Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is the eldest child of Queen
Elizabeth IIElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
and
Prince Philip, Duke of EdinburghThe Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Philip was originally a royal prince of Greece and Denmark, and thus a member of the Danish-German House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, but renounced these titles shortly before his marriage and adopted the...
. Since 1952, he has been
heir apparentAn heir apparent is an heir who cannot be displaced from inheriting.An heir presumptive, by contrast, is an heir currently in line to inherit a title, but who could be displaced at any time by certain events.Today these terms most commonly describe heirs to hereditary titles, particularly monarchies...
to the thrones of the
Commonwealth realmA Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 132 million; all but about two million live in the six most populous states, the United...
s. After earning a bachelor of arts from
Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 160 Fellows ....
, Charles served a tour of duty with Royal Navy in 1971-1976. He married
Lady Diana SpencerDiana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. Their sons, Princes William and Harry, are second and third in line to the thrones of the United Kingdom and fifteen other Commonwealth Realms.A public figure from the announcement of her engagement to Prince Charles, Diana...
before an enormous worldwide television audience in 1981. They had two children,
Prince William of WalesPrince William of Wales , KG, is the elder son of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
in 1982 and
Prince Harry of WalesPrince Henry of Wales , known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II...
in 1984. The couple separated in 1992 following numerous
tabloidA tabloid is an industry term for a smaller newspaper format per spread; to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest stories and entertainment, often distributed free of charge ; or to a newspaper that tends to sensationalize and emphasize or exaggerate or...
allegations concerning their relationship. They divorced in 1996 after Diana publicly accused the prince of having an
affairAffair may refer to professional, personal, or public business matters or to a particular business or private activity, as in family affair, a private affair, or a romatic affair.-Political affair:...
with Camilla Parker Bowles. Diana died in a car crash in 1997 and in 2005 the Prince married Parker Bowles.
The prince is well known for his charity work and sponsors the Prince's Trust,
The Prince's Regeneration TrustThe Prince’s Regeneration Trust is one of The Prince's Charities, a group of 19 charities of which HRH The Prince of Wales is President.The Prince's Regeneration Trust works throughout the United Kingdom to ensure that important historic buildings at risk of demolition or decay are preserved,...
, and the
Prince's Foundation for the Built EnvironmentThe Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment is an educational charity established in 1986 by HRH The Prince of Wales to teach and demonstrate in practice those principles of traditional urban design and architecture which put people and the communities of which they are part at the centre of...
. He has been outspoken concerning architecture and the conservation of old buildings and has produced a book on the subject called
A Vision of Britain (1989). He has also expressed controversial views concerning herbal and other alternative medical treatment. Since 1958, his major title has been
HRH The Prince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland...
. However, he may use other titles depending on where he visits, for example
The Duke of RothesayThe title Duke of Rothesay was the official title possessed by the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of Scotland. A separate Scottish throne has not existed de facto since 1603 when James VI of Scotland acceded to the throne of England when the House of Tudor died out, creating a personal...
when visiting Scotland, or
The Duke of CornwallThe Dukedom of Cornwall was the first dukedom created in the peerage of England.The present Duke of Cornwall is The Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning British monarch .-History:...
when visiting South West England.
Early life
Charles was born at
Buckingham PalaceBuckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
on 14 November 1948, the first child of then
Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of EdinburghElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
, and
Philip, Duke of EdinburghThe Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Philip was originally a royal prince of Greece and Denmark, and thus a member of the Danish-German House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, but renounced these titles shortly before his marriage and adopted the...
, and first grandchild of
King George VIGeorge VI was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death...
and
Queen ElizabethElizabeth Bowes-Lyon was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 1936 until 1952 as the wife of King George VI. After her husband's death, she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
. Baptised in the palace's Music Room on 15 December 1948, by the
Archbishop of CanterburyAlso see Leaders of ChristianityThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, the see that churches must be in communion with in order to be...
,
Geoffrey FisherGeoffrey Francis Fisher, Baron Fisher of Lambeth GCVO, PC was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1945 to 1961. Fisher was buried in a crypt in St Andrew, Trent, Dorset.-Background:...
, the Prince's godparents were his maternal grandfather; his maternal-line great-grandmother,
Queen MaryMary of Teck was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Empress of India as the consort of King-Emperor George V. By birth, she was a princess of Teck, in the Kingdom of Württemberg, with the style Serene Highness...
; his maternal aunt,
Princess MargaretThe Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II....
; his paternal-line great-grandmother, the Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven; his maternal-line great-uncle,
David Bowes-LyonSir David Bowes-Lyon KCVO was the sixth son of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and Cecilia Nina Cavendish-Bentinck...
; his father's cousin,
Lady BrabournePatricia Edwina Victoria Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma CBE, MSC, CD, JP, DL is a British peeress and former lady-in-waiting to her third cousin, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom...
; his grandfather's cousin, King
Haakon VII of NorwayHaakon VII , known as Prince Carl of Denmark until 1905, was the first king of Norway after the 1905 dissolution of the personal union with Sweden. He was a member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg...
(for whom
Alexander Cambridge, Earl of AthloneMajor-General Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone , was a close relative of the British Royal Family, as well as a British military commander and major-general who, between 1924 and 1930, served as the Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, and...
stood proxy); and his paternal-line great-uncle, Prince George of Greece (for whom Prince Philip stood proxy). By
letters patentLetters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of an open letter issued by a monarch or government, granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or to some entity such as a corporation. The opposite of letters patent are letters close , which are personal in nature...
of Charles' great-grandfather,
King George VGeorge V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 1910 through World War I until his death in 1936...
, the titles of a
British princeThis is a list of British princes from the accession of George I in 1714. The title of prince is at the will of the sovereign, who can both grant and revoke the title. Individuals holding the title of prince will usually also be styled "His Royal Highness" or formerly "His Highness"...
or princess, and the style
Royal HighnessRoyal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
, were only to be conferred on male-line children and grandchildren of the sovereign, as well as the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales. However, on 22 October 1948, George VI issued new letters patent granting these honours to any children of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip; otherwise, Charles would have merely taken his father's title, and been
titled by courtesyA courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used by children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the users do not themselves hold substantive titles...
as
Earl of MerionethThe title Earl of Merioneth was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1947 along with the Dukedom of Edinburgh and the Barony of Greenwich for Sir Philip Mountbatten , the soon-to-be-husband of Queen Elizabeth II....
. In this way, the children of the
heiress presumptiveAn heir presumptive is the person provisionally scheduled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honor, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or of a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the throne...
had a royal and princely status not thought necessary for the children of the King's other daughter.
By the time Charles was four years old, his mother assumed the throne as Queen Elizabeth II, thereby immediately making him the heir apparent to the then seven countries over which the new queen reigned, and automatically elevating him to the position of
Duke of CornwallThe Dukedom of Cornwall was the first dukedom created in the peerage of England.The present Duke of Cornwall is The Prince of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning British monarch .-History:...
(by a charter of
King Edward IIIEdward III was one of the most successful English monarchs of the Middle Ages. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into the most efficient military power in Europe...
that gave said title to the sovereign's eldest son), and, in the Scottish peerage,
Duke of RothesayThe title Duke of Rothesay was the official title possessed by the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of Scotland. A separate Scottish throne has not existed de facto since 1603 when James VI of Scotland acceded to the throne of England when the House of Tudor died out, creating a personal...
, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew,
Lord of the IslesThe designation Lord of the Isles , now a Scottish title of nobility, emerged from a series of mixed-blood Viking/Gaelic rulers of the west coast and islands of Scotland in the Middle Ages. Their power rested on large fleets of Birlinns, a type of galley which evolved from the Viking longboat, and...
, and
Prince and Great Steward of ScotlandPrince and Great Steward of Scotland are two of the titles of the heir apparent to the throne of the United Kingdom. Their current holder is Charles, Prince of Wales....
. Though he moved to first in line to the thrones, in the
United Kingdom order of precedenceThe Order of precedence in the United Kingdom is different in each of its four constituent member nations. See:* Order of precedence in England and Wales* Order of precedence in Scotland* Order of precedence in Northern Ireland...
he is third, after his parents, and is typically fourth or fifth in other realms' precedence orders, following his mother, the relevant
vice-regalA viceroy is a royal official who runs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. His province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty. The relative...
representative(s), and his father. He attended his mother's coronation at
Westminster AbbeyThe Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster...
in 1953, sitting with his grandmother and aunt. As with royal children before him, a
governessA governess is a woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not their physical needs...
, Catherine Peebles, was appointed to look after the Prince and was responsible for educating him between the ages of 5 and 8. In a break with tradition, though, Buckingham Palace announced in 1955 that Charles would attend school, rather than have a private tutor, making him the first heir apparent ever to be educated in that manner.
Education
Charles first attended
Hill House SchoolHill House School is a preparatory day school based in Knightsbridge, London. It was founded in September 1951 by Lt-Col Stuart Townend and has several branches located in West London and in Switzerland....
in West London, where he received non-preferential treatment from the school's founder and then head,
Stuart TownendLt-Col Henry "Stuart" Townend was the first headmaster to educate an heir to the British throne. A former gold medallist at the British Empire Games, he founded Hill House School, in Knightsbridge, London in 1951, an institution he continued to actively run until his death in 2002 at aged 93...
, who advised the Queen to have Charles train in
footballFootball is the name of several similar team sports, all of which involve kicking a ball with the foot in an attempt to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...
, as the boys at Hill House were never deferential to anyone on the football field. The Prince then attended the
Cheam Preparatory SchoolCheam School is a preparatory school in Headley in the civil parish of Ashford Hill with Headley in the English county of Hampshire. It was founded in 1645 by the Reverend George Aldrich in Cheam, Surrey and has been educating ever since....
in
BerkshireBerkshire is a county in the South East of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1958, and Letters...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, which his father had also attended; and was finally moved to
GordonstounGordonstoun is a co-educational independent school in Moray, Scotland, famed for having educated three generations of British royalty.-History:...
