King Charles III: the oldest monarch, crowned after 70 years waiting

Charles finally gets crowned
King Charles III maintains the monarchy through succession
Proclaimed King in September 2022
Signing the Oath
He was 'the eternal heir'
When Prince Charles was born
The Rebel Prince
Elizabeth II's first son
Longest-serving heir
Prepared but not so popular
What he thinks about the press
He has always wanted to be king
The women in his life
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles
His wedding to Diana of Wales
She took the spotlight
A womanizing prince
William is born
Very close to his mother
Harry is born
Bad relationship?
Charles and William
Blame it on Lady Di
Diana of Wales dies
Charles to blame?
The new Charles
A new image for Charles
And then there was... Camilla Parker Bowles
The Queen's refusal
Charles and Camilla: the wedding
The faces of the British Royal Family
Increased public presence
He waited his turn
Decision-making
Now he takes the spotlight
Charles finally gets crowned

Charles III is the oldest British royal heir in history to have the crown bestowed upon his head. At 74, it really is quite something. 'KC3' has a tough job on his hands, but after such a long wait, one can assume he won't be letting it go now.

King Charles III maintains the monarchy through succession

The event of the royal succession has received mixed opinions up and down the UK. Some wish the best for His Royal Highness; others wish for the crown to be passed to his son, William, Prince of Wales; while others call for the monarchy to be abolished entirely.

Proclaimed King in September 2022

On Saturday 10th September, Charles (formally the Prince of Wales), was proclaimed King at the Accession Council. It happened two days after his mother, Queen Elizabeth, passed away.

Signing the Oath

Prince William and Camilla, now Queen Consort, watched as Britain's King Charles III signed an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland. The King later signed another oath in Parliament regarding the Church of England.

He was 'the eternal heir'

King Charles III was known for (a very long) time as Prince Charles. He could be defined as the eternal contender for the British throne. It was not until his seventies that Charles would get the responsibility he had been waiting for his whole life.

When Prince Charles was born

So what was life like for the 'eternal heir'? The first son of the British Queen, Charles was born on November 14, 1948, in London.

The Rebel Prince

Charles was 'The Rebel Prince' according to journalist Tom Bower and his unauthorized biography with the same title. Bower describes Charles as "manic, envious, and addicted to luxury."

Elizabeth II's first son

Raised and educated from an early age to become a British king, Charles studied at Gordonstoun School (Scotland) and later at Trinity College, Cambridge. Interestingly, Elizabeth II's eldest son is the first Welsh-speaking prince born in England.

Longest-serving heir

Eldest of four children parented by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh (Philip Mountbatten), Charles will go down in history as the longest-serving heir in the history of the British monarchy. Before him, this honor was held by his great-great-grandfather Edward VII, who came to the throne at the age of 59.

Prepared but not so popular

All the royal chroniclers say that he is a highly educated man. He is rebellious, yes, but he has a very clear idea of what the British monarchy should be. His preparation never made him one of the most popular members of the British Royal Family, however.

What he thinks about the press

Tom Bower says Charles is crazy about the press. "He is obsessed with what the public says or thinks about him. If he reads something that's not good for him, he goes ballistic."

He has always wanted to be king

Charles's popularity rating is, in fact, so low that some have even suggested his withdrawal from the future British throne in favour of his eldest son, William. However, Charles is having none of it, because he has made it clear on several occasions that he will be king at all costs.

The women in his life

To understand both the private and public lives of Charles, we must talk about two women: Diana Spencer and Camilla Parker Bowles. To the first, he was married from 1981 to 1996, and to the second since 2005. They are the two loves in Charles's life that have been talked about most.

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles

Charles met Camilla Rosemary Shand before he met Diana. The two fell madly in love with each other. However, their relationship could not continue, because Queen Elizabeth II opposed it. After several years of discussions and disagreements, Charles married Diana and Camilla married the former British naval officer Andrew Parker Bowles.

His wedding to Diana of Wales

After a brief engagement, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married in St. Paul's Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981. The wedding of the prince to the 20-year-old was a worldwide event. Diana, daughter of Count Spencer, became the people's princess.

She took the spotlight

From the moment of her arrival in the British court, Diana of Wales took all attention away from Charles. Her freshness and innocence quickly connected with the British people, making the prince's wife enormously popular.

A womanizing prince

This massive popularity of Diana, added to the reputation of Charles as a womaniser and a party-goer, put the prince behind Diana in the people's eyes. Soon enough, the press began to air the alleged problems in their marriage.

William is born

From the union of Charles and Diana two children were born. The first, William, is the now Duke of Cornwall and the second in line for the British throne.

Very close to his mother

William was always very close to his mother: from his earliest childhood to the end of her life.

Harry is born

The second of Charles and Diana's sons is Harry. William's younger brother is currently married to former actress Meghan Markle. The couple very publicly distanced themselves from the royal family.

Bad relationship?

Charles does not seem to have a good relationship with his two sons. Tom Bower says that his bond with William deteriorated when Kate Middleton arrived. "Charles believed that the public would ignore him and Camilla in favour of the new couple."

Charles and William

The differences between Charles and William are related to to the relationship between them and Diana, the Crown Prince himself has said.

Blame it on Lady Di

"William and Harry had to deal with something of a continuous avalanche of public revelations about their parents' adulterous relationships," Tom Bower says, trying to explain the strained bond between the father and his sons.

Diana of Wales dies

On 31 August 1997, Princess Diana of Wales died in a car accident in Paris. Her marriage to Charles had broken down in 1996. As she was immensely popular, her passing led to a further drop in Charles's acceptance by the British people.

Charles to blame?

"Everyone's going to blame me for Diana's death, aren't they? Everyone's gone completely crazy," Charles allegedly stated, according to Tom Bower's biography.

The new Charles

After a few difficult years, Charles of England smiled again in public. He worked hard to rebuild his image and made an increasing public presence.

A new image for Charles

Whether it was with the members of the band 'Spice Girls' or at a film premiere in London, Buckingham Palace had one clear ambition: the image of Charles had to improve.

And then there was... Camilla Parker Bowles

After the death of Diana, Charles resumed his romantic relationship with Camilla. Divorced and with two children, the future Duchess of Cornwall did not initially count on any applause from the British people.

The Queen's refusal

Neither did she expect approval from the British Royal Family. "At first, Elizabeth II herself flatly refused," Tom Bower says. But in the end, Camilla and Charles got permission to marry.

Charles and Camilla: the wedding

Queen Elizabeth II finally accepted her son's relationship with Camilla and the couple got married at Windsor City Hall on April 9, 2005.

The faces of the British Royal Family

In recent years, and following the arrival of newcomers to the British Royal Family, Charles has continued his role as the perennial aspirant to the British throne. To become a successful monarch, he has filled his schedule with public events.

Increased public presence

After turning 90, Queen Elizabeth II reduced her presence at public events. Charles took over her work and is now by far the most visible member of the British Royal House.

He waited his turn

His public visibility, together with a greater role in the decision-making process of the Royal House, pointed to him ascending the throne and becoming Charles III. The magazine HELLO! reports, for example, that it was Charles who convinced his mother of to strip Andrew of all royal duties.

Decision-making

In addition, it was Charles who mediated the departure of his son Harry and Meghan Markle from the British Royal House in early 2020.

Now he takes the spotlight

Charles has moved ever closer to the centre of attention. He now has his wish, but many will be reluctant to embrace him as they did his mother and he has a tough example to follow. The world lost Queen Elizabeth II and they are not shoes anyone would like to try and fill.

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