Charles the Great

Charles III
King of the British and of the People of his other Realms Canada 1957-1997 Australia 1957-1997 New Zealand 1957-1997 West Indies 1958-1997 Papua New Guinea 1975-1997 Solomon Islands 1978-1997 Tuvalu 1978-1997 The Bahamas 1973-1992 Belize 1981-1992 Mauritius 1968-1992 Fiji 1970-1987 Pakistan 1952-1956 South Africa 1952-1996 Ceylon 1952-1972 Ghana 1957-1960 Nigeria 1960-1963 Sierra Leone 1961-1971 Tanganyika 1961-1962 Trinidad and Tobago 1962-1976 Uganda 1962-1963 Kenya 1963-1964 Malawi 1964-1966 Malta 1964-1974 The Gambia 1965-1970 Guyana 1966-1970
Reign	7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997
Coronation	20 September 1957
Predecessor	Frederick
Successor	Thomas
Prime Ministers	See list Anthony Eden Harold Macmillan Alec Douglas-Home Harold Wilson Edward Heath John Major
Born	Prince Charles of Cambridge and Prussia (1917-01-15)15 January 1917 Haga Palace, Stockholm
Died	2 March 2011(2011-03-02) (aged 94) Buckingham Palace, London
Burial	5 March 2011 Westminster Abbey, London
Spouse	Lauren Bacall (m. 1950)
Issue Detail	Thomas Prince Nelson Catherine, Princess Royal
Full name Charles Frederick William Louis
House	Hanover
Father	Frederick
Mother	Victoria Louise of Prussia
Religion	Protestant
Military service
Branch/service	United States Air Force
Years of service	1942-1957 (active service)
Rank	Brigadier General
Unit	6th Air Intelligence Squadron
Battles/wars	Pacific War

Charles III (English: Charles Frederick William Louis; German: Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig; 15 January 1917 - 2 March 2011) was King of the British from 7 July 1957 to 2 March 2011. The only son of King Frederick, Charles is known for his outspoken liberalism and unorthodox character which included a controversial marriage to the American actress Lauren Bacall in 1950. His reign, which lasted for roughly fifty-four years long, was a transformative period for the United Kingdom as the country weathered through the Cold War, decolonisation of its African colonies, and gradual political and social changes around the turn of the century.

Born as the only child of his father from the latter's first marriage to Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia, Charles, who adopted liberal views early on, quickly became an outspoken opponent against the Nazi regime in Germany. In 1942, while living in temporary exile in the United States, Charles enlisted in the United States Air Force and went on to become a decorated aviator during the the Pacific War against Imperial Japan. In 1957, following his father's death, Charles ascended to the throne and acquired a reputation for his liberalism which earned him both praise and criticism from the government and the public. Nonetheless, as a fervent supporter of decolonisation and the European Union, Charles's reign as the British monarch would come to include the country's participation in the European Economic Community (later the European Union), the Falklands War with Argentina, as well as a gradual process of devolution concerning the United Kingdom's constituent countries. On 1 January 1971, the 270th anniversary of the birth of the United Kingdom, Charles oversaw the historic moon landing of the United Kingdom's Albion spacecraft involving Captain Eric Brown and Group Captain John Cunningham, thereby beating both the United States and the Soviet Union in the Space Race. On 15 January 1997, Charles, having spent forty years on the throne, announced his abdication and was succeeded by his heir apparent Thomas. Following his abdication, Charles, who continued to be involved in philanthropy and other works, was styled "King Emeritus", a title he held until his death on 2 March 2011.

At the time of his death, aged 94 years old, Charles is the longest-lived British monarch whereas his wife is also the longest-lived British royal consort at 89 years old. As one of the majority shareholders of Atlantic Connection, Charles is estimated to be worth around $85 billion, making him one of the richest monarchs in the world. From 1950 until his death in 2011, he was married to the American actress Lauren Bacall, with the couple's wedding, the first between a British monarch and an American actress, being a source of considerable controversy at the time. Nonetheless, the couple's unconventional public image and shared liberal values helped modernise the royal family as all their three children together went on to marry non-British commoners themselves.

Titles & Honours

• 15 January 1917 - 5 January 1923 His Imperial Highness Prince Charles of Cambridge and Prussia
• 5 January 1923 - 20 January 1923 His Imperial Highness The Duke of Cornwall
• 20 January 1923 - 7 July 1957 His Imperial Highness The Prince of Wales
• 7 July 1957 - 2 March 2011 His Majesty The King of the British

Honours

Military Appointments

United Kingdom
13 February 1935 - 30 January 1936: Officer Cadet, British Army
30 January 1936 - 11 November 1936: Second Lieutenant, British Army
11 November 1936 - 5 March 1937: Lieutenant, British Army
5 March 1937 - 11 December 1937 : Major, British Army
11 December 1937 - 22 January 1940: Colonel, British Army
22 January 1940 - 17 May 1944: Brigadier, British Army
17 May 1944 - 16 March 1947: Lieutenant General, British Army
16 March 1947 - 7 July 1957: Field Marshal, British Army
7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997: Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces
15 January 1997 - 2 March 2011: Field Marshal, British Army
5 March 1936 - 11 December 1936: Lieutenant Commander, Royal Navy
11 December 1936 - 2 January 1938: Captain, Royal Navy
2 January 1938 - 17 May 1944: Commodore, Royal Navy
17 May 1944 - 16 March 1947: Vice-admiral, Royal Navy
16 March 1947 - 7 July 1957: Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Navy
7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997: Lord High Admiral, Royal Navy
15 January 1997 - 2 March 2011: Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Navy
20 November 1936 - 2 March 1937: Flying lieutenant, Royal Air Force
2 March 1937 - 30 October 1937: Squadron leader, Royal Air Force
30 October 1937 - 5 April 1938: Wing commander, Royal Air Force
5 April 1938 - 17 May 1944: Group captain, Royal Air Force
17 May 1944 - 16 March 1947: Air Marshal, Royal Air Force
16 March 1947 - 7 July 1957: Air Chief Marshal, Royal Air Force
7 July 1957 - 2 March 2011: Marshal of the Royal Air Force

Canada
7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997: Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Army
7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997: Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Navy
7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997: Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Air Force

Australia
7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997: Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Army
7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997: Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Navy
7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997: Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Air Force

New Zealand
7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997: Commander-in-Chief of the New Zealand Army
7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997: Commander-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy
7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997: Commander-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Air Force

United States
22 March 1941 - 4 March 1942: Officer Cadet, United States Army Air Force
4 March 1942 - 11 December 1942: Second Lieutenant, United States Army Air Force
11 December 1942 - 4 March 1943: Captain, United States Army Air Force
4 March 1943 - 15 January 1947: Colonel, United States Army Air Force
15 January 1947 - 7 July 1957: Brigadier General, United States Air Force

Ancestry

Ancestors of Charles the Great

8. William V 4. George V 9. Princess Louise of Prussia 2. Frederick 10. Frederick III, German Emperor 5. Sophia of Prussia 11. Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom 1. Charles III, King of the British 12. Frederick III, German Emperor 6. Wilhelm II, German Emperor 13. Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom 3. Victoria Louise of Prussia 14. Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein 7. Princess Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg 15. Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg