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{{Infobox royalty
{{Infobox royalty
| name          = Charles III and I
| name          = Charles III
| title          =
| title          =
| image          = Charles III Gold.png
| image          = Charles III 3.jpeg


| image_size    = Medium
| image_size    = Medium
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{{longitem |col1style=padding-top:0.2em
{{longitem |col1style=padding-top:0.2em
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{{Collapsible list |title={{wp|Queen of the United Kingdom|King of the British}} and of the People of his other {{wp|Commonwealth Realms|Realms}}|titlestyle=background:transparent;text-align:center;padding-center:1.0em;
{{Collapsible list |title={{wp|Monarchy of the United Kingdom|King of the British}} and of the People of his other {{wp|Commonwealth Realms|Realms}}|titlestyle=background:transparent;text-align:center;padding-center:1.0em;
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       {{Aligned table |fullwidth=on |cols=2 |class=nowrap |style=line-height:1.2em;
       {{Aligned table |fullwidth=on |cols=2 |class=nowrap |style=line-height:1.2em;
         |col1style=padding-right:0.5em;
         |col1style=padding-right:0.5em;
         |{{wp|Canada}}                                        | 1951-1997
         |{{wp|Canada}}                                        | 1957-1997
|{{wp|Australia}}                                        | 1951-1997
|{{wp|Australia}}                                        | 1957-1997
|{{wp|New Zealand}}                                        | 1951-1997
|{{wp|New Zealand}}                                        | 1957-1997
|{{wp|Jamaica}}                                        | 1962-1997
|{{wp|West Indies}}                                        | 1958-1997
|{{wp|Barbados}}                                        | 1966-1997
|{{wp|The Bahamas}}                                        | 1973-1997
|{{wp|Grenada}}                                        | 1974-1997
|{{wp|Papua New Guinea}}                                        | 1975-1997
|{{wp|Papua New Guinea}}                                        | 1975-1997
|{{wp|Puerto Rico}}                                        | 1977-1997
|{{wp|Solomon Islands}}                                        | 1978-1997
|{{wp|Solomon Islands}}                                        | 1978-1997
|{{wp|Tuvalu}}                                        | 1978-1997
|{{wp|Tuvalu}}                                        | 1978-1997
|{{wp|St. Lucia}}                                         | 1979-1997
|''{{wp|The Bahamas}}<ref>In April 1992, together with {{wp|Belize}}, the country together joined to become the newest states of the [[West Indies]], thereby bringing to an end their monarchical systems which are, in turn, replaced by that of the [[West Indies]].</ref>''                                        | 1973-1992
|{{wp|St. Vincent and the Grenadines}}                                       | 1979-1997
|''{{wp|Belize}}<ref>In April 1992, together with {{wp|The Bahamas}}, the country together joined to become the newest states of the [[West Indies]], thereby bringing to an end their monarchical systems which are, in turn, replaced by that of the [[West Indies]].</ref>''                                      | 1981-1992
|{{wp|Belize}}                                       | 1981-1997
|{{wp|Antigua and Barbuda}}                                       | 1981-1997
|{{wp|St. Kitts and Nevis}}                                        | 1983-1997
|''{{wp|Mauritius}}''                                        | 1968-1992
|''{{wp|Mauritius}}''                                        | 1968-1992
|''{{wp|Fiji}}''                                        | 1970-1987
|''{{wp|Fiji}}''                                        | 1970-1987
|''{{wp|Pakistan}}''                                        | 1952-1956
|''{{wp|Pakistan}}''                                        | 1952-1956
|''{{wp|South Africa}}''                                        | 1952-1961
|''{{wp|South Africa}}''                                        | 1952-1996
|''{{wp|Ceylon}}''                                        | 1952-1972
|''{{wp|Ceylon}}''                                        | 1952-1972
|''{{wp|Ghana}}''                                        | 1957-1960
|''{{wp|Ghana}}''                                        | 1957-1960
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}} }} }}  
}} }} }}  
| moretext    =  
| moretext    =  
| reign        = 7 July 1951 - 15 January 1997
| reign        = 7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997
| reign-type  = Reign
| reign-type  = Reign
| coronation  = 20 September 1951
| coronation  = 20 September 1957
| cor-type    = Coronation
| cor-type    = Coronation
| predecessor  = [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|Frederick]]
| predecessor  = [[Frederick, King of the British|Frederick]]
| pre-type    = Predecessor  
| pre-type    = Predecessor  
| regent      = {{list collapsed|title=''See list''|1={{wp|Clement Attlee}}<br>{{wp|Winston Churchill}}<br>{{wp|Anthony Eden}}<br>{{wp|Harold Macmillan}}<br>{{wp|Alec Douglas-Home}}<br>{{wp|Harold Wilson}}<br>{{wp|Edward Heath}}<br>{{wp|James Callaghan}}<br>{{wp|Margaret Thatcher}}<br>{{wp|John Major}}}}
| regent      = {{list collapsed|title=''See list''|1={{wp|Clement Attlee}}<br>{{wp|Winston Churchill}}<br>{{wp|Anthony Eden}}<br>{{wp|Harold Macmillan}}<br>{{wp|Alec Douglas-Home}}<br>{{wp|Harold Wilson}}<br>{{wp|Edward Heath}}<br>{{wp|John Major}}}}
| reg-type    = {{nowrap|{{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Ministers}}}}
| reg-type    = {{nowrap|{{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Ministers}}}}
| successor    = [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|Thomas]]
| successor    = [[Thomas, King of the British|Thomas]]
| suc-type    =  
| suc-type    =  
| succession1  =
| succession1  =  
| moretext1    =  
| moretext1    =  
| reign1      =  
| reign1      =  
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| moretext2    =  
| moretext2    =  
| reign2      =  
| reign2      =  
| reign-type2  =  
| reign-type2  =
| coronation2  =  
| coronation2  =  
| cor-type2    =  
| cor-type2    =  
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| burial_date  = 5 March 2011
| burial_date  = 5 March 2011
| burial_place = {{wp|Westminster Abbey}}, {{wp|London}}
| burial_place = {{wp|Westminster Abbey}}, {{wp|London}}
| spouse      = {{marriage|{{wp|Lauren Bacall}}|15 March 1946}}
| spouse      = {{marriage|{{wp|Lauren Bacall}}|15 January 1947}}
| issue        = {{plainlist|* [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|Thomas]]
| issue        = {{plainlist|* [[Thomas, King of the British|Thomas]]
* [[Prince Nelson of the United Kingdom|Prince Nelson]]
* [[Prince Nelson of the United Kingdom|Prince Nelson]]
* [[Catherine, Princess Royal]]
* [[Catherine, Princess Royal]]}}
* [[Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Albany|Alexandra, Duchess of Albany]]}}
| issue-link  = #Issue
| issue-link  = #Issue
| full name      = Charles Frederick William Louis
| full name      = Charles Frederick William Louis
| house          = {{wp|House of Hanover|Hanover}}  
| house          = {{wp|House of Hanover|Hanover}}
| father        = [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|Frederick]]
| father        = [[Frederick, King of the British|Frederick]]
| mother        = {{wp|Victoria Louise of Prussia}}
| mother        = {{wp|Victoria Louise of Prussia}}
| religion      = {{wp|Protestantism|Protestant}}
| religion      = {{wp|Protestantism|Protestant}}
| module      = {{Infobox officeholder | embed=yes
| module      = {{Infobox officeholder | embed=yes
   | branch        = {{air force|United States}}
   | branch        = {{air force|United States}}
   | serviceyears  = 1942-1951 (active service)
   | serviceyears  = 1942-1957 (active service)
   | servicenumber = <!-- Do not use data from primary sources such as service records -->
   | servicenumber = <!-- Do not use data from primary sources such as service records -->
   | unit          = {{wp|6th Air Intelligence Squadron}}
   | unit          = {{wp|6th Air Intelligence Squadron}}
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}}
}}


'''Charles III and I''' (Charles Frederick William Louis; 15 January 1917 - 2 March 2011), better known as '''Charles the Great''', was {{wp|Monarchy of the United Kingdom|King of the British}} as '''Charles III''', and {{wp|King of the Netherlands|King of the Dutch}} and {{wp|Grand Duke of Luxembourg|Grand Duke of the Luxembourgers}} as '''Charles I''' from 7 July 1951 to 15 January 1997. Known for his controversial marriage to the {{wp|Jewish}} {{wp|American}} actress, {{wp|Lauren Bacall}}, Charles was also known for his somewhat outspoken support for {{wp|decolonisation}}, political and social {{wp|liberalism}}, and for his own personal opposition against what he termed as "both the {{wp|First World|First}} and {{wp|Second World|Second}} worlds' imperialism", marked by his lifelong advocacy for the {{wp|United Kingdom}} to be more politically aligned with its former colonies, a majority of which are considered to be {{wp|Third World}} countries. However, following the end of the {{wp|Cold War}} in the early 1990s, Charles was said to have otherwise adopted a more {{wp|pan-European}} outlook, as evidenced by the instances of his often subtle support for the {{wp|European Union}}, a political and economic union which to date, consists of approximately 27 nations, including the {{wp|United Kingdom}} itself, as well as the {{wp|Netherlands}} and {{wp|Luxembourg}}.
'''Charles III''' ({{wp|English}}: ''Charles Frederick William Louis''; {{wp|German}}: ''Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig''; 15 January 1917 - 2 March 2011), better known as '''Charles the Great''', was {{wp|King of the United Kingdom|King of the British}} from 7 July 1957 to 15 January 1997. Known for his controversial marriage to the {{wp|Jewish}} {{wp|American}} actress, {{wp|Lauren Bacall}}, Charles was also known for his somewhat outspoken support for {{wp|decolonisation}}, political and social {{wp|liberalism}}, and for his own opposition against what he termed as "the imperialism of the {{wp|First World|First}} and {{wp|Second World|Second}} worlds". In the meantime, Charles was also personally a strong proponent of {{wp|European}} unity and was reportedly one of the first individuals that first conceived the idea of the {{wp|European Economic Community}} which later became the modern-day {{wp|European Union}}.  


His reign, which spanned throughout most of the second half of the 20th century saw a series of wide-ranging and dramatic reforms that effectively transformed {{wp|Britain}}'s as well as that of the {{wp|Netherlands}} and {{wp|Luxembourg}}'s political and social climate, all of which were either personally directed or orchestrated by Charles or his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|wife}}, with his most major success being the implementation of absolute primogeniture succession system within the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, the {{wp|Netherlands}}, and within {{wp|Luxembourg}}. Prior to ascending to the throne, during the 1940s, Charles established a modestly successful career as an actor in {{wp|Cinema of the United States|Hollywood}}, earning a total of three {{wp|Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor}} awards, before later enlisting in the {{wp|United States Army Air Force}} for the {{wp|Pacific War}}, for which he was awarded several military honours, along with being the first and only {{wp|British}}, {{wp|Dutch}}, and {{wp|Luxembourgish}} royal to date to ever receive a high-ranking officer rank in the {{wp|United States Armed Forces}}, namely the rank of {{wp|Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General}}.
