This article appeared in spellrock.com and has been published here with permission.
There is no denying that Prince Charles has had a rollercoaster ride of a life. From as early as he can remember, the Prince of Wales has always known that one day, the time would come for him to wear the crown and become the King of England. However, Queen Elizabeth II’s son has had many twists and turns in his life. Here are some of the most unforgettable ones…
Was He Really Born to Be King?
From day one, Prince Charles was a man of firsts and would often break the royal mold. In November 1948, a young Princess Elizabeth gave birth to Charles, with newspapers reporting at the time that he was a “lovely boy, a really splendid baby.”
WSL – Spurs
Amazingly, the newborn prince was the first royal baby to be born at Buckingham Palace in the 20th century. While he didn’t have to grow up during the first or second world war, Charles would have his own battles as the years progressed…
Passing of the Crown
6 February, 1952, marked a bittersweet time in the history of the British monarchy. King George VI, Charles’s grandfather, was diagnosed with coronary thrombosis and ultimately passed away. This meant two important things. Firstly, George’s daughter, Elizabeth, immediately became the Queen of England.
Subsequentially, at just three years and three months of age, Charles was now the first in line for the throne. This would begin one of the longest periods that any royal has had as heir…
The Little Prince
As the years went on, Charles was given and more and more titles. However, one of his most important titles came in July 1958, when his mother Queen Elizabeth II named him Charles Prince of Wales. It made sense, seeing that the nine-year-old was a male heir to the throne.
Over a decade later, Charles was officially crowned as Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle. Despite his royal duties building up, Prince Charles was still determined to have some sort of normality in his life…
Like Any Other Student
As he grew into his adolescence, Prince Charles continued to break royal norms, determined to have some sort of “normal” life, whatever that might mean. In October 1967, he became the very first royal heir to attend university.
He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge until finally graduating in 1970 with a 2:2 in anthropology, archaeology, and history. Many casual fans wondered why a member of the British royal family wasn’t able to graduate with a first. Some speculate that it was for the following reason…
“Ladies’ Man”
While Prince Charles’s personal life spiraled out of control later on in life, it seems like the royal family was unforgiving towards him long before he ever tied the knot with anyone. Relatives portrayed him as a bit of a rebel, with some members of the family telling the press that he was something of a “ladies’ man.”
However, Charles was quick to deny such claims and was deeply hurt by such accusations. While future relationships didn’t help his case, Charles has since spoken up…
The Saga Begins…
1971 was the year when Prince Charles’s personal life started to take some significant twists and turns. It was the year that he first met Camilla Shand and it wouldn’t take long before the two started dating. By all accounts, it seemed like a match made in heaven.
However, the couple ended up breaking things off when Camilla started to see Andrew Parker Bowles. They tied the knot in 1973 and Charles was back to square one. He turned his attentions elsewhere…
In the Navy
Around the same time that Prince Charles was entangled with Camilla, he started a six-month training program as a jet pilot with the Royal Air Force. With time, the young prince moved on to the Royal Navy, where he would serve on a number of ships and even train as a helicopter pilot.
During the last ten months of his service in the navy, Charles took command of the HMS Bronington. Many years later, his flying days would come to an end after crashing a BAe 146 in the Hebrides.
The First of Many Charities
In 1976, Charles put his navy days behind him and started to map out what he was going to do next with his life. Shortly after his service came to an end, the Prince of Wales used the $8000 he accumulated from his military pension to establish The Prince’s Trust.
This charity aims to help young people who are struggling. The Prince’s Trust was the first of over 25 charities that Prince Charles has either established or had a part to play in over the years.
He Once Dated Princess Diana’s Sister
It is common knowledge that Prince Charles was once married to the late Princess Diana. However, many aren’t aware that the Prince of Wales reportedly dated her older sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, despite already meeting her sister.
In 1977, it is believed that the two saw each other for about nine months. However, the relationship didn’t last and this was in part due to an embarrassing interview Sarah gave about Charles. She allegedly claimed that she wouldn’t marry him “if he were the dustman or the King of England.”
His Early Days With Diana
As previously mentioned, Charles had already met Diana Spencer in 1977. However, it wasn’t until 1980 that the Prince of Wales would consider dating her. According to biographer Jonathan Dimbleby, Diana had been supportive of Charles after he lost his uncle Lord Mountbatten.
“Without any apparent surge in feeling, he began to think seriously of her as a potential bride”, he wrote. As the media was skeptical about whether or not Charles actually had feelings for Diana, Prince Phillip pressured Charles into making a decision about their future, sooner rather than later…https://mp.mmvideocdn.com/mini-player/scripts/voltax_mp_bridge.html
