King Charles II
As you, and indeed the rest of the world, are no doubt aware, 6th May 2023 marks the coronation of King Charles III. Although he became king at the moment of passing of his mother The Queen, this ceremony is his formal crowning.
Charles Philip Arthur George was born at Buckingham Palace on 14th November 1948. The eldest child of the then Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, he was just 3 years old when his mother became queen, making him heir to the throne. At the age of 73 he will be the oldest individual in British history to become monarch.
Unlike all previous heirs, who were educated at Buckingham Palace by private tutors, Charles was sent out to schools in London and Scotland. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, and also studied at Aberystwyth University in order to learn about Welsh history and culture, prior to becoming the Prince of Wales. Following his service in the Royal Navy, he married Diana Spencer, with whom he had two sons, William and Harry. After Diana’s tragic death in 1997, Charles married Camilla Parker-Bowles in 2005.
During his time in the military – his father and grandfather had both served before him – Charles attended the Royal Air Force College and the Royal Naval College, served on several ships, and was qualified to fly both modern jets and classic Spitfires. For the last ten months of his service in the Navy he commanded his own ship, HMS Bronington.
In 1976 he formed The Princes Trust, a charity dedicated to disadvantaged young people in the UK. This has helped over a million people, and he has also set up many more charities which raise money for youth, education, environmental causes and enterprise.
Dubbed the “hardest working Royal”, Charles has stood in for his mother The Queen on numerous occasions, as such he is no stranger to the formal duties and responsibilities of the monarch. Now formally becoming King Charles III, his son Prince William is heir to the throne and inherits his father’s titles of Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall.
King Charles’s coronation takes place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6th May 2023, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
We at Pembury Partners will be waving our Union Flags on Saturday. At all other times we will be finding the world’s finest household staff.