His reign, which spanned throughout most of the second half of the 20th century saw a series of wide-ranging and dramatic reforms that effectively transformed {{wp|Britain}}'s political and social climate, all of which were either personally directed or orchestrated by Charles and his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|wife}}, with his most major success being the implementation of absolute primogeniture succession system within the {{wp|United Kingdom}}. Prior to ascending to the throne, during the 1940s, Charles established a modestly successful career as an actor in {{wp|Cinema of the United States|Hollywood}}, earning a total of three {{wp|Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor}} awards, before later enlisting in the {{wp|United States Army Air Force}} for the {{wp|Pacific War}}, for which he was awarded several military honours, along with being the first and only {{wp|British}}, {{wp|Dutch}}, and {{wp|Luxembourgish}} royal to date to ever receive a high-ranking officer rank in the {{wp|United States Armed Forces}}, namely the rank of {{wp|Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General}}. On 15 January 1997, following celebrations marking his 80th birthday, Charles formally abdicated the throne in favour of his son [[Thomas, King of the British|Thomas]] on the grounds of "ill health" and "personal issues", thereby becoming the second {{wp|British}} monarch to do so after {{wp|Queen Victoria}} in 1837. Afterwards, following his death in March 2011, he was posthumously given the epithet ''the Great'' in recognition of his personal contributions to the country.


A prolific tennis player during his princely years, Charles competed several times in the {{wp|The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon}} championships, mostly alongside his adoptive sister, {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Princess Ingrid}} of {{wp|Sweden}} (later Queen Ingrid of {{wp|Denmark}}), with whom he won the championships several times in the year 1934, 1936, 1946, and lastly, in 1947.
At the time of his death, aged 94 years old, Charles is the longest-lived {{wp|British}} monarch whereas his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|wife}} is also the longest-lived {{wp|British}} royal consort at 89 years old. Meanwhile, as one of the majority shareholders of {{wp|Atlantic Connection}}, Charles is estimated to be worth around $19.7 billion, making him one of the richest monarchs in the world.
 
On January 15th 1997, following celebrations marking his 80th birthday, Charles formally abdicated the throne in favour of his son, [[Thomas of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|Thomas]] on the grounds of "ill health" and "personal issues", thereby becoming the second {{wp|British}} monarch to do so after {{wp|Queen Victoria}} in 1837. Afterwards, following his death on March 2011, he was posthumously given the epithet ''the Great'', in recognition of his personal contributions to the country.
 
At the time of his death, aged 94 years old, Charles is the longest-lived {{wp|British}}, {{wp|Dutch}}, and {{wp|Luxembourgish}} monarch (his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|wife}} is otherwise the longest-lived {{wp|British}} royal consort at 89 years old), and was also the oldest living former sovereign monarch. Upon his death, the designation passed to the former and last {{wp|List of sultans of Zanzibar|Sultan of Zanzibar}}, {{wp|Jamshid bin Abdullah of Zanzibar|Jamshid bin Abdullah}}. On 1 June 2021, he was surpassed by the former {{wp|Pope Benedict XVI}} of the {{wp|Vatican City}}.
 
With a number of royal properties, jewelry, and other minor assets to his name, coupled with his personal ownership of the {{wp|American}}-based shipping company, ''Southampton Line'', Charles is thereby estimated to be worth around $32.2 billion (£34.9 billion) at the time of his death on March 2011, arguably making him the richest monarch in the world. Upon his death, his wealth was said to have been equally divided between his four children, with each of them earning a reported amount of $8 billion (£8.6 billion) in inheritance, while his eldest son and successor, [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|Thomas]] inherited the full ownership of ''Southampton Line''.


==Early Life==
==Early Life==
[[File:Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany - 1902.jpg|thumb|right|{{wp|Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Wilhelm II}}, the last {{wp|German Emperor}}, and Charles's maternal grandfather]]
Charles was born on January 15th 1917 to [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|''Edward, Prince of Wales'']] and {{wp|Victoria Louise of Prussia|Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia}}, the daughter of {{wp|Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Kaiser Wilhelm II}} of the {{wp|German Empire}}. A member of the ruling {{wp|House of Hanover}}, he was also closely related to the {{wp|House of Hohenzollern}} as well due to his {{wp|Victoria Louise of Prussia|mother}}'s standing as the only daughter of {{wp|Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Kaiser Wilhelm II}}, along with his own paternal grandmother, {{wp|Sophia of Prussia|Queen Sophia}} being the {{wp|Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Kaiser}}'s sister herself. However, with the {{wp|German Empire}} itself effectively dissolved in the following year, and as a consequence of the passing of the ''Royal Titles Revocation Act 1924'' in the years following the end of the {{wp|First World War}}, Charles's exclusive {{wp|Prussian}} title of ''Prince of {{wp|Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia}}'', which was prior bestowed upon him by {{wp|Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Wilhelm II}} himself, was ultimately revoked by his own [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|father]] as to placate {{wp|British}} nationalists in the country, whom had been critical of the royal family's heavily {{wp|German|Germanised}} background.
Following his birth on January 15th, it was said that prior to being given his actual given name, there were other serious alternatives considered as well at the time, with the names ''George'' and ''Edward'' being the most popular alternatives. Ultimately, for reasons that were ultimately kept secret at the time, the young prince and second in line to the throne would then be given the name ''Charles'' instead. However, this decision was almost immediately met with opposition from several members of the royal family, whom were reportedly against having a "Charles the Third" on the throne, as some of them believed that much like the reigns of the two previous kings named ''Charles'', the reign of a third monarch named ''Charles'' as well would be of "inevitable disaster" due to the negativity surrounding the name's previous holders, though this concern was promptly dismissed by Charles's father, the then [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|''Prince of Wales'']], whom instead fully supported the choice of the given name for his eldest child and eventual successor. At the same time, his middle names and surname turned out to be that of his {{wp|Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia|mother}}'s {{wp|Prussian}} ancestors instead, namely the {{wp|German Emperor|German Emperors}} {{wp|Frederick III, German Emperor|Frederick III}} and {{wp|William I, German Emperor|Wilhelm I}}. In rationalising these decisions, {{wp|Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia|Victoria Louise}} herself later wrote in her memoir that her decision to name Charles partly after his {{wp|Prussian}} ancestors was due to her own personal desire to ensure that the young Charles would be born "a prince of both the {{wp|British}} and the {{wp|Germans}}".
On January 5th 1913, around four years prior to his birth, Charles's parents, whom were then recently married were forced to return to {{wp|Sweden}}, thereby prolonging their initial exile to the country due to the rising political and social tensions in {{wp|Europe}}. Thus, unlike his predecessors, Charles was born instead in the {{wp|Swedish}} royal residence of {{wp|Haga Palace}} in {{wp|Stockholm}}, where his parents had been residing in with the permission of the {{wp|Swedish}} royal family. The events surrounding his birth, when relayed to the {{wp|British}} wartime government of {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|David Lloyd George}}, initially aroused some controversies as the prince's birth had taken place within a foreign territory, prompting speculations regarding Charles's potential inability to succeed to the throne as the heir apparent to his father, then the [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|''Prince of Wales'']]. Ultimately, Charles's eligibility to succeed to the throne remained unaffected due to {{wp|Sweden}}'s application of the {{wp|jus sanguinis|''jus sanguinis''}} principle, which did not automatically confirm Charles as a {{wp|Swedish}} citizen, though he was instead given a {{wp|British}} citizenship, thereby allowing him to naturally succeed to the throne in the near future. 
For the first couple of years in {{wp|Sweden}}, Charles and his family lived mostly under the protection of {{wp|Gustaf V|King Gustaf V}} and members of the {{wp|Swedish}} royal family. In particular, his godparents, {{wp|Gustaf V|King Gustaf V}} and {{wp|Victoria of Baden|Queen Victoria}} of {{wp|Sweden}} doted greatly on the infant Charles. At the same time, as a relatively young infant, Charles was occasionally looked after by the {{wp|Gustaf V|King}}'s own granddaughter, {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Princess Ingrid}}, the daughter of the later {{wp|Gustaf VI Adolf|King Gustaf VI Adolf}} and {{wp|Princess Margaret of Connaught}}.
==Prince of Wales==
At the age of six, the death of Charles's grandfather, [[William VII and IV of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|William VII and IV]], led him to be subsequently created {{wp|Prince of Wales|''Prince of Wales''}} as {{wp|heir apparent}} to his father, the new [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King Frederick]]. Upon their arrival in the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, despite being mostly confined to the interiors of {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} alongside his brother, [[Prince William, Duke of Edinburgh|William]] and his adopted sister, {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}}, as a result of public suspicion and hostilities, Charles's development as a young prince remained relatively undeterred, with {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}} in particular being a major figure behind his childhood development. In addition to that, Charles also proved to be particularly adept in horseback riding, and was even considerably versed himself in the arts of hunting, having at times accompanied his [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|father]] on private hunting trips in both the {{wp|United Kingdom}} and {{wp|Canada}} on several occasions.
===Arts & Music===
Concurrently, an adolescent Charles took great interest as well in the arts of music, an interest that was immediately fulfilled when an exquisitely made piano was gifted to him by his parents for his seventh birthday. For the next several years, with the guidance of a personal tutor, Charles was said to have regularly played the piano, during which he would often attempt to replicate songs composed by the likes of the famous {{wp|German}} composer, {{wp|Ludwig van Beethoven}}, notable 17th-century {{wp|English}} composer, {{wp|Henry Purcell}}, and with the additional intent of charming his adoptive sister, {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}}, the {{wp|Swedish}} composer, {{wp|Dieterich Buxtehude}}.
===Between Two Crown Princes===
[[File:Farouk-King-.jpg|thumb|right|{{wp|Farouk of Egypt|Farouk I}}, {{wp|King of Egypt and the Sudan}} from 1936 to 1952]]
From around October 1935 to April 1936, Charles was temporarily acquainted with the then {{wp|Farouk of Egypt|Crown Prince Farouk of Egypt}}, whom had then departed from his home country for {{wp|England}} in order to attend the {{wp|Royal Military Academy, Woolwich|Royal Military Academy}} in {{wp|Woolwich}}. However, in the initial days atleast, neither of the two crown princes were able to exactly meet one another on a frequent basis as Charles, whom in stark contrast to the {{wp|Egyptian}} crown prince, took his military officer education seriously, and unlike the latter himself, was personally against paying visits to cathouses, which the prince reportedly referred to as "the underworld chambers of moral degeneracy". Nevertheless, despite the critical differences in their respective personalities in general, both Charles and {{wp|Farouk of Egypt|Farouk}} would sometimes meet one another on multiple occasions, with the usual meeting spots being that of local restaurants around {{wp|London}} or on several occasions, the prince's own family residence of {{wp|Buckingham Palace}}. Reportedly, according to one source close to the two crown princes during that period, despite their differing personalities or so, the two seemingly shared mutual experiences of a "restrained childhood", with {{wp|Farouk of Egypt|Farouk}} himself having had much of a privileged and sheltered upbringing back home in {{wp|Kingdom of Egypt|Egypt}}, while on the other hand, Charles, whom despite having grown up under roughly the same living atmosphere and circumstances himself, albeit a much less restricted one in that regard, otherwise particularly suffered from his own case of social isolation, as his family's {{wp|German}} heritage had aroused considerable suspicion from his {{wp|British}}-born contemporaries, thus preventing him from being socially connected in a much easier manner with his aristocratic peers.
