King Charles III - 70 Years In Waiting, Oldest British Monarch
While the people mourn the passing of the longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, they also find themselves talking about King Charles III. For him, the long wait is over as heir apparent. The public will now place him under closer scrutiny in the coming days.
Author:Rhyley CarneyReviewer:Paula M. GrahamSep 14, 2022143 Shares2K Views
With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, a spotlight has been cast on Her Majesty’s eldest child, who is now known as King Charles III.
The new King of the United Kingdom, who will turn 74 this November, opted to retain the name he used as Prince of Wales.
His mother likewise did the same thing.
The then-25-year-old Elizabeth (born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) chose not to pick another name after her coronation in 1952.
Observers recalled that past royals did quite the opposite.
They forgo their “old name” and use one of their other birth names as soon as they assume a new title.
One good example is the grandfather of King Charles III, Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI (1895-1952), whose birth name is Albert Frederick Arthur George.
Before he got crowned in 1936 at the age of 40, he went around as Prince Albert, Duke of York.
Moving on from a seemingly mundane matter, observers express concern if Charles, as King, will also imitate the restraint his mother displayed as a monarch.
Queen Elizabeth II was known for being extra cautious when giving opinions, particularly on political matters.
Will the new British monarch be more outspoken? Will the Queen’s successor, who already got accused of influencing political affairs, be more interfering?
If King Charles III will be like that, how will the public react to it?
King Charles III: Britain's new monarch
From Prince Of Wales To King Charles III
At 22, Queen Elizabeth IIgave birth to Charles Philip Arthur George - the future King Charles III - on November 14, 1948 at Buckingham Palace in London.
On July 26, 1958, when Charles was nine, the Queen created him Prince of Wales.
Also, while only nine, the other titles he acquired, as mentioned in The London Gazette on July 29, 1958, were the following:
- Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay
- Earl of Carrick
- Earl of Chester
- Baron of Renfrew
- Lord of the Isles
- Great Steward of Scotland
Aside from English, King Charles III can speak French, German, and, of course, Welsh.
On July 1, 1969 at Caernarfon Castle in Wales, the then-21-year-old heir apparent was invested as Prince of Wales.
Before King Charles III, the last person to bear the title Prince of Wales was King Edward VIII (1894-1972), which the latter held from 1911-1936.
When interviewed about the investiture, the young prince shared the specific part in the ceremony that impacted him the most.
Town & Country magazine quoted him as saying:
“„By far the most moving and meaningful moment came when I put my hands between Mummy’s and swore to be her liege man of life and limb.
In September 2022, the Prince of Wales, 73, became King Charles III.
King Charles III Parents
The King’s “Mummy” and “Daddy” were Prince Philip, duke of Edinburgh (1921-2021), the former prince of Greece and Denmark, and Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022).
King Charles III grew up spending less time and receiving less affection from Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II.
That’s one of the revelations found on the 620-page Prince of Wales: A Biography (1994; 1st edition)by British author and historian Jonathan Dimbleby, according to Independent.
Charles was 45 when that authorized biography came out where, in the words of Fiammetta Rocco, who reviewed the book for her Independent article:
“„They portray this middle-aged man as an emotionally stunted little boy.
Based on Dimbleby’s biography, Prince Philip lacked affection and showed poor parenting skills. As for the Queen, she was too formal in her dealings with their first born.
During his growing up years, King Charles found Queen Elizabeth to be “physically and emotionally distant” as a mother.
King Charles III Wife
Marriage came to King Charles III twice.
The first time, when he was 32, was to someone he seemed to get compelled to marry. Though the marriage ended up in a divorce, it blessed them with two children.
The second time, when he was 56, was to someone that could be considered his true love. And, his one and only queen.
King Charles First Wife
King Charles III was dating Lady Sarah Spencer, the older sister of Diana Spencer (1961-1997), when the future Princess of Wales met him for the first time.
It was November 1977, when she was 16, at Althorp House in England, where she grew up.
They started dating in July 1980. He proposed in February 1981 after 13 meetings. Charles, 32, and Diana, 20, tied the knot in July 1981.
They have two sons: William Arthur Philip Louis (born 1982) and Henry Charles Albert David (born 1984), more referred to as “Harry.”
Charles and Diana split up in 1992. Their 15-year marriage officially ended in 1996, when the divorce was finalized.
Prince Philip, according to Prince of Wales: A Biography, asked him to marry Diana. Based on media reports, it was Queen Elizabeth II who told them to get a divorce.
In June 1994, King Charles III confessed in public that he cheated on Diana.
In a 1995 BBC interview, Diana said:
“„There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.
