Royal Profile: The Prince Charles of Wales

Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor otherwise known as The Prince Charles of Wales was born on 14 November 1948 as the first child of The Princess Elizabeth, The Duchess of Edinburgh and Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh {Source}.
The Prince of Wales has two younger brothers, a younger sister, two former siblings-in-law, and two current siblings-in-law, four nieces, two nephews-in-law (and another pending), two nephews and a niece-in-law, as well as four great nieces:

1. The Princess Anne, The Princess Royal (1950)
1. Captain Mark Anthony Peter Phillips (m. 1973-1992, div)
1. Peter Mark Andrew Phillips (1977)
1. Autumn Patricia Kelly Philips (1978, m. 2008)
1. Savannah Anne Kathleen Phillips (2010)
2. Isla Elizabeth Phillips (2012)
2. Zara Anne Elizabeth Phillips Tindall (1981)
1. Michael James Tindall (1978, m. 2011)
1. Mia Grace Tindall (2014)
2. Lena Elizabeth Tindall (2018
2. Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence (1955, m. 1992)
2. The Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward, The Duke of York (1960)
1. Sarah, Duchess of York (1959, m. 1986-1996, div)
1. Princess Beatrice Elizabeth Mary of York (1988)
1. Edoardo Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi (1983, engaged 2019)
2. Princess Eugenie Victoria Helena, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank (1990)
1. Mr. Jack Christopher Stamp Brooksbank (1986, m. 2018)
3. The Prince Edward Anthony Richard Louis, The Earl of Wessex (1964)
1. Sophie, The Countess of Wessex (1964, m. 19999)
1. The Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor (2003)
2. James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn (2007)

His godparents were:

1. King George V (his maternal grandfather)
2. King Haakon VIII (his distant cousin)
3. Queen Mary (his maternal great grandmother)
4. The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (his maternal aunt)
5. Prince George of Greece (his paternal granduncle)
6. Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (his paternal great-grandmother)
7. Patricia Edwina Victoria Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma (his paternal cousin)
8. The Hon. David Bowes-Lyon (his maternal granduncle)

When he was just three years old, he became heir-apparent to the throne at his mother's ascendance to the throne in 1952{Source}. He was 4 years old on his mother's 2 June 1953 Cpronation at Westminister Abbey. Many who watched the Coronation have vivid memories of him seated between his widowed grandmother, now to be known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and his aunt, Princess Margaret. {Source}.

Unlike his mother's upbringing of an education at Buckingham Palace, the young Prince's parents decided to educate him at top private schools in London{Source}. He began his education at the prestigious Hill House school in West London, shortly before his eighth birthday {Source}. After just one school year (10 months to be exact), he became a boarder at the prestigious Cheam School. Like his father previously, Prince Charles attended Gordonstoun School beginning when he was 13 years old{Source}. In 1966, he attended two terms as an exchange student at Timbertop, a remote outpost of the Geelong Church of England Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia{Source}. After two terms in Australia, he returned for a final year at Gordonstoun School, where he was appointed School Guardian (Head Boy){Source}. Having passed six O Levels, the Prince took a Levels in 1967, where he received a B in History, C in French and a distinction in an optional special history paper.
After graduting from Gordonstoun, he attended the University of Cambridge, where he studied archaeology and anthropology at Trinity College, changing to history for the latter half of his degree, and was awarded a 2:2 degree in 1970{Source}.

When he was just 9 years old, his mother created him The Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester{Source}. He was invested as Prince of Wales by The Queen on 1st July 1969 in a colorful ceremony at Caernarfon Castle{Source}. Before the investiture The Prince had spent a term at the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth, learning to speak Welsh.{Source}. In February 1970, he took his seat in the House of Lords. A year later, the Prince began a brief military career. He flew himself to Royal Air Force (RAF) Cranwell in Lincolnshire, to train as a jet pilot. At his own request, The Prince had received flying instruction from the RAF during his second year at Cambridge. In September 1971 after the passing out parade at Cranwell, The Prince embarked on a naval career, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and both his great-grandfathers. The six-week course at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, was followed by service on the guided missile destroyer HMS Norfolk and two frigates. He qualified as helicopter pilot in 1974 before joining 845 Naval Air Squadron, which operated from the Commando carrier HMS Hermes. On 9th February 1976, The Prince took command of the coastal minehunter HMS Bronington for his last nine months in the Navy. 