, in the north-east of Scotland. It was reported that the Prince despised his time at the latter school, "
ColditzColditz is a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, near Leipzig, located on the banks of the river Mulde. The city has a population of 5,188 ....
in
kiltThe kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has been associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage elsewhere...
s", as Charles put it though he did spend two of his terms at the Timbertop campus of
Geelong Grammar SchoolGeelong Church of England Grammar School is a independent, Anglican, co-educational, boarding and day school. The School's main campus is located at Corio, on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners' Bay....
in Geelong, Australia, during which time he visited
Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
on a history trip with his tutor, Michael Collins Persse. Upon his return to Gordonstoun, Charles followed in his father's footsteps in becoming
Head BoyHead Boy and Head Girl are terms commonly used in the British education system, and in private schools throughout the Commonwealth.-United Kingdom:...
, and left in 1967 with two A Levels in History and French.
Tradition was broken again when Charles went straight from secondary school into university, as opposed to joining the military. On the recommendation of
Robin WoodsRobert Wilmer Woods, KCMG, KCVO, always called Robin Woods, was an English Anglican divine, Dean of Windsor and Bishop of Worcester.-Background and education:...
,
Dean of WindsorThe Dean of Windsor is the spiritual head of the Canons of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Dean chairs meetings of the Chapter of Canons as primus inter pares.-List of Deans of Windsor:This list is incomplete.* William Mugge, 1348...
, and despite only gaining grades of B and C in his A Levels, the Prince was admitted to
Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 160 Fellows ....
, where he read
anthropologyAnthropology is the study of human beings, everywhere and throughout time....
,
archaeologyArchaeology or archeology is the science that studies human cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material culture and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, biofacts, and landscapes...
, and history, tutored by Canadian-born Professor John Coles, earning a
lower second classThe British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences or both....
on 23 June 1970, making him the third member of the Royal Family to earn a university degree. On 2 August 1975, he was subsequently awarded a Master of Arts Degree from Cambridge, per the university's tradition. During his time at post-secondary school, Charles also attended the Old College (part of the
University of Wales, AberystwythAberystwyth University is a university located in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding Member Institution of the former federal University of Wales. As of late 2006, the University has over 12,000 students spread across seventeen academic departments.The University was founded in 1872 as...
), where he studied the
Welsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic spoken natively in Wales, in England by some along the Welsh border and in the Welsh immigrant colony in the Chubut Valley in Argentine Patagonia....
and Welsh history, also making him the first Prince of Wales born outside of Wales to ever attempt to learn the language of the principality.
Created Prince of Wales
Charles was created
Prince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland...
and
Earl of ChesterThe Earldom of Chester was one of the most powerful earldoms in medieval England. Since 1301 the title has generally been given to heirs-apparent to the English throne, and from the late 14th century it has been given only in conjunction with that of Prince of Wales.- Traditional power base...
on 26 July 1958, though his investiture as such was not conducted until 1 July 1969, wherein he was crowned by his mother in a televised ceremony held at
Caernarfon CastleCaernarfon Castle was constructed at Caernarfon in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, by King Edward I of England, following his conquest of Gwynedd in 1283...
, and gave his replies and speech in both Welsh and English. The following year he took his seat in the
House of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords". Parliament comprises the Sovereign, the House of Commons , and the Lords...
, and later in the decade became the first member of the Royal Family since King
George IGeorge I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of Hanover in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
to attend a British Cabinet meeting, having been invited by
Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom and the Head of Her Majesty's Government...
James CallaghanLeonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC , was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979 and leader of the Labour Party from 1976 to 1980...
so that the Prince might see the workings of the British government and Cabinet at first hand. Charles also began to take on more public duties, founding his
The Prince's TrustThe Prince's Trust is a charity in the United Kingdom founded by The Prince of Wales to help young people.-Target groups:The young people helped by The Prince's Trust are the long-term unemployed, people who have been in trouble with the law, people who are in difficulty at school, and people who...
in 1976, and travelling to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1981.
Around the same time, the Prince expressed an interest in serving as
Governor-General of AustraliaThe Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia of the monarch of Australia . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
; Commander Michael Parker explained: "The idea behind the appointment was for him to put a foot on the ladder of monarchy, or being the future King and start learning the trade." However, because of a combination of nationalist feeling in Australia and the dismissal of the government by the Governor-General in 1975, nothing came of the proposal. Charles accepted the decision of the Australian ministers, if not without some regret; he reportedly stated: "What are you supposed to think when you are prepared to do something to help and you are told you are not wanted?" Conversely, Tom Gallagher wrote that Charles had been offered the Romanian throne by monarchists in that country; an offer that was reportedly turned down.
The Prince is at present the oldest man to hold the title of Prince of Wales since it became one that is granted to the heir apparent. He is also the oldest heir apparent in Commonwealth realms' history, the third longest serving heir apparent, and the third longest serving Prince of Wales in British history, in each case behind
Edward VIIEdward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death on 6 May 1910...
and
George IVGeorge IV was the king of Hanover and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. If he ascends to the throne after 18 September 2013, Charles would be the oldest monarch of the United Kingdom to do so; only
William IVWilliam IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death on 20 June 1837...
was older when he became monarch than Charles is now.
Military training and career
Following in the tradition of Princes of Wales before him, Charles spent time in the navy and air force. After
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
training that he requested and received during his second year at Cambridge, on 8 March 1971 the Prince flew himself to the Royal Air Force College
CranwellRAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. It is currently commanded by Group Captain N Wharmby...
to train as a jet pilot. After the passing out parade in September of that year, he then embarked on a naval career, enrolling in a six week course at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth and then serving on the guided missile destroyer (1971-1972) and the frigates (1972-1973) and (1974). Charles also qualified as a helicopter pilot at
RNAS YeoviltonRoyal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, is an airfield of the Royal Navy, sited in South West England a few miles north of Yeovil in Somerset...
in 1974, just prior to joining 845 Naval Air Squadron, operating from , and on 9 February 1976, the Prince took command of the coastal minehunter for his last nine months in the navy. In total, Prince Charles has qualified to fly a
ChipmunkThe de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk is a tandem, two-seat, single-engined primary trainer aircraft which was the standard primary trainer for the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Air Force and several other air forces through much of the post-Second World War years...
basic pilot trainer, a Harrier T Mk.4 V/STOL fighter, a
BAC Jet ProvostThe BAC Jet Provost was a British jet-powered trainer aircraft used by the Royal Air Force from 1955 to 1993. The Jet Provost was also a successful export product, serving in many air forces worldwide....
jet pilot trainer, a
NimrodThe Hawker Siddeley Nimrod is a maritime patrol aircraft developed in the United Kingdom. It is an extensive modification of the de Havilland Comet, the world's first jet airliner. It was originally designed by de Havilland's successor, Hawker Siddeley, now part of BAE Systems...
maritime patrol aircraft, a
F-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the U.S. Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. Proving highly adaptable, it became a major part of the air wings of the United States...
fighter jet, an
Avro VulcanThe Avro Vulcan is a delta wing subsonic jet bomber that was operated by the Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1984. The Vulcan was part of the RAF's V bomber force, which fulfilled the role of nuclear deterrence against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was also used in a conventional bombing...
jet bomber, and a
SpitfireThe Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries through the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used into the 1950s both as a front line fighter and in secondary roles...
classic WWII fighter.
Early romances
Prince Charles' love life was always the subject of speculation and press fodder. In his youth, he was linked to a number of women, including Georgina Russell, daughter of the British Ambassador to Spain; Lady Jane Wellesley, daughter of
Arthur Wellesley, Duke of WellingtonBrigadier Arthur Valerian Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington KG, LVO, OBE, MC, DL, FKC , styled Marquess Douro between 1943 and 1972, is a senior British peer and a retired Brigadier in the British Army...
; Davina Sheffield; Fiona Watson, a model;
Susan GeorgeSusan Melody George is an English actress, movie and television show producer.- Career :Susan George has been acting since the age of four, appearing on both television and film. Her most notable roles include those of the rape victim Amy in Straw Dogs , acting with Dustin Hoffman, and Mary Coombs...
;
Lady Sarah SpencerThe Lady Elizabeth Sarah Lavinia McCorquodale is the eldest daughter of John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and the Honourable Frances Roche, and the older sister of Diana, Princess of Wales.-Early life:...
;
Princess Marie Astrid of LuxembourgArchduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria , is the oldest daughter and the first child of Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte...
;
Dale, Baroness TryonDale Elizabeth Tryon, Baroness Tryon , was a close friend of both Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales. She was described by Prince Charles as "the only woman who ever understood me."...
; Janet Jenkins; and Jane Ward. Irrespective of the truth of the romantic rumours, the hurdles of marriage made some of these matches manifestly implausible; as the heir apparent to the Commonwealth realms' thrones, Charles was expected to father future monarchs. Also, like other members of the Royal Family, he was legally obliged to obtain his mother's approval under the
Royal Marriages Act 1772The Royal Marriages Act of 1772 is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which prescribes the conditions under which members of the British royal family can contract a valid marriage and provides very stringent safeguards against undesirable marriages that might affect the succession to the...
before he could marry, and his choice would have to survive the immense popular interest any marriage proposal would immediately arouse.
Charles was given written advice on dating and the selection of a future consort from his father's "Uncle Dickie",
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of BurmaAdmiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC was a British admiral and statesman and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
: "In a case like yours, the man should sow his wild oats and have as many affairs as he can before settling down, but for a wife he should choose a suitable, attractive, and sweet-charactered girl before she has met anyone else she might fall for... It is disturbing for women to have experiences if they have to remain on a pedestal after marriage." Mountbatten had a unique qualification for offering advice to this particular heir to the throne: he had invited George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and their daughters to visit
Dartmouth Royal Naval CollegeBritannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, with...
on 22 July 1939, having also detailed
CadetA cadet is a trainee officer in the military, a junior branch of an important family, or simply a person who is a junior trainee.- Etymology :...
Prince Philip to keep the young princesses company, creating the first documented meeting of Charles' future parents. In early 1974, Mountbatten began corresponding with Elizabeth and Philip's eldest son about a potential marriage to Mountbatten's granddaughter, Hon. Amanda Knatchbull (b. 26 June 1957), and recommended that the twenty-five year old prince get done with his bachelor's experimentation. Charles dutifully wrote to Amanda's mother,
Patricia BrabournePatricia Edwina Victoria Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma CBE, MSC, CD, JP, DL is a British peeress and former lady-in-waiting to her third cousin, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom...
