Assassination of King Charles? What the new 007 novel is about

2023-05-03 06:58:00

To mark the upcoming ceremony, a new 007 novel by British author Charlie Higson will be released on Thursday (May 4), in which the monarch is at the center of the story. In “On His Majesty’s Secret Service” James Bond is tasked with preventing an assassination attempt on Charles.

The story begins on the day the novel was published. A wealthy eccentric who thinks he is heir to the throne has hired a mercenary team to assassinate the king during the coronation ceremony. 007 is dispatched at the last minute to thwart the deadly plan. The title of the book refers to the novel “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” by James Bond inventor Ian Fleming, which was published 60 years ago.

Higson, who has already written several books about the adventures of young James Bond, was commissioned by the Fleming descendants to write a novel about the adult agent for the first time. The book’s proceeds were originally intended to benefit the royal charity Prince’s Trust. But according to Higson, the plot was too sensitive for the royals, which is why the palace decided against cooperation.

However, the 64-year-old is certain that King Charles III. won’t take offense at his 007 novel. “He’s a smart guy, has a sense of humor and is also a Bond fan,” Higson said in an interview with British newspaper The Times. “Maybe one day we can meet and talk about it.”

The Royals are regular guests at gala premieres of James Bond films. When he still bore the title Prince of Wales, Charles often visited the shooting, including the last 007 film “No Time to Die”. It is not yet known when the novel “On His Majesty’s Secret Service” will appear in German.