Ultimately, despite the perceived cordial friendship existing between the two crown princes, the ''Prince of Wales'' himself was said to have looked upon his {{wp|Egyptian}} counterpart in an overwhelmingly negative light, having once supposedly proclaimed, ''"The once great realm of {{wp|Kingdom of Egypt|Egypt}} is now cursed to be ruled by a slobby, measly, and underwhelming young king"''. In later years, Charles himself would also become more progressively bitter of the now {{wp|Farouk of Egypt|King Farouk of Egypt}}, having often heard of the latter's widely publicised sexual promiscuity through his diplomats in the kingdom, with whom the prince once reportedly joked, ''"If he (Farouk) was to ever be feared by anyone at all, it would be the virgin women of {{wp|Kingdom of Egypt|Egypt}} whom would do so, and not his many enemies, for whom his vapidness and callousness would be their blessings"''. Eventually, {{wp|Farouk of Egypt|Farouk}} himself would later be overthrown by the {{wp|Egyptian}} military under revolutionaries, {{wp|Gamal Abdel Nasser}} and {{wp|Mohamed Naguib}} of the {{wp|Free Officers Movement (Egypt)|Free Officers Movement}}, in what later became known as the {{wp|Egyptian revolution of 1952|23 July Revolution}}.
===Military Career===
Upon reaching the age of majority, Charles was promptly made a {{wp|Counsellor of State}} by his father, [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King Frederick]], thus granting him the ability to perform official royal functions by his own accord, and in support of his own father. At around the same time, much to the latter's disapproval, Charles then sought a career in the {{wp|British Army}}, although, much to another surprise from the prince's own parents, the young ''Prince of Wales'' then reportedly found his officer training course at the {{wp|Royal Military College, Sandhurst|Royal Military College}} to be "too formally rigid and dull", believing it to be an obstacle to another side activity of his, particularly his anti-{{wp|Nazi}} speeches in {{wp|Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover}}, in which he would often verbally criticise and ridicule the neighbouring {{wp|German}} {{wp|Nazi}} government, often with much sensation. Even so, in the following year, Charles himself did eventually graduate from the military academy but nevertheless resisted any official commissioning abroad, preferring to remain within the {{wp|United Kingdom}} itself, thereby allowing him to continously sustain his almost daily anti-{{wp|Nazi}} campaigns in {{wp|Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover}} instead.
===The Flying Prince===
In the span of three years leading up to his eventual withdrawal to the {{wp|United States}}, Charles, despite having publicly refused to actively serve in the military himself, was nevertheless able to benefit from both his status as a royal prince and a member of the {{wp|British}} armed forces, as he then did chose instead to pursue his newly sparked interest in aviation. To that end, in the early months of 1937, he first attended a civilian pilot training school in {{wp|England}} itself before furthering his aviation training at the {{wp|Royal Air Force|RAF}}'s {{wp|No. 1 Flying Training School RAF|No. 1 Flying Training School}} in {{wp|RAF Shawbury|Shawbury}}, where he attended as a {{wp|flight lieutenant}}. Subsequently, in almost daily reports sent by the training school administrator at that time to Charles's father, [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King Frederick]], the prince was thoroughly noted, such as in one of the reports, for being "an almost naturally talented pilot with bright hopes for the future".
At the end of his training, presumably due to his own personal request, Charles was then personally gifted by his tutors with a specifically designed {{wp|de Havilland Tiger Moth}} biplane, which notably bore the inscription ''Prince of Wales'' on the right side of its tailplane, signifying Charles's personal ownership of the aircraft. The aircraft, nicknamed ''Charlie'' by Charles himself, would go on to serve as the prince's personal vehicle for his exile to the {{wp|United States}}, and later, his main choice of aircraft for leisure flights by Charles himself and his later successors. As of recent, the plane itself has been generally well preserved and is still currently in use by various members of the royal family.
===An East to West Tour===
====Malay Peninsula====
Following his departure from the military, Charles undertook his first diplomatic tour abroad when in December 1935, he traveled first to the {{wp|Malay}} state of {{wp|Johor}}, where he met the ''Tunku Mahkota'', or Crown Prince of {{wp|Johor}}, {{wp|Ismail of Johor|Prince Ismail}}, whom had then been entrusted with state affairs by his father, {{wp|Ibrahim of Johor|Sultan Ibrahim}}, whom preferred traveling abroad and was also a known friend of the {{wp|British}} royal family himself. While there, he visited several local cities and villages alongside the crown prince, a trend that was repeated when he subsequently visited {{wp|Singapore}}, then a part of the {{wp|Straits Settlements}} under its then governor, {{wp|Shenton Thomas|Sir Shenton Thomas}}. In his memoirs, Charles would later repeatedly express much amazement and pride in the local scenery, whilst consistently referring to the island city itself as "the Venice of the East", in alluding to its geographical importance and the city state's harbour like nature. Afterwards, the prince went on to embark on a successive tour of {{wp|Raj of Sarawak|Sarawak}}, {{wp|Brunei}} and {{wp|North Borneo}}, where he met their respective rulers, while also habitually touring the local areas there too.
====Hyderabad====
Around a month after his visit to the {{wp|Malay Peninsula}}, he subsequently undertook another diplomatic tour in his own capacity, this time to the {{wp|princely state}} of {{wp|Hyderabad State|Hyderabad}}. At the time, he had been initially cautioned against a diplomatic tour to the {{wp|Indian}} subcontinent, for fear of inviting an assassination attempt by local nationalists, whom had then begun advocating for self-rule of the subcontinent itself. Nonetheless, the diplomatic tour was allowed to proceed, with the {{wp|Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon|Marquess of Willingdon}}, whom was then the serving {{wp|Governor-General of India}}, agreeing to provide a security force of approximately 1,000 {{wp|British}} soldiers to guard the prince while he was in the subcontinent. Then, upon finally arriving in {{wp|British Raj|India}}, the prince was promptly allowed to meet the ruling {{wp|Nizam of Hyderabad}}, {{wp|Mir Osman Ali Khan}}, whom the prince was said to have quickly befriended upon first meeting the {{wp|Indian}} prince. Soon afterwards, the two royals were said to have together embarked on a week long hunting trip around {{wp|Hyderabad State|Hyderabad}}, during which they engaged in a friendly hunting match against one another, with the {{wp|Mir Osman Ali Khan|Nizam}} ultimately coming out victorious. At the same time, it was otherwise popularly rumoured that while in the midst of hunting down a tiger as part of the friendly competition, Charles was almost reportedly killed in an encounter with one particular tiger, which was said to have nearly "grabbed and clawed the prince by the neck", after the ''Prince of Wales'' missed his initial shot. Luckily, the tiger was ultimately killed just in time by one of the prince's entourage members. In the end, despite having gone through a near-death incident, Charles himself reportedly refused to immediately concede the match, even going so far as to refer to the incident as "a test of my own personal strength and resilience". Meanwhile, the {{wp|Mir Osman Ali Khan|Nizam}} himself, whom upon learning of the incident was said to have subsequently remarked, ''"I have never seen such a fearless and unrelenting {{wp|English}} prince since they first came to this great land of ours"''.   
====United States of America====
On September 1936, Charles was sent on a highly publicised trip to the {{wp|United States}}, where he was hosted by then {{wp|President of the United States|President}}, {{wp|Franklin D. Roosevelt}}, whom Charles greatly admired on a personal level, reportedly due to {{wp|Franklin D. Roosevelt|Roosevelt}}'s non-interventionist approach in foreign issues, specifically towards the {{wp|Latin America|Latin American}} continent. At the same time, the prince, then accompanied by several members of the {{wp|United States}} government proceeded to tour first the {{wp|Northeastern United States|northeastern}} region of the {{wp|United States}}, during which he reportedly first met actress, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}, whom would later become a close associate of Charles herself, before moving on westwards, where he mostly toured the state of {{wp|California}}, thereby allowing him to meet a number of other famous {{wp|Hollywood}} figures at the time, including {{wp|Joan Crawford}}, {{wp|Greta Garbo}}, {{wp|Clark Gable}}, and others. Eventually, the overall success of his tour around the country, coupled with the generally warm reception he received while temporarily residing there, was said to have later been the driving forces behind his monumental decision to voluntarily exile himself to the {{wp|United States}} just a couple of years after his first state visit to the country.
====Charles III & Wilhelm II====
Around a year after his visit to the {{wp|United States}}, the prince then went on to court some amount of controversy, when during a visit to the {{wp|Netherlands}}, Charles, upon meeting with his great uncle, [[Alexander, Prince Consort of the Netherlands|Prince Consort Alexander of the Netherlands]] and his wife, {{wp|Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Queen Wilhelmina}}, he then proceeded to pay a private visit to the residence of his maternal grandfather, the long deposed {{wp|Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Kaiser Wilhelm II}}. Allegedly, despite the two men being rather closely related to one another by blood, neither Charles nor his own {{wp|Wilhelm II, German Emperor|grandfather}} was said to had displayed "even a tiny bit of care or respect for one another", with Charles's outwardly liberal character being a personal issue for the former {{wp|Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Kaiser}}, while the latter's starkly differing conservative character, along with his own past record surrounding the {{wp|First World War}} being points of contention for the prince himself. Then, sometime after the visit, he was noted of having proclaimed, ''"I am proud enough to be the descendant of someone as noble as my great-grandfather, the {{wp|German Emperor}}, {{wp|Frederick III, German Emperor|Frederick III}}, but not so much as the descendant of someone as wretched and despicable as my grandfather, the {{wp|German Emperor}}, {{wp|Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Wilhelm II}}"''. Furthermore, his apparent rejection of his {{wp|House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern}} roots was made prominent when, with the exception of his own beloved {{wp|Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia|mother}}, a member of the {{wp|House of Hohenzollern}} herself, Charles invited no other members of the {{wp|German}} royal family to either his subsequent wedding or even to his own coronation, as he largely believed in disassociating himself from their own past activities and association with {{wp|Nazi}} leader, {{wp|Adolf Hitler}} in particular and the {{wp|Nazi}} leadership as a whole.
===Trials & Tribulations===
As Charles began to mature significantly in terms of appearance, his apparent likeness to the last {{wp|Emperor of all the Russias|Tsar of Russia}}, {{wp|Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II}}, earned him mixed receptions from his contemporaries, as some of them praised his "good looking" and "captivating" appearance, while others, particularly those among nationalist circles, largely used his likeness to the late {{wp|Russian}} monarch as means of ridicule. However, perhaps the most notable consequence of his likeness to the last {{wp|Nicholas II of Russia|Tsar of Russia}}, was when he became the subject of a brief but intense [[Prince of Wales Identity Committee|investigation]] by the {{wp|MI5}} agency, following a rumour purportedly labeling the prince as the actual {{wp|Nicholas II of Russia|Tsar Nicholas II}} having supposedly escaped his fateful execution, although this was soon ultimately disproved by the agency itself.
Furthermore, Charles's heavily {{wp|German}} background, compounded by his familial ties to the {{wp|German}} {{wp|House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern}} royal family also made him a frequent target of anti-{{wp|German}} jibes by his overwhelmingly {{wp|British}}-born aristocratic peers, whom shared a deep resentment for {{wp|Germans}} in light of the {{wp|First World War}}. Consequently, like his father, [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King Frederick]], he would at times be referred to as Kaiser Charles, or alternatively, Tsar Charles as well by some of his contemporary critics, with the nicknames alluding first to his {{wp|German}} background, and secondly to the similarity of his appearance to the last {{wp|Emperor of all the Russias|Tsar of Russia}}, {{wp|Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II}}. Later on, in his own memoirs, Charles reportedly summarised his childhood years by describing it as a "rather cold and gruesome period with only the dimmest lights of hope illuminating it as time went on", with the latter part supposedly alluding to his close relationship with his {{wp|Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia|mother}} and {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|adoptive sister}}. In regards to his own [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|father]], Charles himself also enjoyed a generally warm familial relationship, albeit less so due to the former's preoccupation with his royal duties, along with some notable differences in personal opinions between father and son. Nevertheless, the two mostly bonded over their somewhat common anti-war feelings, their mutual opposition against {{wp|Nazism}}, and their shared apathy towards {{wp|Germans}} living in the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, particularly in {{wp|German}}-majority {{wp|Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover}}.
