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Like &subscribe 💖👍🙏🥳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
Photograph of Charles III
Charles in 2019
King of the United Kingdom
and the 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 (age 74)
Buckingham Palace, London, England
Spouses
Diana Spencer
​
​(m. 1981; div. 1996)​
Camilla Parker Bowles
​
​(m. 2005)​
Issue
Detail
William, Prince of Wales
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Names
Charles Philip Arthur George[note 2]
House
Windsor[1]
Father
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Mother
Elizabeth II
Religion
Protestant[note 3]
Signature
Charles's signature in black ink
Education
Gordonstoun School
Alma mater
Trinity College, Cambridge (MA)
Charles III's voice
2:54
Speech to the Scottish Parliament following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II
Delivered 12 September 2022
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 made Prince of Wales in 1958 and his investiture was held in 1969. He was educated at Cheam and Gordonstoun schools and later spent six months at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge, Charles served in the Royal Air Force and Navy for five years, 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. The couple 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, sponsors The Prince's Charities, and is a patron, president, or member of over 800 other charities and organisations. He has 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 over his opposition towards genetically modified food. He also supports homeopathy and other alternative medicines. 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 is currently taking place at Westminster Abbey, where he was crowned, on 6 May 2023 at 12:03:27pm.

Charles was originally styled His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Edinburgh.[282] Upon his mother's accession in 1952, he, as the monarch's eldest son, automatically acquired the duchies of Cornwall and Rothesay and became known as His Royal Highness the Duke of Cornwall. Though he continued to hold the title until his accession in 2022, this style was superseded when he was created Prince of Wales in 1958. From then until he became king, Charles was generally styled His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, except in Scotland, where he was styled His Royal Highness the Duke of Rothesay. When his father died in 2021, Charles also inherited the title Duke of Edinburgh.[283] The title merged with the Crown upon Charles's accession to the throne.[284]

There had been speculation throughout Elizabeth's reign as to what regnal name Charles would choose upon his accession; instead of Charles III, he could have chosen to reign as George VII or used one of his other given names.[285] It was reported that he might use George in honour of his grandfather George VI and to avoid associations with previous royalty named Charles.[note 7][286][287] Charles's office asserted in 2005 that no decision had yet been made.[288] Speculation continued for a few hours following his mother's death,[289] until Liz Truss announced and Clarence House confirmed that Charles would use the regnal name Charles III.[290][291]

Honours and military appointments
Charles speaks to members of the Canadian Armed Forces
Meeting Canadian Armed Forces members taking part in Exercise Southern Katipo in Westport, New Zealand, November 2015
Charles has held substantive ranks in the armed forces of a number of countries since he was commissioned as a flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force in 1972.