Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.[note 1]
| Charles III | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head of the Commonwealth | |||||
.jpg) Formal portrait, 2019 | |||||
| King of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms[note 1] | |||||
| Reign | 8 September 2022 – present | ||||
| Coronation | 6 May 2023 | ||||
| Predecessor | Elizabeth II | ||||
| Heir apparent | William, Prince of Wales | ||||
| Born | Prince Charles of Edinburgh 14 November 1948 Buckingham Palace, London, England | ||||
| Spouses | |||||
| Issue Detail | |||||
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| House | Windsor[1] | ||||
| Father | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | ||||
| Mother | Elizabeth II | ||||
| Religion | Protestant[note 3] | ||||
| Signature |  | ||||
| Education | Gordonstoun School | ||||
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge (MA) | ||||
| Military career | |||||
| Allegiance | United Kingdom | ||||
| Service/ | |||||
| Years of active service | 1971–1976 | ||||
| Rank | See list | ||||
| Commands held | HMS Bronington | ||||
| Royal family of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms |
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Charles was born in Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, George VI, and was three years old when his mother, Elizabeth II, acceded to the throne in 1952, making him the heir apparent. He was created Prince of Wales in 1958 and his investiture was held in 1969. He was educated at Cheam School and Gordonstoun, and later spent six months at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia. After earning a history degree from the University of Cambridge, Charles served in the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976. In 1981, he married Lady Diana Spencer, with whom he has two sons: William, Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, after they had each engaged in well-publicised extramarital affairs. Diana died as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash the following year. In 2005, Charles married his long-term partner, Camilla Parker Bowles.
As heir apparent, Charles undertook official duties and engagements on behalf of his mother. He founded the Prince's Trust in 1976, sponsored the Prince's Charities, and became patron or president of more than 800 other charities and organisations. He advocated for the conservation of historic buildings and the importance of architecture in society. In that vein, he generated the experimental new town of Poundbury. An environmentalist, Charles supported organic farming and action to prevent climate change during his time as the manager of the Duchy of Cornwall estates, earning him awards and recognition as well as both praise and criticism; he is also a prominent critic of the adoption of genetically modified food, while his support for alternative medicine has been criticised. He has authored or co-authored 17 books.
Charles became king upon his mother's death on 8 September 2022. At the age of 73, he became the oldest person to accede to the British throne, after having been the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales in British history. His coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023.