Whenever a single member of the royal family is linked to a potential love interest, fans around the world are filled with excitement at the prospect of a new real-life fairytale.
Take Prince William's romance with university girlfriend Kate Middleton, or Harry's long-distance relationship with US actress Meghan Makle.
So imagine the excitement back in the 1970s when there were rumours that King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, was growing close to a certain Hollywood and Broadway megastar. In 1974, there were reports that the heir to the throne had struck up a bond Hollywood royalty Barbra Streisand and the pair had become firm friends.
Charles was just 26 and serving in the Royal Navy when he met Streisand in California. She was recording new music and filming the sequel to her hit movie Funny Girl at the time, and the pair quickly became friends.
According to American author Christopher Andersen in his upcoming biography 'The King: The Life of Charles III', the monarch saw Funny Girl three times.
"A framed photograph of Streisand hung in his rooms at Cambridge and went up on the wall of his bedroom at Buckingham Palace after graduation," writes Anderson.
The author also wrote about the unlikely friendship in his 2018 book, Game of Crowns, stating that Princess Diana's confidante Lady Elsa Bowke claimed he was so close to the American star that the princess "would not have been surprised if they had an affair".
The King once allegedly wrote: "People look at me in amazement when I say she is devastatingly attractive with a great deal of sex appeal," in his navy journal.
Both the monarch and Streisand have spoken out publicly about their friendship - which saw them grow very close.
In July 2021, Charles appeared on a radio program titled “Music and Memories With HRH The Prince Of Wales” as part of the UK’s national Thank You Day to honour the NHS for their hard work during the pandemic.
In the interview, he reminisced fondly about the first time he ever met the singer, as he told the presenter: "I have always been a great admirer of the incredibly versatile American actress and singer Barbra Streisand."
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"Back in 1974, when I was serving in the Royal Navy…as a young lieutenant in the frigate HMS Jupiter, we called into the United States navy’s base in San Diego, California…when I heard that she was currently making the film [Funny Lady - sequel to Funny Girl]."
"I was lucky enough to visit the set and to meet her there. I shall never forget her dazzling, effervescent talent and the unique vitality and attraction of her voice and her acting ability.
"This next song, 'Don’t Rain on my Parade,’ is therefore full of special memories of—I hardly dare think of it now—47 years ago.”
But King Charles isn't the only one to talk openly about their close friendship as Streisand herself has recalled their meetings in an interview.
Appearing on ITV's Lorraine, Streisand said: "He asked to meet me. So he came to the recording studio... I offered him a sip of tea and I thought, 'They didn't have to test me for poison or something? No.'"
"We became friends," Streisand said. "And I loved spending some time at Highgrove for a weekend fundraiser and going through his gardens." In the interview, she also recalled a hilarious story after the prince sent her flowers.
She remembered: "I walked by [the assistant's] room and I saw this bouquet of flowers and I said, 'Who sent me that?' and she said, 'A fan called Charles.' And I said, 'Really? Let me see the note,'" Streisand recalled. "And there was [Prince Charles's] seal."
Streisand noticed that the flowers looked unique because they were from the royal gardens, rather than a florist. She noted: "They were from his gardens and it's a different look—the flowers—when they are garden flowers."
"She just mistook it for a fan," Streisand said. "It was so funny, I thought. That's Prince Charles! That was before he met Diana. I had a very funny line on stage when he came to see the show. I said, 'You know, if I played my cards right, I could have wound up being the first Jewish princess!'"
