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British RoyalsKing Charles IIIQueen Elizabeth II

Prince Charles, 70 years as heir to the throne

Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales

Every time The Queen passes another milestone in longevity, be it personal age or length of reign, there’s often the unspoken part of that milestone, which is that Prince Charles is now or continues to be the longest serving heir apparent in British history. The punchline is that he’s been waiting 70 years and counting for his throne.

This is the longest amount of time anybody has ever waited for their chance to do the job they’ve been training for. And since The Queen doesn’t believe in abdication, Prince Charles can only wait until it’s time for him to take the throne.

But to reduce Prince Charles to an impatient man who’s been waiting his whole life to fulfill his life’s purpose is to do him a disservice—and it’s a little morbid, considering what has to happen before he can take on that role. In his decades of public service and public life, Prince Charles has done a world of good.

At his birth on 14 November 1948, Prince Charles was second in line to the throne behind his mother. Upon her accession on 6 February 1952, he became first in line and her heir apparent—a position he’s held ever since. He was created Prince of Wales on 26 July 1958 and formally invested with the title at a ceremony in Wales on 1 July 1969.

He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, reading archeology and anthropology. In his second year, he studied at the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth to learn Welsh history and language; and graduated from the University of Cambridge in 1970.

He then joined the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, training at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth before heading to sea aboard the HMS Norfolk, the HMS Minerva, and the HMS Jupiter. He qualified as a helicopter pilot and served with the 845 Naval Air Squadron aboard the HMS Hermes.

In 1976, his last year of active service, Prince Charles took command of the HMS Bronington and flew helicopters. Then, with his military severance pay of £7,400, Prince Charles used that money to fund community projects and begin The Prince’s Trust. The Trust was the first of sixteen charities and organisations that Prince Charles started, and together they help raise over £100 million annually.

Prince Charles’s major social initiative has been his support of the environment, green practices, and sustainability. Decades before it was en vogue to champion these programmes, Prince Charles was openly discussing them—written off, it must be said, by many in the media and the public for some of his ideas. But now, as climate change and sustainability have become critical issues facing the world’s population, Prince Charles is regarded as an elder statesman on the subject.

In recent years, he has launched Sustainable Markets Initiative and the Terra Carta, urging businesses to do their parts to become more sustainable. At COP26 in Glasgow last year, Prince Charles took the lead as The Queen followed doctor’s orders to rest. It was her son who took command of the Royal Family as members rubbed shoulders with world leaders gathered to discuss ways of saving the planet.

In a speech last November, Prince Charles said about the future: “For our society to meet successfully the huge challenges before us, we will need all our talents and all our contributions. That is not simply a good intention – it is the most profound good sense. I have said before that our diversity is our greatest strength, and I become ever more convinced of that truth as time goes by and as I see fresh examples of that principle.”

A lot of column inches have been devoted to what a King Charles III may do when he inherits the throne, may of those discussing a slimmed down monarchy and what will happen to the royal residences, but to overlook the ways he has been using his platform to advocate for sustainability, the environment, the arts, and other facets of life is to reduce his impact.

When he ascends to the throne, Prince Charles’s many years of preparation will have served him well.

About author

Jess Ilse is the Assistant Editor at Royal Central. She specialises in the British, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Royal Families and has been following royalty since Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Jess has provided commentary for media outlets in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Jess works in communications and her debut novel THE MAJESTIC SISTERS will publish in Fall 2024.