That King Charles III. (74) was the longest reigning Prince of Wales in history should be well known to most Royal fans. It’s also no big secret that he was born in Buckingham Palace on November 14, 1948 and was appointed heir to the throne at the age of three. In addition to these facts, the British Palace has now published other information about the monarch that was previously less well known on the occasion of the coronation. Some of the 25 points make you smile and marvel at the king’s career and interests.
His first visit abroad took place at the age of five. As a child, King Charles III. then the island of Malta. He finally completed his first royal appointment at the age of 16 – as a guest at a student garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Speaking of student life: King Charles III. Incidentally, is the first heir to the throne with a university degree. In his first year at the University of Cambridge he studied archeology and anthropology, later switching to history. He also spent a semester in Wales studying Welsh as part of his studies.
According to the list on the royal website, Charles is very interested in culture: in his school days he played the piano, trumpet and cello. In December 1967 he played the cello in a symphony concert. The king is also an avid (and successful) painter: in 1987, a watercolor of his was featured in the Royal Academy’s summer exhibition after being submitted anonymously.
The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II (1926 – 2022) has also tried his hand as a book author several times. He wrote two books on nature and the environment and a work called The Old Man of Lochnagar. The latter is based on stories he used to tell his younger brothers. Did he already inspire his siblings with magic tricks back then? What many do not know: Charles has been a member of the Magic Circle since 1975, a society of stage magicians that has existed since 1905.
The environment and sustainability are close to his heart: in 1970 he expressed his concern about environmental pollution and its effects on nature for the first time. To honor his commitment to protecting the rainforest, a frog from Ecuador was named after him in 2012: the Prince Charles Magnificent Tree Frog.
King Charles has owned an Aston Martin DB6 Mark 2 Volante since November 1970, which he had converted to run on E85 bioethanol, which is made from waste from wine and cheese production. In that same Aston Martin, Prince William (40) and Princess Kate (41) left Buckingham Palace after their wedding.
Since September 2022, Charles has not only been able to call himself King of the United Kingdom. In the course of his career he has collected other rather curious titles. In 2011 he was awarded the title of “Keeper of the Cows” by the Maasai of Tanzania in recognition of his work as a farmer. He was also made High Chief on the Pacific island of Vanuatu in 2018.
