Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is the Head of the Commonwealth and the King of the United Kingdom and 14 other countries since 2022.[3] He was Prince of Wales between 1958 and 2022.[3]
| Charles III | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head of the Commonwealth[note 1] | |||||
.jpg) Charles III in 2023 | |||||
| King of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms | |||||
| 8 September 2022 – present | |||||
| 6 May 2023 | |||||
| Predecessor | Elizabeth II | ||||
| Heir apparent | William, Prince of Wales | ||||
| Born | Prince Charles of Edinburgh 14 November 1948 Buckingham Palace, London, England | ||||
| Spouse |
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| Issue Detail | |||||
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| House | Windsor | ||||
| Father | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | ||||
| Mother | Elizabeth II | ||||
| Religion | Protestant[note 3] | ||||
| Education | Gordonstoun School | ||||
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge (MA) | ||||
| Allegiance | United Kingdom | ||||
| Service/branch | |||||
| Years of service | 1971–1976 | ||||
| Rank | Full list | ||||
| Commands held | HMS Bronington | ||||
Early life
King Charles III was born at Buckingham Palace in London. He is the first son of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. He is the grandson of George VI of the United Kingdom and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. He was baptised at Buckingham Palace.
Charles went to school at Gordonstoun and to university at Trinity College, Cambridge. He became the first British royal heir to earn a university degree.[4][5]
Prince of Wales
Charles was officially made the Prince of Wales in 1958. As Prince of Wales, Charles fulfilled many public engagements and charity work, such as creating the Prince's Trust. He has also spent time in the Royal Air Force. He has spent a lot of time advocating for the prevention of climate change.
As the heir to the throne, Charles also represented his mother on numerous occasions, such as the independence days of Fiji, the Bahamas, Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe and Brunei, as well as the day Hong Kong was given back to China.
In 2021, Prince Charles attended the celebration of Barbados becoming a republic and removing Queen Elizabeth as their leader. It was the first time that a British royal attended the transition of a Commonwealth realm in a republic.
Reign
Accession
Charles became king on 8 September 2022, after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Holding the titles Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, and Duke of Rothesay, Charles was the longest-serving British heir apparent, passing Edward VII's record on 20 April 2011. When he became monarch at the age of 73, he was the oldest person to do so.[6]
In an announcement after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Liz Truss called Charles "King Charles III". This was the first time anyone had used that name officially.[7] soon after Clarence House confirmed that he would use the regnal name "Charles III".[8] When a British monarch becomes king or queen, they are allowed to change their name if they want to. For example, Charles' grandfather changed his name from "Albert" to "George", and he was "King George VI".
Coronation
Charles' coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023.[9] HM Queen consort Camilla was crowned at the same occasion. Charles' eldest son William, Prince of Wales attended and was the only noble to swear allegiance to The King.
Personal life
He was married to his first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, from 1981 until they divorced in 1996.[3] They had two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. Charles and Diana's divorce attracted a lot of media coverage and attention. Charles has been married to his second wife, Camilla, Queen Consort formerly the Duchess of Cornwall, since 2005.[3]
On 25 March 2020, Charles tested positive for COVID-19.[10][11]
On 5 February 2024, it was announced by Buckingham Palace that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer.[12]
Titles
- 14 November 1948-6 February 1952 His Royal Highness Prince Charles Philip Arthur George of Edinburgh
- 6 February 1952-9 September 2022 His Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall, His Royal Highness Duke of Rothesay, His Royal Highness The Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles
- 26 July 1958- 9 September 2022: Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness The Earl of Chester
- 9 April 2021-10 March 2023 His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, His Royal Highness The Earl of Merioneth, Baron of Greenwich
- 8 September 2022 His Majesty The King
Charles III Media
Christening of Charles (centre, wearing the royal christening gown) in 1948: (from left to right) his grandfather King George VI; his mother, Princess Elizabeth, holding him; his father, Philip; and his grandmother Queen Elizabeth
With his parents and sister Anne, October 1957
(Front to back) HMS Norfolk, London, and Antrim in the English Channel following joint exercises with the RAF in December 1971. Charles was serving aboard the Norfolk at this time.
Photograph by Allan Warren, 1972
With Diana during their visit to Uluru in Australia, March 1983
With Diana at the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton, Canada, June 1983
With Camilla in Jamaica, March 2008
With Harichand Megha Dalaya at Amul, in Anand, Gujarat, December 1980
Charles's ninth tour of New Zealand, November 2015
With Queen Elizabeth II and other world leaders to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day on 5 June 2019
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Notes
- ↑ Ceremonial and non-hereditary title conferred by the Commonwealth heads of government to symbolise the voluntary association of nations in the Commonwealth. Charles was chosen to succeed Elizabeth II at the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.[1]
- ↑ As the reigning monarch, Charles does not usually use a family name, but when one is needed, it is Mountbatten-Windsor.[2]
- ↑ As monarch, Charles is Supreme Governor of the Church of England. He is also a member of the Church of Scotland.
References
- ↑ "Charles 'to be next Commonwealth head'" (in en-GB). BBC News. 20 April 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43840710. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
- ↑ "The Royal Family name". Official website of the British monarchy. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 . Moreover, Charles is next in line for the British Throne, direct successor and heir of Queen Elizabeth II. Prince of Wales' biography Archived 2009-01-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Prince Charles, Cambridge B.A. (With Honors)
- ↑ Prince Charles Fast Facts
- ↑ Rayner, Gordon (19 September 2013). Prince of Wales will be oldest monarch crowned. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-charles/10320264/Prince-of-Wales-will-be-oldest-monarch-crowned.html. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
- ↑ Queen Elizabeth II has died. BBC News. 8 September 2022. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-61585886. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ↑ "Britain's new monarch to be known as King Charles III". Reuters. September 8, 2022. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britains-new-monarch-be-known-king-charles-iii-2022-09-08/. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
- ↑ "Coronation on 6 May for King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort". BBC News. 11 October 2022. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63172425. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ↑ "Prince Charles tests positive for novel coronavirus". CNN. 25 March 2020.
- ↑ "Coronavirus: Prince Charles tests positive but 'remains in good health'". BBC. 25 March 2020.
- ↑ "King Charles III diagnosed with cancer, Buckingham Palace says". BBC. 5 February 2024.
Other websites
- Official website of HRH The Prince of Wales
- Official Duchy of Cornwall Cottages website
- Official website of 'The Prince's Trust' Archived 2019-04-21 at the Wayback Machine
- Charles III at Curlie
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