On 29th July 1981, The Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer in St Paul's Cathedral{Source}.

The Spencer family had a long standing connection with the British Royal Family-Lady Diana's father had been a equerry to Queen Elizabeth's parents and Lady Diana's maternal grandmother was a close friend and lady-in-waiting to Prince Charles's grandmother{Source}.
Through his marriage, he has two sons, two daughters-in-law, four grandsons and a granddaughter{Source}:

1. Prince William Arthur Philip Louis, The Duke of Cambridge (1982)
1. Catherine, The Duchess of Cambridge (1982)
1. Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge (2013)
2. Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge (2015)
3. Prince Louis Arthur Charles of Cambridge (2018)
2. Prince Henry Charles Albert David, The Duke of Sussex (1984)
1. Rachel Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex (1981, m. 2018)
1. Master Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor (2019)

During their marriage, the Prince and Princess of Wales carried out numerous overseas tours and engagements throughout the United Kingdom. In December 1992, it was announced that the Prince and Princess of Wales agreed to separate. The marriage was official dissolved in August 1996. Even with the end of the marriage, the Princess remained a member of the British Royal Family as mother of the heir apparent's heir.
She continued to reside at Kensington Palace and carry out work for numerous charities.
Upon her death in August 1997, the Prince flew to Paris with his two former sister-in-laws to accompany her body back to England.On the day of her funeral, he accompanied their two sons, who were age 15 and 12 at the time behind the coffin from The Mall to Westminster Abbey, along with the Princess's former father-in-law and her younger brother.

In April 2005, Prince Charles chose to make another change in his familial life. He married Camilla Parker-Bowels at the Guildhall, Windsor. After the ceremony, Camilla became known as The Duchess of Cornwall, which is one of the titles that Prince Charles holds as heir apparent{Source}.
She chose this title out of respect for her stepsons and the association the title Princess of Wales had with their mother. From his second marriage, he gained a stepson and stepdaughter, who were later joined by their own spouses and children:

1. Tom Parker-Bowels
1. Sara Parker-Bowles
1. Lola Parker-Bowles (2007)
2. Freddy Parker-Bowles (2010)
2. Laura Lopes
1. Harry Lopes
1. Eliza Lopes (2008)
2. Gus Lopes (2009)
3. Louis Lopes (2009)

Prince Charles is very active in charity work. He has developed an organization titled The Prince's Charities, which he is patron and President of. The charity reflects his long term and innovated perspectives, and seeks to address areas that have previous unmet needs. The Prince's primary interests are in fields such as the built of the environment, global sustainability, youth opportunity.

He shares his birthday with Camilla Katharina Maria von Lattorff (2005) (Liechtenstein).
He is named for :

1. Charles: Likely a name his parents liked.
2. Arthur: for one of Queen Victoria's sons
3. Philip: his father
4. George: his paternal great grandfather, King George I of Greece

At one time, the future monarch stated: "You have got to choose somebody very carefully, I think, who could fulfil this particular role, and it has got to be someone pretty special."{Source}.
In 1988 he wrote and presented a TV documentary, A Vision of Britain, setting out his view of architecture, conservation and the built environment {Source}. In May 1990, the Prince was back on TV presenting The Earth in Balance, a self-penned programme highlighting global issues {Source}.
A countryman at heart, he rides and supports hunting {Source}.
Charles was a keen polo player for much of his life, finally giving up the sport in November 2005 {Source}. He played in all four positions, but most often at No 4 (back) {Source}. The Charles is an experienced watercolourist and has been painting for most of his adult life {Source}.