MOSCOW, November 14 (Sputnik) — The heir to the British throne, Prince Charles of Wales, was born in London on November 14, 1948 and christened as Charles Philip Arthur George. He is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
This year Prince Charles reached the age of 66, raising the bar of the longest-standing Prince of Wales who has not ascended the throne.
His great-great-grandfather Edward VII was the oldest Prince before him, becoming monarch after the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 when he was 59 years old.
With each passing year speculation mounts that Prince Charles will be passed over in favor for the next generation of younger royals, despite being first in line for succession to the throne.
In 1952, after the death of King George VI and his mother's accession to the throne, Charles became heir apparent at the age of 3 and took on the traditional titles of the Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay and Earl of Carrick. In 1958 he became the Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester.
He was invested as Prince of Wales by the Queen on July 1, 1969 in a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle in Wales.
Growing up, Prince Charles attended Hill House, Cheam School and Gordonstoun, all prestigious private schools
In 1970 Prince Charles graduated from Cambridge University's Trinity College where he studied archaeology, anthropology and history. In addition, in 1969 he spent a term at the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth, where he learnt to speak Welsh.
In February 1970 Charles took his seat in the House of Lords.
In March 1971 he began his military service, training as a jet and helicopter pilot. Following the family tradition, he embarked on a naval career. The Prince finished his naval career in 1976 as the commander of the coastal minesweeper HMS Bronington.
In January 1977 he was promoted to the rank of commander. Subsequent promotions followed.
In 2002 Prince Charles became a rear admiral of the Royal Navy, Army general and chief marshal of the Royal Air Force. Since June 16, 2012, he has been an admiral of the Royal Navy, a field marshal and aviation marshal of the Royal Air Force.
The Prince holds honorary ranks and positions in many branches and services of the armed forces. He takes part in official events of the British monarchy and pays unofficial visits to many countries.
The Prince is actively involved in charity as a member of various societies and a patron of over 400 nonprofit organizations.
Prince Charles enthusiastically works to protect the environment. He heads an international campaign to preserve rainforests and is a strong advocate of eco-friendly lifestyles. The Prince owns Duchy Originals, a brand of high-quality organic food products. In 2011 Prince Charles became president of the British arm of the World Wildlife Fund.
He is interested in philosophy and alternative medicine, and is the author of a number of books on architecture, painting and gardening, as well as scripts for environment documentaries. He paints in watercolors and enjoys gardening.
Recently, the Prince has assumed additional royal duties because of the advanced age of his parents. He has been the longest holder of the heir apparent title in the royal family.
His expenses are not included in the Civil List. He is reimbursed by the Treasury only for expenses related to the performance of government duties and his participation in official events. He earns money for his family himself and pays taxes as any other British citizen. The land and properties owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, consisting of 53,408 hectares of land spanning 23 counties, is his main source of income.
Prince Charles has been married twice. In 1981 he married Lady Diana Spencer, who received the title of Princess of Wales. The couple gave birth to two sons: Prince William, born June 21, 1982, and Prince Henry, known as Prince Harry, born on September 15, 1984. In 1992, Prince Charles and Princess Diana announced their separation. They divorced in 1996. Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at Windsor in 2005. After the wedding, she took on the title Duchess of Cornwall.
On July 22, 2013, Prince Charles became a grandfather when Prince William and his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, welcomed into the world their first son, George Alexander Louis.
