Princess Charles. Prince Charles - biography, information, personal life

November 14 celebrates his 65th birthday Charles Philip Arthur George Windsor, Prince of Wales and number one contender to the British royal throne. In this collection you will find selected footage and facts from the life of Prince Charles.

(Total 30 photos)

1. Prince Charles was born on November 14, 1948 at the residence royal family— at Buckingham Palace. In the photo, Queen Elizabeth II holds the prince in her arms after the baptism ceremony, which took place on December 15. During the ceremony, the baby was dipped into water taken from the Jordan River.

2. In the photo, Elizabeth, along with her husband Prince Philip and two children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, at the Westminster residence of members of the British royal family, Clarence House, in August 1951. Anna was only 1 year old at the time.

3. In 1952, Charles's mother became Queen Elizabeth II. In the photo, she arrived with the Prince and Countess Edwina Mountbatten for a polo game in Malta. Charles would later become an excellent polo player.

4. In 1960, Charles discovered another exciting activity - and became a frequent visitor to equestrian events. In the photo, he walks along the edge of the field during the show jumping competition in Badminton. This event is considered one of the main events in the life of equestrian sports enthusiasts.

5. In 1965, Prince Charles had a brother, Prince Andrew. In the photo, they are karting with their sister, Princess Anna.

6. Prince Charles stands next to a horse during a polo match in Jamaica in 1966. He played until 1992, when due to injuries he had to leave the sport. Until 2005, the prince participated in charity games.

7. As heir to the throne, Charles received many titles and titles, for example, when he was only 9 years old, he was proclaimed the Prince of Wales. Charles was made a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter in 1968, pictured at a ceremony at Windsor Castle.

8. When the prince was 21 years old, some official duties were assigned to him. The picture shows him visiting Tilbury Docks in East London in August 1968, which were under renovation.

9. With the advent of the prince's duties, he instantly became the center of attention of the press. In the picture he is being interviewed by David Frost for documentary film"Prince for Wales".

10. Queen Elizabeth II puts a crown on Charles's head during a ceremony in 1969 in which he was proclaimed Prince of Wales.

11. In 1970, Charles met Camilla Shand. This acquaintance was not particularly happy in the royal family and in its entourage. Pictured are Charles and Camilla at a polo game. Shand later married Andrew Parker Bowles and Charles married Diana Spencer. Despite this, Camilla and the prince continued to communicate, and eventually resumed their close relationship.

12. The Prince acted as honorary commander of the Welsh Guards and donned a fur shako in July 1975 during the parade of the Horse Guards in London.

13. Charles, along with his father Prince Philip, at the funeral of his uncle and mentor Earl Louis Mountbatten, who died in a terrorist attack by the Irish Republican Army in 1979.

14. In the summer of 1980, Prince Charles began a relationship with Diana Spencer. In the photo, she is on the right, along with Camilla Parker Bowles, with whom Charles continued to communicate. In February 1981, Charles and Diana got married.

15. Charles and Diana pose for photographers after they announced their engagement in 1981. Judging by the photo, it seems that Charles is taller than his fiancée, but this is only because he is one step above Diana. In fact, he is half an inch shorter than his future wife.

16. July 29, 1981 in London's St. Paul's Cathedral, a magnificent wedding ceremony took place between Diana and Charles. The ceremony was broadcast on television and was seen by about a billion people. In the photo, the prince and the newly-made princess are kissing on the balcony Buckingham Palace. To the right of the couple stands Charles's mother.

17. Diana and Charles spent their honeymoon not somewhere in the Caribbean, but in the royal castle in Scottish Balmoral. In the photo, the couple is relaxing on the banks of the River Dee.

18. The Prince and Princess of Wales surrounded by the press at the entrance to the hospital "St Mary's" a few days after the birth of their first child, William, who was born on June 21, 1982. Charles became the first member of the British royal family to be present at the birth of his child.

19. Charles and William at Kensington Palace in December 1982. This palace was given to Charles by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen herself lived nearby at Buckingham Palace.

20. In September 1984, Prince William had a brother -. The brothers were jokingly called "heir and spare." The picture shows Charles and Harry walking outside a country house in Gloucestershire Highgrove House.

21. A passionate polo fan, Charles participated in the games as soon as time allowed. Pictured is the Prince playing for the Diables Blues at Cowdray Park in Sussex in August 1985.

22. Princes Harry and William with their parents at the parade in London in August 1995. It was during this period that the relationship between Charles and Diana was strained. The Prince mainly lived in Highgrove, and the Princess in Kensington Palace. They divorced a year later.

23. On August 31, 1997, Princess Diana died in a car accident that occurred in an underground tunnel under Alma Square in Paris. Her companion Dodi al-Fayed and the driver of their car also died. The picture shows Diana's brother, her sons and ex-husband, while the coffin is carried through the streets of London. Approximately 2.5 billion people watched the broadcast of the funeral of Princess Diana. This event attracted the largest number of spectators ever.

24. Prince Charles serves at the coffin of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth (who was commonly called the Queen Mother) in London on April 8, 2002. Charles was very close to his grandmother, who was known for her cheerful nature and open opposition to the Germans during World War II. She passed away at the age of 101.

25. After the death of Diana and the Queen Mother, Charles's former lover Camilla Parker Bowles moved into the prince's house in 2003 and began to frequently get into the lenses of television cameras. The picture shows the couple at the highland games in Scotland in August 2004.

26. Before the couple Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles announced their engagement on February 10, 2005, their photos did not leave the covers of newspapers.

27. Since both Charles and Camilla were divorced, they had to confine themselves to the usual marriage ceremony, which took place on April 9, 2009. After they officially married, and the union was blessed in the church of St. George at Windsor Castle, where this photo was taken.

28. The official photo from the marriage ceremony of Charles and Camilla captures all family members. From left to right, back row: Prince Harry, Prince William, Tom and Laura Parker Bowles. From left to right, bottom row: Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II and Camilla's father, Major Bruce Shand.

29. Charles in a group photo of the Royal Regiment "Black Watch" after the ceremony of presenting commemorative medals for participation in the military operation on January 20, 2010 in Fort George, Scotland. The regiment lost 5 people during the military operation in Afghanistan, which lasted seven months.

30. Prince Charles visited a bison reserve in Poland on March 16, 2010. A visit to this country was part of his 3-day tour of Eastern Europe. Unlike his mother, Charles intends to increase the influence of the royal family in society.

The Duchess of Cornwall Camilla became known to the general public in the early 90s, thanks to an extramarital love affair with the heir to the British throne, Prince Charles. This article is devoted to the history of her life.

Duchess of Cornwall Camilla: who is she (origin)

The current wife of Prince Charles comes from a noble family, standing one step below the peers. Her father, Bruce Shand, rose to the rank of major in the British Army, and her mother, Rosalind Cubitt, was a baroness.

After the birth of their eldest daughter Camilla, the couple had two more girls. The father was very sad about the absence of an heir, but he saw that his favorite Milla, thanks to her courage and self-confidence, would put any boy in the belt.

Childhood

The path of Camilla Parker Bowles from tomboy to duchess took almost half a century. Surely the boys, whose company she preferred to play with peers, would never have believed that Milla would ever become “Her Highness”, riding around in the queen’s landau and greeting people from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

The girl liked to dress up in shorts and a shirt with rolled up sleeves, and she could hardly be persuaded to wear a dress for the traditional Sunday church visit.