===The Fuhrer and the Prince of Wales===
[[File:Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia.jpg|thumb|right|{{wp|Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia}}, Charles's maternal uncle and a member of the {{wp|NSDAP}}]]
Like his own father, a then adolescent Charles was quick to become a general opponent of {{wp|Nazism}}, an ideology founded and popularised by the {{wp|NSDAP|Nazi Party}} operating in neighbouring {{wp|Nazi Germany|Germany}}. Furthermore, Charles, having been a fervent admirer of his late maternal great-grandfather, {{wp|Frederick III, German Emperor}}, also wholly identified himself with the latter's strong sympathy for the {{wp|Jewish}} population in {{wp|Europe}}, particularly in contemporary {{wp|Nazi Germany}}, where they were severely persecuted on a daily basis by local authorities. Soon enough, his lifelong support and concurrent defence of the {{wp|Jewish}} population generally came about in his various speeches criticising the widespread {{wp|anti-Semitism}} at the time, along with his own record of having attended a large number of {{wp|Jewish}} synagogues himself around the {{wp|United Kingdom}}. However, perhaps his most notable effort in supporting the {{wp|Jewish}} community soon came about when from around June 1936 to around March 1937, in using his inherited wealth and position as a royal prince, Charles, along with several other {{wp|MI6}} agents specifically hired by the prince himself, orchestrated a modestly successful covert operation, later named '''Operation F''', in which the group reportedly facilitated the rescue of roughly hundreds of {{wp|Jews}} living near the {{wp|British}}-{{wp|German}} border at the northeastern part of the {{wp|Nazi Germany|country}}. According to later declassified reports, methods such as purposely disguising said rescues as "randomised kidnappings" or "state-sanctioned evictions" were most notably employed by the group in facilitating their operations, as to avoid suspicion from local security forces.
Meanwhile, in regards to the local security forces, it was believed that the group also employed a "non-confrontational policy", as they believed that a much directly confrontational approach would have attracted unwanted attention from the {{wp|Nazi}} authorities, thereby easily providing a justification for war by {{wp|Adolf Hitler|Hitler}}, although according to one agent involved in the operation, the prince himself strictly ordered the agents involved to immediately murder any {{wp|German}} soldiers or security personnel encountered by either member of the group, as to prevent a leak of their activities in the country to the {{wp|Nazi}} government. Eventually, just several decades later, surviving written records and available oral recollections surrounding the operation itself would later be compiled to form the storyline of the largely successful 2017 movie, ''Operation H'', which despite being wholly praised by a majority of critics for its historical accuracy, was otherwise also partly criticised by a few as well, particularly for its depictions of "extrajudicial killings", with the majority depicting Charles himself personally executing a number of {{wp|German}} police officers of the {{wp|Nazi}} regime.
[[File:King George I by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt (3).jpg|thumb|right|{{wp|George I of Great Britain|George I}}, the first {{wp|British}} monarch of the {{wp|House of Hanover}}]]
At the same time, in contrast to his father, whom was slightly more reserved in his opposition, Charles, upon reaching the age of eighteen, was said to had frequently traveled back and forth between the {{wp|German}}-majority {{wp|Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover}} and mainland {{wp|United Kingdom}}, wherein the largely {{wp|German}}-populated {{wp|Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover}}, he would then make fiery speeches condemning {{wp|Nazism}} while also emphasising the need for unity between the largely {{wp|German}} {{wp|Kingdom of Hanover|kingdom}} with the rest of the {{wp|United Kingdom}} itself. To that end, Charles's speeches were generally well-received by the {{wp|German}} public there, while on the other hand, the prince's infamous speeches were instead seen with much skepticism by the {{wp|British}} government, with then {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}}, {{wp|Neville Chamberlain}} in particular, expressing concern surrounding the prince's much provocative approach towards the {{wp|Nazi|Nazis}}, as evidenced by a personal letter written by {{wp|Neville Chamberlain|Chamberlain}} to Charles's father, the [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King]], in which he wrote, ''"The only thing that I do understandably fear of from the Prince of Wales's words is that we might be fighting in an unnecessarily aggravated war that might be too soon to be in our favour"''. Furthermore, other skeptics of his rampant anti-{{wp|Nazi}} speeches, were in turn mostly concerned about the prince's security, as the latter's events in which his speeches were often held at, by the prince's own request, would often have a minimum amount of security, along with an unrestricted limit on attendance, thereby allowing potential {{wp|Nazi}}-hired agents to assassinate the {{wp|British}} royal during one of his speeches. Nevertheless, the security concerns were almost immediately addressed with the enforcement of metallic barriers separating the prince himself from the crowd by a few feet apart, along with the requirement for attendees to sit upon their arrival, which would have made it much easier for a handgun to be seen among the crowd since it would have to be raised above head level by a would-be assassin for an effective attempt on the prince's life.
As a consequence, the prince subsequently became a rumoured high-profile target of the {{wp|Abwehr|''Abwehr''}}, the {{wp|German}} military intelligence unit of the {{wp|NSDAP|Nazi Party}}, although it was unclear regarding the {{wp|''Abwehr''}}'s supposed actual approach in confronting the prince's criticisms, with rumours alleging that the agency had been ordered to initially coerce the prince into secrecy, before ultimately engineering a fatal accident as a last resort, while others suggest that the ''Prince of Wales'' was to be coerced into silence by one of his own {{wp|German}} uncles, {{wp|Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia}}, a member of the {{wp|NSDAP}} himself. Reportedly, sometime on December 1935, the two privately met one another at the city of {{wp|Wiltz}} in {{wp|Luxembourg}}, where the former {{wp|Prussian}} prince ultimately failed to convince his nephew to abandon his anti-{{wp|Nazi}} rhetoric. Following this, he was said to have later confided in his private secretary of a "final solution to a grave crisis", thus implying an assassination attempt which, despite the prince's fears never ultimately came about, with one popular theory suggesting that {{wp|Adolf Hitler|Hitler}} wanted to avoid forfeiting any potential bargaining with the {{wp|Western}} powers in the near future by having the prince outright assassinated, an act that would have been quickly tied back to the {{wp|Nazis}} themselves. Thus, Charles's speeches were never officially met with any serious reprisal by the {{wp|NSDAP|Nazis}}, whom instead took to countering the prince's verbal attacks by issuing their own series of verbal attacks against the prince himself through speeches made by either {{wp|Adolf Hitler|Hitler}} himself or by various other leading {{wp|Nazism|Nazi}} figures.
On March 13th 1938, just a day after the largely peaceful and non-confrontational {{wp|German}} {{wp|Anschluss|annexation}} of {{wp|Austria}}, Charles famously declared in one of his speeches at the time, ''"{{wp|Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover}} is, and will forever be an important part of the {{wp|United Kingdom}} since the days of the {{wp|German}}-born {{wp|George I of Great Britain|George the First}} and his descendants. The {{wp|NSDAP|National Socialists}}, whom in the eyes of the Hanoverian people, are as treacherous as those of the {{wp|Paris Commune}} fighting against their own brethren almost seventy years ago. Both of these people are undeniably extreme and malicious radicals only bringing harm upon their own fellow kind"''.
===The Polyglot Prince===
Having been born to both an {{wp|English}} father and a {{wp|German}} mother, a young Charles proved quick to master both of his parents' respective native languages by the age of nine, thereby fulfilling expectations arising from his mixed {{wp|Anglo}}-{{wp|German}} ancestry. At the same time, in order to better familiarise himself with his {{wp|Swedish}}-born {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|adoptive sister}}, Charles also took up a solid interest in mastering the language as well, in which by the age of thirteen, he was reportedly able to have almost daily conversations with his {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|adoptive sister}} in her native language, albeit with an apparent {{wp|English}} accent.
When Charles was around eighteen years old, he, with the encouragement of his [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|father]], had initially accepted an offer by the {{wp|British}} government to help educate him in the {{wp|Russian}} language, although unbeknownst to both father and son, the effort had merely been a ruse to shield the government's real intent on supposedly proving a theory alleging that the prince had been the last {{wp|Nicholas II of Russia|Tsar of Russia}} all along. When this clandestine effort subsequently fell apart, a then reportedly humiliated Charles initially had the government-sponsored agents sent away from the palace, although he would soon enough reinvite said agents, along with enlisting the help of the {{wp|Russian}}-born {{wp|Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia|Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna}}, with whom he would regularly interact in the {{wp|Russian}} language.
===Tennis Career===
Beginning from the age of five, Charles's interest in sports began to cultivate, primarily from the influence of his sports enthusiastic sister, {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Princess Ingrid}}, and later, his own [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|father]], with the latter being an initially avid hockey player up until his own accession as sovereign, having been initially exposed to it while residing in {{wp|Canada}}, where the sport is immensely popular. Furthermore, in addition to hockey, Charles also grew up playing other types of sports such as horse riding, polo, and tennis, with {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}} being his principal coaching figure and at times, his competitor in their friendly matches.
Eventually, having initially deliberated over pursuing a career in either tennis or hockey, a sixteen year old Charles opted for the former when on June 1933, he, alongside {{wp|Ingrid}} competed together at {{wp|The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon}} for the first time in the mixed doubles tournament, in which the pair came out as runner-ups following a loss to the more victorious {{wp|German}} pair, {{wp|Gottfried von Cramm}} and {{wp|Hilde Krahwinkel Sperling}}. A year later, the two competed together again, and this time, they were able to successfully become champions in that year's tournament, although, in the subsequent year, Charles himself competed alone as {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}} opted to first settle into her new marriage, in which this time he narrowly won the runner up spot once more against his {{wp|German}} rival, {{wp|Gottfried von Cramm}}, having afterwards lost against fellow {{wp|British}} tennis player, {{wp|Fred Perry}} for the champion spot instead. In 1936, the two reunited once more to successfully win that year's championships once more.
However, following the 1936 championships, neither Charles nor {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}} participated in the subsequent {{wp|The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon}} championships as the former in particular, chose to concentrate more on his princely duties, although for a brief moment in the year 1939, while living in the {{wp|United States}}, Charles competed in the {{wp|US Open (Tennis)|US Open}} championships, which he won alongside the {{wp|American}} actress, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}. Nevertheless, in what would be both their last two participations in {{wp|The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon}}, the two paired up together once more to successively win the 1946 and 1947 championships, before subsequently declaring their simultaneous retirement from professional tennis.
===Left-wing Politics & Liberalism===
[[File:Josip Broz Tito uniform portrait.jpg|thumb|right|{{wp|Josip Broz Tito}}, {{wp|President of Yugoslavia}} from 1953 to 1980]]
While the prince had been obviously born a royal and mostly grew up in a generally right-wing environment, with the upper {{wp|British}} nobility being an integral part of his upbringing due to his royal status, Charles's drift towards left-wing politics was initially considered to have been caused by his past relationship with {{wp|Jessica Mitford}}, a {{wp|British}} noblewoman whom, despite her status, later became a devout {{wp|communist}} herself. At the same time, Charles's apparent embracement of {{wp|socialism}} and other left-wing ideologies alike proved to be somewhat of a sore spot for his own [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|father]], whom despite his own supposedly liberal character, was mostly averse to left-wing ideologies himself, having perceived the ideology of {{wp|socialism}} in particular as being a fundamentally anti-monarchist and a republican-leaning ideology.
