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As a monarch, King Charles has led a remarkable life. From his early years to his career milestones, marriages, and numerous trips abroad, we have followed him. He has served in both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, has a passion for architecture, and takes on hundreds of engagements each year. In addition to his royal duties, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest child is renowned for being a devoted family man. He is best known for being Camilla’s husband, the father of Princes William and Harry, and the grandfather of Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Archie, and Lilibet. Click through to see some of his most significant and unforgettable life moments captured in photographs.
1948
Elizabeth II, Charles’ mother, is shown rocking a sleepy baby Charles when he was just one month old. His birth took place at Buckingham Palace on November 14, 1948.
1949
Posing for a photo with his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
1951
Upon the family’s return from Malta, he was seen walking hand in hand with his father, Prince Philip, at the London airport.
1953
Posing for a portrait as a toddler at Scotland’s Balmoral Castle.
1955
Prince Charles wore a kilt in the Balmoral Estate grounds.
1968
Princess Anne and Prince Charles at the Braemar Royal Highland gathering, observing the yearly games.
1968
Playing cricket against a team of Grand Prix racing car racers.
1969
Prince Charles at the University of Cambridge, in his room.
1969
At Caernarfon Castle for his solemn investiture as Prince of Wales.
1969
He is crowned Prince of Wales at the investiture while knelt before Queen Elizabeth II.
1969
Following the service, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles stroll together.
1970
Carrying his younger brother, Prince Edward, for a go-kart trip through Windsor Castle’s grounds.
1970
attending a tennis match at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships while sitting in the stands.
1971
On a four-day safari across Kenya’s Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve.
1974
At Windsor Great Park, he changed into a new outfit.
1975
Following a polo match, Prince Charles is captured in a snapshot.
1975
At Windsor’s Smith’s Lawn with Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia.
1975
On Parliament Hill in Ottawa, talking with a group of well-wishers from Canada.
1976
At the Badminton Horse Trials, Prince Charles proudly displays a beard.
1978
Before a game, standing next to Jane Ward at Windsor’s Smith’s Lawn Polo Grounds.
1979
fishing and having fun.
1980
During a break on a three-day walk over Nepal’s Himalayan foothills.
1981
Holding a formal photocall to reveal his engagement to Diana Spencer at Buckingham Palace.
1981
On the Buckingham Palace balcony on their wedding day with his bride, Princess Diana.
1981
Posing for a photograph in New Zealand’s Lake Manapouri.
1982
With their newborn baby, Prince William, Prince Charles and Princess Diana left the Lindo Wing of St. Mary’s Hospital.
1983
At Kensington Palace, Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and Prince William (carrying a toy koala) pose for a family portrait.
1984
Charles grabs William’s hand as they arrive at St Mary’s Hospital to see Princess Diana and baby Prince Harry.
1985
Giving his mother a hearty kiss on the head as she presented him with a trophy after a polo event in Windsor.
1985
Charles sits for a photograph with his two boys, Harry and William, at Kensington Palace.
1986
During his trip in Japan, he sketched in the grounds of Omiya Palace.
1986
In a happy family portrait taken in Kensington Palace, Prince Charles, Princess Diana, Prince William, and Prince Harry all grin.
1994
At Ginkel Heide in Arnhem, Netherlands.
1996
Exploring Turkmenistan’s Merv archaeological site.
1997
At their vacation residence, Balmoral, in Scotland, Prince William, Prince Charles, and Prince Harry smile for the camera.
1997
In Norway for King Harald and Queen Sonja’s birthday celebrations.
2002
On the ski slopes in Klosters, Switzerland, with Prince William.
2005
At Windsor Castle for his wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles.
2008
In honor of his 60th birthday, he posed for an official portrait.
2009
Kissing his mother’s hand after receiving the Royal Horticultural Society’s Victoria Medal of Honour at the Chelsea Flower Show in London.
