Charles III (2022–Present) – The King Who Waited a Lifetime for the Crown
- Belinda Hath
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Who Is Charles III?
Charles III waited longer to become king than any heir apparent in British history. Born in 1948, he was just three when his mother became Queen Elizabeth II and spent most of the next 70 years preparing for a job that might not come until he was an old man. When Elizabeth II died at Balmoral on 8 September 2022, Charles immediately became king at the age of 73.
For most Britons, this was an extraordinary change. They had never known another monarch. The national anthem changed from God Save the Queen to God Save the King, coins and stamps began appearing with a new face and Britain had its first king since George VI died in 1952.
The Prince Who Waited 70 Years
Charles became heir to the throne when he was only three years old and was formally invested as Prince of Wales in 1969. Unlike earlier heirs who were expected largely to wait quietly for the Crown, Charles created a substantial public role for himself. He became particularly interested in the environment, organic farming, architecture, traditional crafts and helping young people.
Some of his views were once treated as eccentric. Charles was talking publicly about pollution, sustainability and environmental damage decades before climate change became a mainstream political issue.
He also founded The Prince's Trust in 1976, using his Royal Navy severance pay to help disadvantaged young people. It grew into a major youth charity. The difficulty was that a Prince of Wales could openly campaign for causes in a way that a constitutional monarch cannot. As king, Charles has had to become much more careful about expressing personal opinions.
Charles and Diana
No account of Charles's life can avoid Princess Diana.
Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 at St Paul's Cathedral in a spectacular ceremony watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world. They had two sons, William and Harry, but the marriage became deeply unhappy. Both Charles and Diana had relationships with other people, and their marital problems eventually became extraordinarily public.
They separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996. Then, in 1997, Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris. The public reaction was enormous. Mountains of flowers appeared outside Kensington Palace, and Charles travelled to Paris with Diana's sisters to accompany her body home. Diana's death remains one of the defining moments in the modern history of the Royal Family.
Charles and Camilla
Charles had known Camilla Shand since the early 1970s. She later married Andrew Parker Bowles, while Charles married Diana, but Charles and Camilla eventually resumed their relationship. For years Camilla was one of the most controversial figures associated with the Royal Family, particularly because of the breakdown of Charles and Diana's marriage. Charles and Camilla finally married in 2005.
Over the following years she gradually became an established working member of the Royal Family. Shortly before her death, Elizabeth II publicly expressed her wish that Camilla should be known as Queen Consort when Charles became king. Today she is Queen Camilla. It is quite a turnaround: the relationship that once threatened Charles's public reputation ultimately became the marriage with which he entered his reign.
Becoming King at 73
When Elizabeth II died, there was no waiting period before Charles became king.
That's an important point about British monarchy: The monarch dies → the heir immediately becomes monarch. The coronation comes later.
Charles therefore became King Charles III on 8 September 2022, even though his coronation wasn't held until the following year. His choice of name was interesting too. He could have selected one of his other names as his regnal name, but he chose Charles III. The previous King Charleses certainly had colourful histories: Charles I had his head chopped off and Charles II had numerous mistresses and illegitimate children. Charles III apparently wasn't frightened off by the name.
The Coronation – Ancient Ceremony, Modern King
On 6 May 2023, Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned at Westminster Abbey in Britain's first coronation for almost 70 years.
Despite being watched around the world on television and online, the heart of the ceremony was incredibly ancient. Charles was anointed with holy oil, invested with royal regalia and crowned with St Edward's Crown. The coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey has roots stretching back almost a thousand years. That's one of the fascinating things about the modern monarchy. Outside the Abbey were smartphones, television cameras and social media. Inside, Britain was still crowning its monarch using rituals that would have been recognisable to kings centuries ago.
What Does Charles Actually Do?
Charles is head of state, but he doesn't run Britain.
The Prime Minister and elected government make political decisions. The King must remain politically neutral. His constitutional duties include formally appointing the Prime Minister, opening Parliament, approving legislation through Royal Assent, receiving foreign leaders and holding regular private meetings with the Prime Minister.
He is also Head of the Commonwealth and head of state of the UK and a number of other independent Commonwealth realms. So although you'll see crowns, carriages and guards, the modern monarch's power is heavily limited by constitutional convention. The King reigns. Parliament governs.