At the age of 5, Milla Shand was sent to primary school Dumbrells, where corporal punishment was commonplace. However, if Charles Windsor, who at the same time studied at a privileged boarding school for boys, wrote home tearful letters complaining about teachers, then the parents did not hear a single complaint from Camilla. Moreover, she did not even allow herself to cry in front of her classmates.

At the age of 10, the girl was transferred to the Queens Gate School, where she was friends mainly with the boys, taking part in all their pranks. Around this time, Milla learned that her great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, was an "adviser" to King Edward the Seventh. She was terribly proud of the "great-grandmother", and asked the adults for the details of this "chaste" novel.

First novel

At seventeen, the future Duchess of Cornwall Camilla met Kevin Burke at her first ball. This 19-year-old student at Eton University was the heir to a wealthy businessman. Although it was not welcomed in those days, young people became lovers after a couple of days. According to Camille, she went for it out of pure curiosity to find out "what all this noise is about." The couple did not even hide their too “close” relationship, which shocked all their friends.

First marriage

The romance with Burke did not last long, as the handsome officer Andrew Parker-Bowles appeared on the horizon of Miss Shand. He was always surrounded by girls who dreamed of getting this heartthrob as their husband. Camilla also fell under Andrew's spell. However, this novel also turned out to be short-lived, as she found young man in the arms of another.

Acquaintance with Charles

As already mentioned, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, was not a beauty in her youth, but she knew how to attract the attention of men. It is said that when she was introduced to Charles, she asked him if the prince knew about the connection between his ancestor and her great-grandmother, and also joked that she would try to follow their example. The meeting of young people took place on the initiative ex girlfriend Prince, Lucia Santa Cruz, who was the daughter of the Chilean ambassador to London. Shortly before this, this sultry Latina told Charles that she had found the perfect girlfriend for him, who, like him, loves to fish, hunt, horseback ride and tinker in the garden.

The romance of the prince and Camilla was supported by a relative of the young man, Lord Mountbatten. He encouraged this relationship in every possible way, as he dreamed of marrying the prince to his 14-year-old granddaughter in the future. According to the lord, Camilla was the ideal “girl for a while” for the heir to the throne, since she could not claim his hand and heart in any way.

Marriage

Despite Mountbatten's confidence in Charles's prudence, he nevertheless made an offer to Camille, however, in order for this marriage not to take place, it did not even require the intervention of the Queen and Duke Philip. The fact is that Camilla was not going to change freedom for a golden cage, so she refused the most enviable groom in Europe. Immediately after that, Charles was forced to leave on business, and Andrew Parker-Bowles, who was on a business trip in Germany, returned to London. Rumors that Camilla had turned down the crown prince himself made her desirable in Andrew's eyes.

In 1973, a wedding took place, which marked the beginning of a strange marriage that lasted as much as 22 years. Charles grieved for a long time, and after 6 years, when the future Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla already had two children, he proposed to her again. He could not help but know that if such a wedding took place, he would be excluded from the list of heirs to the throne. After all, his grandfather's brother paid with the crown for the marriage with the "divorced woman". However, this did not stop the prince, who again received a refusal from his beloved, who was not going to leave her husband.

Lady Diana

When Charles was already 30, his parents began to insist on marriage, especially since they had in mind the ideal bride for him - Diana Spencer. There was no romance among young people, as such, especially since only Camilla reigned in Charles's heart. Shortly before the wedding, Diana found out about what connected her fiancé and Mrs. Parker-Bowles, but she could not cancel the celebration.

After the marriage, the Princess of Wales constantly tormented herself with suspicions of her husband's infidelity and made him scandals. Charles, of course, found consolation from family hardships in the arms of the future Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, whose life story resembles a love story.

Love triangle

Many years after her second marriage, the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla admitted that she considered herself guilty of the divorce of Charles and Diana. Although officially their marriage was annulled in 1996, the couple began to live separately from each other after the birth of Prince Harry. It was then that Charles moved from Kensington Palace to Highgrove Manor and, according to servants, met Camilla regularly. The Parker-Bowles family lived 10 minutes away from the prince's dwelling, and on the days when its head was away on business, the prince visited his beloved. The visits stopped only when Camille's children came for the holidays.

Scandal

Over time, the lovers became so bold that Milla went to visit Charles to paint with him in watercolor and sunbathe in a bikini. The situation got out of control, as the yellow press began to write about the connection between the prince and the married woman. Diana was not satisfied with the status of a rejected and deceived wife, so she persuaded one of the security officers to give her a recording of a very frivolous conversation between Charles and Camilla. His printout got into the press, and the prince was disgraced to the whole world. It is said that he even contemplated suicide. However, after much deliberation, Charles decided to acknowledge the connection with Camilla, which was seen as a courageous act. As a result, the Parker-Bowles family broke up. Moreover, Andrew almost immediately got married. Things were different for Diana. The Queen for a long time did not give consent to her divorce from her son. It was received only after the princess spoke about the situation in an interview that had the effect of an exploding bomb.

Second marriage

When Charles finally got a divorce, the future Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, finally felt like her dream of reuniting with the love of her life was finally close to being realized. However, all her plans collapsed after the tragic death of Diana. In the eyes of the public, Charles and Camilla were indirectly responsible for the death of the princess, who had millions of fans around the world.

Only a year and a half later, the Prince of Wales ventured to turn to his royal mother for permission for a second marriage. However, Elizabeth II stated that she did not even want to hear about "this woman." Almost 7 more years had to pass for the queen to change her mind.

The civil marriage ceremony took place on April 9, 2005. Since then, Milla Shand has become known as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The biography of this strong woman in subsequent years is a story of quiet family happiness, charity and participation in various official events. Most likely, such her life will be in the future.

Now you know who the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla is. The biography and family of this woman more than once became the subject of discussion in the press, but she stubbornly walked towards her goal, not paying attention to public opinion.

One can treat Lady Camille in different ways, but it is impossible not to admire her intelligence and ability to be the mistress of her own destiny.

All about Prince Charles

Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George (George) born November 14, 1948) is the eldest child and heir of Queen Elizabeth II. Also known in the southwest of England as the Duke of Cornwall and in Scotland as the Duke of Rothesay. He holds the title of heir to the throne for the longest time in the history of Britain, having received this title back in 1952. He is also the oldest successor to the throne after Sophia of Hanover (heir to the throne of Queen Anne), who died in 1714 at the age of 83.

Charles was born at Buckingham Palace and became the first grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. He was educated, like his father Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at Cheam and Gordonstoun schools and at the Timbertop campus, Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College, Cambridge, Charles served in the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976.

In 1981 he married Lady Diana Spencer and they had two sons: Prince William (born 1982), who later became the Duke of Cambridge, and Prince Harry (born 1984). In 1996, the couple divorced after extramarital affairs were widely publicized. A year later, Diana died in a car accident in Paris. In 2005, Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles.

Charles' interests cover a range of humanitarian and social issues: in 1976 he founded The Prince's Trust ("Prince's Fund"). He is a sponsor of The Prince's Charities group of charitable organizations and patron of many other charitable and artistic organizations. Charles has a long history of promoting organic farming, for which he founded the Duchy Home Farm in Cornwall. The farm produces ingredients for Duchy Originals, founded by Charles in 1990. Charles tried to raise global awareness of the dangers to which the environment is exposed. natural environment such as climate change. As an environmentalist, he has received numerous awards and recognition from environmental groups. His support for alternative medicine, including homeopathy, has been criticized by some in the medical community. He spoke boldly about the role of architecture in society and the preservation of historic buildings. Subsequently, Charles created Poundbury - experimental new town, based on his theories, in Dorset in 1993. He is the author of a number of books, including A Vision for Britain: A Personal View of Architecture, written in 1989, and a children's book, The Old Man of Lochnagar, in 1980.

Prince Charles' early years

Prince Charles was born at Buckingham Palace on 14 November 1948 at 9:14 pm (GMT), the firstborn of Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the first grandson of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. He was baptized in the Palace Music Room by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, on 15 December 1948.

At the age of three, Prince Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made him her heir. As the eldest son of the monarch, he automatically received the titles of Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Grand Steward of Scotland. Charles attended his mother's coronation in Westminster Abbey June 2, 1953, sitting next to his grandmother and aunt. As was customary for high society children of the time, Charles was educated by a governess, Katherine Peebles, between the ages of five and eight. In 1955, Buckingham Palace announced that Charles would attend school instead of being tutored by a private tutor, making him the first heir ever to be educated in this way.

Prince Charles education

Initially, Charles attended Hill House School in west London, without receiving the privileged treatment of the school's founder and then headmaster Stuart Townend, who recommended that the Queen send Charles to football, because the boys never respected anyone on the football field. Charles then visited two of former schools his father - Cham (Cheam English) - preparatory school in Berkshire, England, and then Gordonstoun (English Gordonstoun), in the north-east of Scotland. He reportedly despised the latter and called her "Colditz in Kilts". In 1966, Charles spent two semesters on the Timbertop campus, Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia, during which he visited Papua New Guinea on a school trip with his history teacher Michael Collins Perce. Upon returning to Gordonstoun, Charles, following the example of his father, became the headman. He graduated from high school in 1967 with six GCE O-levels and two A-levels in history and French, labeled B and C, respectively.

The tradition was again broken when Charles went straight from high school to university instead of joining the British armed forces. In October 1967 he was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied anthropology, archeology and history. During his second year, Charles attended University College of Wales at Aberystwyth, studying Welsh history and language. On June 23, 1970, he graduated from Cambridge with a 2:2 Bachelor of Arts degree, becoming the first heir to the throne to graduate. On August 2, 1975, Charles received his Master of Arts degree from Cambridge, in the tradition of the university.

About the title of Prince of Wales

Charles received the title of Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on 26 July 1958, although his investiture was not held until 1 July 1969, during which Charles was proclaimed Prince by his mother in a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle. The ceremony was broadcast on live. He took his seat in the House of Lords in 1970 and delivered his first speech in June 1974. A few years later, he became the first member of the Royal Family, after King George I of Great Britain, who, at the invitation of Prime Minister James Callaghan, took part in a meeting of the British government and was able to personally see the work of the government and the cabinet. Charles also became active in public duties, establishing The Prince's Trust in 1976 and visiting the United States in 1981.

In the mid-1970s, the Prince expressed an interest in serving as Governor General of Australia; Commander Michael Parker explained: "The idea of ​​the appointment was to take steps towards the throne or become a future king and start mastering this craft." However, due to a combination of nationalist sentiment in Australia and the resignation of the Governor General's government in 1975, none of the proposals came to fruition. Charles accepted the decision of the Australian ministers not without regret. He is reported to have said: "What is left to think when you are ready to act to help, and you are told that your help is not needed?"

Charles is the oldest heir to hold the title of Prince of Wales and the second longest serving as Prince of Wales, after Edward VII, whose record will be surpassed on September 9, 2017. If he becomes the current monarch, he will be the oldest person to have ascended the throne; the current record holder is William IV, who was 64 years old when he became king in 1830.

Military career of Prince Charles

Following family tradition, Charles served in navy and the air force. After requesting and receiving training Royal Air Force during his second year at Cambridge, on March 8, 1971, he flew to the Royal Air Force College Cranwell to train as a jet pilot. After a formal formation and graduation parade, he embarked on a career in the Navy in September, enrolling in a six-week course at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth and then serving on the British Navy's guided missile destroyer HMS Norfolk (1971- eng.) 1972) and the British Navy frigates Minerva (HMS Minerva - English) (1972-1973) and Jupiter (HMS Jupiter - English) (1974). Charles also qualified as a helicopter pilot at the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton (RNAS Yeovilton) in 1974, shortly before joining 845 Naval Squadron flying from the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes.

On February 9, 1976, Charles took command of the British Navy's coastal destroyer HMS Bronington and spent the last nine months there in the Navy. Prince learned to fly on a Chipmunk basic flight simulator, a BAC Jet Provost jet trainer, and a Beagle Basset multi-engine trainer; he then flew regularly on such Royal Navy aircraft as the Hawker Siddeley Andover, Westland Wessex and BAe 146.

The romance novels of Prince Charles

As a young man, Charles had connections with a large number women. Charles's great-uncle, Lord Mountbatten, advised him: "In your case, a man should allow himself to amuse himself and have as many affairs as he wants before settling down, but he should choose a suitable, attractive, girl for his wife before she meets anyone." something else ... Experience will only interfere with a woman if she needs to remain on a pedestal after marriage.

Charles' girlfriends included: Georgina Russell, daughter of the British ambassador to Spain; Lady Jane Wellesley, daughter of the 8th Duke of Wellington; Davina Sheffield; Lady Sarah Spencer; and Camilla Shand, who later became his second wife and Duchess of Cornwall.

In early 1974, Mountbatten began talking to Charles about a possible marriage to Mountbatten's granddaughter, Amanda Knatchbuhl. Charles wrote to Amanda's mother, Lady Brabourne (who was also his godmother), expressing interest in her daughter, to which she responded approvingly, although she suggested that courting a girl under 16 was premature. Four years later, Mountbattren offered to accompany Charles on his tour of India in 1980 with Amanda. Both fathers, however, objected; Philip feared that Charles would be eclipsed by his famous uncle (who served as the last British Viceroy and India's first Governor-General), while Lord Braborn warned that a joint visit would focus media attention on the cousins ​​before they accepted the decision to become a couple. However, in August 1979, before Charles left alone for India, Mountbatten was assassinated by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). When Charles returned, he proposed to Amanda, but, in addition to the death of her grandfather, she lost her paternal grandmother and younger brother Nicholas in a bomb blast and now did not want to join the Royal Family. In June 1980, Charles officially gave up Chevenning House, which had been placed at his disposal since 1974 as his future residence. Chewing, a stately home in Kent, was bequeathed to the Crown, along with a legacy, by the last Earl Stanhope, Amanda's childless great-uncle, in the hope that Charles would eventually take it over. In 1977, a newspaper erroneously reported his engagement to Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana

First meeting between Prince Charles and Diana

Although Charles first met Lady Diana Spencer in 1977, visiting her home, Althorp, as her companion older sister, Sarah, he did not plan a romantic relationship with her until the mid-1980s. In July, during a friends barbecue while they were sitting together on a bale of hay, he mentioned Mountbatten's death, to which Diana replied that Charles looked miserable during his uncle's funeral and needed to be taken care of. Soon, according to Charles's chosen biographer, Jonathan Dimbleby, "without any visible outburst of affection, he began to take her seriously as a potential bride," and she accompanied Charles on visits to Balmoral Castle and Sandringham Palace.

Charles's cousin, Norton Knatchbull (Amanda's older brother), and his wife told Charles that Diana was drawn to his position and that he didn't seem to be in love with her. However, the couple's relationship continued to attract the attention of the press and paparazzi. Prince Philip told him that if Charles did not decide to marry Diana soon, media speculation could damage her reputation, also realizing that she was a suitable bride (according to Mountbatten's criteria), Charles interpreted his father's advice as a guide to action .

Wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana

Prince Charles proposed to Diana in February 1981 and they married at St. Paul's Cathedral on July 29. After his marriage, Charles reduced his voluntary tax on profits received from the Duchy of Cornwall from 50% to 25%. The couple settled at Kensington Palace and Highgrove House, near Tetbury, and had two children: Princes William (born 21 June 1982) and Henry (known as "Harry") (born 15 September 1984). Charles became the first royal father to be present at the birth of his children. Persistent suggestions that Harry's father is not Charles but James Hewitt, with whom Diana had an affair, have been based on the physical resemblance between Hewitt and Harry. However, Harry had already been born by the time the relationship between Hewitt and Diana began.

Divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana

Within five years, the couple's incompatibility and about thirteen years of age difference, as well as Diana's anxiety over Charles's previous girlfriend, Camilla Shand (later Camilla Parker Bowles), became visible and destructive to their marriage. The obvious discomfort they felt in each other's company led them to be referred to in the press as "The Glums" (the gloomy ones). Diana exposed Charles' affair with Camilla in Andrew Morton's book, Diana, Her True Story. Information about her own extramarital intrigues also surfaced.

In December 1992, British Prime Minister John Major announced in Parliament that they were breaking up officially. That same year, the British press published recordings of a passionate private telephone conversation in 1989 between Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. Charles and Diana divorced on August 28, 1996. When Diana died in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997, Charles flew there with Diana's sisters to accompany her body back to England.

The love story of Prince Charles and Camilla

On February 10, 2005, the engagement of Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles was announced; he gave her wedding ring that belonged to his grandmother. The Queen's consent to the marriage (under the Royal Marriages Act 1772) was recorded at the meeting of the Privy Council on 2 March. The Canadian Department of Justice announced in its decision that the Royal Privy Council of Canada did not have to meet in Canada to give their consent to the marriage, as the union would not produce offspring and would not affect the succession to the Canadian throne.

Charles is the first member of the royal family to have a civil rather than a religious wedding in England. Government documents from the 1950s and 1960s published by the BBC stated that the marriage was illegal, although this claim was refuted by Charles' spokesman and the current government's decision was declared obsolete.

Initially, the civil marriage ceremony was to take place at Windsor Castle, followed by a religious blessing at St George's Chapel. However, since the painting at Windsor Castle would oblige this place to be accessible to anyone who wants to hold a wedding ceremony there, Windsor City Hall was chosen as the place for the ceremony. On April 4, the originally scheduled wedding date of April 8 was pushed back by one day so that Charles and some of the invited dignitaries could attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

Charles's parents did not attend the civil marriage ceremony; the Queen's reluctance to attend may have been due to her position as Supreme Ruler of the Church of England. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh attended the blessing and subsequently held a bridal party at Windsor Castle. The blessing of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, was televised.

The role of Prince Charles in public life

Philanthropy and charity

Since the foundation of The Prince's Trust in 1976, Charles has founded sixteen more charities and is the president of these organizations. Together they form a loose alliance called The Prince's Charities (Prince's Charities), which is considered " the largest charity in the United Kingdom, with over £100 million annually... [and] active in a wide range of areas, including education and youth, environmental sustainability, the built environment, responsible business and entrepreneurship, and international relations.”

In 2010, The Prince "s Charities Canada" (Prince's Charity Canada) was founded, similar to the namesake in the UK. Charles is also the patron of more than 350 charities and other organizations, and performs relevant duties in all areas of the Commonwealth; for example, he uses his tours in Canada as a way to draw attention to young people, people with disabilities, environment, the arts, medicine, the elderly, heritage conservation and education. In Canada, Charles supported humanitarian projects, for example, he participated with his two sons in ceremonies marking the 1998 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Charles also founded The Prince's Charities Australia in Melbourne, Victoria. The Prince's Charities Australia is to provide a coordinating presence for the Australian and international charities of the Prince of Wales.

Charles was one of the first world leaders to express serious concern about the situation of human rights violations by the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, initiating objections in the international arena, and subsequently supported the FARA Foundation, a charity for Romanian orphans and children left without parental care.

In 2013, Charles donated a certain amount of money following calls from the British Red Cross in Syria and the Syrian OIC, run by 14 British charities, to help the victims of the Syrian civil war. According to The Guardian, after turning 65 in 2013, Charles is believed to have donated his state pension to an unnamed charitable organization that supports the elderly. In March 2014, Charles organized five million measles and rubella vaccinations for children in the Philippines in response to the onset of measles in Southeast Asia. Charles was touched by news of the damage caused by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, according to Clarence House. International health partners, who have been under the prince's patronage since 2004, have sent vaccines believed to protect five million children under the age of five from measles.

Prince Charles' contribution to London architecture

The Prince of Wales has been open about his views on architecture and urban planning, promoting New Classical Architecture and stating that he "cares deeply about issues such as the environment, architecture, downtown renewal and quality of life." In his speech, at in a speech marking the 150th anniversary of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) on May 30, 1984, he memorably described the proposal to extend the National Gallery in London as "a monstrous carbuncle on the face of such a close friend" and deplored the "glass stumps and concrete towers" of modern architecture. He argued that "it is possible and important from a human point of view to respect old buildings, street plans and traditional scales, and at the same time not feel guilty about preferring facades, decorations and soft materials", called for the participation of local communities in the architectural choice, and asked:

Why can't we have those curves and arches that express the feeling in the design? What's wrong with them? Why does everything have to be vertical, straight, inflexible, only at right angles - and functional?

His book and BBC documentary A Vision of Britain (1987) also criticized modern architecture, and he continued to campaign for traditional urbanism, human scale, restoration of historical buildings and sustainable design, despite criticism in the press. His two charities (“The Prince's Regeneration” and The Prince's Foundation for Building Community promote Charles's views, and the village of Poundbury was built on land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, according to the general plan of Leon Cyrus under the leadership of Prince Charles and in accordance with his philosophy.

Charles helped create a national foundation for the built environment in Canada after he mourned the rampant destruction of so many of the country's historic urban centers in 1996. He offered his assistance to the Department of Canadian Heritage in creating a fund modeled on the “Britain's National Trust”, which was implemented taking into account the Canadian federal budget of 2007. In 1999, the prince agreed to use his title for the Prince of Wales Award for leadership of the municipal Awarded by Heritage Canada to municipal governments that have shown an unwavering commitment to preserving historic sites.During a trip to the United States and reviewing the damage from Hurricane Katrina, Charles received the Vincent Scully Prize from the National Museum Building in 2005, for his efforts in regarding architecture; he donated $25,000 in prize money to rebuild communities affected by the storm.

Since 1997, the Prince of Wales has visited Romania to watch and highlight the destruction of Orthodox monasteries and Transylvanian Saxon villages during Nicolae Ceausescu's communist rule. Charles is a patron of the Mihai Eminescu Foundation, a Romanian conservation and regeneration organization, and has purchased a house in Romania. Historian Tom Gallagher wrote in the Romanian newspaper România Liberă in 2006 that Charles in Romania was offered the Romanian throne by monarchists; an offer that was reportedly rejected, but Buckingham Palace denied the reports. Charles also has a "deep understanding of Islamic art and architecture" and was also involved in the construction of the building and garden at the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies, which combine Islamic and Oxford architectural styles.

