After seventy long years of Queen Elizabeth’s peaceful and unforgettable rule, the United Kingdom had a change in the monarch’s leadership.
Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96 years, died on the 8th of September, 2022 after living a fulfilled and admiring life.
On the 6th of May, 2023 the world came together as one for the ascending of King Charles the Third to his late mother’s throne.
The new king had been the prince of Wales for years, a title reserved for the future British Kings in waiting. Well, here are 7 other things to know about the new monarch leader of the United Kingdom.
Background (King Charles as a young man)
King Charles is the firstborn child of the late Queen and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Charles was born on November 14, 1948.
The King became the heir at the young age of 3 when his mother, the late queen ascended the throne after losing her father, King George VI.
According to a biography on the royal family’s official website, the king is the first heir to see his mother crowned.
In 1969, Elizabeth made her son the Prince of Wales after he had learned to speak Welsh when he had spent a term at the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth.
At 23, Charles took his position in the upper house of the parliament of the United Kingdom, the House of Lords.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Charles as a young man served in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force for years.
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Education
King Charles according to research is the first monarch to attend school rather than receive tutoring at the family’s palace home, he is also the first monarch of the United Kingdom to hold a university degree.
You saw right, Queen Elizabeth never attended school but received lectures at home just like every daughter from a royal or wealthy family at that time.
Now let’s talk about how the current King got his degrees; At the age of 6, Charles attended a school at the Hill House School in Knightsbridge, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. Hill House School was an all-boys school founded by British Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Townend in 1951.
The king, however, attended the school for only 9 months, from November 1956 until August 1957.
In September of that same year, Charles attended a school his father had gone to when he was young, Cheam Preparatory School in Headley, Hampshire which was the oldest prep school in the country, since 1645.
The king finally graduated with five O-Levels in English Literature, English Language, French, Latin, and History, along with two French and History A-Levels.
In 1967, he attended the University of Cambridge and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree where he had 2:2. In 1975, Cambridge later awarded him a Master of Arts degree, not a postgraduate qualification but an academic rank.
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Personal life (Wife Children, and grandchildren)
In 1981, Charles tied the knot with Lady Diana Spencer, who became the Princess of Wales at that time. The couple had two sons, William and Harry, who are currently first and fifth in line to the throne.
According to a book, a 1994 biography authorized by Charles — “Prince of Wales,” by Jonathan Dimbleby, Charles began to have an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles who he is currently married to in 1986. It was revealed in the book Charles confessed that he was never in love with Diana but he got married to her because of his father’s pressure. Camilla and Charles were claimed to have met at a polo match several years prior.
According to the royal family’s website, Charles and Diana decided to call their relationship to quit and went separate ways in 1992.
In the same year, a biography on the late Princess of Wales, “Diana: Her True Story,” in which she collaborated with the author, Andrew Morton, revealed further details on the troubled marriage, including Diana’s suspicion and jealousy over Charles’s clandestine romance and how she came to consider Camilla as the “third person” in their relationship.
In 1997, Diana and her boyfriend, Egyptian socialite Dodi Fayed lost their lives with the driver in a car accident in Paris. Apparently, a mass of paparazzi on motorcycles had been chasing their vehicle just minutes before the driver lost control and crashed. An investigation later revealed that the driver was under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs, and the paparazzi didn’t cause the crash.
Charles and Camilla who became known as the Duchess of Cornwall married in 2005 and lived in the Clarence House, a British royal residence on The Mall in London, according to the royal family’s official website. However, they are expected to move into Buckingham Palace now that he is king. Charles has five grandchildren from both of his sons.
Influence in the country
Charles before becoming the King of Britain had spearheaded multiple initiatives and charitable works all over the country.
The King has been instrumental in establishing more than 20 charities over 40 years, including The Prince’s Trust, The Prince’s Foundation, and The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund (PWCF).
He started an initiative in 2007 called “Mosaic,” which offers mentoring programs to young people growing up in deprived communities. He also launched the “Campaign for Wool” in 2010 to promote awareness of the environmental benefits of wool and expand the market for British sheep farmers who are struggling to make ends meet.
According to the official Royal Family website, the king has worked closely with many organizations for the betterment of the environment, rural communities, the built, arts, healthcare, and education
Coronation
King Charles III had his coronation at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, 6th May 2023. The service consisted of him taking an oath, being anointed with holy oil, and receiving the coronation regalia, emphasizing his spiritual role and secular responsibilities.
The King and Queen after doing the necessary things at the service returned to the palace where they received a Royal Salute in the Garden of Buckingham Palace from the Armed Forces taking part in the Processions.
Accompanied by Members of the Royal Family, the King, and Queen appeared on the Buckingham Palace Balcony for the Flypast and the conclusion of the day’s ceremonial events.
Then the coronation concert which happened the next day, had reputable and well-known singers gracing the show with their presence, Nigerian singer, Tiwa Savage, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and 1990s boy band, and several others all performed.
Royal family tree
The King and Queen have been successfully crowned and here is the family tree of the Britain monarch.
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Responsibilities
The King has many duties and responsibilities to fulfil, and one of them is to open Parliament in person and deliver his King’s speech.
He is also in charge of appointing any future prime ministers, he has to have a cordial relationship with the prime minister, Ms Truss, and have a meeting every Wednesday with her.
The monarch is also the head of the Privy Council (the oldest form of legislative assembly that is still functioning in the UK), which usually meets once a month. The king’s presence is necessary so he must be at every meeting.
Another responsibility of the king is to approve some formal notices such as choosing the dates of certain bank holidays, summoning new parliament, and the likes.
