King Charles III is celebrating his 76th birthday today. Here's the best photo from every year of his royal career.
Tom Murray,Alison Millington,Mikhaila Friel
King Charles III is celebrating his 76th birthday on November 14.Joe Giddens - WPA Pool / Getty Images
- King Charles III is celebrating his 76th birthday today.
- Charles was the longest-serving heir apparent before he became monarch in 2022.
1971: Having become the first heir to the throne to graduate with a university degree (a 2:2 from Trinity College Cambridge), Prince Charles flew himself to RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire to train as a jet pilot.
HRH Prince Charles completed his first circuit consolidation exercise in 1971. Pool Photo RAF - Handout / Getty Images
1972: After passing his RAF training, Charles embarked on a career in the Royal Navy.
Prince Charles joined his first ship, the guided missile destroyer HMS Norfolk, in 1972. AP Photo / B.O.P.
1973: The then-prince visited the Bahamas for the islands' last days as a British colony. After more than 300 years of British sovereignty, the Bahamas became an independent nation on July 9.
The then-titled Prince Charles visited the Bahamas in 1973. AP Photo
1974: Charles made his maiden speech in the House of Lords, becoming the first royal to do so since his great-great-grandfather Edward VII in 1884.
Charles is the oldest child of Queen Elizabeth II. AP Photo
Source: The New York Times
1975: Continuing to dip into military training, Charles returned to Cambridge to receive his masters degree.
Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, took an assault course at the Royal Marines Training Centre in Lympstone, Devon in 1975. Central Press / Hulton Archive / Getty Images
1976: Prince Charles took command of his first ship, the coastal minehunter HMS Bronington. It was also his last year of active military service and the year he started his charity, The Prince's Trust.
Prince Andrew visited Prince Charles aboard his ship, the coastal minesweeper HMS Bronington, in London in November 1976. AP Photo
Source: The Prince's Trust
1977: The prince appeared in a disastrous interview on Australian television. The host of the show "Countdown" suffered a complete meltdown on-air, even saying: "Your Royal Highness... oh, oh, I'm sweating like a pig."
Prince Charles appeared on "Countdown" in 1977. Breathing Air / YouTube
1978: Prince Charles made the cover of TIME magazine. The publication described him as a "most uncommon bloke."
Prince Charles appeared on the cover of "TIME" in 1978. CAROLE CUTTNER / TIME
Source: TIME
1979: Prince Charles attended the funeral of his great uncle and mentor, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, who was murdered by the IRA.
Lord Mountbatten died in 1979. Central Press / Hulton Archive / Getty Images
1980: Prince Charles met Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India. He also published a children's book, "The Old Man of Lochnagar," originally written for his younger brother Prince Edward.
Prince Charles met with Mother Teresa during his visit to her home for babies and children in December 1980. Keystone / Hulton Archive / Getty Images
Source: The Telegraph
1981: Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, who became the Princess of Wales. At the time of their February engagement, Diana was 19 years old, while Charles was 31.
Britain's Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were engaged in 1981. AP Photo / Ron Bell, pool, file
1982: Prince William of Wales was born, and Charles became the first royal father to be present at the birth of his son.
Prince William is Charles and Diana's oldest son. AP Photo / David Caulkin
1983: The Prince and Princess of Wales toured Australia and New Zealand — a trip that was mirrored by newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.
Diana, Princess of Wales, and Prince Charles visited Canberra, Australia, in March 1983. AP Photo / Dave Caulkin
1984: Prince Harry was born, making the Wales' a family of four.
Prince Harry joined the family in 1984. AP Photo
1985: Charles and Diana whipped the US into a frenzy when they visited Washington D.C. At the White House, the princess took to the dance floor with John Travolta.
Princess Diana shared a dance with John Travolta at the White House in 1985. AP Photo / Ronald Reagan Library, File
1986: Charles and Diana visited Tokyo, Japan, and watched a sumo tournament.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana spoke with high-ranking sumo wrestlers during their visit to Kokugikan National Sumo arena in Tokyo, Japan, in 1986. AP Photo / Katsumi Kasahara
1987: Charles and Diana were invited on a Majorcan holiday by the King of Spain. Charles later said his marriage had broken down completely by this point.
King Juan Carlos, Princess Diana, Prince Charles, and Queen Sofia during a visit to Toledo, Spain in 1987. AP Photo
Source: The Guardian
1988: Charles diced with death while skiing with friends in Klosters, Switzerland, when an avalanche hit. The prince's friend Major Hugh Lindsay was killed and another friend, Patti Palmer-Tomkinson, was seriously injured.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles regularly went on ski trips. AP Photo
Source: The Telegraph
1989: Prince Charles gave a speech at the Saving the Ozone Layer World Conference in London, saying "human beings have been upsetting that balance [of nature], persistently" since the Industrial Revolution.