Charles has occasionally intervened in projects that use architectural styles such as modernism and functionalism. In 2009, Charles wrote to the Qatari royal family, the developers of the Chelsea Barracks project, labeling Lord Rogers' design for the project as "unsuitable". Subsequently, Rogers was removed from the project and The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment was appointed to offer an alternative. Rogers claimed that the Prince also intervened to block his projects for the Royal Opera House and Square Paternother, and denounced Charles' actions as an "abuse of power" and called "unconstitutional" Lord Foster, Zaha Hadid, Jacques Herzog, Jean Nouvel, Renzo Piano and Frank Gehry, among others, wrote an appeal to The Sunday Times, complaining that Prince's "private comments" and "behind-the-scenes lobbying" undermined "an open and democratic planning process" Piers Gough and other architects denounced Charles's views as "elitist" in a letter encouraging colleagues to boycott Charles' speech at the 2009 RIBA .

In 2010, The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment decided to help restore and rebuild buildings in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after the capital was destroyed by the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The foundation is famous for reconstructing historic buildings in Kabul, Afghanistan and in Kingston, Jamaica. The project was called "the most tangible test" for The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment.

Achievements of the Prince of Wales

The Worshipful Company of Carpenters made Charles an Honorary Member of the Guild "in recognition of his interest in London architecture". The Prince of Wales is also a Permanent Master of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights, a full member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers, an honorary full member of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, an honorary member of the Court of Assistants of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and a royal honorary member of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners Guild.

Prince Charles on the environment

Since the early 1980s, Charles has contributed to the growth of environmental awareness. After moving to Highgrove House, he developed an interest in organic farming, culminating in the launch of his own organic brand Duchy Originals in 1990, which now sells over 200 different regularly produced products, from food to outdoor furniture; the profits (over £6 million by 2010) are donated to the Prince's charities. Documenting work on his estates, Charles co-authored (with Charles Clover, environmental editor of The Daily Telegraph) Highgrove: An Experiment in Organic Horticulture and Agriculture, published in 1993, and offers his patronage to Garden Organic. Likewise, the Prince of Wales became involved in agriculture and its various industries, meeting regularly with farmers to discuss their trade. Although the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease epidemic in England prevented Charles from visiting organic farms in Saskatchewan, he met with the farmers at Assiniboia Town Hall. In 2004, he founded the Mutton Renaissance Campaign, which aims to support British sheep farmers and make lamb more attractive to the British. Its organic farming drew criticism from the media: according to The Independent in October 2006, "Duchy Originals' brand history included compromises and ethical footprints associated with a certain merchandising program."

In 2007, he received the 10th annual Global Environmental Citizen Award from the Harvard Medical School Center for Health and the Global Environment, whose director, Eric Chivian, stated: “For decades, the Prince of Wales has been a champion of natural world... It is a world leader in the fight to improve energy efficiency and reduce the release of toxic substances to land, air and oceans.” Charles' private jet travel drew criticism from Joss Garman, founder of the Plane Stupid's organization.

In 2007, Charles launched the Prince's May Day Network, which encourages businesses to take action on climate change. Addressing the European Parliament on 14 February 2008, he called on the leadership European Union to the war against climate change. During the standing ovation that followed, Nigel Farage, leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), remained seated and continued to argue that Charles' advisers were "naive and stupid, at best." In his speech at the Low Carbon Prosperity Summit, in the chamber European Parliament On February 9, 2011, Charles said that climate change skeptics were playing a "reckless game of roulette" with the future of the planet and were having a "devastating effect" on public opinion. He also spoke about the need to protect fisheries and rainforest Amazon, and called for making low-carbon emissions affordable and competitive.

In 2011, Charles received a medal from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds for his contribution to the environment, such as rainforest conservation.

On August 27, 2012, the Prince of Wales spoke at International congress Conservation of Nature - World Conservation Congress (the International Union for Conservation of Nature - World Conservation Congress - English), supporting the view that grazing animals are necessary to ensure the productivity of soils and pastures:

“I was particularly fascinated, for example, by the work of a remarkable man named Allan Savory, in Zimbabwe and other semi-arid regions, who for many years fought against the prevailing view of experts that only the number of livestock can affect overgrazing and turn fertile land into desert "On the contrary, as he amply demonstrated, the earth needs grazing animals and their droppings to complete the cycle in order for soils and grasslands to remain productive. So if you take herbivores off the ground and lock them up in huge paddocks, the earth will perish."

In February 2014, Charles visited the Somerset Plains to visit residents affected by winter flooding. During his visit, Charles remarked: “There is nothing better than a very good misfortune to get a man into action. The tragedy is that nothing happened for so long.” He pledged a £50,000 donation from Prince's Countryside Fund to help families and their businesses.

Prince Charles' attitude towards alternative medicine

Charles stubbornly championed alternative medicine. The Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health attracted opposition from the scientific and medical community to its campaign, encouraging general practitioners to offer herbal and other alternative treatments to National Health Service patients, and in May 2006 Charles addressed the World Health Assembly in Geneva, calling for the integration of traditional and alternative medicine and arguing for homeopathy.

In April 2008, The Times published a letter from Edzard Ernst, Professor of Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter, in which he asked the Prince's Foundation to withdraw two guidelines promoting alternative medicine, stating: "Most alternative therapies are clinically ineffective, and many of them are downright dangerous." A spokesperson for the foundation responded to the criticism, saying, "We completely reject the allegation that our online publication Complementary Healthcare: A Guide contains any misleading or inaccurate claims about the benefits of complementary therapies.On the contrary, she treats people as adults who can take responsibility and encourages people to seek reliable sources of information...so that they can make informed decisions.The foundation does not promote complementary therapies." the same year Ernst published a book jointly with Simon C nghom, mockingly dedicating it to "His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales", titled "No purse, no life. Alternative medicine under investigation” (Trick or Treatment: Alternative Medicine on Trial). The last chapter is very critical of Charles' advocacy of complementary and alternative therapies.

Prince-owned Duchy Originals produces a variety of medicines alternative medicine, including Detox Tinctures (Detox tincture), which Edzard Ernst called as "financially exploiting the vulnerable" and "outright quackery." In 2009, the Advertising Standards Committee criticized an email that Duchy Originals sent out to advertise their Echina-Relief, Hyperi-Lift, and Detox Tinctures products, saying it was misleading. The prince personally wrote at least seven letters to the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) shortly before they relaxed the rules governing the labeling of such herbal products, which was widely criticized by scientists and medical organizations. In October 2009, Charles was reported to have personally lobbied Health Minister Andy Burnham for greater provision of alternative therapies in the Public Health System (NHS). In 2016, during a speech, Charles said that he used homeopathic veterinary medicines to reduce the use of antibiotics on his farm.

In April 2010, after violations in accounting, a former employee of the foundation and his wife, were arrested for fraud believed to be £300,000. Four days later, the foundation announced its closure, saying it had "accomplished its key mission of promoting the use of integrated health." The charity's financial director, accountant George Grey, was found guilty of theft totaling £253,000 and sentenced to three years in prison. The Prince's Foundation was renamed and relaunched later in 2010 as "The College of Medicine" (Medical College).

Religious views of Prince Charles

Prince Charles was confirmed at age 16 by Archbishop Michael Ramsey of Canterbury on Easter 1965, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. He attends various worship services. Anglican churches, close to Highgrove and the Scottish Crathy Kirk shared with the rest of the royal family when residing at Balmoral Castle. In 2000 he was appointed Lord High Commissioner of the High Court at the Scottish General Assembly. Charles visited Orthodox monasteries several times (amid some secrecy) on Mount Athos, as well as in Romania. Charles is also a patron of the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford.

