of the royal family has edited the magazine or any other publication,” said Mark Hedges, the magazine’s editor. “The Prince of Wales has been a great supporter of Country Life and its ideals over many decades, and has always taken a close interest in what we do, so we’re delighted, at last, to be able to call on his wise input and creativity.”

Prince Charles is expected to meet with the editorial board to discuss his duties, but since the magazine, the self-anointed “Home of Premium Property,” generally concerns the joys of rural landowners and their homes, Charles likely has some thoughts to spare on those matters.

In the same way that Judd Apatow lent his eye and ear for comedic talent to Vanity Fair‘s December comedy issue, so too can Charles bless Country Life with his innate genteel manner. He and his wife Camilla live part-time in Highgrove House, an estate in the Cotswolds that seems tailor-made for a Country Life cover or feature. He could also share thoughts on his favorite pastimes — the ones that aren’t weather forecasting or deejaying — such as watercolor painting and, until an injury, polo. If his personal interests prove too inconsequential, he can always shed light on his manifold humanitarian pursuits. The Prince of Wales is a longtime champion of organic farming, climate-change research and historical preservation — all of which would gel nicely with Country Life’s rural bent.