Prince Charles is now King Charles III: All you need to know

After the demise of Britain’s longest-serving monarch Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96, her son 73-year-old Prince Charles is all set to step into her shoes. No date, however, has been decided for his coronation yet. The to-be king is known to be the face of the modernization of the monarchy as he is the first British royal to not be homeschooled and also to have a university degree. He is also the first royal to grow up under intense media scrutiny.

All you need to know about the new British monarch– King Charles III

1. With Prince Charles becoming the king, his eldest son Prince William and wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, are the first in the British monarchy’s line of succession.

2. They will be followed by their children – Prince George of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Prince Louis of Cambridge.

3. As the king, Charles will be the head of the state for the UK and 14 other countries including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, Belize, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

4. He was named as the queen’s designated successor as head of the Commonwealth in 2018, an association of 54 nations with connection to the British Empire. This process caught speed after the demise of his father Prince Philip in April 2021.

5. He also stated previously that he plans to reduce the number of working Royals, slash expenses and represent modern Britain better.

6. The to-be King was lampooned for his alleged affair with a married woman Camilla Parker Bowles in 1992 and messy divorce with Princess Diana in August 1996.

7. Charles had admitted committing adultery in a television interview in 1994. Later, Diana also talked about Charles and Camilla’s relationship and said, “There were three of us in this marriage.”

8. While these revelations dented Charles’ public image, Diana was celebrated for her charity work with AIDS patients and landmine victims apart from her unique sense of style.

9. Charles married Camilla in a civil ceremony in April 2005, following which she became the Duchess of Cornwall.

10. He was born as Prince Charles Philip Arthur George on November 14, 1948 in Buckingham Palace. He became the Prince of Wales at the age of 20.

11. He studied history at UK’s Trinity College and became the first royal to earn a University degree in 1970.

12. After this, he trained as a Royal Air Force pilot and went onto join the Royal Navy, where he learned how to fly helicopters.

(With agency inputs)

Also read: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II passes away at the age of 96; Charles becomes the new King

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