I AM bound to say that I found Alan Taylor's championing of Prince Charles something of a surprise (" Heir to the throne's mission is admirable", The Herald, February 4).

After all, the monarchy, in which, in due course, Charles will come to play the leading role in this country, is an institution which defies any explanation which is based on reason. Here is a man, who, because of the identity of his mother, has risen to hold five-star rank in all three branches of the British armed forces. He is as deserving of these distinctions as his brother, Edward, merits the rank of Honorary Colonel of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry.

The heir to the throne suffers, I believe, from the delusion of thinking that his importance among us arises from admiration of his thoughts and deeds. Unfortunately for him, his only real importance derives from the fact that his mother happens to be Queen.

Here is a man who appears to have shown nothing short of disdain for most of the media, except when he deems fit to release his views on various selected subjects to the world at large. One can recall his reference to "these bloody people" on a Swiss ski slope some years ago. Alan Taylor appears to of an unusually forgiving nature.

He expresses the invocation that Charles will long "continue to upset convention and make headlines". I think that we can all live with that, provided the opinions of such an unelected and over-privileged individual are expressed openly, there are no continuing efforts to influence Government policy surreptitiously, and such opinions are not given inordinate weight.

Ian W Thomson,

38 Kirkintilloch Road, Lenzie