(who was also his
godmotherA godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. Judaism has this equivalent in the circumcision ceremony. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
), about his interest in her daughter, to which she replied approvingly, though suggesting that a
courtshipCourtship is the traditional dating period before engagement and marriage. During a courtship, a couple dates to get to know each other and decide if there will be an engagement...
was premature.
This did not daunt Mountbatten, who, four years later, obtained an invitation for himself and Amanda to accompany Charles on his 1980 tour of
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. Both fathers, however, objected; Philip complaining that the Prince of Wales would be eclipsed by his famous uncle (who had served as the last British
ViceroyA viceroy is a royal official who runs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. His province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty. The relative...
and first
Governor-General of IndiaThe Governor-General of India was the head of the British administration in India, and later, after Indian independence, the representative of the monarch and de facto head of state. The office was created in 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William...
), while
John, Baron BrabourneJohn Ulick Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne, CBE was a British peer, television producer and Academy-award nominated film producer....
warned that a joint visit would rivet media attention on the cousins before they could decide on becoming a couple, thereby potentially dashing the very prospect for which Mountbatten hoped. However, before Charles was to depart alone for India, Mountbatten was
assassinatedAn Assassination is the targeted killing of a public figure.Assassinations may be prompted by ideological, political, or military reasons. Additionally, assassins may be motivated by financial gain, revenge, personal public recognition, or mental illness....
in August 1979. When Charles returned, he proposed to Amanda. However, in addition to her grandfather, she had lost her paternal grandmother and youngest brother Nicholas in the attack and now recoiled from the prospect of becoming a core member of the Royal Family. In June 1980, Charles officially turned down
CheveningChevening, also known as Chevening House, is a country house in the parish of Chevening, Kent, in England. It is an official residence of the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom.-History:...
House, placed at his disposal since 1974, as his future residence. Chevening, a
stately homeA stately home is, strictly speaking, one of about 500 large properties built in the British Isles between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property .These country houses are usually distinguished from true "castles", being of...
in
KentKent , originally Cantia, is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the River Thames estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent...
, was bequeathed, along with an
endowmentA financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution, usually with the stipulation that it be invested, and the principal remain intact in perpetuity or for a defined time period...
, to the Crown by the last
Earl StanhopeJames Richard Stanhope, 13th Earl of Chesterfield and 7th Earl Stanhope KG, PC, DSO, MC , styled Viscount Mahon until 1905, and known as The Earl Stanhope from 1905 until 1952, was a British Conservative politician.-Background:Stanhope was the eldest son of Arthur Stanhope, 6th Earl Stanhope, and...
, Amanda's childless great-uncle, in the hope that Charles would eventually occupy it.
First marriage
Although Charles first met
Lady Diana Frances SpencerDiana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. Their sons, Princes William and Harry, are second and third in line to the thrones of the United Kingdom and fifteen other Commonwealth Realms.A public figure from the announcement of her engagement to Prince Charles, Diana...
in 1977 while visiting Diana's home,
AlthorpAlthorp is a country estate and stately home in Northamptonshire, England, located roughly north-west of the county town Northampton. It has been the ancestral home of the Spencer family since the early 16th century and is currently owned by Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer...
, as the companion of her elder sister,
SarahThe Lady Elizabeth Sarah Lavinia McCorquodale is the eldest daughter of John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and the Honourable Frances Roche, and the older sister of Diana, Princess of Wales.-Early life:...
he did not consider her romantically until the summer of 1980. While sitting together on a bale of hay at a friend's barbecue in July, he mentioned Mountbatten's death, to which Diana replied that Charles had looked forlorn and in need of care during his uncle's funeral. Soon, according to Charles' chosen biographer,
Jonathan DimblebyJonathan Dimbleby, is a British presenter of current affairs and political radio and television programmes, a political commentator and a writer.-Education:...
, "without any apparent surge in feeling, he began to think seriously of her as a potential bride." She accompanied the Prince on visits to
Balmoral- Australia :* Balmoral, New South Wales * Balmoral, New South Wales* Balmoral, New South Wales * Balmoral, Queensland* Balmoral, Victoria* Balmoral, Western Australia- Canada :* Balmoral, British Columbia...
and
SandringhamSandringham can refer to:Places*Sandringham, Johannesburg, a suburb of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa*Sandringham, Norfolk, a village in Norfolk, England*Sandringham House in the aforementioned village, owned by the British Royal Family...
, eliciting enthusiastic responses from most of the Royal Family.
Although the Queen offered Charles no direct counsel, his cousin
Norton KnatchbullNorton Louis Philip Knatchbull, 8th Baron Brabourne , known until 22 September 2005 as Lord Romsey, is the eldest son of the 7th Baron Brabourne and the 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, and a descendant of Queen Victoria. He is in line to the British throne and is also heir apparent to the...
(Amanda's eldest brother) and his wife, Penny, did. But Charles was angered by their objections that he did not seem in love with Diana and that she seemed too awestruck by his position. Meanwhile, the couple continued dating, amidst constant press speculation and
paparazziPaparazzi is a plural term for photographers who take unstaged and/or candid photographs of celebrities caught unaware. Paparazzi take photos of celebrities at moments when the subjects do not expect to be photographed, such as when they shop, walk through a city, eat at a restaurant, or swim or...
coverage. When Prince Philip told him that the intrusive media attention would injure her reputation if he did not come to a decision about marrying her soon, and realising that Diana met the Mountbatten criteria (and, apparently, the public's) for a proper royal bride, Charles construed his father's advice as a warning to proceed without further delay.
Upon the occasion of his marriage to Diana, Prince Charles reduced his voluntary tax contribution from the profits generated by the Duchy of Cornwall from 50% to 25%.
Engagement and wedding to Diana
Prince Charles proposed to Diana in February 1981, she accepted, and when he asked her father for her hand, he consented. After the British and
CanadianThe Queen's Privy Council for Canada , sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council,
is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign...
privy councilA privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation on how to exercise their executive authority, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government...
s gave their approval for the union (which was sought as the couple was expected to produce an heir to those countries' thrones), the
Queen-in-CouncilThe Queen-in-Council is, in each of the Commonwealth realms, the technical term of constitutional law that refers to the exercise of executive authority, denoting the monarch acting by and with the advice and consent of his or her privy council or executive council The Queen-in-Council (during...
gave the legally required assent, and, 29 July, Charles and Diana were married at St. Paul's Cathedral, before 3,500 invited guests and an estimated worldwide television audience of 750 million people. All of the Queen's
Governors-GeneralA governor-general, also known as governor general, is a vice-regal representative of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription...
, as well as Europe's crowned heads, attended (save for King
Juan Carlos I of SpainJuan Carlos I of Spain is the reigning king of Spain. He is the son of the late Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and the late Princess María Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies...
, who was advised not to attend because the newlyweds' honeymoon would involve a stop over in the disputed territory of
GibraltarGibraltar is a self-governing British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula and Europe at the entrance of the Mediterranean overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory covers and shares a land border with Spain to the north...
). Most of Europe's elected heads of state were also amongst the guests, with the exceptions of the
President of GreeceThe President of the Hellenic Republic , colloquially referred to in English as the President of Greece, is the elected head of state of Greece. The incumbent is Dr Karolos Papoulias.-Powers:...
,
Constantine KaramanlisKonstantinos or Constantine Karamanlis was a Prime Minister, President of Greece and a towering figure of Greek politics whose political career spanned much of the latter half of the 20th century.- Early life :...
(who declined because Greece's exiled monarch,
Constantine IIConstantine II, King of the Hellenes was King of Greece from 1964 until deposed in 1973...
, a kinsman and friend of the bridegroom, had been invited as "King of the Hellenes"), and the
President of IrelandThe President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
,
Patrick HilleryPatrick John "Paddy" Hillery was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and the sixth President of Ireland from 1976 until 1990. First elected at the 1951 general election as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Clare, he remained in Dáil Éireann until 1973...
(who was advised by
TaoiseachThe Taoiseach , plural Taoisigh , also referred to as An Taoiseach , is the head of government of Ireland.The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann , and must, while he remains in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil...
Charles HaugheyCharles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office; from December 1979 to June 1981, March 1982 to December 1982 and March 1987 to February 1992. Haughey, one of the most controversial of Irish politicians in the 20th century, was the fourth leader of Fianna...
not to attend because of the dispute over the status of
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
).
[The period when the advice was given coincided with a change of government. Traditionally Irish presidents and British royalty did not meet publicly because of the Northern Ireland issue.]
The couple made their homes at
HighgroveHighgrove House is the country home of HRH The Prince of Wales, in Gloucestershire, England. Situated at Doughton, near Tetbury, Highgrove House was purchased in 1980 by the Duchy of Cornwall...
, near
TetburyTetbury is a town and civil parish within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the site of an ancient hill fort, on which an Anglo-Saxon monastery was founded, probably by Ine of Wessex, in 681. The population of the parish was 5,250 in the 2001 census.In the Middle Ages,...
, and
Kensington PalaceKensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century. Today it is the official residence of The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester; the Duke and...
. Almost immediately, the new Princess of Wales became a star attraction, chased by the
paparazziPaparazzi is a plural term for photographers who take unstaged and/or candid photographs of celebrities caught unaware. Paparazzi take photos of celebrities at moments when the subjects do not expect to be photographed, such as when they shop, walk through a city, eat at a restaurant, or swim or...
, and her every move followed by millions through the mass media. The couple had two children:
Princes WilliamPrince William of Wales , KG, is the elder son of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
(born 21 June 1982) and Harry (born 15 September 1984). Charles set precedent by being the first royal father to be present at his children's births.
Separation and divorce
The union between the Prince and Princess of Wales soon became troubled; despite their similarities, such as their mutual devotion to charity work Diana focusing on
AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus ....
sufferers, while Charles devoted his efforts to marginalised groups in urban centres within five years, the "fairytale" marriage was on the brink of collapse. The continued presence of Camilla Parker-Bowles in events and circumstances that also involved the royal couple became intolerable to Diana. Allies of Charles who spoke publicly, if anonymously, against Diana alleged that she was unstable and temperamental; one by one, she apparently dismissed each of Charles' long-standing staff members and fell out with his friends, as well as members of her own family her father,
motherFrances Ruth Shand Kydd was the first wife of John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and the mother of Diana, Princess of Wales...