Philosophical worldview of Prince Charles

Sir Laurens Van der Post became a friend of Charles in 1977; he was named his "spiritual guru" and became godfather to Charles's son, Prince William. At the suggestion of Van der Post, Prince Charles focused on philosophy, especially Asian and Middle Eastern countries. He praised Kabbalistic works of art, and wrote a memorial for Kathleen Raine, a Neoplatonist poet who died in 2003.

Charles expressed his philosophical views in his book Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World, which won the Nautilus Award. Although Charles is rumored to have sworn to be "Defender of the Faith" or "Defender of the Faith" as king, he stated in 2015 that he would retain the traditional title of the monarch "Defender of the Faith" while "providing the opportunity to practice other religious beliefs”, which, in his opinion, is the duty of the English Church.

Formal duties of Prince Charles

In 2008, The Daily Telegraph declared Charles "the most hard-working member of the royal family". He hosted 560 official events in 2008, 499 in 2010 and over 600 in 2011.

As Prince of Wales, Charles assumes official duties on behalf of the Queen and the Commonwealth. He advocates for investment and attends the funerals of foreign dignitaries. At the funeral of Pope John Paul II, Charles inadvertently caused controversy when he shook hands with Robert Mugabe, President of Zimbabwe, who was seated next to him. A spokesman for Charles subsequently released a statement saying: “The Prince of Wales was caught off guard and unable to avoid shaking hands with Mr Mugabe. The Prince finds the current regime in Zimbabwe disgusting. He supported the Zimbabwe Defense and Relief Fund, which supports those who are oppressed by the regime. The Prince also recently met with Pia Ncube, Archbishop of Bulawayo, who is an outspoken critic of the government."

Prince Charles travels regularly around Wales, completing a week of commitments in the Principality every summer and attending important national events such as the opening of the Welsh Assembly Building (the Senedd). The six trustees of the Royal Collection Trust meet three times a year under his leadership.

Prince Charles travels abroad on behalf of the United Kingdom. Charles is considered an effective defender of the country, during his visit to the Republic of Ireland in 1995, he personally researched and wrote a speech on Anglo-Irish affairs, which was warmly received by Irish politicians and the media, and cited as an example in the future.

In 2000, Charles revived the tradition of the Prince of Wales having an official harpist to develop Welsh talent for playing the harp, the national instrument of Wales. He, along with the Duchess of Cornwall, also spends a week in Scotland each year, where he is patron of several Scottish organisations. His service in the Canadian Air Force allows him to receive information about the activities of the troops, visit these troops in Canada or abroad, and take part in commemorative events. For example, in 2001 he laid a wreath made to order from plants harvested from the French battlefields at Canada's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and in 1981 he became a patron of the Canadian Air Force Museum.

In 2010, Charles represented the Queen at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. He attends official events in the United Kingdom in support of Commonwealth countries, such as the 2011 Christchurch earthquake memorial service at Westminster Abbey. From 15 to 17 November 2013, he represented the Queen for the first time at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Letters sent by Prince Charles to government ministers - the so-called Black Spider Notes - during 2004 and 2005 caused some confusion after The Guardian published the letters under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In March 2015, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom decided that the Prince's letters should be released. The letters were published by Cabinet on 13 May 2015. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall made their first trip together to the Republic of Ireland in May 2015. The trip was hailed by the British Embassy as an important step in "promoting peace and reconciliation". During the trip, Charles shook hands with Sinn Féin and presumed Irish Republican Army leader Gerry Adams in Galway, which was described in the media as a "historic handshake" and "an important moment for Anglo-Irish relations".

In 2015, it was revealed that Prince Charles had access to confidential cabinet papers in the UK.

Charles frequently visited Saudi Arabia to promote arms exports for companies such as BAE Systems. In 2013, 2014 and 2015, he met with Saudi Arabian National Guard Commander Mutaib bin Abdullah. In February 2014, he took part in a traditional sword dance with members of the Saudi royal family at the Janaria festival in Riyadh. At the same festival, the British arms company BAE Systems was judged by Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Charles was criticized by Scottish MP Margaret Ferrier in 2016 for his involvement in the sale of Typhoon fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. According to Charles biographer Katherine Meyer, a Time journalist who claims to have interviewed several sources in Prince Charles's inner circle, he "doesn't like being used to sell arms" in dealings with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. According to Maier, Charles objected to being privately used in arms sales overseas.

Hobbies and personal interests of Prince Charles

Favorite sport of Prince Charles

From his youth, Prince Charles was an active competitive polo player until 1992. He continued to play unofficially, including for charity, until 2005. Charles also frequently took part in fox hunting before the sport was banned in the United Kingdom in 2005. By the late 1990s, as protests against the sport grew and Charles's involvement by his opponents of the sport was seen as a "political statement", such as the League Against Cruel Sports, which began attacks on Charles after he took his sons on the Beaufort hunt in 1999, at a time when the government was trying to enforce a ban on hunting with hounds.

Since his youth, Charles has been fond of salmon fishing and now supports Orry Vigfusson's efforts to protect North Atlantic salmon. He often fishes on the River Dee in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, although he claims his most special fishing memories are in Vopnafjordur, Iceland. Charles is a fan of Burnley Football Club.

The Prince of Wales' Passion for the Performing Arts

Prince Charles is President or Patron of over 20 theater arts organisations, including the Royal College of Music, the Royal Opera House, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra, the Welsh National Opera and the Purcell School. In 2000, he revived the tradition of appointing harpists to the Crown Court by appointing an official harpist to the Prince of Wales. As a student at Cambridge, he played the cello and sang twice with the Bach choir.

An avid and accomplished watercolorist, Charles exhibited and sold several of his works and published books on the subject. In 2001, the Florence International Biennale of Contemporary Art featured 20 lithographs of his watercolor paintings illustrating his estates. Charles has been honored with the Montblanc de la Culture Patronage Award from the Montblanc Cultural Foundation for his support and commitment to the arts, especially towards young people.

Prince Charles is the author of several books reflecting his own interests. He has contributed to writing forewords or introductions to books by other authors, as well as writing, presenting and acting in documentaries.

Prince Charles image

From the moment of his birth, Prince Charles was followed by close media attention, which increased as he grew older. It was an ambivalent relationship, largely influenced by his marriage to Diana and Camilla and its aftermath, but also focused on his behavior as a future king, such as the 2014 play King Charles III.

The "Diana" Phenomenon in the Life of Prince Charles

In the late 1970s, he was called "the most enviable bachelor in the world". Prince Charles was subsequently in Diana's shadow. After her death, the media regularly violated Charles's privacy and printed revelations.

In 2006, the Prince sued the Mail on Sunday newspaper after they published excerpts from his personal diaries, exposing his views on issues such as the 1997 transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty to China, in which Charles described Chinese government officials as "terrifying old wax figures". Mark Bolland, his ex personal secretary, said in a statement to the Supreme Court that Charles "will readily accept the political aspects of any controversial issue in which he is interested ... He did this very thoughtfully, carefully examining the issue. He often described himself as a "dissident" acting against the prevailing political consensus." Jonathan Dimbleby reported that the prince "has accumulated a wealth of experience regarding the state of the world and does not like controversy".

Other people previously associated with the prince betrayed his trust. A former member of his household gave the press a personal note in which Charles commented on ambition and opportunity, which could be interpreted as an accusation of meritocracy for creating a militant atmosphere in society. Charles replied, "In my opinion, it is as great an achievement to be a plumber or a bricklayer as it is to be a lawyer or a doctor."