![1989: Prince Charles gave a speech at the Saving the Ozone Layer World Conference in London, saying "human beings have been upsetting that balance [of nature], persistently" since the Industrial Revolution.](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-115303493,width-700,height-525,imgsize-90368/1989-prince-charles-gave-a-speech-at-the-saving-the-ozone-layer-world-conference-in-london-saying-quothuman-beings-have-been-upsetting-that-balance-of-nature-persistentlyquot-since-the-industrial-revolution-.jpg)
Prince Charles attended a military ceremony with Harry and William at Kensington Palace in 1989. Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
Source: The Telegraph
1990: The prince broke his arm after falling off his horse during a game of polo. Charles later required a second operation after the fracture failed to heal.
Prince Charles had to wear a sling after breaking his arm. AP Photo / Gill Allen
Source: The Telegraph
1991: The prince resigned as the patron of Scotland's national museum over a competition to design a new building. He said too much weight had been given to the opinion of "so-called experts."
Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited an iron ore mine near Carajas, Brazil, in 1991. AP Photo / Dave Caulkin, file
Source: BBC
1992: Andrew Morton published "Diana: Her True Story," detailing the breakdown of Charles and Diana's marriage. In December, the Prime Minister, John Major, announced to the House of Commons that The Prince and Princess of Wales had agreed to separate.
The front cover of "Diana, Her True Story" by Andrew Morton. AP Photo / PA
1993: 'Camillagate' — The Daily Mirror leaked recordings of an explicit phone conversation between Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles in which the prince expressed his desire to live inside her trousers.
Prince Charles visited Oaxaca City, Mexico, in February 1993. AP Photo / Richard Drew
Source: The Daily Mirror
1994: In this photo taken in Sydney, Australia, Prince Charles is pushed to safety by security personnel after 24-year-old student David Kang fired two blank rounds from a starter gun at him. Kang was protesting the treatment of Cambodian asylum seekers in Australia.
Prince Charles was pushed to safety after a student fired two blank rounds at him. AP Photo / Bluey Thompson
Source: LA Times
1995: Diana gave an interview to Panorama where she said: "There were three of us in this marriage." British press reported that the Queen had written to Charles and Diana urging them to divorce.
London newspapers' front page headlines in December 1995. AP Photo / Martin Cleaver
Sources: The Guardian, BBC, The New York Times
1996: Charles and Diana's marriage dissolved after 15 years. The princess was still regarded as a member of the royal family and continued to live in Kensington Palace.
Princess Diana and a friend were seen in London shortly after her divorce was announced. AP Photo / Peter Jordan
Source: The Prince of Wales
1997: Princess Diana is killed in a car crash in Paris. Charles flew to Paris with Diana's two sisters to bring her body back to London.
Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry attended Princess Diana's funeral in 1997. AP Photo / John Gaps III
1998: Prince Charles dropped Prince Harry off at the prestigious Eton College where he would join his brother William as a boarder.
Prince Harry enrolled in a private boarding school in 1998. AP Photo / Pool
1999: Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles made their first public appearance together at The Ritz in London.
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles left the Ritz Hotel in London in January 1999. AP Photo / Alastair Grant, File
2000: Camilla met with the Queen for the first time at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire. The meeting was a sign that Camilla was finally being accepted into the royal folds and by the public.
Camilla and Prince Charles stepped out officially as a couple. AP Photo / Kent Gavin / Pool
2001: Charles launched a report warning that half of all British villages no longer have a pub. "Rural pubs must draw on their resourcefulness and resilience," the prince said.
Prince Charles sampled a pint of beer during a visit to a hotel in Stainforth, Yorkshire, in 2001. AP Photo / John Giles / WPA
2002: Charles visited Brazil and took to the football pitch before heading to Mexico as part of a royal visit.
Prince Charles visited a cultural center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in March 2002. AP Photo / Douglas Engle
2003: Prince Charles posed for a photo with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation.
In 2003, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 50 years since her coronation. AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth / Pool
2004: Charles shared a laugh with son Prince William during the family's annual skiing holiday in the Swiss Alps in March.
Prince Charles and Prince William visited the Swiss village of Klosters at the start of their annual skiing holiday in 2004. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
2005: Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at the Guildhall, Windsor, on April 9. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh did not attend, although they did host a reception.
Prince Charles married Camilla in 2005. Georges De Keerle/Getty Images
2006: Prince Charles greets former Spice Girls Emma Bunton and Geri Halliwell during a garden party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Prince's Trust.
Charles' charity, The Prince's Trust, celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2006. AP
Source: BBC
2007: The Prince of Wales was awarded the Global Environmental Citizen Award from Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment.
Prince Charles gave a speech after receiving the Harvard Medical School Center for Health and the Global Environment's 10th Anniversary Global Environmental Citizen award. Stephen Chernin-POOL/Getty Images
Source: The Harvard Gazette
2008: Prince Charles celebrated his 60th birthday — the first Prince of Wales to reach this milestone without becoming monarch.
Prince Charles holds a birthday cake he was given during his visit to Beckton Community Centre in 2008. Chris Jackson/Getty Images
2009: Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, presented him with the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honour on May 18, 2009 — the highest accolade the society can give.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles visited the Chelsea Flower Show in May 2009. Sang Tan/WPA Pool/Getty Images
2010: The Prince of Wales dabbled in a putt or two ahead of the Ryder Cup golf tournament in Newport, Wales.
Prince Charles practices putting during a visit prior to the 2010 Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort in 2010. Andrew Redington / Getty
2011: Charles' son Prince William married Kate Middleton in a celebration that caught the attention of the entire world. It was also the year Prince Charles became the oldest heir apparent to bear the title Prince of Wales.
Prince William and Kate were joined by the royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony after their wedding. AP
2012: The whole country — and the world — celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne.
The royal family gathered at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. AP
2013: Prince Charles became a grandfather for the first time when Kate Middleton gave birth to Prince George. He looked pretty delighted to receive a teddy bear to give to his new grandson a few days later.
Prince Charles was presented with a teddy bear for Prince George of Cambridge during a visit to the 132nd Sandringham Flower Show at Sandringham House. Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images
2014: The Invictus Games, an international sports event for wounded warriors founded by Prince Harry, took place in September 2014 in London.
William, Charles, and Harry watched the athletics at Lee Valley Track during the Invictus Games in London, England. Chris Jackson / Getty
2015: During a 12-day tour of New Zealand and Australia, the Prince of Wales placed a poppy on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
Prince Charles visited the Australian War Memorial in November 2015. Mick Tsikas - Pool/Getty Images
2016: As part of a celebration for the 500th Anniversary of the Royal Mail, Prince Charles took a ride on a motorbike that was once used for delivering telegrams.
Prince Charles tries a 1933 BSA 500cc motorbike used for delivering telegrams as he attends a reception to mark the 500th Anniversary of the Royal Mail. Chris Jackson / Getty
2017: In November, Charles spent three days visiting the Caribbean islands that were hit by earthquakes in September. Here, he surveys the devastation in Barbuda.
Prince Charles viewed the destroyed landscape left by the hurricane in Codrington, Barbuda. Chris Jackson / Getty
2018: Prince Charles took Meghan Markle's arm as he prepared to walk her down the aisle when she married his son, Prince Harry. The Duchess of Sussex did not have her own father present at the wedding.
Meghan Markle walks down the aisle with Prince Charles. Dominic Lipinski/ - WPA Pool/Getty Images
2019: Charles became a grandfather again, this time to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first son, Archie Harrison. He attended the christening ceremony alongside the royal family in July.
The royal family at Archie's christening. Chris Allerton/Getty Images
2020: It was a difficult year for Charles, who tested positive for COVID-19 in March shortly before his son, Prince William, also tested positive in April. "I thought to myself, if anybody is going to beat this, it's going to be him," William told the BBC of his father's recovery.
Kate Middleton shared this photo of William and Charles on Father's Day 2020. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge/Twitter
Source: BBC
2021: Prince Charles was one of 30 guests permitted to attend Prince Philip's funeral on April 17. Charles' father died on April 9 at the age of 99.
Prince Charles stands behind Prince Philip's coffin. Max Mumby/Getty Images
2022: Charles became King Charles III upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8. He led the procession at the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey.
King Charles led the procession at his mother's funeral. MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Image
2023: King Charles celebrated his coronation in May. That same year, the palace announced that Camilla's title would change from "Queen Consort" to "Queen."
King Charles III is photographed during his coronation celebrations in May 2023. Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
2024: It's been a tough year for King Charles, who was diagnosed with cancer in January. He has continued royal duties, and most recently undertook a visit to Australia in October.
King Charles received cards and messages following his cancer diagnosis. Jonathan Brady - Pool/Getty Images
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