King Charles III, formerly Prince of Wales, is the eldest son of the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He's their and third child . In 1952, the Queen appointed Charles as her first-in-line and successor to the British throne; the monarchy reigns over several Commonwealth countries. This came soon after her father acceded to the throne. Although he did not formally hold the title of King or monarch, he was known as Prince Charles in the United Kingdom and other countries. King Charles is the grandson of England's King George VI; he's the father of Prince William, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. The former Prince of Wales was the heir apparent to the British throne until he became King in 2022 upon his mother's death.
Earlier, King Charles' full title was "His Royal Highness Prince Charles Philip Arthur George." The King was well known for his charitable work as a royal family member. He started a charity called the Duchy Originals to help farmers in Britain. The organization helps with environmental conservation efforts and charities for disabled children. Undoubtedly, King Charles cares a lot about his family. In this regard, the king has donated millions of pounds to charities to support sick or injured members of the royal family.
Further, King Charles has been involved with other charities and organizations throughout his career, including serving as president of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and as president of the National Trust. He also founded the Prince's Foundation for People with Intellectual Disabilities. The foundation supports research into causes and treatments for intellectual disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and Down syndrome.
The King had two younger sisters - Princess Anne and Princess Alexandra. His great-grandparents include Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Prince Henry of Battenberg and Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma. King Charles's famous nickname is "Prince Chuck". He was christened Charles Philip Arthur George at St. Mary's Hospital in London on July 7th, 1948. He had two godparents: Michael Parker Bowles and Lady Jane Fellowes - wife of Lord Fellowes, Charles's maternal first cousin. Interestingly, King Charles was named after several high-ranking relatives, including his maternal grandfather, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark; his paternal grandmother; his uncle, Prince Andrew; his father; and his maternal great-grandmother.
King Charles was educated at several elite institutions in the United Kingdom- among these are the Gordonstoun School, Sandhurst Military Academy, Appleton House at Woburn Abbey, Marlborough College; the Royal Agricultural College (now the University of Cumbria); Trinity College at Cambridge University; and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. After attending elite boarding schools in Scotland during childhood, Charles later completed his education at Gordonstoun. Gordonstoun (in photo) is the UK's top independent school for boarding and day pupils. Gordonstoun has been the world leader in character education for over 80 years with many royals and elite being educated there.
Upon graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst with the rank of Second Lieutenant, Charles was commissioned into the Scots Guards as a Second lieutenant. Following training and service in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Cyprus, and Germany with his unit, Charles took part in several peacekeeping missions during the 1970s and 1980s before taking on additional responsibilities as an army commander.
Further, King Charles was also educated at the independent Eton College, where he met Camilla Shand (later Duchess of Cornwall). Upon leaving university, he joined the Royal Navy on a short-term contract basis before entering training for a full-time career. He gained rapid promotion through the ranks and served in the Falkland Islands and Northern Ireland during the Falklands War (1982–83). In 1996, Charles became the seat's most senior officer, becoming Captain General and Chief Scout. He was also made colonel-in-chief of both the Irish Guard and Girl Guides. In 1981, Charles briefly became an assistant to his mother; thus, in this role, Charles filled in for his mother as Commander.
King Charles married Lady Diana Spencer on July 29th 1981, at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Diana was a British aristocract and the daughter of Earl Spencer. They later fell out and divorced in 1992 following a well-publicized extramarital affair. Tragically, the events resulted in Charles's admission to the Highgrove Clinic in Gloucester. King Charles has received several honours from governments, private institutions, and international bodies. In 2011, the Bucking Palace announced that Charles would become a patron and president emeritus of WWF-UK.