Prince Charles' relationship with the press

Charles' fears were recorded in his personal comments to Prince William, accidentally recorded on a microphone during a press photo shoot in 2005 and released to the national press. After a question from the BBC's royal correspondent, Nicholas Witchell, Charles muttered, "Those damn people. I can't stand this man. I mean, he's so awful, really."

In 2002, Charles, "so often the target of the press, got his chance to return the fire", referring to "dozens of editors, publishers and other media leaders" who gathered at the Church of the Holy Bride on Fleet Street (St Bride's Fleet Street To celebrate 300 years of journalism, defending civil servants from "an aggressive drop of constant criticism," he noted that the press was "clumsy, cantankerous, cynical, bloodthirsty, at times intrusive, at times inaccurate and at times highly unfair and harmful to individuals and institutions." But, he concluded, with regard to his dealings with the press, "we are all probably a little rough with each other from time to time, exaggerating the faults and ignoring the good points in each."

How is the interview with the Prince of Wales going?

The Prince of Wales has occasionally appeared on television. In 1984 he read his children's book The Old Man of Lochnagar for the BBC's Jackanori series. The British soap opera Coronation Street featured Charles during the show's 40th anniversary in 2000, as did the New Zealand adult cartoon series Bro Town (2005) , after he attended a performance by the show's creators during a national tour.

Charles, along with Princes William and Harry, was interviewed by Ant & Dec to mark the 30th anniversary of The Prince's Trust in 2006, and in 2016, along with his sons and the Duchess of Cornwall, were interviewed on the 40th anniversary.

His preservation of the Scottish manor house Dumfries was the subject of Alan Titchmarsh's documentary The Restoration, which was televised in May 2012. Also in May 2012, Charles tried his hand as a BBC weather presenter, reporting the forecast for Scotland as part of his annual week at Holyrood Palace with Christopher Blanchett. He brought humor to his broadcast by asking, "Who the hell wrote this script?" since references were made to the royal residence.

In December 2015, Channel 4 News revealed that an interview with Charles was possible only after signing a contract that prohibited any questions other than those that were approved, and the contract gave his staff the right to edit and the right to "remove in full from the program." Channel 4 News has decided not to conduct interviews under conditions that some journalists believe would put them at risk of violating the Broadcasting Code of the State Committee on Television, Radio Broadcasting and Postal Communications (Ofcom) regarding editorial independence and transparency.

State of the Prince of Wales

Clarence House in London is the official residence of the Prince of Wales. Previously, he had an apartment in St. James's Palace. Charles also owns two private houses: Highgrove House in Gloucestershire and Birkhull near Balmoral Castle. Both Clarence House and Birkhall were formerly residences of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Its main source of income is the Duchy of Cornwall, which owns 133,658 acres of land (about 54,090 hectares), including agricultural, residential and commercial property, as well as an investment portfolio. Highgrove is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, bought for its use in 1980 and leased by Prince Charles for £336,000 a year. The Public Accounts Committee released its 25th report on the State of the Accounts of the Duchy of Cornwall in November 2013, noting that the Duchy performed well in 2012-13, increasing its overall income from the total positive balance£19.1 million.

In 2007, the Prince purchased a 192-acre property (150 acres of pasture and parkland, and 40 acres of woods) in Carmarthenshire and applied for permission to turn the farm into a Welsh home for him and the Duchess of Cornwall, which would be rented out when the couple were away. in residence. Neighbors said the proposal violated local planning regulations, and the application was put on hold while a report was being compiled on how the changes would affect the local bat population. Charles and Camilla first stayed at the new building called Llwynywermod in June 2008.

Since 1993, the Prince of Wales has voluntarily paid the tax under the Memorandum of Understanding on Royal Taxation, which was updated in 2013. In December 2012, the Royal Customs and Excise were sent to investigate alleged tax evasion by the Duchy of Cornwall.

Awards and honors of Prince Charles

Titles of the Prince of Wales

Charles held titles throughout his life, as the grandson of a monarch, the son of a monarch, and in his own right. He was British prince from birth and was named Prince of Wales in 1958. There have been speculations about what throne name the prince would choose when he ascended the throne. If he retains his current name, he will be known as Charles III. However, in 2005 it was reported that Charles suggested that he might reign as George VII in honor of his maternal grandfather and avoid association with the Stuart kings Charles I (who was beheaded) and Charles II (who was known for his promiscuous lifestyle). and also take into account the memory of Bonnie Prince Charlie, whom his supporters called "Charles III". Charles's office responded that "no decision has yet been made".

Honorary and military titles of a British prince

Charles held key positions in armed forces number of countries, after being appointed as an Air Captain in the Royal Air Force in 1972. Charles' first honorary appointment in the military was as honorary commander of the Royal Regiment of Wales in 1969; the prince has since also been promoted to honorary commander, colonel, honorary air commodore, air commander in chief, deputy colonel, royal honorary colonel, royal colonel and honorary commodore for at least 32 military formations throughout the Commonwealth, including the Royal Gurkha Regiment of Foot, which is the only foreign regiment in the British Army. Since 2009, Charles has been ranked second in all three branches of the Canadian Forces, and on June 16, 2012, the Queen awarded the Prince of Wales with the honorary rank of Marshal in all three branches of the British Armed Forces "to reward his support in the role of Commander-in-Chief", appointing him Admiral of the Fleet, Field Marshal and Marshal of the Royal Air Force.

He has been awarded seven titles, received eight awards from Commonwealth states and received 20 different honors from foreign countries, as well as nine honorary degrees from universities in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

Coat of arms of the Prince of Wales

Personal flag and coat of arms of Prince Charles

The standards used by the prince vary by location. His personal standard, based on that of the United Kingdom, features a triangular silver insignia and the coat of arms of the Principality of Wales in the center of the shield. It is used outside of Wales, Scotland, Cornwall and Canada, and throughout the United Kingdom when the Prince is acting as an official representing the British Armed Forces.

The personal standard for use in Wales is based on the Royal Standard of Wales (historical weapon of the Kingdom of Gwynedd), which consists of four quadrants: the first and fourth with a red lion on a gold field, the second and third with a golden lion on a red field. At the top is a shield crowned with the crown of the Prince of Wales.

In Scotland, the personal coat of arms used since 1974 is based on three ancient Scottish titles: Duke of Rothesay (heir to the King of Scots), Grand Steward of Scotland and Lord of the Isles. The flag is divided into four quadrants, like the arms of Clan Chief Stuart Appin; on the first and fourth quadrants a gold field with blue and silver checkered stripes in the center; the second and third quadrants show a black galley on a silver field. The weapon differs from Appin's in the addition of a shield surmounted by a Scottish royal lion; covered with a blue tournament collar to designate the heir.

In Cornwall, the symbol is the coat of arms of the Duke of Cornwall: "Sable fifteen bezants Or", that is, a black field with fifteen gold coins.

In 2011, the Canadian Heraldic Authority provided a personal heraldic banner to the Prince of Wales for use in Canada, consisting of the shield of the Canadian Forces surrounded by a blue circle of Prince of Wales feathers and a wreath of golden maple leaves and a three-piece white emblem.

Camilla and Prince Charles have been waiting for their happiness for more than three decades, and no one suspected that this long-term romance would end in marriage. Many people knew about the love triangle, but they pretended that nothing was happening - each of its participants played their role very well. Most likely, Camilla would have remained in the role of a mistress, but fate had other plans. The day of the death of Princess Diana was the beginning of a new stage in the life of Charles and his longtime lover.

