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WhenPrinceCharlesarrivesinNewYorkonTuesday,Nov.1,tobeginaneight-dayvisit,itwillbehisfirstofficialAmericantourinmorethanadecade.Everyoneknowswhathashappenedintheinterim.HistroubledmarriagetothelatePrincessDiana,hisremarriagetoCamillaParkerBowles,andtheyouthfulindiscretionsofhistwosonshavebeenturnedtoareality-basedsoapoperabythetabloidmedia.ButmostAmericansknowverylittleaboutwhothePrinceofWalesisandwhathedoesasheirtotheBritishthrone.Membersoftheroyalfamilyhardlyevergrantinterviews,theQueenhasnevergivenone,andyourarelyseethemtalk.Butlastmonth,ashistriptotheUnitedStateswasbeingplanned,PrinceCharlesgranted60MinutescorrespondentSteveKroftanaudience,allowingustofollowhimaroundandchat,notabouthisfamily,butaboutbeingPrinceofWales,ajobandalifelikenoother.Mostofusinourliveshavetofilloutapplicationslistingourprofessionandoccupation.Youdon'thavetodothat,Kroftsaid.No.Notalways,butsometimes,PrinceCharlesreplied.Ifyoudid,whatwouldyouputdown?Kroftasked.Iwouldlistitasworryingaboutthiscountryanditsinhabitants.That'smyparticularduty.AndIfindmyselfbornintothisparticularposition.I'mdeterminedtomakethemostofit.AndtodowhateverIcantohelp.AndIhopeIleavethingsbehindalittlebitbetterthanIfoundthem,theprincesaid.It'shardtosay,butIthinkitisaprofession,actually;doingwhatI'mdoing.Becauseifyoutrieditforabit,youmightfindouthowdifficultitis,headded,laughing.Heissomewherebetweenabrandandapublicinstitution,afutureheadofstateinwaiting—andwaiting.Heisasymbolofcontinuitywithnorealpowerbuttremendousinfluencethatistiedtohispositionandwealth.Themoneycomesfroma14thcenturyrealestateempirecalledtheDuchyofCornwall,whichwasestablishedtoprovideanincomefortheheirtotheBritishthrone.Todayitincludes135,000acresoffarmland,forests,waterfrontproperty,Londonrealestate,andevenacricketstadium.Itproduces$25millionayearinrentsandotherincomethatsupportstheprince,hiswifeandchildrenandastaffof130.Thereareperkssuchastravelontheroyaltrain.And$7millionfromthegovernmenttohelpwithofficialexpenses.OnarecenttriptotheYorkshireCountrysidetomarkthe850thanniversaryofthevillageofRichmond,thewholetownturnedouttogreetCharlesandCamilla,hisnewwife,longtimefriendandformermistress,nowtheDuchessofCornwall.TheywererecentlyvotedthemostpopularcoupleinBritain,nosingouttheQueenandPrincePhilipandtheyseemedcomfortablewitheachotherandthecrowds.Therewasclearlyabondbetweenyouandthepeoplethere.Explainthattome,askedKroft.Noidea,theprincerepliedwithlaugh.Youhavenoidea?Kroftasked.No,butIalwaysenjoyedseeingallsortsofpeopleallaroundthecountry.Idothisoverandoveragain,havedonefor30-somethingyears,theprincesaid.Hecouldpassthetimeplayingpoloordonothingatallifhewanted,apathchosenbymostofhispredecessors,manyofwhomwerelay-aboutsandplayboys.ButCharleschosetoinventajobwherenoneexisted.Hemade29majorspeecheslastyear,visited14countries,andrunsthelargestgroupofnon-profitorganizationsinthecountrycalledPrince'sCharities.Heraisesmorethan$200millionayearforthose16organizations,14ofwhichhefounded.ThelargestcharityisThePrince'sTrustwhich,over29years,hashelpedtoprovidejobtrainingformorethanahalfamillionyoungpeople.Doyouthinkifyouweren'tdoingthisstuff,thatitwouldgetdone?Kroftasked.IfIwasn'tdoingit?No,theprincereplied.Askedifhefeltasifhewasmakingadifference,PrinceCharlessaid,Idon'tknow.Itry.IonlyhopethatwhenI'mdeadandgone,theymightappreciateitalittlebitmore.DoyouknowwhatImean?Sometimesthathappens.Asheapproacheshis57thbirthday,hesometimesfeelsmisunderstoodandundervalued.HewaseducatedatCambridge,canflyjetplanesandhelicopters,isextremelyknowledgeableaboutthearts,andhastriedtocarveoutforhimselfanumberofdifferentcareers—environmentalist,urbanplanner,realestatedeveloper,andsocialcritic—deeplycommittedtoavisionofwhatGreatBritainwasandshouldbe.HisvisionislaidoutinbricksandmortarinPoundbury,avillageof2,500people,whichhecreatedonhislandnearDorchesterinthesouthofEngland.Allhisideasonarchitecturaldesign,classstructure,aestheticsandecologyarehere.Andwhatheseesasthefuturelooksverymuchlikethepast:an18thcenturyvillageadaptedforthe21st.PrinceCharlesgaveKroftatourofthevillage.Andthat'saconveniencestore,whichI'mveryproudof,whicheverybodysaidwouldn'twork.That'sthepub,whichagainnobodywantedtotouch.Butnowofcourse,thevaluesaregoingup,andupandup.Kroftremarkedthatthebuildingslookedasiftheywerebuilttolast,lackingflimsymaterials.Well,that'swhatI'vebeentryingtoencouragepeopletothinkabout.…Tobreaktheconventionalmoldinthewaywe'vebeenbuildinganddesigningforthelast,well,duringthelastcenturyreally,hasallbeenpartofathrow-awaysociety,PrinceCharlessaid.Everythinginthevillageisconstructedofnativeorrecycledmaterials,sustainabledevelopment,hecallsit,thatconservestheEarth'sresources.Single-familyhomesaremixedwithsmallapartmentssotherearepeopleofallincomelevelsherelivingsidebysideinacommunitywithshopsandlightindustry.Thenarrowtwistyroadsdiscourageautomobiletraffic,andcarsareparkedoutofsightinlandscapedlots.Thewholeofthe20thcenturyhasalwaysputthecaratthecenter,theprinceexplained.Sobyputtingthepedestrianfirst,youcreatetheselivableplaces,Ithink,withmoreattraction,andint