King Charles' damning criticism of the Church of England revealed

King Charles made a veiled attack on the Church of England for becoming 'corrupted' by 'loathsome' political correctness, a newly uncovered letter reveals.

The then Prince of Wales admitted to his interior designer friend Dudley Poplak that the older he got the more he was drawn to the 'timeless traditions' of the Orthodox Church.

He pointedly added: 'They are the only ones that have not been corrupted by loathsome political correctness.'

Charles has strong links with the Greek Orthodox Church developed over decades. 

Prince Philip was Greek Orthodox until he married Queen Elizabeth, who was head of the Church of England.

Over the past 20 years the Church of England has been accused of being consumed by political correctness and failing to stand up for Christian values.

The Church has faced criticism for its diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives and for its recent announcement revealing it has set up a £100million fund to atone for its historic links to slavery.

Officials hope that their initial financial commitment will be turned into a £1billion pot by working in partnership with other organisations.

In the same 1998 letter, Charles also criticised the move towards Genetically Modified Crops or 'Frankenstein' food.

He wrote that the use of GM crops filled him with 'utterable gloom and despair'.

But he was resigned to the fact that 'money drives everything and wisdom has been banished in the face of seemingly unstoppable marketing'.

He then pointed the finger at US agricultural giant Monsanto, which produces genetically engineered crops that are resistant of disease.

He added that 'one is made to feel so powerless when confronted by such vast corporations'.

The typed letter, which has the coat of arms of the Prince of Wales stamped on the top, was written by Charles on August 24, 1998, while staying at Balmoral Castle.

In the same year he first set out his public opposition to GM crops when he said that 'genetic modification takes mankind into realms that belong to God, and to God alone'.

The monarch signed it 'Yours ever Charles'. The typed envelope was marked 'Private & Confidential'.

Mr Poplak died in 2005 and the letter is one of several royal-related pieces of correspondence sent to him that went under the hammer at Lay's Auctions of Penzance, Cornwall.

The cache of six letters fetched more than £1,700 together. Charles's letter about GM crops and the Church sold for £170 on October 3. 

A spokesperson for Lay's said: 'It is an interesting, candid and intriguing letter in which Charles expresses his despair at the prospect of GMO and his interest in the traditions of the Orthodox Church.

'The royal family aren't supposed to make political statements as a rule, certainly in public, but these remarks were made in provate correspondence.'

Charles's letter to interior designer friend in full 

Charles's letter to interior designer friend in full 

Dear Dudley,

It was so good of you to write as you did back in July and I was most touched by your kind and thoughtful letter.

I am amazed you managed to read my article on Genetically modified Organisms while you were in Peru! 

The whole prospect of a "Frankenstein" future fills me with unutterable gloom and despair. 

It is money that drives everything and wisdom has been banished in the face of seemingly unstoppable marketing. 

One is made to feel so powerless when confronted by such vast corporations as Monsanto...

I was interested to read of your "Thresholders" project. Personally, the older I get, the more I am drawn to the great, timeless traditions of the Orthodox Church. 

'They are the ones that have not been corrupted by loathsome political correctness.

Yours ever, Charles