The King's Health
In 2024 Buckingham Palace announced that Charles had been diagnosed with cancer after treatment for an unrelated enlarged prostate. The type of cancer was not publicly disclosed. He temporarily stepped back from public-facing engagements while continuing constitutional work and treatment, before returning to public duties later that year.
As of 2026, Charles remains King and continues to undertake official engagements. Because his reign is ongoing, we don't yet know what history will ultimately decide is the defining achievement of King Charles III. That's what makes him different from every other monarch in this series. We're still watching the story happen.
Three Things to See
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace remains the ceremonial heart of the monarchy and provided one of the great images of Charles's coronation day when the newly crowned King Charles III and Queen Camilla appeared on the balcony. Charles doesn't actually own Buckingham Palace personally—it is held by the sovereign in an official capacity. When you stand outside it today, you're looking at a palace that has served monarchs from Victoria through to Charles III.
Westminster Abbey
On 6 May 2023, Charles sat in the ancient Coronation Chair and was crowned here with St Edward's Crown. Queen Camilla was crowned during the same service with Queen Mary's Crown. Charles became king at Balmoral. But Westminster Abbey is where Britain crowned him.
Clarence House
Before becoming king, Charles lived for many years at Clarence House, beside St James's Palace. There's a lovely connection with our earlier monarchs here: Clarence House was originally built for William IV when he was Duke of Clarence. So a house built for one future king in the 1820s became the London home of another future king almost two centuries later.
Did You Know? – Charles Was Three When He Became Heir
Charles was only three years old when Elizabeth II became queen in 1952. That means he spent roughly seven decades knowing that, unless something extraordinary happened, one day he would become king. He became Britain's longest-serving heir apparent and the oldest person to accede to the British throne. Most people spend their lives wondering where their career might take them. Charles knew the job. He just didn't know when the vacancy would appear.
Historical Highlights
1948 – Charles is born at Buckingham Palace.
1952 – Elizabeth II becomes queen and three-year-old Charles becomes heir.
1969 – Invested as Prince of Wales.
1976 – Establishes The Prince's Trust.
1981 – Marries Lady Diana Spencer.
1982 – Prince William is born.
1984 – Prince Harry is born.
1996 – Charles and Diana divorce.
1997 – Diana dies in Paris.
2005 – Charles marries Camilla Parker Bowles.
2022 – Elizabeth II dies and Charles becomes king aged 73.
2023 – Charles III and Queen Camilla are crowned at Westminster Abbey.
2024 – Buckingham Palace announces the King's cancer diagnosis; he later returns to public-facing duties.
Imagine This...
It's 6 May 2023 and Charles is sitting inside Westminster Abbey while millions of people around the world watch. He is 74 years old and has been preparing for this moment since he was a small child. His mother occupied the throne for 70 years, Britain has changed almost beyond recognition and many of the countries once governed as part of the British Empire are now independent members of the Commonwealth. Yet Charles sits in an ancient coronation chair, is anointed with holy oil and has St Edward's Crown placed on his head in a ceremony with roots stretching back almost a thousand years. Outside, spectators are filming everything on smartphones. That's Charles III's monarchy in one image: an ancient institution trying to find its place in a very modern world.
Guide's Insider Tip
When you're standing outside Westminster Abbey, remember that you're looking at the place where the entire story we've been following keeps coming back together. William the Conqueror was crowned here in 1066, and almost a thousand years later Charles III was crowned in the same church.
Then walk through St James's Park towards Buckingham Palace and look at the balcony. Charles stood there after his coronation wearing the Imperial State Crown, with Queen Camilla beside him—the first new British king most people alive had ever seen. And here's something particularly fun when you're guiding today: unlike Henry VIII, Victoria or George III, Charles isn't history yet. The buildings, ceremonies and traditions you've been exploring throughout London are still being used by the current monarch.
What Happens Next?
We don't know. And for once, that's exactly the point. Charles III is still king, and his reign is still being written. His eldest son William, Prince of Wales, is first in line to the throne, followed by William's son Prince George. So the line currently runs: Charles III → William → George. After more than 70 years of Elizabeth II, Britain once again has a succession of male heirs waiting behind the monarch. But that is another story.
For now, our journey from Edward the Confessor to Charles III has finally reached the present day.
Comments