Jump to content

Charles III

Change links
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles III
Head of the Commonwealth[note 1]
Photograph of Charles III
Charles III in 2023
King of the United Kingdom
and otherCommonwealth realms
Reign8 September 2022 – present
Coronation6 May 2023
PredecessorElizabeth II
Heir apparentWilliam, Prince of Wales
BornPrince Charles of Edinburgh
(1948-11-14)14 November 1948(age 75)
Buckingham Palace,London, England
Spouse
Issue
Detail
Full name
Charles Philip Arthur George[note 2]
HouseWindsor
FatherPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
MotherElizabeth II
ReligionProtestant[note 3]
SignatureCharles's signature in black ink
EducationGordonstoun School
Alma materTrinity College, Cambridge(MA)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branch
Years of service1971–1976
RankFull list
Commands heldHMSBronington

Charles III(Charles Philip Arthur George;born 14 November 1948) is theHead of the Commonwealthand theKing of the United Kingdomand14 other countriessince thedeathof his motherElizabeth IIin 2022.[3]He wasPrince of Walesbetween 1958 and 2022.[3]

Early life[change|change source]

King Charles III was born atBuckingham Palacein London. He is the first son ofElizabeth IIandPrince Philip of Greece and Denmark.He is the grandson ofGeorge VI of the United KingdomandQueen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.He was baptised at Buckingham Palace.

Charles went to school atGordonstounand to university atTrinity College, Cambridge.He became the first British royal heir to earn a university degree.[4][5]

Prince of Wales[change|change source]

Portrait of Charles when he wasPrince of Wales

Charles was officially made thePrince of Walesin1958.As Prince of Wales, Charles fulfilled many public engagements and charity work, such as creating thePrince's Trust.He has also spent time in theRoyal Air Force.He has spent a lot of time advocating for the prevention ofclimate change.

As the heir to the throne, Charles also represented his mother on numerous occasions, such as the independence days ofFiji,the Bahamas,Papua New Guinea,ZimbabweandBrunei,as well as the dayHong Kongwas given back toChina.

In2021,Prince Charles attended the celebration ofBarbadosbecoming arepublicand removing Queen Elizabeth as their leader. It was the first time that a British royal attended the transition of aCommonwealth realmin a republic.

Reign[change|change source]

Accession[change|change source]

Charles became king on8 September2022,afterthe death of his mother,Queen Elizabeth II. Holding the titles Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, and Duke of Rothesay, Charles was the longest-serving British heir apparent, passingEdward VII's record on 20 April 2011. When he became monarch at the age of 73, he was the oldest person to do so.[6]

Charles in theScottish Parliament(September2022)

In an announcement after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prime MinisterLiz Trusscalled Charles "King Charles III". This was the first time anyone had used that name officially.[7]soon afterClarence Houseconfirmed that he would use theregnal name"Charles III".[8]When a British monarch becomes king or queen, they are allowed to change their name if they want to. For example, Charles' grandfather changed his name from "Albert" to "George", and he was "KingGeorge VI".

Coronation[change|change source]

Charles'coronationtook place atWestminster Abbeyon 6 May 2023.[9]HM Queen consort Camilla was crowned at the same occasion. Charles' eldest sonWilliam, Prince of Walesattended and was the only noble to swear allegiance to The King.

Personal life[change|change source]

He was married to his first wife,Diana, Princess of Wales,from 1981 until they divorced in 1996.[3]They had two sons,Prince WilliamandPrince Harry.Charles and Diana's divorce attracted a lot of media coverage and attention. Charles has been married to his second wife,Camilla, Queen Consortformerly the Duchess of Cornwall, since 2005.[3]

On 25 March 2020, Charles tested positive forCOVID-19.[10][11]

On 5 February 2024, it was announced by Buckingham Palace that Charles had been diagnosed withcancer.[12]

Titles[change|change source]

  • 14 November 1948-6 February 1952 His Royal Highness Prince Charles Philip Arthur George of Edinburgh
  • 6 February 1952-9 September 2022 His Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall, His Royal Highness Duke of Rothesay, His Royal Highness The Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles
  • 26 July 1958- 9 September 2022: Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness The Earl of Chester
  • 9 April 2021-10 March 2023 His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, His Royal Highness The Earl of Merioneth, Baron of Greenwich
  • 8 September 2022 His Majesty The King of the United Kingdom

Notes[change|change source]

  1. ↑Ceremonial and non-hereditary title conferred by theCommonwealth heads of governmentto symbolise the voluntary association of nations in the Commonwealth. Charles was chosen to succeed Elizabeth II at the2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.[1]
  2. ↑As the reigning monarch, Charles does not usually use a family name, but when one is needed, it isMountbatten-Windsor.[2]
  3. ↑As monarch, Charles isSupreme Governor of the Church of England.He is also a member of theChurch of Scotland.

References[change|change source]

  1. ↑"Charles 'to be next Commonwealth head'".BBC News.20 April 2018.Retrieved20 April2018.
  2. ↑"The Royal Family name".Official website of the British monarchy.Archived fromthe originalon 15 February 2009.Retrieved3 February2009.
  3. ↑3.03.13.23.3. Moreover, Charles is next in line for the British Throne, direct successor and heir of Queen Elizabeth II.Prince of Wales' biographyArchived2009-01-09 at theWayback Machine
  4. ↑Prince Charles, Cambridge B.A. (With Honors)
  5. ↑Prince Charles Fast Facts
  6. ↑Rayner, Gordon (19 September 2013)."Prince of Wales will be oldest monarch crowned".The Daily Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 20 September 2013.Retrieved19 September2013.
  7. ↑"Queen Elizabeth II has died".BBC News.8 September 2022.Retrieved8 September2022.
  8. ↑"Britain's new monarch to be known as King Charles III".Reuters.8 September 2022.Retrieved8 September2022.
  9. ↑"Coronation on 6 May for King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort".BBC News.11 October 2022.Archivedfrom the original on 11 October 2022.Retrieved11 October2022.
  10. ↑"Prince Charles tests positive for novel coronavirus".CNN. 25 March 2020.
  11. ↑"Coronavirus: Prince Charles tests positive but 'remains in good health'".BBC. 25 March 2020.
  12. ↑"King Charles III diagnosed with cancer, Buckingham Palace says".BBC. 5 February 2024.

Other websites[change|change source]




Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_III&oldid=9585549"