Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is the first person to appear on the British throne as the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II. He has been the Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay since 1952 and is the oldest and longest-serving veteran in British history. He is the longest-serving Prince of Wales, having held that title since 1958.
Charles was born at Buckingham Palace as the first grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth He was educated at Cheam and Gordonstoun Schools, his father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, had attended as a child, as well as the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia. After earning a bachelor of arts degree from Trinity College, Cambridge, Charles served in Royal Air Force and Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976.
In 1981, he married Lady Diana Spencer and they had two sons: Prince William (b. 1982) -later to become Duke of Cambridge-and Prince Harry (b. 1984). In 1996, the couple divorced following well-publicized extramarital affairs by both parties. Diana died in a car crash in the following year. In 2005, Charles married long-time girlfriend Camilla Parker Bowles
Charles's interests include a range of humanitarian and social issues. He established The Prince's Trust in 1976, sponsors The Prince's Charities, and is the patron of numerous other charitable and arts organizations. Charles has long championed organic farming for which he established the Duchy Home Farm, run by the Duchy of Cornwall, which produces ingredients for the Waitrose Duchy Organic brand, which he established in 1990. Charles has raised concerns about the dangers facing the world. natural environment, and was an early advocate for action to combat climate change As an environmentalist, he has received numerous awards and recognition from environmental groups around the world. His support for alternative medicine, including homeopathy, has been criticized by some in the medical community.He has been outspoken on the role of architecture in society and the conservation of historic buildings. Subsequently, Charles created Poundbury, an experimental new town based on his theories, in Dorset in 1993. He has authored a number of books, including A Vision of Britain: A Personal View of Architecture in 1989 and the children's book The Old Man of Lochnagar In the 1980s