Harmony Summit: Inside King Charles's fiery gathering that shone a light on his beliefs

While the King has been more than capable of making politics with a big P, such as in his intervention over the Greek sovereignty crisis in the ’60s and his declaration that he was the “Prince of Wales of the world”, his daily work is made much of political issues with a small p.

There was a goodly sprinkling of influences of the ’60s, those of the counter-culture, but also of its predecessor, the Bloomsbury group.

The summit included people from Schumacher College, the Dartington Hall Trust and activists in the Transition movement and a representative from the Findhorn Community in Scotland, alongside those involved with more conventional bodies, such as the Soil Association, the Eden Project and A Rocha, a Christian conservation group.

The King is known to be in close contact with these groups.

But he is also close to many politicians and can often be found with senior members of both the government and opposition.

One former aide envied how he was able to command the attention and fascination of so many, with his deep intellect, considered style and ability to weave together complex strands of thought.

May he soon wear an alt-brace with all the initials of his achievements.

So where is this journey to mystic harmony leading him?

The King is given to asking big questions, such as why are we here, what is it that puts a smile on our face and where is the sacred?

He often goes to Plum Village in France to practise mindfulness and Buddhism. He has a close friendship with Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese monk and political activist described by Martin Luther King as an “apostle of peace and non-violence”.

The King has visited his retreat many times and during one visit, the monk told him he should not concern himself too much with the future, that to work for peace and joy was the most important thing.

His search for the sacred also leads him to figures such as Mircea Eliade and Carl Jung, and he is deeply interested in how different cultures and eras have approached the divine or the spiritual.

He has said he is frustrated by humanity’s neglect of traditional ways of spiritual practice, whose meanings have often been lost in favour of more materialistic goals.

The summit was a bid to create something that is meaningful for the King and a way to influence and combine extraordinary people across different sectors who can bring change about.

In his speech, he wants people to search deep and to find the gifts that they may have forgotten in nature, in each other and in themselves.

What we need, he says, above all, is to unleash – to empower – the wisdom of the people.

As I walked out of the event, the sun was beginning to set over the apple trees about Highrove but the mood was doubtless high and set.

The King nodded goodbye with a gentle smile as the assembled guests raised their arms in the air.