Facts about the King of England | All About King Charles III

This article will tell you all the facts about the King of England that you need to know! Whether it’s for a school assignment, because you’re just interested or as you have family living in the UK, this post about King Charles III gives you the full lowdown. And was written by a real-life English person!

King Charles didn’t even make it onto the throne until he reached his mid seventies. He was the longest serving heir in history, and was previously known as the Prince of Wales. That title has not passed to his son, Prince William, who is now next-in-line.

Though he’s probably not quite as famous as his late mother, King Charles III is instantly recognisable all over the world. If you want to find out some King Charles facts, then stay right here. Read on for lots of fascinating insights into the life of a British Royal! Alternatively, skip to facts about other famous folk here. Including Charles’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

You can also find out more in books about King Charles III

FAST FUN FACTS ABOUT THE KING

King Charles III had a much finer and more famous birthplace than his mother. He was born at Buckingham Palace in London. His full name is Charles Philip Arthur George.

Charles was just three years old when his mother became Queen. His father was her husband, the late Prince Philip, who was the Duke of Edinburgh. Charles has three siblings – Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. As the eldest, he became first in line to the throne.

Here are some interesting facts about King Charles III.

10 Facts about King Charles III

Here are 10 facts about King Charles to add some interest to your homework assignment!

In 1966, Charles III spent six months living in Victoria, Australia when he studied at Geelong Grammar School’s Timbertop campus.
Australia has caused some controversy on the other side of the world by deciding not to put King Charles onto its newest $5 banknotes. Instead the notes feature a First Australians theme to honour our nation’s heritage.
During the 1970s, Charles is said to have been keen on serving as the Governor-General of Australia. This was said to have been suggested by a former Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser of the Liberal Party.
In winter 2023 (which is during the Australian summer), King Charles opened up parts of Highgrove, the Castle of Mey and Dumfries House as ‘warm banks’. This move gives people somewhere to go if they cannot manage to stay warm during the cold English and Scottish winter.
King Charles is into alternative methods and therapies. He advocates organic farming and speaks out against climate change. He is also keen on alternative medicine, such as homeopathy. (This uses small doses of various substances, aimed at helping the body to heal itself.)
In Scotland, the King was Baron of Renfrew, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. He was also the Duke of Cornwall and the Earl of Chester in England, and the Prince of Wales.
Charles was the first heir apparent (which means the first in line to the throne) to attend school. He went to school in southern England and northeastern Scotland, then was the first heir apparent to get a university degree.
Before being married to Diana, Charles was romantically linked to her older sister Sarah. Talk about keeping it in the family!
Charles served with the Royal Air Force as a pilot, but quit flying in 1994 after a crash-landing on a Scottish island.
In 2021, Charles went to Barbados to witness the change of the Caribbean country to a republic. After that time, his mother was no longer head of state in Barbados.

KING CHARLES III EARLY YEARS

King Charles was born at Buckingham Palace in London. His date of birth is the 14th November 1948. Then, his grandfather George VI was King.

Queen Elizabeth II was Charles’ mother, and Prince Philip his father. He is the oldest of four children they had together. His sister is Princess Anne, and his brothers are Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

The King was only three years and three months old when he became first in line to the throne. This was because King George VI died, meaning his mother took over. As her oldest child, this made Charles the heir apparent. Imagine a country being ruled by a three year old!

The KING and the Royal family

No list of King Charles facts for kids would be quite right without some mention of his children and grandchildren.

The King’s children

The King has two children, and both are boys. Diana Spencer was the mother of both. William, who is now the Prince of Wales, is the oldest and as such he is next in line to the throne. Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, is now fifth in line to throne, after William’s own children.

The King’s daughters-in-law

As both of Charles’s sons are married, he has two daughters-in-law. The first was Catherine Middleton, whom William married in 2011. Seven years later, his brother Harry married Meghan Markle.

The King’s grandchildren

King Charles has five grandchildren. His oldest son William is father to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Harry is the dad of Archie and Lilibet. Lilibet was named after the Queen’s nickname.

Charles also has five step-grandchildren. This is a result of his marriage to Camilla Parker-Bowles.

KING charles III lifeline

So you can see what’s happened in the life of King Charles, here is a lifeline of the monarch. Events are listed in order, from the earliest to the most recent.

14th November 1948. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace.
6th February 1952. King George VI died, making Charles the heir apparent.
2nd June 1953. Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation took place.
29th July 1981. Charles wed Diana Spencer at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
21st June 1982. Prince William was born and named William Arthur Philip Louis.
15th September 1984. Prince Harry’s birth as Henry Charles Albert David.
9th December 1992. Charles and Diana announced their separation.
28th August 1996. Charles and Diana got divorced.
31st August 1997. Diana died in a car crash in Paris, France.
9th April 2005. The civil marriage of Charles and Camilla at Windsor Guildhall.
6th February 2022. The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was the first ever for a British monarch.
8th September 2022. The Queen died in Scotland at Balmoral and Charles became King.
19th September 2022. The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, mother of King Charles.
6th May 2023. The coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey.

KING CHARLES’s INTERESTS

One of the most interesting facts about the King is his interests. These are wide-ranging, and sometimes meet with mixed reactions. These include his concern regarding the environment, architecture, organic farming and alternative medicine.

The environment

King Charles has been interested in conserving the environment on planet Earth for a long time. He first spoke about the issues during the 1970s, when he drew attention to the problems caused by the use of disposable plastics, plus pollution in all its forms. Now, he often refers to the issues of sustainability and global warming.

The Prince’s Foundation was set up by the King, and one of its chief uses is to promote sustainable living.

Architecture

The built environment is also a big interest of the King’s. In particular, he’s not a fan of Modern or Modernist architecture. This typically uses materials such as concrete, steel and glass. New Classical is his preferred style of architecture.

Poundbury in Dorset was built as an extension to the county town of Dorchester, and Prince Charles – as he was then – was heavily involved in its planning. It’s what’s known in the UK as a new town – one that is planned rather than growing gradually over time.

Organic farming

Farming organically is also a big interest of the King’s. It involves growing crops and cultivating livestock (animals) without using chemicals and pesticides. Sometimes it’s referred to as biological or ecological farming.

Charles is also against genetically modified foods, otherwise known as bioengineered or genetically engineered foods. This means that the DNA of animals or plants may be altered by scientists.

In 1990, Charles established Duchy Originals Limited. This is now known as Waitrose Duchy Organic, and the range is sold in Waitrose supermarkets across the UK. It was named after the Duchy of Cornwall, which as the eldest son of the Queen Prince Charles was head of.

In Britain, Charles is infamous for saying he talks to his plants.

Alternative medicine

Alternative medicine is also something King Charles supports. He first mentioned this publicly during the early 1980s, and set up The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health (FIH) in 1993. It campaigned for complementary medicine to be used within the NHS.

After receiving a lot of criticism and a fraud case, FIH closed in 2010. Later that year, though, it was rebranded as The College of Medicine. Charles also become a Faculty of Homeopathy patron in 2019.

Other interests

King Charles has been involved with a wide range of sporting and artistic interests throughout his life so far. These include playing polo, salmon fishing, rifle shooting and fox hunting.

Over 20 organisations related to performing arts have the King as a patron or president. A number of these are musical, and he has also sung in a choir and played the cello.

The King is also a Magic Circle member, president of the Royal Shakespeare Company and a British Film Institute patron. Watercolour painting is also among his other interests.

Facts about the King for kids

We bet there’s some facts about Charles III there that you didn’t know before! Who knew, for example, that he was a member of the Magic Circle, or that he loved salmon fishing in Scotland and Iceland?

Though he came to the role later than any other British monarch, Charles III has at last got his chance to become King. How he’ll go down in history depends on what’s happened already plus how his role unfolds in the future, so keep an eye on what he’s up to if you want to see history being made!

For more fun facts about people, check out the links below to read out other articles.

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