, and
brotherCharles Edward Maurice Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, DL is the second and only surviving son of John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and the Honourable Frances Roche , daughter of the 4th Baron Fermoy...
as well as members of the Royal Family, such as
Sarah, Duchess of YorkSarah, Duchess of York , is a charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family...
. The Princess sought counsel outside of the generally accepted sources of advice, to the chagrin of the palace. In response to the succour sought by the Prince, Diana responded in kind. Charles, however, was also blamed for the marital troubles, as he resumed his
adulterousAdultery is referred to as extramarital sex, philandery, or infidelity, but does not include fornication. The term "adultery" for many people carries a moral or religious association, while the term "extramarital sex" is morally or judgmentally neutral....
affair with Parker-Bowles.
Though they remained a couple in public, Charles and Diana had effectively separated by the late 1980s, the Prince living in Highgrove and the Princess at Kensington Palace. Their increased periods apart and obvious discomfort in each other's presence began to be noticed by the media, and this, plus evidence and recriminations of infidelity, were broadcast in tabloids and the news. By 1992 the marriage was over in all but name; in December of that year, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,
John MajorSir John Major, KG, CH, ACIB , is a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and former Leader of the Conservative Party. He held these posts from 1990 to 1997....
, announced in the British parliament the Prince and Princess' formal separation, after which the media began to take sides, starting what came to be known as the
War of the Waleses. In October 1993, Diana wrote to a friend that she believed her husband was now in love with
Tiggy Legge-BourkeAlexandra Shân "Tiggy" Legge-Bourke MVO was nanny, later companion, to Prince William of Wales and his brother Prince Harry, and a personal assistant to Charles, Prince of Wales, between 1993 and 1999. Since her marriage she has been known as Tiggy Pettifer.-Background:Legge-Bourke is the daughter...
and wanted to marry her. The marriage of Charles and Diana was formally ended in divorce on 28 August 1996.
Second marriage
In 1993, the British tabloids came into the possession of recordings of a 1989 mobile telephone conversation allegedly between the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker-Bowles, in which Charles expressed regret for the indignities she had endured because of her relationship with him, and which revealed graphic expressions of a physical intimacy between the two. In a television interview the following year, Charles admitted that he had committed adultery "once it was clear the marriage had broken down," and said in the same interview that his father had approved of the taking of a mistress. This assertion, however, was vehemently denied by the Duke of Edinburgh, and the implication of condoned adultery caused a significant rift between father and son. When it was later confirmed that it had been Camilla Parker-Bowles with whom Charles was having an affair, her husband, Andrew, immediately demanded a divorce from his wife and thereafter remained silent on the subject of his wife's ongoing affair with the Prince.
On 31 August 1997, a year after the Prince and Princess divorced,
Diana was killed in a car crashOn 31 August 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales died as a result of injuries sustained in a carwreck in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris, France. Her companion, Dodi Fayed and driver, Henri Paul, were also pronounced dead at the scene of the accident...
in
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, along with her companion Dodi Fayed and driver
Henri PaulHenri Paul was the Deputy Head of Security at the Hôtel Ritz Paris. He was the driver at the time of the car accident at the Pont de l'Alma tunnel, Paris that killed him along with Diana, Princess of Wales and her companion Dodi Fayed...
. The Prince of Wales overruled the palace
protocolIn international politics, protocol is the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state.A protocol is a rule which guides how an activity should be performed, especially in the field of diplomacy. In diplomatic services and governmental fields of endeavor protocols are often unwritten guidelines...
experts who argued that as Diana was no longer a member of the Royal Family, the responsibility for her funeral arrangements belonged to her blood relatives,
the SpencersThere are many Spencer families, comprising all individuals with the surname Spencer. The below are the Spencer family descended in the male line from Henry Spencer , male-line ancestor of the Earls of Sunderland, the later Dukes of Marlborough, the Earls Spencer and Lady Diana Spencer, later the...
and flew to Paris, with Diana's sisters, to accompany his ex-wife's body home. He also insisted that, as the mother of the presumed future king (her son William), she be given a formal royal funeral; a new category of formal funeral was especially created for her.
Charles attempted to make his relationship with Parker-Bowles more public and accepted, having her become his unofficial, occasional companion at events. This coming out temporarily ceased at the time of the Princess of Wales' death, but Charles and Parker-Bowles were photographed in public together in 1999, following a birthday party for Parker-Bowles' sister, Annabel Elliott; this was regarded as a sign that the relationship was now official, a feeling that was further enhanced when Parker-Bowles met the Queen in June 2000. Parker-Bowles moved into Charles' household in 2003, resulting in decorative changes to both homes, though Buckingham Palace was explicit in pointing out that public funds had not been used for the renovations. Marriage between the Prince of Wales and Parker-Bowles remained elusive, however: As the future
Supreme Governor of the Church of EnglandThe Supreme Governor of the Church of England is a title held by the British monarchs which signifies their titular leadership over the Church of England. Even though the monarch's authority over the Church of England is not strong, the position is still very relevant to the church and is mostly...
, the prospect of Charles marrying a divorcée, and one with whom he had conducted an illicit relationship, was seen as controversial. Opinion of both the public and the church shifted, though, to a point where
civil marriageCivil marriage or secular marriage is marriage performed by a government official and not a religious organization.-Civil marriage history:...
was seen as an agreeable solution.
Engagement and wedding to Camilla
Clarence HouseClarence House is a royal home in London, situated on The Mall. It is attached to St. James's Palace and shares the palace's garden. For nearly 50 years, from 1953 to 2002, it was home to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, but is now the official residence of The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of...
announced on 10 February 2005 that Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles were engaged; the Prince presented Parker-Bowles with an
engagement ringIn Western tradition, an engagement ring is a ring worn by a person indicating his or her engagement to be married. Conventionally, the ring is presented as a betrothal gift by a man to his prospective bride while he proposes marriage or directly after she accepts his marriage proposal...
that had belonged to
his grandmotherElizabeth Bowes-Lyon was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 1936 until 1952 as the wife of King George VI. After her husband's death, she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
. In a Privy Council meeting on 2 March, the Queen's consent to the marriage (as required by the
Royal Marriages Act 1772The Royal Marriages Act of 1772 is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which prescribes the conditions under which members of the British royal family can contract a valid marriage and provides very stringent safeguards against undesirable marriages that might affect the succession to the...
) was recorded. In Canada, however, the
Department of JusticeThe purpose of the Department of Justice is to ensure that the Canadian justice system is fair, accessible and efficient. The Department also represents the Canadian government in legal matters...
announced its decision that the
Queen's Privy Council for CanadaThe Queen's Privy Council for Canada , sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council,
is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign...
was not required to meet to give its consent to the marriage, as the union would not result in offspring and thus would have no impact on the succession to the Canadian throne.
The marriage was to have been on 8 April of that year, and was to take place in a civil ceremony at
Windsor CastleWindsor Castle, in Windsor in the English country of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, is the oldest in continuous occupation...
, with a subsequent religious blessing at St George's Chapel. But, because the conduct of a civil marriage at Windsor Castle would oblige the venue thereafter to be available to anyone wishing to be married there, the location was changed to the Windsor
GuildhallThe Guildhall in Windsor, Berkshire, England, is the town hall. It is situated in the High Street, about 100 metres from Castle Hill, which leads to the main public entrance to Windsor Castle. It is a Grade I listed building.-History of guildhalls in Windsor:...
. On 4 April it was announced that the marriage would be delayed by one day to allow for the Prince of Wales and some of the invited dignitaries to attend the
funeral of Pope John Paul IIThe funeral of Pope John Paul II was held on April 8, 2005, six days after his death on April 2. The funeral was followed by the novemdiales devotional in which the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches observe nine days of mourning....
. Charles' parents did not attend the marriage ceremony; the Queen's reluctance to attend arising from her position as
Supreme Governor of the Church of EnglandThe Supreme Governor of the Church of England is a title held by the British monarchs which signifies their titular leadership over the Church of England. Even though the monarch's authority over the Church of England is not strong, the position is still very relevant to the church and is mostly...
. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh did, however, attend the service of blessing, and held a reception for the newlyweds at Windsor Castle, afterwards. The wedding made Charles the first member of the Royal Family to be civilly wed in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Official documents had been published by BBC that stated such a marriage was illegal, though these were dismissed by Clarence House, and explained to be obsolete by the sitting government.
Personal interests
In his years as heir apparent, the Prince of Wales has taken on a wide array of interests and activities, and devoted his time and effort to charity work and collaborating with local communities. Since founding The Prince's Trust, he established fifteen more charitable organisations, and now serves as president of all of those, plus two others; together, these form a loose alliance called
The Prince's CharitiesThe Prince's Charities is the name that has been given by HRH The Prince of Wales to a group of charities and other organisations in which he has a particular interest. Sometimes The Prince's Charities group is referred to as consisting of 19 charities and on other occasions 21, depending on...
, which claim to raise over £110 million annually. Charles is also
patronPatrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave, Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos...
of over 350 other charities and organisations, and carries out duties related to these throughout the
Commonwealth realmA Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 132 million; all but about two million live in the six most populous states, the United...
s; for example, he uses his tours of
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as a way to help draw attention to youth, the disabled, the environment, the arts, medicine, the elderly, heritage conservation, and education. The Prince was described by his ex-private secretary as a
dissidentA dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement....
who works against majority political opinions.
Jonathan DimblebyJonathan Dimbleby, is a British presenter of current affairs and political radio and television programmes, a political commentator and a writer.-Education:...
has reported that the Prince "has accumulated a number of certainties about the state of the world and does not relish contradiction."
The built environment
The Prince of Wales has frequently shared his views on
architectureFor a topical guide to this subject, see Outline of architecture. Architecture is the art and science of designing and constructing buildings and other physical structures for human shelter or use....
and
urban planningUrban, city, and town planning is the integration of the disciplines of land use planning and transport planning to explore a very wide range of aspects of the built and social environments of urbanized municipalities and communities...
in public forums, claiming to "care deeply about issues such as the environment, architecture, inner-city renewal, and the quality of
lifePersonal life, sometimes referred to as daily life or everyday life, is the course of an individual's life, especially when viewed as the sum of personal choices contributing to one's personal identity....
