Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, is the oldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
Born November 14, 1948, his full name is Charles Philip Arthur George. His mother became queen in 1952 after the death of his grandfather, King George VI, making Chalres heir apparent at age three.
Here are five facts about Prince Charles.
He is a trained pilot
Like his father, grandfather and great-grandfathers before him, Prince Charles had a career in the Navy. In 1971, he flew himself to the Royal Air Force Cranwell in Lincolnshire, England to train as a jet pilot. Later that year, he entered a six-week course at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, and served on the HMS Norfolk.
Credit: WPA Pool
Credit: WPA Pool
In 1974, the prince became a helicopter pilot and joined the 845 Naval Air Squadron. During his last nine months in the Navy, he commanded the HMS Bronington.
He is the first royal heir to have a university degree
Prince Charles earned his degree at the University of Cambridge's Trinity College in 1970. In doing so, he became the firs royal heir apparent to earn a degree. He studied anthropology and archaeology and later changed to history for the second part of his degree.
His marriage to Diana involved adultery on both sides
Prince Charles married Princess Diana July 29, 1981, and they had two children together, Prince William in 1981, and Prince Harry, born in 1984. The two divorced August 28, 1996, after announcing a separation in 1992.
In a 1994 TV documentary, Charles admitted he had committed adultery in his marriage to Diana, but only after their marriage "became irretrievably broken down, us both having tried."
Related: Photos: Prince Charles through the years
A year later, Diana gave a TV interview in which she also admitted she was unfaithful. She also said her marriage with Charles involved Camilla Parker- Bowles, Charles' mistress.
“A woman’s instinct is a very good one; obviously I had knowledge of it from people who minded and cared about our marriage,” she said. “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”
Charles and Camilla married in mostly private wedding April 9, 2005.
He’s a children’s book author
In 1980, Prince Charles published "The Old Man of Lochnagar." He's billed as HRH The Prince of Wales on the book, which is about an old man who lives in a cave and falls into the Loch of Lochnagar. Once there, he meets a bubble-blowing sea god.
He has his own charitable foundation
The Prince of Wales's Charitable Foundation was founded in 1979 and incorporated in 2008. It supports Charles' charitable work in responsible business, youth and education, sustainability, and other areas.
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