Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history recently died at the age of 96, according to a statement by Buckingham Palace.
Following the demise of the queen, she is expected to be succeeded by Prince Charles, the eldest of her four children with her late husband, Prince Philip.
Prince Charles III also known as Charles Philip Arthur George was born on 14 November 1948 and was heir and Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay from 1952. As the oldest and the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, he has since held the title from July 1958.
Early life
As the first grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, he was born in Buckingham Palace and attended Cheam and Gordonstoun schools, just like his father, Prince Phillip before furthering at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia.
He became the Prince of Wales in 1969, among other royal titles, after he had spent a term at the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth, where he learned to speak Welsh. Two years later, Charles took his seat in the House of Lords, the upper house of the parliament of the United Kingdom.
Upon earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge, Charles served in the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976.
Family and personal life
In 1981, Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, who became the Princess of Wales and together, they had two sons, William and Harry, who are second and sixth in line to the throne.
In 1992, the couple agreed to separate in late 1992, and their marriage was dissolved about four years later.
In 2005, Charles married Camilla, who became known as the Duchess of Cornwall and the couple lived together in Clarence House, a British royal residence on The Mall in London. However, they are expected to move into Buckingham Palace now that he is king.
Charles has five grandchildren from both of his sons.
Special interests
With a particular focus on global sustainability, he has spearheaded a number of initiatives and charitable work over the years.
In 2007, he started an initiative called Mosaic, which offers mentoring programs to young people growing up in deprived communities.
In 2010, he also launched the Campaign for Wool to promote awareness of the environmental benefits of wool and expand the market for British sheep farmers who are struggling to make ends meet.
Charles and Camilla, 75, are also expected to be coronated side-by-side, per Elizabeth’s request that Camilla becomes queen consort – the title given to the wife of a reigning king.