." He is known to be an advocate of neo-traditional ideas, such as those of
Christopher AlexanderChristopher Alexander is an architect noted for his theories about design, and for more than 200 building projects in California, Japan, Mexico and around the world...
and
Leon KrierLéon Krier is an architect, architectural theorist and urban planner. From the late 1970s onwards Krier has been one of the most influential neo-traditional architects and planners. He is best known for his development of Poundbury 'village' in Dorchester, UK for the Prince of Wales...
, which were illustrated in his 1984 attack on the British architectural community in a speech given to the
Royal Institute of British ArchitectsThe Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects in the United Kingdom.Originally named the Institute of British Architects in London, it was formed in 1834 by several prominent architects, including Philip Hardwick, Thomas Allom, William Donthorne, Thomas Leverton...
, describing a proposed extension to the National Gallery in London as a "monstrous carbuncle". Charles also published a book and created a documentary entitled
A Vision of Britain, which critiqued some aspects of modern architecture. Despite criticism from the professional architectural press, the Prince has continued to put forward his views, stressing traditional urbanism, the need for human scale, and the restoration of historic buildings as an integrated element of new development and
sustainable designSustainable design is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment and services to comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability.The intention of sustainable design is to "eliminate negative environmental impact completely...
. Two of the Charles' charities in particular forward his theories on design:
The Prince's Regeneration TrustThe Prince’s Regeneration Trust is one of The Prince's Charities, a group of 19 charities of which HRH The Prince of Wales is President.The Prince's Regeneration Trust works throughout the United Kingdom to ensure that important historic buildings at risk of demolition or decay are preserved,...
(formed by a merger of Regeneration Through Heritage and the Phoenix Trust in 2006) and The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment (which absorbed The Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture in 2001). Further, the village of
PoundburyPoundbury is an experimental new town — or more correctly an urban extension — on the outskirts of Dorchester in the county of Dorset, England....
was created at the instigation of Prince Charles, with a master plan by Krier.
Charles assisted with the establishment of a National Trust for the built environment in Canada, after lamenting, in 1996, the unbridled destruction of many of the country's historic urban cores. He offered his assistance to the
Department of Canadian HeritageThe Department of Canadian Heritage, or simply Canadian Heritage, is the department of the Government of Canada with responsibility for policies and programs regarding the arts, culture, media, communications networks, official languages , status of women, sports , and multiculturalism...
in the creation of a trust modelled on
the British variantThe National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, and, with the passing of the
2007 federal budgetThe Canadian federal budget for the 2007-2008 fiscal year was presented to the Canadian House of Commons by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on March 19, 2007. The federal budget included $14 billion in new spending and $5.7 billion in tax cuts...
by
his mother's representative in CanadaThe Governor General of Canada is the viceregal representative in the federal jurisdiction of the Canadian monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, who is equally shared with 15 other sovereign nations in a form of personal union, but resides predominantly in her oldest realm,...
, a Canadian national trust was finally fully implemented. In 1999, the Prince also agreed to offer the use of his title to the
Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage LeadershipThe Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage Leadership is an award presented annually to a Canadian municipality that has demonstrated a commitment to the conservation of its historic built environment, through regulation, policies, and funding...
, awarded by the
Heritage CanadaThe Heritage Canada Foundation , also known as Heritage Canada , is a registered charity with the mandate to encourage the protection and promotion of the built, natural, historic, and scenic heritage of Canada...
Foundation to municipal governments that have shown sustained commitment to the conservation of historic places. Charles has also been the recipient of awards for his efforts in regard to architecture, such as the
National Building MuseumThe National Building Museum, in Washington, D.C., United States, is a museum of "architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning"...
's
Vincent Scully PrizeThe Vincent Scully Prize was established in 1999 to recognize exemplary practice, scholarship or criticism in architecture, historic preservation and urban design...
he received in 2005, while visiting the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and touring southern
MississippiMississippi is a state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi . The state is heavily forested outside of the...
and New Orleans to survey the damage caused by
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States...
; he donated $25,000 of the prize money to help restore communities damaged by the storm.
Starting in 1997, the Prince of Wales also visited
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
to view and draw attention to some of the destruction caused during the Communist rule of
Nicolae CeauşescuNicolae Andruţă Ceauşescu was a Romanian politician who was the Secretary General of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, President of the Council of State from 1967, and President of Romania from 1974 to 1989...
, particularly Orthodox monasteries and
SaxonThe Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
villages of
TransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term frequently encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, where he purchased a house. Charles also became patron of two Romanian built environment organisations: the
Mihai EminescuMihai Eminescu was a Romantic poet, novelist and journalist, often regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active member of the Junimea literary society and he worked as an editor for the newspaper Timpul , the official newspaper of the Conservative Party...
Trust and the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture, and Urbanism), an advocate of architecture that respects cultural tradition and identity. Charles also has “a deep understanding of
Islamic artIslamic art encompasses the visual arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people who lived within the territory that was inhabited by culturally Islamic populations...
and
architectureIslamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to the present day, influencing the design and construction of buildings and structures in Islamic culture....
”, and has been involved in the construction of a building and garden at the
Oxford Centre for Islamic StudiesThe Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies is a Recognised Independent Centre of the University of Oxford, England. It was established in 1985 with the aim of encouraging the academic study of Islam and the Muslim world. The centre's Patron is Prince Charles.A new building for the centre is situated...
which combine Islamic and Oxford architectural styles.
Charles' involvement in architecture has also attracted controversy, especially his personal intervention to redesign projects whose architectural style or approach he has disagreed with. He has been especially opposed to styles such as
modernismModernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes both a set of cultural tendencies and an array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society in the late...
and
functionalismFunctionalism, in architecture, is the principle that architects should design a building based on the purpose of that building. This statement is less self-evident than it first appears, and is a matter of confusion and controversy within the profession, particularly in regard to modern...
.
Richard RogersRichard George Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside, CH, FRIBA, FCSD, is a British architect noted for his modernist and functionalist designs...
, recipient of the
Pritzker PrizeThe Pritzker Architecture Prize is awarded annually by the Hyatt Foundation to honor "a living architect whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment...
and
Stirling PrizeThe Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is named after the architect James Stirling, organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects...
, has described the Prince's personal intervention in projects as "an abuse of power" and "unconstitutional". In 2009 Charles wrote a letter to the Qatari royal family, the developers of the Chelsea Barracks site to be designed by Rogers, that suggested his design was "unsuitable". Subsequently, Rogers was removed from the project and The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment was appointed to propose an alternative. Rogers has also claimed the Prince intervened to stop his designs for the Royal Opera House and Paternoster Square.
Charles' personal interventions have attracted critique from prominent members of the architectural community.
Norman FosterNorman Foster or Norm Foster may refer to:* Norman Foster , English architect and designer* Norman Foster * Norman Foster , U.S...
,
Zaha HadidZaha Hadid , CBE is a notable British Iraqi deconstructivist architect.-Biography:Zaha Hadid was born in 1950 in Baghdad, Iraq. She received a degree in mathematics from the American University of Beirut before moving to study at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London...
, Jacques Herzog,
Jean NouvelJean Nouvel is a French architect. Nouvel studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was a founding member of Mars 1976 and Syndicat de l'Architecture...
,
Renzo PianoRenzo Piano is a world renowned Italian architect and recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, AIA Gold Medal, Kyoto Prize and the Sonning Prize. One admirer said the "serenity of his best buildings can almost make you believe that we live in a civilized world"...
, and
Frank GehryFrank Owen Gehry, CC is a Canadian Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...
among others wrote a letter to
The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
to this effect; each is a recipient of the Pritzker Prize. They wrote that "private comments" and "behind-the-scenes lobbying" by the Prince counteracted the "open and democratic planning process" in the case of the Chelsea Barracks project. Similarly,
Piers GoughPiers Gough, , is an architect in the practice CZWG.Gough grew up in Hove and went to Uppingham School, Rutland. He studied at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London and qualified in 1971...
CBECBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for Commander of the Order of the British Empire, a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:*Calgary Board of Education, public school board for the city of Calgary, Alberta...
and other architects wrote a letter encouraging colleagues to boycott Charles' address to the Royal Institute of British Architects, with Gough calling Charles' views on architecture "elitist".
The natural environment
Since the early 1980s, Charles has taken a keen interest in environmental issues, taking a leadership role in promoting environmentally sensitive thinking. Upon his moving into his Highgrove estate, he became increasingly focused on
organic farmingOrganic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest control, and mechanical cultivation etc.....
, an attention that culminated in the 1990 launch of his own organic brand:
Duchy OriginalsThe Duchy Originals company was set up by Charles, Prince of Wales in 1990 and named after the Duchy of Cornwall estates that are held in trust by the Prince of Wales. -Duchy Originals brand:...
, which now sells more than 200 different sustainably produced products, from food to garden furniture, the profits from which (£6 million, as of 2008) are donated to The Prince's Charities. Documenting this work on his estate, Charles co-authored (with Charles Clover, environment editor of the
Daily Telegraph)
Highgrove: An Experiment in Organic Gardening and Farming, published in 1993, and offers his patronage to
Garden OrganicGarden Organic, formerly known as the Henry Doubleday Research Association , is the UK's leading organic growing charity dedicated to researching and promoting organic gardening, farming and food.-History:...
. Along similar lines, the Prince of Wales became involved with farming and various industries within it, regularly meeting with farmers to discuss their trade; though the 2001
foot-and-mouthFoot-and-mouth disease, FMD or hoof-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious and sometimes fatal viral disease of cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic animals such as cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats and pigs, as well as antelope, bison and other wild bovids, and deer...
epidemic in the UK prevented Charles from visiting farmers in
SaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of and a population of 1,023,810 , mostly living in the southern half of the province. Of these, 233,923 live in the province's largest city, Saskatoon, while 194,971 live in the provincial capital, Regina...
