The man known as Prince Charles for decades is now Britain’s King and the Head of the Commonwealth following his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s death. At 73, he has already lived a colourful life in the public eye.
He talks to plants, has a sports car that runs on ‘wine and cheese’ and was once nicknamed Action Man.
Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor is now king of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms, including Australia. Barbados became a republic in November
Charles had a number of girlfriends and pursued a range of outdoor pursuits, including polo, fishing, fox hunting and skiing, earning the nickname ‘Action Man’ from the media.
He also developed strong and abiding interests in the environment, art and architecture.
In a BBC interview in October 2021, he said he was “deeply worried” about the future of the planet and bemoaned the over-exploitation of the earth’s resources.
But King Charles III, Britain’s new monarch although well past retirement age, is in some ways a “good fit” with modern society. He’s a long-time passionate and knowledgeable advocate for the environment, a keen supporter of young people through his charity The Prince’s Trust.
Born 14 November 1948, Charles was barely three when his grandfather, King George VI, died and his mother, Elizabeth, took the throne.
But from the time he was old enough to understand, Charles knew he would one day be king.
