Royal family shares some facts about King Charles

Royal family has shared some facts about King Charles ahead his coronation on May 6.

According to palace, Prince Charles Philip Arthur George was born at Buckingham Palace on 14th November 1948 at 9.14pm, weighing 7lbs 6oz.

The former Prince Charles became heir apparent (next in line to the throne) at the age of three 1952, and went onto become the longest serving Prince of Wales in 2017.

He was the first heir to see his mother crowned as Sovereign.

The King has three siblings, two sons, two step-children, five grandchildren and five step-grandchildren.

The first formal photograph of The King was taken by Cecil Beaton in December 1948.

The King’s first visit abroad was to Malta, when he was five years old. Since 1969, he has visited 48 Commonwealth countries, many of them on several occasions.

He was the first heir to the throne to earn a university degree. The King studied archaeology and anthropology in his first year at the University of Cambridge, switching to history for the remainder of his degree. His Majesty also spent a term at the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth (April to June 1969) learning Welsh.

While at school, The King played the piano, trumpet and cello. He continued to play the cello while an undergraduate at Cambridge, performing in a symphony concert by the Trinity College Orchestra on 4th December 1967.

King Charles obtained his RAF wings as Flight Lieutenant Wales in August 1971.

The King commanded HMS Bronington in 1976, while serving in the Royal Navy.

He started charity The Prince’s Trust with his Navy severance pay of just over £7000 in 1976. The charity has now supported over one million young people.

The monarch was also the first member of The Royal Family to successfully complete the Parachute Regiment’s training course, before he was appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment in 1977.

The King, as Prince of Wales, was given the title, 'Keeper of the Cows', by the Masai in Tanzania in 2011 to recognise his work as a farmer.

In the Pacific Island of Vanuatu, he was given the title Mal Menaringmanu (High Chief) in 2018.

The King also had a frog named after him: Hyloscirtus Princecherlesi or Prince Charles Magnificent Tree Frog.

As Prince of Wales, he became President or Patron of over 800 charities and initiatives in total.

A champion of environmental issues for over 50 years, the King first spoke publicly about his concerns on pollution and plastics and their impact on the natural world in 1970.

At the age of 16 years, the King undertook his first official Royal duty in June 1965, attending a student garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The King is an author. He wrote The Old Man of Lochnagar, based on stories he told his younger brothers growing up. He has also written books on the natural world and the environment including 'Harmony'; and 'Climate Change, a Ladybird Expert Book'.

The King is a keen painter and had a watercolour displayed in the Royal Academy's 1987 summer exhibition, after it was submitted anonymously.

In 1975, the King became a member of the Magic Circle, a society of stage magicians founded in London in 1905, after passing his audition with a magic trick.

The King made a cameo appearance on Coronation Street in 2000, and on EastEnders in 2022 in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

He purchased an Aston Martin DB6 Mark 2 Volante in November 1970, which has since been converted to run on E85 bioethanol made from by-products of the wine and cheese industries. The Prince and Princess of Wales left Buckingham Palace in His Majesty's Aston Martin following their wedding in April 2011.

The King often carries out tree planting ceremonies during engagements. After planting each tree, His Majesty gives a branch a friendly shake to wish them well.

On Saturday, he will be crowned King.