Nevertheless, it was later believed that the prince's frequent enduring of racial prejudice during his childhood may have contributed to his drift towards left-wing ideologies, namely the likes of {{wp|socialism}} and {{wp|liberalism}} in general. Thus, Charles's childhood grievances, coupled with his own remarkably liberal character, which was further solidified throughout the years, were considered as being the most likely reasons for the eventual perceptions alluding to the king as being that of a supposed socialist, although in his later memoirs, Charles would frequently assert in being more of a liberal rather than of a socialist himself. At the same time, in pointing towards his own apparent propensity for {{wp|British}} citizens of {{wp|German}} descent in general, particularly from his early years and so forth, Charles has also been rumoured to have actually been a {{wp|German}} nationalist, although this allegation would never be properly addressed by the King himself, whom in one instance reportedly objected against being referred to as a "nationalist of any kind or sort", claiming that being a nationalist instead would "require one's utter devotion to the cause of a particular group while withholding any sort of criticism for it regardless of its own credibility".
Throughout his reign, despite it being done in a generally private manner, Charles reportedly enjoyed several warm, though complicated relationships with several left-wing political leaders of the time, such as {{wp|Fidel Castro}} of {{wp|Cuba}}, {{wp|Yugoslavian}} leader, {{wp|Josip Broz Tito}} (whom Charles reportedly looked upon most favourably himself), his own {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}}, {{wp|Harold Wilson}}, and {{wp|Vietnamese}} guerilla leader, {{wp|Ho Chi Minh}}, whom the prince was said to have exchanged letters with as a way to overcome their respective inabilities to ever meet the other in person.
==Life in the United States==
Sometime in the middle of 1938, hoping to escape the distressing anti-{{wp|German}} sentiment back home, Charles, upon receiving a much reluctantly handed approval from his parents, promptly arranged for a silent retreat to the {{wp|United States}}, whereby the prince and a group of selectively chosen confidantes would enter the country via air under the cover of night. Thus, under the basis of the respective {{wp|British}} and {{wp|American}} timezones, the group, consisting of approximately ten people including Charles himself departed from {{wp|Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove|RAF Aldergrove}} in {{wp|Northern Ireland}} at approximately 5:00 A.M., as it would provide the group with at least a six hours long window for their arrival in the {{wp|United States}}, which was five hours behind {{wp|Britain}}. After a lengthy flight, at exactly 5:20 A.M. local time,  the group touched down at the {{wp|McGuire Air Force Base}} in {{wp|Burlington County}}, {{wp|New Jersey}}, where they were privately welcomed by the then {{wp|United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War}}, {{wp|Harry Hines Woodring|Harry Woodring}}.
At the same time, out of fear of inviting potential {{wp|Nazi}}-hired assassins in the country intending to assassinate Charles himself, whom was known for his ardent anti-{{wp|Nazism}}, then {{wp|President of the United Kingdom|President}} {{wp|Franklin D. Roosevelt|Roosevelt}} opted to provide the prince an entirely new identity of his own while he opted to live incognito in the country for some time. As a result, by Charles's own behest, he was then given the name ''Robert Clarke'' by the {{wp|American}} government, while in order to attract less attention from the general {{wp|American}} public, Charles himself had his own beard shaved off, thus making it less easy for him to be recognised in public due to his much similar looks to the late {{wp|Russian}} {{wp|Nicholas II of Russia|Tsar Nicholas II}}. Soon afterwards, he opted to take up acting as a means of making additional money for himself, and as to not solely depend on his inherited wealth only. To that end, he promptly took lessons at the {{wp|American Academy of Dramatic Arts}}, where he considerably excelled in his lessons despite his distinctive accent, before gradually establishing himself as a rising actor in the {{wp|Hollywood}} scene. As an actor, he was recognised for his distinguishable upper-class persona and his unique {{wp|Anglo}}-{{wp|German}} accent, although this soon changed when Charles decided to adopt a {{wp|Mid-Atlantic}} accent instead, which was the dominant form of accent among the {{wp|Hollywood}} actors and actresses of the time.
===Hollywood Career===
Soon afterwards, his acting career would begin in that same year, when he was personally given the lead role of C.K. Dexter Haven for the romantic comedy film, {{wp|The Philadelphia Story (film)|''The Philadelphia Story''}}, with actress, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}} as his leading lady in the film. It was said that the choice of casting the prince for the aforementioned role was initially met with some skepticism by {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}}'s associates, whom were wary of the prince's acting capabilities, due to him being a newcomer in the {{wp|Hollywood}} film industry at the time. However, the film's overall success, with a total gross of $3.3 million ultimately stunned the prince's many skeptics, most of whom later praised the prince's acting in the film, while also partially atrributing it to Charles's own personal chemistry with {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}}. Soon enough, at the {{wp|13th Academy Awards}} ceremony, Charles went on to win the award of {{wp|Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor}} for his role as C.K. Dexter under his assumed pseudonym, ''Robert Clarke'', making him the youngest actor to win in that particular category. The following year, he starred in the comedy-drama romantic film, {{wp|The Lady In Question|''The Lady In Question''}} alongside actress, {{wp|Rita Hayworth}}, which was otherwise a modest success. This was followed by a couple of also modestly successful films that year, {{wp|The Truth That Lies Beneath|''The Truth That Lies Beneath''}} and {{wp|For Eternity|''For Eternity''}}.
The following year, he took on the role of Bill Smith in the romantic comedy film, {{wp|Come Live with Me (film)|''Come Live With Me''}}, which paired him with actress, {{wp|Hedy Lamarr}}. A modest success, the film led to the prince being nominated for {{wp|Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor}}, which he ultimately lost to {{wp|Gary Cooper}}, whom won the award for his role of {{wp|Alvin York}} in the 1941 biographical film, {{wp|Sergeant York (film)|''Sergeant York''}}. Then, with the {{wp|Japanese}} attack on {{wp|Pearl Harbour}} later that December, Charles's acting career was briefly put on hold, as he opted to enlist in the {{wp|United States Army Air Force}}, for which he was sent abroad to {{wp|Australia}}.
Following his return to the {{wp|United States}} in 1944, Charles's acting career was soon rejuvenated, as he was chosen for the role of Arthur Milles in the 1944 film noir, {{wp|Robert & Jane|''Robert & Jane''}}, starring himself and the upcoming actress, {{wp|Lauren Bacall}}. The film itself proved to be a huge success, leading both Charles and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}} to win their respective {{wp|Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor}} and {{wp|Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress}} awards for their respective roles in the film. This was soon followed by another film noir project that year, {{wp|The Lost Airman|''The Lost Airman''}}, once more starring both Charles and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}} in the leading roles. Soon enough, his established partnership with {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}} quickly became a topic of media sensation, while also becoming the basis for several more films in the following years which exclusively starred the couple in the leading roles. In the midst of this, Charles would go on to win another {{wp|Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor}} award for himself, particularly for the role of [[Willliam VI and III of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King William VI and III]] in the 1947 biographical film, {{wp|The Soldier King|''The Soldier King''}}, which was based on the life of his great-grandfather, the celebrated [[Willliam VI and III of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King William VI and III]], while on {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}}'s part, she otherwise went on to win three more {{wp|Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress}} awards for herself, which she did so for her role in {{wp|The Soldier King|''The Soldier King''}} and {{wp|Key Largo (film)|''Key Largo''}} respectively. She would eventually win her third and final {{wp|Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress}} award for her role in the film, {{wp|How to Marry a Millionaire|''How to Marry a Millionaire''}}, which was her last acting credit and one of the few films she starred in after ascending to the throne as queen consort to her husband on July 1951. 
However, a few decades later, despite having already retired from the acting industry, Charles would return once more and for the only time since his retirement when in 1986, {{wp|British}} film director and producer, {{wp|Tom Scott}}, then reportedly asked the {{wp|British}} monarch to appear in a cameo role for the action film he directed, ''{{wp|Top Gun}}'' (starring actor, {{wp|Tom Cruise}} in the lead role), a decision that was most likely influenced by Charles having previously served in the {{wp|United States Air Force}} during the {{wp|Second World War}}. Ultimately, Charles himself went on to accept the director's offer, as he later appeared in the film in a brief cameo capacity as {{wp|Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier general}} Robert Clarke, with the name of his character in the film being deliberately taken from the pseudonym Charles himself had adopted in the past while living in the {{wp|United States}}, while the decision to have his character a {{wp|Brigadier general (United States)|brigadier general}} was simply down to the fact that it was the rank that the {{wp|British}} royal had attained prior to his retirement from the {{wp|United States Air Force}}. Meanwhile, despite the film's commercial success, Charles himself was said to have personally refused to be awarded any payment for his appearance in the film, stating that his decision in the film was "not to get paid in any way, but rather to just have some good old acting fun".   
==Second World War: The Pacific==
===The Death of a Prince===
On May 24th 1941, at around midnight, while residing at the family home of his close friend, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}, the prince, upon being hastily awakened by the actress, was first informed via one of his own entourage members of the death of his brother, the [[Prince William, Duke of Edinburgh|Duke of Edinburgh]], whom had been killed in service during a naval confrontation at the {{wp|Battle of the Denmark Strait|Denmark Strait}}. The news of his brother's death, which was described as being "profoundly mood-changing, and devastating", initially led Charles to strongly abstain from ever enlisting for the {{wp|Second World War}}, as it was deemed necessary for him to live in order to properly succeed his father, [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King Frederick]]. Regardless of this, after a brief period of "personal exile", Charles went on to become heavily invested in the {{wp|Allies of World War II|Allied}} war effort, as he would often address both the {{wp|American}} and {{wp|British}} public over {{wp|NBC}}, and would hold almost daily discussions with the then {{wp|United States}} {{wp|President of the United States|President}}, {{wp|Franklin D. Roosevelt}} and several other {{wp|Allies of World War II|Allied}} leaders whom had also taken refuge in the {{wp|United States}}, with later rumours suggesting that the prince had been covertly involved in several espionage activities for the {{wp|American}} government due to his natural proficiency in {{wp|German}}. Furthermore, despite the inherent difficulties at the time, Charles was nevertheless able to remain in contact with his parents, the [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King]] and {{wp|Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia|Queen}} back home in {{wp|London}} as well.
In the following year, upon learning of the {{wp|British}} capitulation at the hands of victorious imperial {{wp|Japanese}} forces at the {{wp|Battle of Singapore}}, Charles was said to have sharply criticised the {{wp|British}} commander for the campaign, {{wp|Lieutenant-General}} {{wp|Arthur Pervical}}, whom the prince reportedly derided for "awarding {{wp|Britannia}} her worst humiliation in history". At the same time, he also came to resent then-{{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|Neville Chamberlain}}, whom in addition to his apparent failures surrounding his appeasement strategy, was particularly blamed by Charles himself for being the supposed cause of his [[Prince William, Duke of Edinburgh|late brother]]'s death.
===USAAF Service===
[[File:Charles Flying.png|thumb|right|The ''Prince of Wales'' alongside fellow airmen at an {{wp|United States Army Air Force|USAAF}} air base in {{wp|Australia}}]]
Eventually, around March 1942, despite having initially abstained from ever enlisting for the {{wp|Second World War}} himself, Charles eventually opted to enlist as an officer in the {{wp|United States Army Air Force}}, a decision primarily motivated by his own personal desire to honour his [[Prince William, Duke of Edinburgh|late brother]]'s memory, and by the basis of himself having had prior flight experience of his own too. However, his enlistment into the military was done so under his assumed alias, as both the prince and the {{wp|United States}} government sought to avoid the knowledge of such an important royal being directly in the frontlines from ever being leaked to either the {{wp|German}} or {{wp|Japanese}} intelligence agencies, lest risking an assassination attempt on his life.
