In the new 007 novel, James Bond’s mission is to thwart a plot to assassinate King Charles on his coronation day. The title, On His Majesty’s Secret Service, is a neat tweak on Ian Fleming’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which was published 60 years ago. The original plan was for the new book, set in the present, to have the royal stamp of approval from the Prince’s Trust, but when the charity found out about the regicidal plot, it respectfully declined to endorse it.
What, though, I ask the author Charlie Higson, would King Charles think of the book? “He’s a bright guy and has a sense of humor and is a Bond fan,” Higson says. “Maybe one day we can meet and talk about it.”
