Charles III

Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George, formally The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales; born 14 November 1948) is expected to be the next king of the United Kingdom and various other countries where the UK monarch is head of state. He is heir apparent to the throne as the eldest son of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and has held the heir's title Prince of Wales since 1958.

Charles has been married to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall since April 2005. His previous marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales ended with divorce in August 1996. From his first marriage he has two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

Charles holds various other ceremonial and military titles. He is Duke of Cornwall and therefore head of the Duchy of Cornwall, a large estate mostly in the south-west of England that earns about £15 million per year; about 60% of this goes on official duties and good causes. In Scotland, he is known as the Duke of Rothesay, and has several other lesser titles north of the England-Scotland border: Earl of Carrick, Baron Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. He is an admiral, air chief marshal and general within the three British armed forces. Between 1971 and 1976, he served in the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy; following the end of his active service, he received further honorary promotions, reaching the highest ranks in 2006. He also holds various commander-in-chief positions in subdivisions of the armed forces, including the Parachute Regiment. Charles never saw action during his military career, unlike his brother Andrew, who fought in the Falklands War.

Charles has extensively involved himself in charity work, heading 'The Prince's Charities', a group of 19 not-for-profit organisations which raise an estimated £119 million pounds annually.

See also

• Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
• Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh