Charles is the heir to the throne; he will become King Charles III on either the abdication or the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Charles was the first heir to the throne of modern times to not be born in the presence of the government's Home Secretary, an unusual custom now abolished. Charles, born on 14th November 1948, had a pioneering childhood.

Whilst his mother was educated within the confines of the Palace and Windsor Castle, Charles went to a public school in London's Knightsbridge. This was a brave decision taken to keep pace with changing times. After his preparatory schools, Charles went to Gordonstoun in the north of Scotland. Gordonstoun is one of Britain's most elite private schools and is famed for its rugged character-building routine of work and physical discipline. Sent mainly on the wishes of his father, Charles did not feel entirely at home here, a fact well documented by recent writers and news reports. After taking his end of school exams ('O'-levels) he went to a prestigious Australian school called Timbertops. Remote from Gordonstoun in everyway, Charles was very happy here and flourished amongst his school friends. After finishing his pre-university 'A'-level exams, Charles went on to the glories of Trinity College, Cambridge. (Known simply as 'Trinity', this is one of the best colleges in the world and has produced many great minds and more Nobel Prize winners than Italy, France and Germany put together).

Charles studied Archaeology and succeeded in graduating despite the weight of his public duties. It was during his time at Cambridge that Charles was made Prince of Wales by his mother, the Queen. After a brief spell in the RAF he joined the Royal Navy and followed in the tradition of his father and the Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Charles great friend and confidant. Charles started off as a junior officer, moving on to flying and then commanding his own ship. He greatly enjoyed his time in the navy and his life as an officer far away from the newspaper cameramen and public life.

In 1977 Charles left the navy and took up his public duties in earnest which he has continued to this day. He has a very keen sense of duty, fulfilling his motto "Ich Dien", ("I Serve"). Charles first real public project, the Prince's Trust, brought him into close contact with Britain's poor and deprived and instilled in him a sensitivity for issues for which he is now well known, including environmental protection and the development of young people.

Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. To add to the catalogue of reports on the tragic breakdown of their marriage and the even more tragic of Diana one dark Parisian night is neither wanted nor needed here. However, the couple had two healthy sons from their marriage; William, second in line to the throne, and Henry.

Charles found himself under increasing pressure to step aside and allow William to take his place in line for the throne. Such calls came from those besotted with Diana and upset at the revelation of Charles' long-term relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles. This has thankfully abated somewhat with the reason behind much of this being the acceptance of Camilla by Prince William and Prince Harry. Prince Charles has continually engaged the goodwill of the public as a whole. His statements on social issues, along with acts such as the opening of new offices for those working with the homeless, has brought his popularity rating rising once more. We shall have a King Charles III.

The Prince enjoys outdoor pursuits including fishing, walking, riding and Polo, and is a keen gardener and painter.

Honours:

• KG - Order of the Garter
• KT - Order of the Thistle
• GCB - Order of the Bath