, organic farmers there came to meet him at the
AssiniboiaAssiniboia is a town in south central Saskatchewan, Canada. From 1908 to 1912, the post office at this location was named Leeville, Saskatchewan. It is located 110 km SSW of Moose Jaw beside Highway 2 and Highway 13...
town hall. In 2004, he also founded the
Mutton Renaissance CampaignThe Mutton Renaissance Campaign was founded in 2004 by Charles, Prince of Wales to advocate for the consumption of mutton by Britons. The Prince, who calls mutton his "favorite dish", also aims to support British sheep farmers struggling to sell their older animals...
, which aims to support British sheep farmers and make mutton more attractive to Britons. His organic farming efforts, however, attracted media criticism: According to
The IndependentThe Independent is a British newspaper published by Tony O'Reilly's Independent News & Media. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily newspapers. The daily edition was named National...
in October, 2006 "...the story of Duchy Originals has involved compromises and ethical blips, wedded to a determined merchandising programme." and, in February 2007, Duchy products themselves came under attack, with the tabloid
Daily Mail claiming that the food was "unhealthier than Big Macs." In 2007, Charles also launched
The Prince's May Day NetworkThe Prince’s May Day Network is a group of businesses committed to takingaction on climate change and was founded by HRH The Prince of Wales in2007.The Network is convened by Business in the Community and over 1350 businesses have signed up to date...
, which encourages businesses to take action on climate change.
An announcement was made by Clarence House in December 2006 that the Prince of Wales would make his household's travel arrangements more eco-friendly, and, in 2007, Charles published in his annual accounts the details of his own
carbon footprintA giant footprint is "the total set of blue natural gas caused by an organization, event or product" . For simplicity of reporting, it is often expressed in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent of other GHGs, emitted....
, as well as targets for reducing his household's
carbon emissionsGreenhouse gases are gases in an atmosphere that absorb and emit radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The main greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
. That same year, he received the 10th annual Global Environmental Citizen Award from the
Harvard Medical SchoolHarvard Medical School is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. It is currently ranked first among American research medical schools by U.S. News and World Report....
's Center for Health and the Global Environment, the director of which, Eric Chivian, stated: "For decades the Prince of Wales has been a champion of the natural world... He has been a world leader in efforts to improve energy efficiency and in reducing the discharge of toxic substances on land, and into the air and the oceans". However, Charles' travel by commercial airliner to the United States to attend the award ceremony drew criticism from some environmental activists, such as the Plane climate change action group's campaigner Joss Garman, and in April 2009, he faced similar criticisms for chartering a private jet for a five day tour of Europe to promote environmental issues.
The Prince gave a speech to the
European ParliamentThe European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union , it forms the bicameral legislative branch of the Union's institutions and has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
on 14 February 2008, in which he called for
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 Member States, located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community...
leadership in the war against
climate changeClimate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It can be a change in the average weather or a change in the distribution of weather events around an average...
. During the standing ovation that followed,
Nigel FarageNigel Paul Farage is a British politician, and leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party . He is also a member of the European Parliament for the South East. He co-chairs the European Parliament's Europe of Freedom and Democracy group...
, the leader of the
United Kingdom Independence PartyThe United Kingdom Independence Party is a conservative, Eurosceptic political party. Its principal aim is the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. UKIP currently holds thirteen seats in the European Parliament and two in the House of Lords...
(UKIP), was the only MEP to remain seated and went on to describe Charles's advisers as "naive and foolish at best." Farage continued: "How can somebody like Prince Charles be allowed to come to the European Parliament at this time to announce he thinks it should have more powers? It would have been better for the country he wants to rule one day if he had stayed home and tried to persuade
Gordon BrownJames Gordon Brown is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party. Brown became Prime Minister in June 2007, after the resignation of Tony Blair and three days after becoming leader of the governing Labour Party...
to give the people the promised referendum [on the
Treaty of LisbonThe Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized Portuguese independence.-The principals:...
]."
Philosophies and religious beliefs
Sir
Laurens van der PostSir Laurens Jan van der Post was a 20th century Afrikaner author of many books, farmer, war hero, political adviser to British heads of government, close friend of Prince Charles, godfather of Prince William, educator, journalist, humanitarian, philosopher, explorer, and conservationist.-Early...
became a friend of Charles in 1977, a relationship that lasted until van der Post's death in 1996, and which led him to be dubbed the "guru to Prince Charles", and made godfather to Charles' son, Prince William. From him, the Prince of Wales developed a focus on
philosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing these questions by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on reasoned...
, especially
that of AsianEastern philosophy includes the various philosophies of Asia, including Indian philosophy, Chinese philosophy, Iranian philosophy, Japanese philosophy, and Korean philosophy...
and
Middle Eastern nationsIslamic philosophy is a branch of Islamic studies, and is a longstanding attempt to create harmony between philosophy and the religious teachings of Islam .-Definition:...
, and
New AgeThe New Age is a decentralized Western social and spiritual movement that seeks "Universal Truth" and the attainment of the highest individual human potential. It includes aspects of cosmology, astrology, esotericism, alternative medicine, music, collectivism, sustainability, and nature...
theology, praising
KabbalisticKabbalah is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the mystical aspect of Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings that is meant to explain the relationship between an infinite, eternal and essentially unknowable Creator with the finite and mortal universe of His creation...
artworks, and penning a memorial for
Kathleen RaineKathleen Jessie Raine was a British poet, critic, and independent scholar writing in particular on William Blake and W. B...
, the Neoplatonist poet, who died in 2003.
The Prince is known to attend services at several different
AnglicanThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the oldest among the communion's thirty-eight independent national and regional churches...
churches near his home at Highgrove,
GloucestershireGloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
and is known to regularly worship at
Crathie KirkCrathie Kirk is a small Church of Scotland parish church in the Scottish village of Crathie, best known for being the regular place of worship of the British Royal Family when they are holidaying at nearby Balmoral Castle....
when staying at Balmoral Castle. In 2000, he was appointed as
Lord High CommissionerThe Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the British Sovereign's personal representative to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland , reflecting the Church's role as the national church of Scotland, and the Sovereign's role as protector and member of...
to the
General AssemblyThe General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is the sovereign and highest court of the Church of Scotland, and is thus the Church's governing body.-Church courts:...
of the
Church of ScotlandThe Church of Scotland , known informally by its Scots language name, The Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
. The Prince of Wales also travels each year to
Mount AthosMount Athos is a mountain on the peninsula of the same name in Macedonia, of northern Greece, called in Greek Agion Oros , or in English, "Holy Mountain". In Classical times, the peninsula was called Aktí...
to spend time in the Orthodox
monasteriesMonastery , a term derived from the Greek word μοναστήριον, neut. of μοναστήριος - monasterios denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer Monastery (plural: monasteries), a term derived from the Greek word μοναστήριον, neut. of μοναστήριος - monasterios...
there, as well as in Romania, demonstrating his interest in
OrthodoxThe Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to in English speaking countries as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the world's second largest Christian communion, estimated to number 225 million members...
Christianity. Along with his father, who was born and raised as
Greek OrthodoxThe Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of the Orthodox Church, sharing a common cultural tradition and whose liturgy is traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament....
, Charles is patron of The Friends of Mount Athos, as well as the 21st International Congress of
ByzantineThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
Studies. Charles is also patron of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies at the
University of OxfordThe University of Oxford , located in the UK city of Oxford, is the oldest surviving university in the English-speaking world and is regarded as one of the world's leading academic institutions. Although the exact date of foundation remains unclear, there is evidence of teaching there as far back...
.
Alternative medicine
Charles has demonstrated an interest in
alternative medicineIn Western culture, alternative medicine is any healing practice "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine", or "that which has been shown consistently to be effective." Alternative medicine is often based on the belief that a particular health regimen has efficacious effects...
, the promotion of which has occasionally resulted in controversy. In 2004, Charles' Foundation for Integrated Health divided the scientific and medical community over its campaign encouraging
general practitionerA general practitioner or GP is a medical practitioner who provides primary care and specializes in family medicine. A general practitioner treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes...
s to offer herbal and other alternative treatments to National Health Service patients. and in May 2006, Charles made a speech to an audience of health ministers from various countries at the
World Health AssemblyThe World Health Assembly is the forum through which the World Health Organization is governed by its 193 member states. It is the world's highest health policy setting body and is composed of health ministers from member states....
in
GenevaGeneva, is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie...
, urging them to develop a plan for integrating conventional and alternative medicine.
In April 2008,
The TimesThe Times is a daily national newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register....
published a letter from
Edzard ErnstEdzard Ernst is the first Professor of Complementary Medicine in the United Kingdom.In 1993, Ernst left his chair in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Vienna to set up the department of Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter...
that asked the foundation to recall two guides promoting "alternative medicine", saying: "the majority of alternative therapies appear to be clinically ineffective, and many are downright dangerous." A speaker for the foundation countered the criticism by stating: "We entirely reject the accusation that our online publication
Complementary Healthcare: A Guide contains any misleading or inaccurate claims about the benefits of complementary therapies. On the contrary, it treats people as adults and takes a responsible approach by encouraging people to look at reliable sources of information... so that they can make informed decisions. The foundation does not promote complementary therapies." Ernst has recently published a book with science writer
Simon SinghSimon Lehna Singh, MBE is a British Indian author of Punjabi background, who has specialised in writing about mathematical and scientific topics in an accessible manner...
condemning alternative medicine called
Trick or Treatment: Alternative Medicine on Trial. The book is ironically dedicated to "HRH the Prince of Wales" and the last chapter is very critical of his advocacy of "complementary" and "alternative" treatments.
Humanitarian issues
The plight of various peoples has been a target of Charles' efforts, predominantly the long-term unemployed, people who have been in trouble with the law, people who are in difficulty at school, and people who have been in care.
The Prince's TrustThe Prince's Trust is a charity in the United Kingdom founded by The Prince of Wales to help young people.-Target groups:The young people helped by The Prince's Trust are the long-term unemployed, people who have been in trouble with the law, people who are in difficulty at school, and people who...
is the main outlet through which Charles works with young people, offering loans to groups, business people, and others who've had difficulty receiving outside support. Fundraising concerts are regularly held in benefit of the trust, with leading
popPop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer alternative to rock 'n' roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial recording, often orientated towards a youth market, usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs...