To that end, for the next two years, due to the overwhelming concerns surrounding his likelihood of survival when in direct combat, Charles was intentionally diverted from ever participating in the major battles in the {{wp|Pacific Ocean|Pacific}}, namely the battles of {{wp|Battle of Midway|Midway}} and {{wp|Battle of Okinawa|Okinawa}} himself, and was instead, albeit after a much bitter compromise, relegated to a defensive post in northern {{wp|Australia}}, where he partook in the defence of {{wp|Australia}} alongside fellow {{wp|Allies of World War II|Allied}} servicemen against {{wp|Japanese}} air raids. Additionally, while stationed in {{wp|Australia}}, he mostly piloted a {{wp|Lockheed P-38 Lightning}} aircraft, through which he partook extensively in his {{wp|6th Air Intelligence Squadron|squadron}}'s mandated reconnaissance activities around the area of the {{wp|Southwest Pacific}}, where they photographed enemy logistics and bases. It was also during this period that he was able to amass a confirmed total amount of five downed {{wp|Japanese}} fighter aircraft, with each one of them having been first intercepted during patrols before being subsequently shot down by Charles himself, thus earning him three {{wp|Air Medal}} awards in total, alongside several other decorations too. At the same time, in addition to his wartime duties there, Charles would also secretly meet with members of both the {{wp|Australian}} and {{wp|New Zealand}} governments to discuss matters which were mainly of national importance relating to the {{wp|Japanese}} incursion. 
Around February 1944, before being ultimately recalled back to the {{wp|United States}}, Charles was promoted by his superiors to the rank of {{wp|Colonel (United States)|Colonel}} for his wartime efforts, while at the same time, receiving a conccurent promotion to the ranks of {{wp|Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant General}} (from the previously held rank of {{wp|Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier}}), {{wp|Vice-admiral (Royal Navy)|Vice-admiral}}, and the rank of {{wp|Air marshal}} in the {{wp|British Army}}, the {{wp|Royal Navy}}, and the {{wp|Royal Air Force}} respectively. Later on, not long after his marriage to actress, {{wp|Lauren Bacall}} concluded, he was last promoted to {{wp|Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General}} by then-{{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Harry S. Truman|Harry Truman}} himself, thereby making him the only {{wp|British}} royal to achieve such a distinction in the {{wp|United States}} military. Then, on the day of his ascension to the throne, Charles ultimately retired from the {{wp|United States Army Air Force}}. At the same time, Charles's former squadron, the {{wp|6th Air Intelligence Squadron}}, prior to its ultimate inactivity in 1993, was given the official nickname, ''Prince of Wales Intelligence Squadron'' in the prince's own honour.
===War's End===
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Despite returning back to safety in the {{wp|United States}}, the prince proved rather consistent in his wartime activities, which would continue well into the remaining months of the war. Evidently, in addition to the usual public addresses through radios and the like, the prince himself also took to began visiting war-torn areas on his own accord, beginning with an October 1944 visit to the {{wp|Kingdom of Egypt}}, where he was reunited with and soon engaged in a series of private discussions with its monarch, {{wp|Farouk of Egypt|King Farouk}}. Soon afterwards, following the arrest of approximately three members of the right-wing {{wp|Zionist}} militant group, {{wp|Lehi (militant group)|Lehi}} by the {{wp|Cairo}} police force, Charles, whom was rumoured to have been the target of an assassination plot by the group was soon compelled to leave {{wp|Kingdom of Egypt|Egypt}} in the near vicinity, which he did so by instead moving northwards to the island of {{wp|Sicily}}, which had been liberated a year prior to the prince's spontaneous visit to the island by an {{wp|Allied invasion of Sicily|Allied invasion}}. Then, while temporarily residing on the island, the prince went on an active spree of touring the island's ruined towns and cities himself, along with reportedly holding several closed-door meetings with a number of prominent {{wp|Sicilian Mafia}} leaders. However, according to at least one previously classified report, the prince himself was said to have generally rebuked or at the very least, refrained from being close associates with the {{wp|Sicilian}} mobsters due to their criminal activities, while on the other hand, he was said to have nevertheless thanked the {{wp|Sicilian Mafia}} leaders for their contribution to the overwhelmingly successful {{wp|Allied invasion of Sicily|Allied invasion}} of the {{wp|Sicily|island}}.
Then, for the next few years or so leading up to his eventual departure back for the {{wp|United Kingdom}} in 1950, Charles, following the end of the {{wp|Second World War}} in 1945, subsequently opted to mostly concentrate on his modestly successful acting career in the {{wp|Hollywood}} industry, which he had initially put on hold following his deployment abroad. In the midst of this, for the {{wp|1948 United States presidential election|1948 election}}, despite his openly warm feelings towards the {{wp|Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party}}, which had been in power for almost a decade under the late {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Franklin D. Roosevelt}}, coupled with his own {{wp|Lauren Bacall|wife}}'s strong personal alignment with the {{wp|Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party}}, Charles nonetheless opted to publicly campaign for the {{wp|Republican Party (United States)|Republican}} nominee, {{wp|Thomas E. Dewey}}, whom from 1943, had been the {{wp|Governor of New York}}.
Then, in a speech he gave at one of {{wp|Thomas E. Dewey|Dewey}}'s campaign rallies in {{wp|New York (state)|New York}}, he proclaimed, ''"While I would always thank and remember {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Harry S. Truman|Truman}}'s kind gesture of attending my wedding a few years ago, I nonetheless feel that it is only right that a man of the law and of the fight against corruption like {{wp|Thomas E. Dewey|Mr. Dewey}} should be the new president to lead this great {{wp|American}} nation forward, with a firm and proper mandate by the {{wp|American}} public"''. Ultimately, {{wp|Thomas E. Dewey|Dewey}} himself would go on to lose the election against the {{wp|Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic}} {{wp|Harry S. Truman|incumbent}}, whom otherwise prevailed with 303 electoral votes to {{wp|Thomas E. Dewey|Dewey}}'s 189 electoral votes gained. Meanwhile, the {{wp|Dixiecrat}} nominee, {{wp|United States Senate|Senator}} {{wp|Strom Thurmond}} carried a total of four states, which amounted to a total of 39 electoral votes. Furthermore, despite his perceived rebuke of {{wp|Harry S. Truman|Truman}} by his decision to publicly campaign for his {{wp|Republican Party (United States)|Republican}} opponent, the two men would go on to enjoy a rather amicable friendship, which later became more pronounced upon Charles's ascension to the throne in 1951, just two years before {{wp|Harry S. Truman|Truman}}'s term ultimately ended, with the latter having refused to seek a second term as {{wp|President of the United States|President}}.
Around the year 1949, while publicly expressing his support for a united West German government, Charles was otherwise said to have openly fought against proposals to incorporate the {{wp|British}} constituent country of {{wp|Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover}} into the new West German state itself, having once reportedly told then-{{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|Clement Attlee}}, ''"Hanover shall never be administered or even ceded over to a country that is either fully or even partly run by war criminals whom were lucky enough to have been spared from the much damning trials they deserved"''. Later on, not long after becoming {{wp|Queen of the United Kingdom|King}} himself in 1951, Charles, whom in a bid to supposedly quell any significant demands by the West German government wishing to incorporate {{wp|Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover}} as well into their own respective country, famously had the constituent country's then administrative leader or {{wp|minister-president}}, Stephen Herschlag hold a rather infamous referendum deciding on {{wp|Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover}}'s future, with the options either being to remain with the {{wp|United Kingdom}} or to join the new {{wp|West Germany}} instead. In the end, presumably due to his own high personal standing among the local {{wp|German}} populace there, the referendum itself ultimately resulted in an effective {{wp|supermajority}} vote in favour of continuing its union with the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, a result that was seen by Charles himself in particular as a personal victory for himself against the neighbouring West German government, which otherwise saw the result of the referendum as being the absolute end to their initial efforts in attempting to form a "geographically complete" {{wp|West Germany}} by incorporating {{wp|Kingdom of Hanover|Hanover}} as well into the country. 
==Reign==
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Despite his return to the {{wp|United Kingdom}} around early 1950, it was at first deemed unlikely for Charles to succeed his [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|father]] in the near vicinity. However, at times, Charles would occasionally serve as a stand-in for the latter at public events. Then, following a hunting incident which, despite only leaving the [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King]] with only minor and non-worrisome injuries but ultimately forcing the King to a temporary withdrawal from his duties, Charles himself thus consequently began to take up his role as {{wp|Prince of Wales|''Prince of Wales''}} in a more frequent manner, as he proceeded to notably spearheaded efforts in further strengthening the {{wp|Commonwealth of Nations}} organisation through a number of visits to {{wp|Canada}}, {{wp|Australia}}, {{wp|New Zealand}}, {{wp|Union of South Africa|South Africa}}, and the {{wp|Caribbean}} states including {{wp|Jamaica}}, {{wp|Puerto Rico}}, and {{wp|The Bahamas}} respectively. In particular, exactly two months before his ascension to the throne, Charles and his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|wife}} went on a visit to {{wp|India}} where they exchanged brief but friendly dialogues with the {{wp|Indian}} {{wp|Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister}}, {{wp|Jawaharlal Nehru}}, whom Charles was said to have particularly admired and sympathised with.
On the afternoon of July 7th 1951, when [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King Frederick]] died in his sleep, the princely couple, whom were then in the midst of a hunting trip at the {{wp|Scottish Highlands}}, was promptly informed of the former's death, leading them to immediately abort the hunting trip and return back to {{wp|Edinburgh Castle}}, before subsequently departing for {{wp|London}} onboard the {{wp|British Royal Train|Royal Train}}, along with Charles's mother-in-law, Natalie Bacall. During the journey back home, the newly proclaimed King was promptly asked by his private secretary, [[Lord Davies]], regarding his personal choice of his regnal name as monarch. Almost immediately, Charles promptly declared that he would be using his own given name, thereby becoming ''Charles the Third''. When this was then subsequently relayed to the government by [[Lord Davies|Lord Davies]] himself, it incurred a sizable degree of controversy, primarily due to the name's negative associations with its two previous respective holders, with {{wp|Charles I of England|Charles I}} being infamously remembered for his involvement in the {{wp|English Civil War}} and for his subsequent execution, while his eldest son and immediate successor, {{wp|Charles II of England|Charles II}} was known for his blatantly hedonistic court. Soon after the revelation came about, the then {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}}, {{wp|Clement Attlee}} was said to have initially sent a counter reply to the new king, advising the latter to adopt one of his own middle names instead, with the name ''William'' being the most preferred choice, as he would be openly honouring his revered late great-grandfather, [[Willliam VI and III of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|William VI and III]].
In response to the government's apparent objection against his choice of a regnal name, within just a quarter of an hour following his arrival at {{wp|Buckingham Palace}}, Charles then went on to declare in a televised speech from his own royal residence, his right to choose his own regnal name and his own starkly contrasting image to the two previous Charles's, during which he famously proclaimed, ''"I am neither an enemy to my own country like the {{wp|Charles I of England|first}}, and neither am I a philanderer like the {{wp|Charles II of England|second}}. First and foremost, I am Charles the Third, the reformer"''.