2011
During their tour to the Apache Conversion Course, Prince Harry and King Charles standing in front of an Apache helicopter.
2013
At the Royal Ascot, he and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are laughing together.
2014
Having fun with Prince Harry during the Invictus Games’ London opening ceremony.
2014
Posing in front of the Mexican city of Campeche’s Edzná archaeological site.
2015
Arriving in a carriage at Ascot Racecourse for the first day of the Royal Ascot.
2015
At the Orokonui Ecosanctuary in Dunedin, New Zealand, giggling with Camilla.
2016
On the first day of their royal tour of the United Arab Emirates, they visited the Grand Mosque.
2018
Prince Charles is holding Prince Louis.
2018
At the St. George’s Chapel wedding to his son Prince Harry, Charles walked Meghan Markle down the aisle.
2018
A touching portrait of his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, as well as their wives, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle.
2018
Talking to Camilla at the reopening of The Strand Hall in Wales.
2018
On Buckingham Palace’s balcony to watch a flypast commemorating the Royal Air Force’s centennial.
2018
Dancers performing a greeting at Christiansborg Castle in Accra, Ghana.
2019
Giggling with his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
2019
During the first official royal visit to Cuba, Prince Charles makes a mojito.
2019
Throughout the Order of the Garter service, Prince William and Prince Charles walk in a procession.
2019
Visiting the Royal Botanic Park and petting Peter, a blue iguana.
2019
Princes Charles and Camilla attend a reception at the Governor-General’s residence on the Caribbean island of Nevis.
2019
Prince Charles and Camilla commemorate the reopening of Hillsborough Castle in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
2019
Prince Charles poses for a photograph at the British Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.
2019
Prince Charles pays a visit to the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in New Delhi, India.
2019
While touring the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in Waitangi, New Zealand, Prince Charles and Camilla attend a reception.
2019
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles are seated at the Houses of Parliament in London, England, for the State Opening of Parliament.
2019
Prince Charles poses for a group portrait with dancers after his public ocean event at Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara, Guadalcanal Island, Solomon Islands.
2019
At Portsmouth’s Her Majesty’s Naval Base, Prince Charles attends the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales’ ceremonial commissioning ceremony.
2020
The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles get ready to board a brand-new electric double-decker bus at Clarence House.
2020
Prince Charles chats with traders while visiting Leicester Market, the biggest covered outdoor market in Europe.
2020
Apparently, even royals enjoy Game of Thrones. Charles is shown here visiting a display at the Ulster Museum that was motivated by the performance.
2020
The coronavirus outbreak changed how holidays were spent at Buckingham Palace in 2020. The conversation between Charles and Camilla and Queen Elizabeth is taking place at a social distance.
2021
Prince Charles is among the royal family members who visit the Eden Project while in England for the G7 Summit.
2021
During the Royal Albert Hall premiere of No Time to Die, Charles strikes a glamorous pose.
2021
In Egypt during their vacation, Prince Charles and Camilla take a photo in front of the well-known Great Sphinx.
2021
The king takes part in a cricket match at the Sofia Gardens Cricket Ground.
2021
On behalf of his mother, Prince Charles awards the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering to a winner.
2022
Prince Charles reads his mother’s speech during the State Opening of Parliament in 2022 due to his mother’s health issues.
2022
From the Buckingham Palace balcony, Prince Charles and his mother take in the Trooping the Colour celebrations.
2022
Later that weekend, they would return to the balcony for further Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
2022
He signs a guest book at Canada House in London.
2022
Queen Elizabeth passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96. Here, her eldest son is seen walking behind her casket as she is laid to rest.
2022
Following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles addresses the nation live on television in England. He is seated in Buckingham Palace’s Blue Drawing Room.
2022
King Charles is still doing royal obligations while he waits to be crowned on May 6, 2023. Here, he and the Queen Consort Camilla commemorate the 950th birthday of Scotland’s Dunfermline Abbey.
