Charles III: The profile of the new King of Britain – The steps of his life to the throne

With his mother’s death, Prince Charles finally takes over as king of the United Kingdom and 14 other countries, ending a wait of more than 70 years, the longest of any heir in British history.

This role can be difficult for him. His mother was hugely popular and respected, but she leaves behind a royal family with a tarnished reputation and strained relations – including allegations of racism from Buckingham officials.

Charles will face these challenges at the age of 73, the oldest monarch to take the throne in a thousand years. At his side, his second wife, Camilla, who still divides public opinion.

To his critics, the new king is weak and inadequate for the role. He is mocked for talking to plants and passionate about architecture and the environment while still talking about his failed first marriage to the late Princess Diana.

His supporters, on the other hand, say that the good work he has done is being distorted, that he has simply been misunderstood and that on issues such as climate change he was ahead of his time. They argue that he is a thoughtful man, concerned for Britons of all classes and walks of life. The Prince’s Trust charity has helped over a million unemployed young people since it was founded almost 50 years ago.

“The problem is that he’s in an impossible-to-win situation. If you do absolutely nothing, they will complain about it. When you try and fail to help, they also complain“, he had said in a television documentary.

Throughout his life, Charles has been caught between modernizing the monarchy, trying to find its place in a rapidly changing and more equal society, while preserving the traditions that give the institution its charm.

This tense situation is discernible in the lives of the children themselves. The eldest, 40-year-old William, now heir apparent himself, carries out traditional duties, with charity work and honors in the military. The youngest, Harry, 37, lives in Los Angeles with his American ex-actress wife and his career is centered around Hollywood rather than Buckingham Palace.

The two brothers, who were once very close, now barely speak to each other.

From birth, Charles was raised to one day become king. Charles Philip Arthur George was born at Buckingham Palace on 14 November 1948, in the 12th year of the reign of his grandfather, King George VI. He was just 3 years old when he became heir to the throne when his mother became queen in 1952. His upbringing was always different compared to previous monarchs.

Unlike his predecessors, who were educated by private tutors, Charles went to Hill House School and then boarded at Chim School in Berkshire, where his father, Prince Philip, had attended. He was then sent to Gordonstoun, a “tough” boarding school in Scotland, where his father had also attended. He described that period as hell: he was alone and he was bullied. “A prison sentence. Coldidge (a.k.a. World War II POW camp) in kilts.”

Breaking with tradition, he went to Trinity College, Cambridge to study archeology and anthropology, but changed fields and preferred history. At that time he was officially given the title of Prince of Wales, which is traditionally held by the heir to the throne. The following year, he became the first British heir to receive a university degree.

Like many other members of the royal family before him, he joined the armed forces, first in the Royal Air Force and then in the Navy. His active service ended in 1976.

As a young prince, he loved skiing, surfing and diving. He was a keen polo player and a good horseman. In 1979 his uncle, Lord Mountbaden, whom he described as “the grandfather I never had”, was killed by the Irish Democratic Army, a death that cost him dearly. “It seemed to me that the foundations of what we loved in life had been irretrievably shattered,” he would later say.

When he left the Navy in 1976, he sought his role in public life and found that there was no clear cut job for the crown prince – he had to invent it himself. “That’s what made it so interesting and challenging and complicated,” he said in a documentary on his 70th birthday.

Diana

For many in Britain and beyond, Charles will forever be associated with his failed marriage to Lady Diana Spencer and his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, the love of his life.

When he married Diana in 1981, in front of a television audience of 750 million people, the bride seemed to be the perfect choice.

Everything was going well at first. Their children, William and Harry, were born in 1982 and 1984 respectively. But behind the scenes, the marriage was in trouble and Diana blamed Camilla for its break-up in 1992. “There were three in this marriage,” she once said.

Charles maintained that he remained faithful “until it (the marriage) was irretrievably broken.” The divorce was granted in 1996.

When Diana was killed in a car accident in Paris the following year, the press reports against him and Camilla were vitriolic. His popularity plummeted.

In the following decades, his position improved, although he remained less popular than his mother. In 2005, he finally married Camilla, who won the acceptance of the British. For many, however, Diana’s shadow remains and her life continues to fascinate the public.

Away from royal duties, Charles was happiest in his garden at Highgrove in the west of England or, like his mother, when hiking or fishing on the royal estates in Scotland. He also likes to draw.

He has written a children’s book, titled The Old Man of Lochnagar. He also has a passion for the arts, especially the works of Shakespeare, opera and the music of Leonard Cohen.

In his private moments, he is funny with a “wonderful sense of humor” but is also demanding, according to his associates. He believes that he should appear “royal” when the situation calls for it, but he does not like luxuries. Some of his close associates say he is polite and hard working. Friends and foes agree on one thing: that he is devoted to duty and works until midnight most days.

Although the wait until ascending to the throne was long, she didn’t think about it often, according to Camilla. When asked if he discussed it, his wife replied: “Not much, no. It’s just something that will happen».

The same sentiment was shared years ago by Karolos: “Unfortunately, this is the result of the death of his mother, your parent, and this is not so pleasant, so it is better not to think about it too muchhe said in 2010.

RES-EMP

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