At age 36, the former Princess of Wales died from injuries she sustained from a car crash in a Paris tunnel in 1997.
King Charles Wife Camilla
Charles and Camilla started dating in the 1970s. Their relationship was halted when he served the Royal Navy in 1972.
Even after her marriage to Brigadier Andrew Henry Parker Bowles, they continued being friends.
King Charles III is the godfather of Camilla’s first child with Parker Bowles, whom she married in 1973.
Camilla filed for divorce in 1995. She and Charles lived together in 2003. They got engaged in February 2005 and got married in April 2005 (he 56; she, 58).
King Charles III Accession
As heir apparent, the Prince of Wales ascended the throne and became King Charles III when Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022.
On September 10, the proclamation of His Majesty The King, Charles the Third took place at St. James’s Palace in London.
Per Voice of America (VOA), the Accession Council that witnessed it was composed of these people:
- six former prime ministers of Britain
- senior government officials
- judges
Clerk of the Privy Council Richard Tilbrook announced:
“„With one voice and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the Prince Charles Philip Arthur George, is now . . . our only lawful and rightful liege Lord Charles III.
After the proclamation, at the Blue Drawing Room of Buckingham Palace, King Charles III made his first televised address.
In the 9-minute speech, on the part where Charles mentioned about her mother’s duties as the Queen, he said:
“„That promise of lifelong service I renew to all today.
Aside from the United Kingdom, King Charles III is also the king of 14 Commonwealth countries, including:
- Australia
- Canada
- Papua New Guinea
- New Zealand
- Tuvalu
King Charles III Coronation
The coronation of King Charles III will probably be held in 2023 at Westminster Abbey.
Note that after Queen Elizabeth II’s accession, one year and four months passed before the coronation happened.
Those behind the coronation call the preparation as “Operation Golden Orb,” according to Marie Claire.
Justin Welby, the present archbishop of Canterbury, will lead the ceremony.
Charles will sit on the historic King Edward’s chair wearing St. Edward’s Crown and holding the Sovereign’s Scepter and the royal orb.
Expected to be in attendance are the following:
- Queen Consort Camilla (she could be crowned together with her husband, King Charles III)
- the royal family
- royals from other countries
- Houses of Parliament representatives
- prominent people from Commonwealth countries
King Charles III reportedly wanted a guest list with no more than 2,000 attendees.
British Line Of Succession
King Charles III apparently is no longer the heir apparent.
Next in line for the British throne is William, the newly declared Prince of Wales, who turned 40 this 2022.
- George Alexander Louis, 9 (born 2013)
- Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, 7 (born 2015)
- Louis Arthur Charles, 4 (born 2018)
It’s a long list. The 30th person in line is Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who, at the time of this writing, is 78 years old.
Changes In Titles
In his first address as King Charles III on September 10, he mentioned William and Kate as the new Prince and Princess of Wales.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle remain as the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex.
Technically, now that their grandfather is the King, their two kids will now have the titles “prince” and “princess.”
Below is a table that shows the former and present titles of the royal family:
| Name and Previous Title | Present Title |
| Charles - Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall | King Charles III |
| Camilla - Princess of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall | Queen Consort |
| William - Duke Cambridge | Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge |
| Kate - Duchess of Cambridge | Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge |
| Prince George | Prince George of Cornwall and Cambridge |
| Princess Charlotte | Princess Charlotte of Cornwall and Cambridge |
| Prince Louis | Prince Louis of Cornwall and Cambridge |
| Master Archie | Prince Archie |
| Miss Lili | Princess Lili |
People Ask
Who Will Be Next After King Charles III?
It will be his and the late Diana’s first-born child, Prince William.
Will Camilla Be The Next Queen?
No. Queen Consort Camilla will not be crowned as the Queen upon, for example, the death of King Charles III because she was not born into royalty.
She only acquired her title because of her marriage with Charles.
Is Harry Still In Line To The Throne?
As Queen Elizabeth’s grandchild and the child of the heir apparent and now the present King, yes, he is.
After his nephew, Prince Louis, Prince Harry is the fifth person in line to inherit the throne, just in case.
Final Thoughts
In 2012, King Charles III - as Prince of Wales - joked about being an heir apparent for such a long time already.
It happened in one informal interview a few days after he celebrated his 64th birthday.
In the video, uploaded in the official YouTube channel of The Royal Family, His Majesty said:
“„Impatient? Me? What a thing to suggest. Yes, of course I am. I’ll run out of time soon. I shall have snuffed it if I’m not careful.
Well, he made it.
The world awaits how King Charles III, known for his environmental crusades, will function. God save the King!
Rhyley Carney
Author
Paula M. Graham
Reviewer
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