King Charles III

Charles III, originally known as Charles Philip Arthur George, was born on 14 November 1948 and ascended to the throne as King of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on 8 September 2022. Born in Buckingham Palace, he became the heir apparent when his mother acceded to the throne in 1952. He was given the title Prince of Wales in 1958, with an investiture in 1969. His education was at Cheam School, Gordonstoun, and Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia. He earned a history degree from the University of Cambridge and served in the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976. Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, and they had two sons, William and Harry, before divorcing in 1996. Diana died in a car crash in 1997, and Charles later married Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005.

Before becoming king, Charles was active in royal duties and philanthropy. He founded the Prince’s Trust in 1976 and was involved with over 800 charities. He advocated for historic building conservation, architecture, and environmental causes such as organic farming and climate change prevention. He has been recognized for his efforts and also faced criticism for his views on genetically modified food and alternative medicine. Charles has authored or co-authored 17 books. His coronation as king was held on 6 May 2023, making him the oldest person to accede to the British throne and the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales in British history.