On October 25th 1951, Charles's coronation was held at the traditional site of {{wp|Westminster Abbey}}. The ceremony, which saw the expected amount of various foreign dignitaries of multiple backgrounds was also the first to be televised by Charles's strict insistence though with the exception of the {{wp|anointing}} and the {{wp|communion}} processes. In particular, prior to the coronation itself, upon having discovered from the list of attendees that his mother-in-law, Natalie Bacall, was to be excluded from the list as to not upstage the other attendees whom were mostly of nobility and royalty background, led a reportedly outraged Charles to successfully pressure the then {{wp|Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk|Duke of Norfolk}}, whom like his predecessors, traditionally holds the title of  {{wp|Earl Marshal}} as well, into whitelisting {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}}'s mother instead. Ultimately, the older Bacall did attend the coronation ceremony, during which she was mostly accompanied by the [[Prince Frederick, Duke of Clarence and Avondale|Duke]] and {{wp|Astrid of Sweden|Duchess of Clarence and Avondale}}. She was later granted her own apartment in {{wp|Buckingham Palace}}, where she primarily resided until her own death in October 1972 and was also made a marchioness by Charles himself just after his ascension to the throne. Later on, following the death of his mother-in-law, the King personally oversaw the former's funeral arrangements during which, amidst much initial controversy, he was able to successfully have the older Bacall be buried in {{wp|Westminster Abbey}} despite her own {{wp|Jewish}} identity, as to not separate mother and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|daughter}}. Later on, both Charles and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}} themselves were also buried alongside the older Bacall in {{wp|Westminster Abbey}} upon their own respective deaths in the year 2011 and 2014.
[[File:Johor-Ibrahim.jpg|thumb|left|{{wp|Ibrahim of Johor}}, whom ruled over his state as a constitutional monarch from 1895 to 1959]]
With his ascension as {{wp|King of the United Kingdom|King of the British}}, Charles was simultaneously the ceremonial head of the {{wp|United Kingdom}} and various other member states of the {{wp|Commonwealth of Nations}}, which had arisen from the gradual decolonisation process undertaken by the {{wp|British}} government. Just a year after his ascension to the throne, Charles resumed his {{wp|Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth}}-oriented tour by undertaking state visits to {{wp|Pakistan}}, {{wp|Union of South Africa|South Africa}}, {{wp|Nigeria}}, and several other {{wp|African}} countries with the likes of {{wp|Sudan}} and {{wp|Tanganyika}}. He also paid brief visits to {{wp|Federation of Malaya|Malaya}}, the island city of {{wp|Singapore}}, and {{wp|Brunei}}, becoming the second {{wp|British}} monarch to do so after his great-grandfather, [[Willliam VI and III of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King William VI and III]], whom had first visited the peninsula in the year 1875. During his visit to the peninsula, Charles successively met all nine of the {{wp|Malay}} rulers, or ''sultans'' as they were titled, with the ruler of {{wp|Johor}}, {{wp|Ibrahim of Johor|Sultan Ibrahim}} reputedly being his closest acquaintance among the other {{wp|Malay}} rulers, with the apparent friendship itself seemingly mirroring {{wp|Ibrahim of Johor|Sultan Ibrahim}}'s own {{wp|Abu Bakar of Johor|father}}'s friendship with Charles's great-grandfather, [[Willliam VI and III of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|William VI and III]]. Subsequently, he was also received as an honorary guest by the then-{{wp|List of sultans of Brunei|Sultan of Brunei}}, {{wp|Omar Ali Saifuddien III}}, whom had recently succeeded to the {{wp|Bruneian}} throne just a couple of years earlier.
Following his generally successful state visits to both {{wp|Peninsular Malaysia|Malaya}} and {{wp|Brunei}}, it was then believed that Charles, whom after having initially harboured some desire on also touring the neighbouring {{wp|Crown Colony of Sarawak}}, went on to ultimately decide against holding such a visit himself, a decision reportedly influenced by the assassination of the {{wp|Crown Colony of Sarawak|Crown Colony}}'s previous governor, {{wp|Duncan Stewart (colonial administrator)|Duncan Stewart}}, whom on December 1949 was assassinated by a local named {{wp|Rosli Dhobi}}, a member of {{wp|Rukun 13}}, a {{wp|Sarawakian}} organisation believed to had been agitating for the unification of {{wp|Sarawak}} with neighbouring {{wp|Indonesia}}, as opposed to being a {{wp|crown colony}} under the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, which was to replace the previous administration of the {{wp|White Rajahs}}. 
===An Egyptian Crisis===
[[File:Stevan Kragujevic, Gamal Abdel Naser u Beogradu, 1962.jpg|thumb|right|{{wp|Gamal Abdel Nasser}}, whom was {{wp|President of Egypt}} from 1956 to 1970, and whom led {{wp|Egypt}} during the infamous {{wp|Suez Crisis}}]]
In light of the {{wp|Egyptian revolution of 1952|revolution}} which overthrew the {{wp|Egyptian}} {{wp|Farouk of Egypt|King Farouk}}, Charles, on the advice of the then {{wp|Foreign Secretary}} {{wp|Anthony Eden}} had initially offered asylum to the former {{wp|Egyptian}} monarch in {{wp|Buckingham Palace}}, under the premise of a possible restoration of the latter to the {{wp|Egyptian}} throne. However, despite this decision, the king himself was said to have been personally skeptical towards such an initiative, as he was primarily concerned by the former {{wp|Egyptian}} {{wp|Farouk of Egypt|king}}'s known promiscuity, a stark contrast towards his own chaste character. Eventually, following an initially lukewarm reception of the former {{wp|Farouk of Egypt|King Farouk}} upon his arrival in the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, the former {{wp|Egyptian}} monarch was ultimately evicted from {{wp|Buckingham Palace}} just three days later by the insistence of {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen Lauren}}, whom reportedly found the former king to be a "strikingly repulsive, dangerous, and unruly bloated fellow". When {{wp|Farouk of Egypt|Farouk}} himself later passed away almost a decade later in the year 1965 while staying at his new residence in {{wp|England}}, both Charles and his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|wife}} immediately abstained from attending the former {{wp|Farouk of Egypt|king}}'s funeral, with {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}} herself having reportedly said, ''"Such a vile man like himself deserves no rights to our sympathy and mourning"''.
On October 29th 1956, in response to the seizure of the strategically important {{wp|Suez Canal}} by {{wp|Egyptian}} forces under the direction of then {{wp|President of Egypt}}, {{wp|Gamal Abdel Nasser}}, a tripartite invasion consisting of the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, along with both {{wp|France}} and {{wp|Israel}} was hatched in response, whereby the three-nation alliance would seek to overthrow the much popular {{wp|Egyptian}} leader entirely, albeit by doing so under the pretext of restoring order in the surrounding region there. However, in just a few days after the invasion itself began, the tripartite alliance was soon met with almost universal condemnation by the international community, which subsequently led to a joint {{wp|Anglo}}-{{wp|French}} withdrawal from {{wp|Egypt}}, thus handing the much revered {{wp|Gamal Abdel Nasser|Nasser}} a victory in the overall conflict, while-then {{wp|British}} {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Ministe}} {{wp|Anthony Eden}} was otherwise forced to resign from his position.
Later on, it was eventually revealed that despite having given his own official approval for the {{wp|United Kingdom}}'s participation in the much ill-fated invasion, Charles himself was said to have otherwise personally been a "staunch opponent" to the invasion itself, having seemingly preferred a more diplomatic approach instead with the {{wp|Egyptian}} nationalist leader. On one instance, he was quoted as having said, ''"There should be no justification as to why we ourselves have never tried appeasing someone, whom irrespective of where he might be at any given moment could be quite easily defeated on the battlefield, had we chose to do so ourselves"''.
===''Prince of the Welsh''===
On July 22nd 1951, as the king was about to create his eldest son, the then {{wp|Duke of Cornwall}}, the {{wp|Prince of Wales|''Prince of Wales''}}, the former abruptly declared that all heir apparent to the {{wp|British}} throne, including the future [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|Prince William]] was to be formally known as the ''Prince of the Welsh'', rather than in its current form. Almost immediately, when questioned regarding his rationale behind the change, the king promptly stated that it was in line with the changes made by his father and predecessor, the late [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King Frederick]], whom had prior altered the title of ''King of the United Kingdom'' to that of ''King of the British'' instead with much public and government support himself. The change ultimately resided with his successor, while his granddaughter, [[Alexandra I of the United Kingdom|Alexandra]] was subsequently referred to as the ''Princess of the Welsh'' upon becoming heir apparent to her own father.
===Charles & Hollywood===
[[File:Frank Sinatra (1957 studio portrait close-up).jpg|thumb|right|{{wp|Frank Sinatra}}, an {{wp|American}} singer and actor, and whom was also one of Charles's closest lifelong friends]]
In addition to his relations with various political leaders around the world, Charles himself maintained a sizable degree of connections within the {{wp|Hollywood}} industry, as a consequence of him and his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|wife}}'s prior acting careers. For instance, Charles was generally close to the likes of the actresses, {{wp|Hedy Lamarr}} and {{wp|Grace Kelly}}, both of whom had been married into {{wp|European}} royalty themselves. However, Charles was also known for his close friendship with the {{wp|American}} singer and actor, {{wp|Frank Sinatra}}, the latter having been initially employed as one of the main musicians at Charles's own wedding before being subsequently invited to perform both publicly and privately in {{wp|London}} by Charles's own behest on several occasions. Furthermore, the two were said to have frequented various private resorts in the company of their respective wives, while also particularly enjoying a game of golf at almost every opportunity (much to the annoyance of their respective wives), with Charles's wife, {{wp|Lauren Bacall}} later remarking, "If either Charlie or Frankie ever disagreed with one another, a nice game of golf was the surefire way to deal with it". Moreover, upon the birth of Charles's firstborn son, the later [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|King Thomas]] in December 1953, Charles himself personally included {{wp|Frank Sinatra|Sinatra}}'s own first name and middle name in the naming of his firstborn son. Moreover, amidst {{wp|Frank Sinatra|Sinatra}}'s decision to support the {{wp|Republican Party (United States)|Republican}} governor of {{wp|California}}, {{wp|Ronald Reagan}} (whom Charles, being a strongly liberal person, greatly disliked) in the {{wp|1980 United States presidential election|1980 presidential election}}, the two men continued to remain mutual friends up until {{wp|Frank Sinatra|Sinatra}}'s passing in May 1998. Around three years prior, for the wedding of Charles's oldest son, [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|Thomas]] to the {{wp|American}} supermodel, {{wp|Christy Turlington}}, {{wp|Frank Sinatra|Sinatra}}'s popular hit song, ''{{wp|My Way}}'' was among the few select songs played at the event, which the singer himself also attended despite recurring health issues at the time which preceded his eventual passing just several years later. 
Among other names included actors {{wp|Marlon Brando}}, {{wp|Orson Welles}}, legendary singer, {{wp|Elvis Presley}}, and actresses {{wp|Rita Hayworth}}, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}, {{wp|Audrey Hepburn}}, and the famed {{wp|Marilyn Monroe}}, with whom Charles was briefly associated through their mutual acquaintances and whom the prince was also rumoured to have been romantically involved with up until the actress's untimely death on August 1962. In an interview held sometime after his passing in March 2011, his then surviving widow, {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen Lauren}}, whom in addressing the rumours of Charles's alleged infidelity with various {{wp|Hollywood}} actresses of his time, notably said, ''"Charlie is a man of many women, but only a husband and a lover of one"'', while actress, {{wp|Katharine Houghton}}, whom is the niece of the legendary actress, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}, and whom later became Charles's own daughter-in-law herself, also criticised the rumours, which she referred to as "shameful attempts by the sensationalist media desperate to dig out sensationalist stories and rumours from a much-respected family man in his own right". Additionally, his eldest son and successor, the later [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|King Thomas]] also spoke rather negatively against the rumours himself, having said, ''"While he was never certainly in favour of a priestly man being a father of his own family, he is neither in favour of a womanising man becoming a father of his own family as well"''.