Camilla and Prince Charles meet

The couple met in 1972 at a party at the Annabelles Club. They were brought together by Lucia Santa Cruz, the daughter of the Chilean ambassador to the UK and ex girlfriend Charles. Charles quickly got tired of her, and she gave him to her friend Camille Shand, who had just broken up with Andrew Parker-Bowles (their relationship with the officer lasted 7 years). This hated acquaintance quickly grew into a passionate relationship. It was rumored that one day Camilla invited Charles to repeat the fate of their ancestors: her great-grandmother Alice Keppel had long been the mistress of Edward VIII, Charles's great-grandfather.

However, Camilla had no chance of becoming the wife of the heir to the British throne, and she understood this very well. She was not from a noble family - Camilla's father was an ordinary wine merchant. And besides, the girl did not differ in modesty and well-behaved behavior - she smoked, drank, and there were always crowds of men around her. If Charles entered into such a marriage, he would immediately lose his right to the throne.

2. The marriage of the heir to the throne and the marriage of his beloved

A year after meeting Charles, Camilla married her longtime lover Andrew Parker Bowles. Soon the couple has a son. There were rumors that it was Charles's child. The prince becomes a regular guest in the house of the spouses. Andrew did not interfere with this, knowing full well that the heir to the throne is not indifferent to his wife and these feelings are mutual. In 1979, Camilla's daughter was born, and soon the woman's romance with Charles resumed. However, Andrew himself constantly had affairs with other women, and his wife's connection on the side did not really bother him.

Queen Elizabeth II, realizing that Charles fell under the influence of Camilla, decided to marry him. The crown prince was already 32 years old, and there were still no heirs, and this fact worried the royal family very much. It was very difficult to choose a candidate, because the sexual revolution, which lasted in the 60-70s, did not pass without a trace. Finding a virgin, which should be a princess, was not easy even in high society. Elizabeth II picked up a great option for her son - Diana Spencer, a 19-year-old beauty who has long been in love with the heir.

Future princess she had heard about the love of Charles and Camilla, but naively believed that she would be able to win the heart of the heir to the throne, and their family life would be like a fairy tale. Camilla, on the other hand, was sure that the future wife of her lover, a young and inexperienced fool, could not interfere with their love.

In the summer of 1981, the wedding of Charles and Diana took place. But this did not stop the heir to the British throne a couple of days before his own wedding to give his mistress a gift - a bracelet on which were the initials G and F (these are the first letters of the secret names of lovers - Gladys and Fred). Rumor has it that both Diana and Charles offered to call off the engagement, but the royal family insisted on marriage.

3. Charles' family life

Despite the youth and beauty of Princess Diana, she failed to win the prince's heart. The subjects of the British Queen admired her, the whole world loved her, but only her husband was completely indifferent to her. Even when Diana gave the royal family two heirs, her family life did not improve. The rival was always somewhere nearby. Camilla attended the betrothal of Charles and Diana. True, her name was deleted from the list of those invited to the wedding breakfast at the palace. And she decided to take revenge. When the couple went to honeymoon trip, Camilla planted her photos on her lover, which his wife discovered.

Diana often caught her husband talking with Camilla, and the mistress repeatedly made it clear to her legal wife that she was aware of all, even the most intimate details of the family life of the royal couple. In the late 1980s, Diana allows herself a relationship on the side. Her marriage to Charles becomes a pure formality, but the war between women continues. In the early 1990s, the book Diana. A True Story, in which, according to the princess, the relationship between Charles and Camilla was described throughout the entire family life of the royal family. In 1992, it became known that Diana and Charles were no longer together, and in 1996 their marriage was officially annulled.

Camilla and Charles

Not much time has passed since the death of Princess Diana in 1997, and Charles begins to take Camilla with him to official receptions as part of his retinue. He probably wanted the public to get used to it and prepared public opinion. The prince fully provided for his beloved, and in 2003 the topic of legal marriage was first raised. In 2005, Elizabeth II blessed Charles and Camilla, and the wedding took place. After the marriage, the woman received all the titles that Diana had. But either as a sign of respect for the deceased, or for some other reason, Camilla does not use the title of “Princess of Wales”.

Time passed and people came to terms with the new wife of Prince Charles. Unlike Diana, Camilla keeps aloof from her husband in public, tries not to attract attention to herself, highlighting her husband.

It would seem that the 35-year history of waiting ended in a happy ending, if not for one thing. Recently, the English media raised a commotion - after 10 years of marriage, the Duchess of Cornwall demands a divorce from Charles and $ 360 million in compensation. Otherwise, Camilla threatens to pull out all the skeletons from the closets of Buckingham Palace into the light of day. Is it really so inglorious end of the most stormy romance in the history of the British monarchy?

What is the “Prokofiev Case”, and you can find out in one of our previous reviews.

Prince Charles Philip Arthur George, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain (then a princess) and her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was born in London on November 14, 1948. On February 6, 1952, Elizabeth's father, King George VI, died, the princess ascended the throne, and Charles became heir to the throne.

Charles was brought up at court, and then in privileged public schools. In 1967 he entered Trinity College, Cambridge University, where he studied archeology and anthropology, and then history. In 1969 he studied Welsh for one semester at the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth. In the same year he officially received the title of Prince of Wales. On February 11, 1970, the prince took a seat in the House of Lords, in the same year he graduated from Cambridge with a bachelor's degree.

In March 1971, Prince Charles began military service. He was trained as a fighter and helicopter pilot and served on British Navy ships. In 1976 he was appointed commander of the Coast Guard minesweeper Bronington, and in this capacity he spent the last nine months of service. He completed his service with the rank of captain in the Navy.

In 1981, the Prince married Lady Diana Spencer, whom he had met four years earlier. Diana became known as the Princess of Wales. The couple had two sons: in 1982 - Prince William, and in 1984 - Prince Henry, better known as Prince Harry. Relations between Charles and Diana did not develop in the best way, and in the mid-1980s, the prince resumed his longtime romance with Camilla Parker Bowles.

In 1992, the separation of Charles and Diana was officially announced, and in 1996 their marriage was officially annulled. Diana retained the title of Princess of Wales and continued to carry out charitable activities in accordance with her position in society. The relationship between the prince and princess was actively covered in the media with all the scandalous details. In the mid-1990s, they both publicly admitted to adultery. In 1997, Princess Diana died in a car accident in Paris.

The first wife of Prince Charles was very popular in the UK and abroad. The divorce and subsequent death of Diana caused serious damage to the reputation of the heir to the throne. He himself and his mistress Parker Bowles, in the eyes of the admirers of the Princess of Wales, became the main culprits in the breakdown of her marriage.

In the post-1997 period, there was a public campaign to rehabilitate the Prince of Wales. He began to appear in public with Camilla, and in 2005 their engagement was announced. Their marriage was concluded during a civil ceremony, Camilla received the title of Countess of Cornwall. In the event of Charles's accession to the throne, she will be called the "Princess Consort".

The failures in Prince Charles' family life attracted close public attention and were the likely reason for his attempts to actively participate in politics. According to critics, Charles's desire to declare himself as a political figure, including through conflicts with the government, did not lead to success. An additional source of concern for the prince was the scandal over the alleged abuses of his associates, which developed in 2002-2003. Charles himself during this scandal was suspected of having a homosexual relationship with one of his advisers, but these suspicions were not confirmed.