Charles III
| Charles III | |
|---|---|
| Head of the Commonwealth | |
.jpg.webp) | |
| Formal portrait, 2019 | |
| | |
| Reign | 8 September 2022 – present |
| Coronation | 6 May 2023 |
| Predecessor | Elizabeth II |
| Heir apparent | William, Prince of Wales |
| Born | Prince Charles of Edinburgh 14 November 1948 Buckingham Palace, London, England |
| Spouses | Diana Spencer Camilla Parker Bowles |
| Issue | William, Prince of Wales Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex |
| Full name | |
| Charles Philip Arthur George | |
| House | Windsor |
| Father | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh |
| Mother | Elizabeth II |
| Signature |  |
| Religion | Protestant |
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is the King of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms. He became king when his mother, Elizabeth II died on 8 September 2022. He was formally proclaimed King after a meeting of the Accession council on Saturday 10 September, 2022. His son, Prince William, had the title Prince of Wales given to him during a televised speech by His Majesty the King on Friday 9th September, 2022. William inherits this title from his father, because as the King of the UK, he cannot hold both titles.
Early life
Charles was born at Buckingham Palace, London, on 14th November 1948. Charles is the oldest son of the then Princess Elizabeth (1926 - 2022) and Prince Philip (1921 - 2021), who later had three more children: Anne, Andrew and Edward.
At the age of 3, his grandfather (King George VI) died; this made his mother Queen Elizabeth and Charles heir to the throne.
Charles broke tradition when he began school aged 9 (rather than being homeschooled) attending Hill House Prep School, West London. He attended many different schools throughout his education, including schools in Scotland, Wales and Australia.
Prince of Wales
On 1st July 1969, Charles was invested as Prince of Wales in a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle. This title is traditionally given to male heirs to the throne. The event was watched on television by millions of people worldwide.
Between 1967 and 1970, Charles attended Cambridge University to study History, becoming the first heir to gain a University Degree. He holds an MA in History, from the University of Cambridge.
Military Life
After gaining his degree, Charles followed royal tradition by commencing training in the armed forces. Charles served in the Royal Air Force and the Navy from 1971 until 1976. He received his RAF wings after training at Cranwell RAF College; he also qualified as a helicopter pilot at the Royal Naval Air Station in Yeovilton and then joined 845 Naval Air Squadron, operating from HMS Hermes. Afterwards, Charles embarked on a Navy career, which included the guided missile destroyer, HMS Norfolk, and the frigates HMS Minerva and HMS Jupiter.
The Prince’s Trust
The Prince’s Trust is a well-known charity founded by the then Prince of Wales in 1976. The Trust was started out of Prince Charles’ own money: a £7,000 pension he obtained after working in the military; this Trust would be the first of over 25 more charities founded by Charles.
Marriages
At the age of 32, Charles married Lady Diana Spencer at St.Paul’s Cathedral on 21st July 1981. Together, Diana and Charles had two children: Prince William born on 21st June 1982 and Prince Harry on 15th September 1984. Charles became the first male member of the royal family to be present at his children’s births.
In 1992, the then Prime Minister, John Major, announced that Charles and Diana would be separating. Finally, four years later, their divorce became official. Then sadly, on 31st August 1997, Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris.
Prince Charles proposed to his long-term partner, Camilla Parker-Bowles, in 2005. They married on 9th April that year in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall.
Commonwealth and Travel
During his time as Prince of Wales, Charles travelled extensively throughout the Commonwealth and wider world. In 1970, Prince Charles visited Bermuda’s Parliament to represent the Queen, later visiting Fiji for their independence celebrations. He also attended many other independence celebrations: Bahamas in 1973; Papua New Guinea in 1973; Zimbabwe in 1980; and Brunei in 1984.
In February 1981, Charles visited the United States of America and met President Reagan. The Prince also became the first member of the Royal Family to visit the Republic of Ireland in an official capacity. On 1st July 1991, Prince Charles represented the Queen at the handover of Hong Kong. As his mother’s health deteriorated due to her advancing age, Charles took over many of her duties.
Hobbies
Over the years, Charles has developed many hobbies and interests from the places he has visited over the world; he enjoys skiing and he also enjoys fishing, painting, architecture and organic farming in the countryside. After visiting Wales to learn about the people and the environment there, his interest in keeping landscapes beautiful grew, so (at the age of 21) he gave his first speech about the environment, long before climate change was a well-established topic of discussion.
Ascension
Upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on 8th September 2022, Charles became King at the age of 73; the oldest person to ascend to the British throne. On 6th May 2023, King Charles will have his official coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey, London, declaring him King Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla. After 70 years as heir, he is possibly the most prepared king ever.
Titles and styles
- 14 November 1948 – 6 February 1952: His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Edinburgh
- 6 February 1952 – 8 September 2022: His Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall
- in Scotland: 6 February 1952 – 8 September 2022: His Royal Highness The Duke of Rothesay
- 26 July 1958 – 8 September 2022: His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales
- 8 September 2022 – present: His Majesty The King