Inside the Head of ' Prince Charles ; What Can He Be Thinking? the Heir to the Throne Has Taken a Newspaper to Court over Publishing Extracts from His Diaries, but It Is His Reputation That Is in the Dock. Francis Elliott Follows the Private Paper Trail

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Prince Charles does not write in green ink. He prefers to sign his many missives to ministers in a delicate violet hue, according to one recent recipient.

Passed around the Whitehall department to which it was sent from Clarence House, the letter elicited groans of recognition from ministers and officials alike. "It was fairly typical - special pleading for one of his mates," sighed one.

Until last week, the Prince's curious literary style was familiar only to his friends and correspondents. Now, thanks to his rash decision to go to law to recover his travel journals from a newspaper, we can all enjoy his blend of Goonish humour, whimsical regret and political …