British monarch, King of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms who ascended to the throne on the afternoon of 8 September 2022 upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II, at 3:10 PM. He was crowned at 12:02 PM on 6 May 2023 at Westminster Abbey.
At 73, Charles is the oldest person ever to assume the British throne. As Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay from 1952 to his accession in 2022, he was the oldest and the longest-serving heir apparent in British history. He was also the longest-serving Prince of Wales, having held the title from 26 July 1958 until his accession 64 years later.
Although he has often seemed to be stodgy, cold and reserved, his friends consider him to be generous, loyal, thoughtful and kind, a man who always tried to do his best. A sensitive child, he was raised largely by nannies while his parents were absorbed in their public duties and travels for state functions. He hero-worshipped his father who was formidable, often brusque and impatient with the boy. The first Royal to go to a public school, at eight he went to an all-boys school in London and loved it. The following year he went to boarding school.
In 1962, Charles was sent to Scotland to a boy’s school, where he stayed from ages 13 to 18. It was a rough beginning, as the boys did not accept him easily and made life difficult. The school put an emphasis on physical skills and macho conduct. From the time that Charles was 18, the media were always nearby with cameras trained on him, often critically. In 1967, he went to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took history, archaeology and geography, learned to master Welsh and government studies, and fulfilled his civic duties. It was not all grim; with skits at the college theatre he displayed his off-beat sense of humour.
In royal tradition, after getting his degree he went into military training at 21, becoming a sailor, airman and soldier. He flew helicopters and spent five years at sea, getting his own command of a minor vessel. His favourite sport was polo, which he played with great skill and daring. The center of an active social list, he was tall, fit, tanned and a great catch. Women were available and he took his pick, always maintaining discretion. When a relationship went poorly, he suddenly became inaccessible; “Working it out” was not part of his training. However, Charles was keenly aware of the need to find a suitable mate, one who would qualify as the future Queen of England, and one who was a virgin.
He probably met Camilla Parker-Bowles in 1972 at a polo match. They hit it off well from the beginning, but she was not aristocratic enough and not a virgin. In 1973, when he was away on a naval tour of duty, she married Andrew Parker Bowles.
As Charles turned 30, he was still single. The Royal family put pressure on him to find a bride. On 27 August 1979, Charles’ uncle, Lord Louis Mountbatten, was killed by a bomb explosion on his vessel. The death was a severe blow, as he lost a beloved and respected figure in his life. In November 1980 he met Diana Spencer, a 19-year-old girl with the proper qualifications. She was sympathetic and devoted to him, if somewhat naive. They married on 29 July 1981 and had the first of two sons 11 months later. Princes William, born in 1982, was followed by Henry (known as “Harry”), born in 1984. Charles set a precedent by being the first royal father to be present at his children’s births.
Charles was conscientious about his public role. He had one function and duty: to wait for the throne. But waiting was not enough for him. Although he could not get involved in politics, he wanted to have a position in life. Seeing himself as a defender of the common man, he started a Trust for Small Business in 1976, and set up some $30,000 in aid to Englishmen who wanted, as he did, to get going.
He has a range of interests that included painting, the occult, philosophy, architecture and ecology, and he loved the country life. His subjects called him eccentric, an odd-ball. Meanwhile wanting to make a contribution to society, he was trying to find his place in the world, although his attempts were often soundly criticized in the press. In addition, there was marital stress from the beginning, and he either continued or resumed his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles. His wife Diana was insecure in her role, bulimic and emotional, demanding more of his attention than he was prepared to give. Moreover, she began to eclipse him in public, finding her own place in the sun. The public loved her, and many blamed him for her unhappiness.
By 1987, their unhappiness was palpable and they were separated much of the year. The turmoil of their marriage became world news; their official separation was announced on 9 December 1992. Diana went public with her story, which made her relationship with the Palace, already fragile, frigid. She and Charles both publicly admitted adultery. The question of whether or not the heir to the throne might divorce was a subject of speculation and debate that was settled on 28 August 1996 when their divorce became official. Once the pressure was off and Diana moved into her own life, they each appeared more relaxed in public. He quietly began easing Camilla into his life.
On 31 August 1997, Diana was killed in an automobile accident in Paris. The public’s beloved princess was dead and the outpouring of grief was sensational. Rumours flew that Charles arranged for her death or, at the least, that he was indirectly responsible by creating the unhappiness that propelled her. Always a man to do his duty, Charles stepped in to handle the world press and take over the role of parenting his two sons with the full innate dignity of his position. He became more accessible to the public and was complimented for the loving attention he gave to his sons. Gradually, both the public and the press became more favorably inclined towards him than ever before.
In mid-1999, Camilla met his sons in a casual encounter, and the following year she was present at a function where she spoke to the Queen. Popular opinion did not seem to favour her being the future queen: indeed, many felt that Charles would never sit on the throne, but that the succession would go directly to his eldest son, William.
On 6 January 2001, Charles fell from his horse during a fox hunt in Derbyshire, England, breaking a bone in his left shoulder. Slowly, slowly, Camilla’s and Charles’ relationship became more accepted and in 2003, they began living together at Clarence House.
On 10 February 2005, Prince Charles announced that they would marry on 8 April 2005 in Windsor. Camilla took the title Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall, and, should Charles ascend to the throne, she wanted to be known as the princess consort, not Queen Camilla. Lawmakers declared that she was entitled to be Queen if Charles becomes King. Saying that she did not want to detract from the couple, Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth, announced that she would not attend the small civil ceremony. The couple endured another delay to their happy day when Pope John Paul II died. Since the pontiff’s funeral was scheduled for 8 April, Camilla and Charles pushed their wedding date forward by one day, to 9 April. On that day, the couple arrived at Windsor’s Guildhall at 12:30 PM BST to exchange their vows. Twenty-five minutes later the couple emerged as husband and wife.
On the morning of 9 April 2021 his father, Prince Philip, died peacefully at Windsor Castle at age 99. On the afternoon of 8 September 2022, Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, reportedly with Charles and his sister Princess Anne at her side.
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