Prince Charles flew back from a Balkans tour yesterday to fresh controversy over claims of a double royal rift with his mother over his official role and his relationship with Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles.
A BBC documentary Panorama broadcast last night said Queen Elizabeth II has not officially approved his relationship with Mrs Parker Bowles, refuses to meet her formally or even appear at the same function, and is against the couple ever marrying.
It also claimed she believed the public would never accept a queen Camilla or even a role for her as consort to Charles, despite signs the public is slowly warming to the relationship.
The programme went on to highlight "irritation" among his staff that there are no plans for him to take over more of his mother's official duties as she grows older.
The programme came on top of claims in another documentary, broadcast late Sunday by London channel LWT, that he wants the queen to abdicate early so he can become king. He furiously denied the allegations.
The queen's coolness towards Mrs Parker Bowles was "at the heart of tensions" between Prince Charles' staff at St. James's Palace and Buckingham Palace, the programme added. The programme to mark the prince's 50th birthday on Saturday highlighted a one-hour conversation between him and the presenter Gavin Hewitt, at the British embassy in Sofia on Friday.
According to two opinion polls yesterday an overwhelming majority of people in Britain do not want the queen to abdicate in favour of the prince.
Meanwhile the author Penny Junor said last night she had been "given the nod" by aides of the Prince of Wales to put his side of his marriage in her controversial biography.
The writer, whose book Charles: Victim or Villain? has caused fury over its allegations about Diana, Princess of Wales, said both the prince and Buckingham Palace were fully aware she was speaking to members of the royal staff for her 300-page work.