Charles III

King of the United Kingdom since 2022

Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948), is King of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms since the death of his mother Elizabeth II in 2022.[2] He was Prince of Wales between 1958 and 2022.[2]

Charles III
Head of the Commonwealth
Photograph of Charles III
Charles as Prince of Wales in New Zealand, 2019
King of the United Kingdom
and other Commonwealth realms
Reign8 September 2022 – present
PredecessorElizabeth II
Heir apparentWilliam, Prince of Wales
BornPrince Charles of Edinburgh
(1948-11-14) 14 November 1948 (age 74)
Buckingham Palace, London, England
Spouse
Issue
Detail
Full name
Charles Philip Arthur George[a]
HouseWindsor
FatherPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
MotherElizabeth II
ReligionProtestant[b]
SignatureCharles's signature in black ink
EducationGordonstoun School
Alma materTrinity College, Cambridge (MA)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom[c]
Service/branch
Years of service1971–1976
RankSee list
Commands heldHMS Bronington

Early lifeEdit

King Charles III was born at Buckingham Palace in London. He is the first son of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. 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.[3][4]

ReignEdit

AccessionEdit

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.[5]

Plans have been made for Charles's coronation.[6][7] A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper that Charles's coronation ceremony will be smaller and more modern than his mother's in 1953.[8]

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.[9] Shortly afterwards Clarence House confirmed that he would use the regnal name "Charles III".[10] 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".

Personal lifeEdit

He was married to his first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, from 1981 until they divorced in 1996.[2] They had two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. Charles has been married to his second wife, Camilla, Queen Consort formerly the Duchess of Cornwall, since 2005.[2]

On 25 March 2020, Charles tested positive for COVID-19.[11][12]

NotesEdit

  1. As the reigning monarch, Charles does not usually use a family name, but when one is needed, it is Mountbatten-Windsor.[1]
  2. As monarch, Charles is Supreme Governor of the Church of England. He is also a member of the Church of Scotland.
  3. In addition to his active service listed here, Charles holds ranks and honorary appointments in the armed forces of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea as well as the United Kingdom.

ReferencesEdit

  1. "The Royal Family name". Official website of the British monarchy. Archived from the original on 15 February 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 . 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
  3. Prince Charles, Cambridge B.A. (With Honors)
  4. Prince Charles Fast Facts
  5. Rayner, Gordon (19 September 2013). "Prince of Wales will be oldest monarch crowned". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 September 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  6. Mahler, Kevin (14 February 2022). "Charles, King Charles". The Times. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  7. Wheatstone, Richard (11 September 2016). "Secret committee arranging Prince Charles' coronation 'revealed after blunder'". The Mirror.
  8. Hyde, Nathan; Field, Becca (17 February 2022). "Prince of Wales plans for a 'scaled back' coronation ceremony with Camilla". CambridgeshireLive. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  9. "Queen Elizabeth II has died". BBC News. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  10. "Britain's new monarch to be known as King Charles III". Reuters. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  11. "Prince Charles tests positive for novel coronavirus". CNN. 25 March 2020.
  12. "Coronavirus: Prince Charles tests positive but 'remains in good health'". BBC. 25 March 2020.

Other websitesEdit