,
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
, and
classical musicClassical music is the mainstream music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 9th century to present times...
ians taking part. In Canada, Charles has also supported humanitarian projects, taking part, along with his two sons, in the ceremonies marking the 1998
International Day for the Elimination of Racial DiscriminationThe International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21 March. On that day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid "pass laws"...
, and helping to launch the Canadian Youth Business Foundation in Saskatchewan in 2001, when he also visited Scott Collegiate, an inner-city school in
ReginaRegina is the capital of Saskatchewan, Canada. The city is the second largest in the province , and is a cultural and commercial metropole for both southern Saskatchewan and adjacent areas in the neighbouring American states of North Dakota and Montana...
.
After spending time in the
Northwest TerritoriesThe Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada....
in 1975, Charles formed a special interest in the Canadian north, as well as
Canada's Aboriginal PeoplesAboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors Indian and Eskimo are falling into disuse. Old Crow Flats and Bluefish Caves are the earliest archaeological sites of human habitation in Canada. The Paleo-Indian Clovis, Plano cultures and Pre-Dorset...
, the leaders of which he met and sometimes took time to walk and meditate with. Reflecting this association, the Prince of Wales has been conferred with special titles from
First NationsFirst Nations is a term of ethnicity that refers to the Aboriginal peoples in Canada, who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 600 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread all across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia...
communities: in 1996,
CreeCree is one of the largest group of First Nations/Aboriginals in North America, located mainly across Canada and historically in the United States from Minnesota westward but are found today in Montana....
and Ojibway students in
WinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, in south central Canada, near the eastern edge of the Canadian Prairies, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers...
named the Prince
Leading Star, and in 2001 he was dubbed
Pisimwa Kamiwohkitahpamikohk, or "the sun looks at him in a good way", during his first visit to the province of
SaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of and a population of 1,023,810 , mostly living in the southern half of the province. Of these, 233,923 live in the province's largest city, Saskatoon, while 194,971 live in the provincial capital, Regina...
. He was also one of the first world leaders to express strong concerns about the
human rightsHuman rights refer to the "basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled." Examples of rights and freedoms which have come to be commonly thought of as human rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the...
record of
Nicolae CeauşescuNicolae Andruţă Ceauşescu was a Romanian politician who was the Secretary General of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, President of the Council of State from 1967, and President of Romania from 1974 to 1989...
, initiating objections in the international arena, and subsequently supported the FARA Foundation, which runs Romanian orphanages.
Charles attended the
Bilderberg GroupThe Bilderberg Group, Bilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an unofficial, annual, invitation-only conference of around 130 guests, most of whom are persons of great influence in the fields of politics, business, banking, and media....
conference in 1986 specifically to attend a debate on the South Africa economic crisis.
Hobbies and sports
Since his youth, the Prince was an avid player of
poloPolo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled mallet...
, as a part of competitive teams until 1992, and strictly for charity from then until 2005, after which he ceased to participate because of two notable injuries he suffered during play: in 1990 he broke his arm, and in 2001 was briefly unconscious after a fall. Charles also frequently took part in
fox huntingFox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in the United...
, before
the sport was banned in the United KingdomThe Hunting Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The effect of the Act is to outlaw hunting with dogs in England and Wales from 18 February 2005...
in 2005. By the late 1990s, as opposition to the activity was growing, the Prince of Wales' participation in this activity was viewed as a "political statement" by those opposed to it, such as the League Against Cruel Sports, which launched the attack against Charles after he took his sons on the
Beaufort HuntThe Duke of Beaufort's Hunt is one of the oldest and largest of the fox hunting packs in England. It was founded by the 1st Duke of Beaufort in 1682 and under the auspices of this family...
in 1999, at a time when the government was trying to ban the hunting of foxes with hounds.
Charles has also pursued the visual arts, focusing on watercolour, and exhibiting and selling a number of his paintings, as well as publishing books on the subject. In university he dabbled in acting, appearing in amateur productions of a comedic nature, an enjoyment of which continued later into the Prince's life, as evidenced by his organising of a comedy gala to celebrate his 60th birthday. He also has an interest in
illusionismMagic is a performing art that entertains an audience by creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats, using purely natural means...
, becoming a member of
The Magic CircleThe Magic Circle is a British organisation dedicated to magic. Its headquarters are in London, and magicians who wish to join need to have known two members for a sufficient period of time...
after passing his audition by performing the
cups and ballsThe cups and balls is a classic of magic with many adaptations. The effect known as acetabula et calculi was performed by Roman conjurers as far back as two thousand years ago...
effect. The Prince acts today as patron of a number of theatres, acting troupes, and orchestral ensembles, including the
Regina Symphony OrchestraThe Regina Symphony Orchestra was founded by Frank Laubach, in Regina, Saskatchewan, as the Regina Orchestral Society in 1908, giving its inaugural concert December 3 of that same year...
, and the
Royal Shakespeare CompanyThe Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company. Located primarily at Stratford-upon-Avon, with bases also in London and Newcastle upon Tyne, it is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly-funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal National Theatre.-The early...
, and is reportedly a fan of Canadian singer and song writer
Leonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, CC, GOQ is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often deals with the exploration of religion, isolation, sexuality and complex interpersonal relationships...
. He is also a collector of
automobileAn automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s, particularly the British marque
Aston MartinAston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in BuckinghamshireFrom 1994 until 2007...
, having acquired numerous models and such tight connections with the brandbeing a frequent visitor to the factory and its service department, and a guest of honour at most of the company's special launch events that special
Prince of Wales edition Aston Martins have been created on occasion. He is known to like Ipswich Town Football Club, after a visit to Portman Road after they were the first football club in England to support his supported charity.
Official duties
As Prince of Wales, Prince Charles undertakes a number of official duties on behalf of his mother, in her role as sovereign of any of the
Commonwealth realmA Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 132 million; all but about two million live in the six most populous states, the United...
s. He will frequently stand in for the Queen at the funerals of foreign dignitaries (which the Queen customarily does not attend), and at
investitureInvestiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent in public office, especially by taking possession of its insignia...
s into British orders. It was when he attended the
funeral of Pope John Paul IIThe funeral of Pope John Paul II was held on April 8, 2005, six days after his death on April 2. The funeral was followed by the novemdiales devotional in which the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches observe nine days of mourning....
that Charles caused controversy: when shaking hands with other guests, Charles was surprised to find himself shaking that of
Robert MugabeRobert Gabriel Karigamombe Mugabe is the current President of Zimbabwe.He has held power as the head of government since 1980, as Prime Minister from 1980 to 1987, and as the first executive head of state since 1987...
, the President of Zimbabwe, who had been seated next to the Prince. Charles' office subsequently released a statement saying: "The Prince of Wales was caught by surprise and not in a position to avoid shaking Mr. Mugabe's hand. The Prince finds the current Zimbabwean regime abhorrent. He has supported the Zimbabwe Defence and Aid Fund which works with those being oppressed by the regime. The Prince also recently met
Pius NcubeHis Grace the Most Reverend Dr. Pius Alick Mvundla Ncube served as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, until he resigned on September 11, 2007...
, the Archbishop of Bulawayo, an outspoken critic of the government.
Both Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall travel abroad on behalf of the United Kingdom. The Prince has been regarded as an effective advocate of the country, with his visit to the
Republic of IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
, where he delivered a personally researched and written speech on
Anglo-IrishAnglo-Irish was a term used historically to describe a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until 1871, or to a lesser...
affairs that was warmly received by Irish politicians and the media, being cited as an example. His service to the
Canadian Armed ForcesThe Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
permits him to be informed of troop activities, and allows him to visit these troops while in Canada or overseas, taking part in ceremonial occasions. For instance, in 2001, the Prince placed a specially commissioned wreath, made from vegetation taken from
FrenchFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
battlefields, at the
Canadian Tomb of the Unknown SoldierThe Canadian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located at the National War Memorial in Confederation Square, Ottawa. [http://www.ottawakiosk.com/national_war_memorial.html National War Memorial] The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was added to the war memorial in 2000, and holds the remains of an...
, and in 1981 he became the patron of the
Canadian Warplane Heritage MuseumThe Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is a major Canadian aviation museum. It is located at the John C. Munro International Airport on the outskirts of Hamilton, Ontario....
.
Prince Charles makes regular tours of
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
, going there for a week of engagements each summer, attending important national occasions, such as opening the
SeneddThe Senedd , also known as the National Assembly building, houses the debating chamber and three committee rooms for the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff, Wales. The building was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 March 2006 and the total cost was GB£69.6 million, which included £49.7M in...
. In 2000, Charles revived the tradition of the Prince of Wales having an official
harpA harp is a stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicular to the soundboard. As many other non-percussion instruments, it can also be used as a percussion instrument. All harps have a neck, resonator and strings. Some, known as frame harps, also have a forepillar;...
ist, in order to foster Welsh talent at playing the harp, the national instrument of Wales. He and the Duchess of Cornwall also spend one week each year in
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, where the Prince is patron of a number of Scottish organisations.
Media
Sometimes referred to as
Chazza (along the lines of
GazzaPaul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional football player who also had spells as a manager at Kettering Town....
,
HezzaMichael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC is a British businessman, Conservative politician and patron of the Tory Reform Group....
, and similar coinages), and parodied, such as on
Spitting ImageSpitting Image was a British satirical puppet show which ran on the ITV television network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one, for editing, in 1989....
, and by
Craig FergusonCraig Ferguson is a Scottish-American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, director and actor. He is the present host of CBS's The Late Late Show, a role that earned him an Emmy nomination in 2006....
—in a segment known as
The Rather Late Programme with Prince Charles—on
The Late Late ShowThe Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish American comedian Craig Ferguson. Ferguson is the third regular host of the CBS Late Late Show franchise. The show follows "Late Show with David Letterman" in the CBS late-night lineup.The program is the...
, Prince Charles has been a focus of the world media since his birth, attention that increased as he matured. Prior to his first marriage, he was presented as the world's most eligible
bachelorA bachelor is a man above the age of majority who has never been married , the terms origin in this sense dates from 1385, Middle English....
on the cover of
TimeTime is an American newsmagazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong. As of 2009, Time no longer publishes a Canadian advertiser edition...
, and his various affairs and exploits were followed and reported. With his marriage to
Diana SpencerDiana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. Their sons, Princes William and Harry, are second and third in line to the thrones of the United Kingdom and fifteen other Commonwealth Realms.A public figure from the announcement of her engagement to Prince Charles, Diana...
, the attention increased, though predominantly towards the Princess of Wales, who became a star attraction, chased by the
paparazziPaparazzi is a plural term for photographers who take unstaged and/or candid photographs of celebrities caught unaware. Paparazzi take photos of celebrities at moments when the subjects do not expect to be photographed, such as when they shop, walk through a city, eat at a restaurant, or swim or...
, and her every move (including every change in
hairstyleA hairstyle, hairdo, or haircut refers to a styling of head hair. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical considerations also influence some hairstyles...
) closely followed by millions. As their relationship began to deteriorate, Diana began to use the media to her advantage, and became closely involved in placing stories about the royal marriage in the press, thenceforth splitting the media's support, with Charles having
The Mirror and the
Telegraph on his side.
In their quest to gain ever more stories on the Prince of Wales, the media breached Charles' privacy on a number of occasions. In 2006, the Prince filed a court case against the
Mail on SundayThe Daily Mail is a British daily tabloid newspaper. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper, The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982. Scottish and Irish editions of the paper were launched in...
, after excerpts of his personal journals were published, revealing his opinions on matters, such as the takeover of
Hong KongHong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a highly autonomous territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south...
by the
People's Republic of ChinaThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
in 1997, in which Charles described the Chinese government officials as "appalling old waxworks." Others have used their past connections with the Prince to profit from the media, such as when an ex-member of Charles' household took to the press an internal memo in which Charles commented on ambition and opportunity, and which was widely interpreted as blaming meritocracy for creating a combative atmosphere in society. In retort, Charles stated: "In my view, it is just as great an achievement to be a plumber or a bricklayer as it is to be a lawyer or a doctor," and the memo was cited in
Lynne TrussLynne Truss is an English writer and journalist, best known for her popular book Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation.-Early life:...
' critique of British manners,
Talk to the Hand, as a valid observation on how the positive motivational impact of meritocracy might be balanced against the negative impact of a competitive society.
Overall, Charles developed a dislike for the popular press, which was accidentally revealed when his comments to his son, William, during a press photo-call in 2005 was caught on a nearby microphone: "I hate doing this... These bloody people," and about the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
's royal reporter,
Nicholas WitchellNicholas Newton Henshall Witchell is a English journalist. He is the current royal and diplomatic correspondent for BBC News...
, in particular: "I can't bear that man. I mean, he's so awful, he really is." The Prince of Wales, though, remained friendly with produced entertainment media, appearing as himself on the UK
soap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on television or radio. The name "soap opera" stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation StreetCoronation Street is an award-winning prime time soap opera set and produced in Manchester created by Tony Warren...
as part of the show's 40th anniversary in 2000, and on the
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
adult cartoon series
bro'Townbro'Town is a New Zealand Television animated series. It is a comedy based format, targeted at a young adult audience.The series is set amongst New Zealand's fast growing Pacific Islander community, and focuses on a central cast of five young boys...
, after attending a performance from the show's creators during a tour of the country. He did, however, reportedly turn down an invitation to appear in a cameo role in an episode of
Doctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a mysterious alien time-traveller known as "the Doctor" who travels in his space and time-ship, the TARDIS, which normally appears from the exterior to be a blue 1950s police box...
. Charles has also continued to give interviews, such as that which was conducted by Ant and Dec for the 30th anniversary of The Prince's Trust in 2006, and he read his children's book,
The Old Man of LochnagarThe Old Man of Lochnagar is a children's book written by Prince Charles and illustrated by Sir Hugh Casson.The story of the old man of Lochnagar was one Prince Charles had told some years earlier to entertain his brothers, Andrew and Edward, when they were young. The book was published in 1980 in...
, on the BBC's
JackanoryJackanory is a long-running BBC children's television series that was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. The show was first aired on 13 December 1965, the first story being the fairy-tale Cap o' Rushes read by Lee Montague. Jackanory continued to be broadcast until 24 March 1996,...
programme.
Residences
Clarence HouseClarence House is a royal home in London, situated on The Mall. It is attached to St. James's Palace and shares the palace's garden. For nearly 50 years, from 1953 to 2002, it was home to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, but is now the official residence of The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of...
, the former London residence of the late
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen MotherElizabeth Bowes-Lyon was Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 1936 until 1952 as the wife of King George VI. After her husband's death, she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
, is the Prince of Wales' current official residence. Previously, he resided in an apartment at St James's Palace. Charles also holds a private estate in
GloucestershireGloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
,
HighgroveHighgrove House is the country home of HRH The Prince of Wales, in Gloucestershire, England. Situated at Doughton, near Tetbury, Highgrove House was purchased in 1980 by the Duchy of Cornwall...
, and one in Scotland, the
BirkhallBirkhall is a 53,000 acre estate on Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, Scotland...
estate near
Balmoral CastleBalmoral Castle is a large estate house situated in the area of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, known as Royal Deeside. The estate was purchased by Queen Victoria's consort Prince Albert, and remains a favourite summer royal residence....
and also previously owned by the Queen Mother.
In 2007, the Prince purchased a 192 acre (150 acres of grazing and parkland, and of woodland) property in
CarmarthenshireCarmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. Its three largest towns are Carmarthen, Llanelli and Ammanford...
, and applied for permission to convert the farm into a Welsh home for him and the Duchess of Cornwall, to be rented out as holiday flats when the royal couple is not in residence. Though neighbours said the proposed alterations flouted local planning regulations, the application was put on hold while a report was drafted on how the alterations would affect the local bat population. Charles and Camilla took residence at the new property, called
LlwynywermodLlwynywermod, , also known as Llwynywormwood, is an estate owned by Charles, Prince of Wales, in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales....
, in June 2008.
Titles and styles
Charles has held a number of titles throughout his life, as the grandson of the monarch, the son of the monarch and, later, honoured in his own right with princely and noble titles. When in conversation with the Prince of Wales, the practice is to initially address him as
Your Royal Highness and thereafter as
Sir.
There has been speculation as to what
regnal nameA regnal name, or reign name, is a formal name used by some popes and monarchs during their reigns. Since medieval times, monarchs have frequently chosen to use a name different from their own personal name when they inherit a throne....
the Prince will choose upon his succession to the throne. If he keeps his current first name, he will be known as
Charles III. However, Charles has suggested that he may choose to reign as
George VII in honour of his
maternal grandfatherGeorge VI was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death...
, and to avoid association with kings
Charles ICharles I, , the second son of James VI of Scotland and I of England, was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. Charles famously engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England...
(who was beheaded) and
Charles IICharles II was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father King Charles I was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War. The English Parliament did not proclaim Charles II king at this time. Instead they passed a statute making such a...
(who had lived in exile)., though he has denied this publicly.
Honours and honorary military appointments
On his 58th birthday, the Prince of Wales was appointed by his mother as a
GeneralGeneral is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is the equivalent of a 4 star rank, and is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal and the Royal Marines rank of Captain General Royal Marines....
in the
British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
, an
AdmiralAdmiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet. Royal Navy officers holding the ranks of Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral and Admiral of the Fleet are sometimes considered generically to be Admirals....
in the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
, and an
Air Chief MarshalAir Chief Marshal is a senior air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
of the
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
. (He had previously been granted at an earlier point the rank of Major General and the accompanying ranks in the other services.) His first honorary appointment was as
Colonel-in-ChiefIn the British and other Commonwealth armies, the Colonel-in-Chief of a regiment is its patron. This position is distinct from that of Colonel of the Regiment. They do not have an operational role. They are however kept informed of all important activities of the regiment, and pay occasional...
of the
Royal Regiment of WalesThe Royal Regiment of Wales was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was formed in 1969 by the amalgamation of two other regiments:*The South Wales Borderers*The Welch Regiment...
, in 1969; since that time, the Prince has also been installed as Colonel-in-Chief, Colonel, Honorary Air Commodore,
Air Commodore-in-ChiefAir Commodore-in-Chief is a type of honorary air force appointment which originated in the Royal Air Force and now exists in the air forces of various Commonwealth realms. Initially only the British monarch held air commodore-in-chief appointments...
, Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, Royal Honorary Colonel, Royal Colonel, and Honorary Commodore of at least 36 military formations throughout the Commonwealth.
Charles has also been the recipient of a number of honours and awards from various countries around the world, whether from his own or foreign. He has been inducted into eight orders and received five decorations from amongst the Commonwealth realms, and has been the recipient of 17 different appointments and decorations by foreign states, as well as nine
honorary degreeAn honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements...
s from universities in the United Kingdom and
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
.
Ancestry
Through his father's line, his patrilineal descent, Charles is descended from the
House of OldenburgThe House of Oldenburg is a North German dynasty and one of Europe's most influential Royal Houses.It rose to prominence when Count Christian I of Oldenburg was elected King of Denmark in 1448, and of Norway in 1450...
/Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. It should be noted, however, that absent any future decrees to the contrary, Charles will reign as a member of the House of Windsor per Letters Patent issued by his mother.
Issue
| Name | | Birth | | Marriage |
|---|
Issue |
Prince William of WalesPrince William of Wales , KG, is the elder son of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
|
21 June 1982 |
|
|
|
Prince Harry of WalesPrince Henry of Wales , known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II...
|
15 September 1984 |
|
|
|
See also
- Bibliography of Charles, Prince of Wales
The Bibliography of Charles, Prince of Wales is a list of approximately three dozen works which HRH Charles, Prince of Wales has authored, co-authored, illustrated or narrated and includes works for which he has written a foreword, introduction or preface....
External links
| Titles and Succession |
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in England and WalesThe Order of precedence in England and Wales as of 12 November 2008:Names in italics indicate higher precedence elsewhere in the table.-Members of the Royal Family:*The Sovereign *HRH The Duke of Edinburgh*Sons of the Sovereign...
and in Northern IrelandThe order of precedence in Northern Ireland:-Gentlemen:#The Sovereign #The Duke of Edinburgh#Sons of the Sovereign##The Prince of Wales##The Duke of York##The Earl of Wessex#Grandsons of the Sovereign##Prince William of Wales...
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