Aside from that, his personal enmity towards two foreign monarchs in particular, namely {{wp|Farouk of Egypt}} and {{wp|Mohammad Reza Pahlavi}} of {{wp|Imperial State of Iran|Iran}}, both of whom were themselves the last monarch of their own dynasties to rule over their respective nations, was also well known and documented, with notable instances being his infamous expulsion of the deposed {{wp|Farouk of Egypt|King Farouk}} from his residence of {{wp|Buckingham Palace}}, and his tour of {{wp|Imperial State of Iran|Iran}} back in the 1940s, during which he was said to have privately quarreled with the {{wp|Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah of Iran}}, whom Charles later admitted in an interview to have long disliked. Moreover, it was even said that in October 1971, the {{wp|British}} monarch, whom upon being handed an RSVP put out by the {{wp|Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah}} for the extravagant {{wp|2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire}} event held in the ancient city of {{wp|Persepolis}}, proceeded to "swiftly tear it apart", even going so far as to forbid himself and his own immediate family members from attending the event, which he later referred to in an interview as "a literal 20th-century copy of the {{wp|Field of the Cloth of Gold}}", in a reference to the 16th-century summit meeting between {{wp|Henry VIII|King Henry VIII}} of {{wp|England}} and {{wp|Francis I of France|King Francis I}} of {{wp|Kingdom of France|France}}. At the same time, the notable absence of the {{wp|British}} royal family from the event, which stood in marked contrast to the presence of members from the other {{wp|European}} royal families quickly proved to be a brief topic of controversy, with some observers interpreting the decision as the King personally snubbing the {{wp|Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah of Iran}}, while an alternative interpretation instead likens his decision to not attend the event to that of actress, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}, whom Charles himself was personally close to, and whom was known for having never attended an {{wp|Academy Awards}} ceremony throughout her lifetime, with one particular exception. Nevertheless, just several years later, an article published by {{wp|The New York Times|''The New York Times''}} just a few days after the {{wp|Iranian Revolution}} which overthrew the {{wp|Pahlavi dynasty}} in favour of an {{wp|Islamic}} theocracy, wrote that "the decision by His Majesty The King to not personally attend the event, along with his decision to force his own family members to do the same could well be a source of pride and triumph for the {{wp|British}} people whom pride over this one of a kind King".
Despite his considerably warm relations with the {{wp|Hollywood}} industry, Charles himself ironically shared a much more mixed and complicated relationship with the government of the {{wp|United States}}, with {{wp|Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat}} {{wp|Lyndon B. Johnson}} and {{wp|Republican Party (United States)|Republican}} {{wp|Ronald Reagan}} respectively being Charles's supposed "closest political rivals", although on several occasions, he nevertheless praised both men for some of their respective presidential achievements, which includes {{wp|Lyndon B. Johnson|Johnson}}'s successful efforts in regards to the issue of civil rights in the {{wp|United States}}, and {{wp|Ronald Reagan|Reagan}}'s own success in ending the decades-long {{wp|Cold War}} conflict. In addition to that, Charles himself also embarked on a number of state visits to the {{wp|United States}} during his reign, with the first being a 1955 state visit to the country, during which he met then-{{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Dwight D. Eisenhower}}. Throughout the following decades, he went on to personally meet almost every single one of {{wp|Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower}}'s subsequent successors as president, including {{wp|John F. Kennedy}}, {{wp|Ronald Reagan}}, and lastly, {{wp|Bill Clinton}}. 
Considered by many to have been a close friend of the {{wp|Kennedy family}}, Charles is said to have first come into the family's inner circle during the brief presidency of {{wp|John F. Kennedy}}, whom Charles had first met while the then-presidential nominee had paid a semi-official visit to the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, as part of his campaign strategy in the {{wp|1960 United States presidential election}}. Following {{wp|John F. Kennedy|Kennedy}}'s own infamous assassination just two years into his presidency, Charles himself became one of the earliest world leaders to express their condolences to both {{wp|John F. Kennedy|Kennedy}}'s widow, {{wp|Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis}}, and his deputy-turned-successor, {{wp|Lyndon B. Johnson}}, whose otherwise reportedly rocky relationship with the King was considerably noted at the time by those close to both men.
Nonetheless, for the {{wp|1980 Democratic Party presidential primaries}}, he was said to have personally favoured then-{{wp|Massachusetts}} senator and younger brother of the late {{wp|John F. Kennedy|JFK}}, {{wp|Ted Kennedy}} over the then incumbent {{wp|President of the United States|President}}, {{wp|Jimmy Carter}}, whom despite being largely praised later on by Charles for his largely peaceful approach to global issues, was nevertheless seen by the {{wp|British}} monarch as "someone who is too pure and kind for national politics", in contrast to his {{wp|Ted Kennedy|opponent}} in the primaries, whom Charles once referred to as "the undisputed symbol of modern liberalism".
Throughout his lifetime, he personally attended the funerals of all three of the {{wp|Kennedy family|Kennedy}} brothers, with the first instance being {{wp|John F. Kennedy|John}}'s in November 1963, followed by {{wp|Robert F. Kennedy|Robert}}'s in June 1968, and lastly, that of {{wp|Ted Kennedy|Edward Kennedy}}'s in August 2009.
===The "Socialist" King===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B0628-0015-035, Nikita S. Chruschtschow.jpg|thumb|right|{{wp|Nikita Khruschev}}, {{wp|Soviet}} First Secretary from 1953 to 1964]]
In just a couple of years into his reign, the death of {{wp|Soviet}} leader, {{wp|Joseph Stalin}}, consequently led to a brief power struggle within the {{wp|Soviet Union}}, culminating in the subsequent rise of {{wp|Nikita Khrushchev}}, whom afterwards embarked on his notable campaign of {{wp|de-Stalinization}}, a series of reforms meant to somewhat liberalise the {{wp|Soviet Union}} to some extent, away from its previous {{wp|Stalinist}} character. Thus, in response to these new developments, Charles had then-{{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|Winston Churchill}} arrange for a potential meeting between the {{wp|British}} monarch himself and the new {{wp|Soviet}} leader, {{wp|Nikita Khruschev}}, whom subsequently accepted {{wp|Winston Churchill|Churchill}}'s proposal for a meeting between himself and the ''King of the British'', hoping to frame it as a personal diplomatic victory for himself. However, the issue of determining an appropriate location for the said meeting quickly became a point of contention, as neither {{wp|Winston Churchill|Churchill}} (in representing the King) nor {{wp|Nikita Khruschev|Khruschev}} were willing to have such a historic meeting in the other's home country, for fear that either the {{wp|British}} or {{wp|Soviet}} government would be perceived by their respective media and the general public as "surrendering" or "capitulating" to the other. Furthermore, having such a meeting be held in {{wp|Soviet}} territory would also be seen by some as legitimising claims surrounding the King's supposed pro-{{wp|Soviet}} sympathies, which the {{wp|British}} government was vigorously trying to shake off. Ultimately, after some deliberations, it was mutually agreed upon by both sides that the meeting would take place in {{wp|Sweden}}, a {{wp|Nordic}} country known for its traditional foreign policy brand of neutrality and non-alignment.
On December 1st 1953, Charles, whom was accompanied by his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|wife}} for the historic meeting, finally met the newly confirmed {{wp|Soviet}} leader, {{wp|Nikita Khruschev}} at the royal residence of {{wp|Stockholm Palace}}, with {{wp|Sweden}}'s {{wp|Gustaf VI Adolf|King Gustaf VI Adolf}} serving as the neutral host. The three men subsequently held a series of closed door tripartite meetings with one another, before attending an official state dinner, also hosted by the {{wp|Gustaf VI Adolf|King of Sweden}} himself later that night. Then, throughout the following days or so, both Charles and {{wp|Nikita Khruschev|Khruschev}} spent most of their respective time together touring several {{wp|Nikita Khruschev|Swedish}} landmarks and tourist attractions, including the {{wp|Stockholm Zoo}}. Soon enough, the apparent state of friendliness between the two leaders quickly invited both praise and criticism, with some accusing either the King or {{wp|Nikita Khruschev|Khruschev}} of sympathising with the other's cause, while others heralded the moment as a potential step towards further de-escalation of tensions between the {{wp|Western Bloc|Western}} and {{wp|Eastern Bloc|Eastern}} blocs. Nonetheless, the meeting itself went on to conclude in a largely spotless manner after a total of five days, after which both Charles and {{wp|Nikita Khruschev|Khruschev}} returned to their respective home countries.
In hoping to capitalise on the apparent success of the meeting between the two leaders in {{wp|Sweden}}, both the {{wp|British}} and {{wp|Soviet}} governments agreed to arrange a number of several further meetings between Charles and {{wp|Nikita Khruschev|Khruschev}}, a majority of which took place in other neutral countries such as {{wp|Finland}}, {{wp|Switzerland}}, and {{wp|Austria}}. Then, for the final two meetings involving the two leaders, a state visit to {{wp|Moscow}} was held on February 1956, which was in turn reciprocated by {{wp|Nikita Khruschev|Khruschev}} himself visiting {{wp|London}} just a month later. From that point on, no further meetings involving the two leaders ever took place, with the most likely reason being the {{wp|Hungarian Revolution of 1956}}, in which {{wp|Hungarian}} protesters were violently crushed by the {{wp|Red Army}}. Consequently, the {{wp|Soviet}} regime's violent response towards the incident was said to have most likely discouraged the {{wp|British}} monarch from ever meeting {{wp|Nikita Khruschev|Khruschev}} any further, thereby contributing to the lack of any further meetings involving the two since the {{wp|Hungarian Revolution of 1956|incident}} in {{wp|Hungary}}.   
===Assassination Attempts===
As a result of both his rather controversial character and the prevailing {{wp|Cold War}} conflict at the time, Charles, whom prior to and even after becoming a monarch himself, was reportedly the target of a number of assassination attempts believed to had been carried out by various parties throughout the span of a few decades in total.
Officially, the first documented assassination attempt against Charles was said to have taken place around May 1937 at the city of {{wp|Hanover}}, where the prince, whom was then in the midst of strolling down the city streets with an associate of his, was suddenly slashed lightly across the wrist by his would-be assassin, later identified as Oscar Stelz. Stelz, whom was subsequently outed as a convinced {{wp|Nazi}}, later reportedly revealed to his {{wp|British}} interrogators that he had initially meant to slash across the prince's torso with his own personal weapon, namely a {{wp|stiletto}} knife. However, according to Stelz, the decision to slash the prince across the {{wp|British}} royal's left wrist instead came about as a result of the latter having had his own left arm raised in front of his own torso, thereby unknowingly preventing his would-be assassin from openly harming his torso instead as initially intended. Furthermore, Charles himself, in addition to having easily survived his minor injuries sustained from the attempt, proved to be mostly undeterred by the particular incident, opting to continue his public provocations against the {{wp|Nazi}} regime, which lasted well until his own departure for the {{wp|United States}} the following year.
In the decades that followed, Charles would remain generally free of any further assassination attempts until his eventual death in March 2011. However, during much of the {{wp|Cold War}} period, it was said that a number of assassination attempts had been supposedly concocted by various differing groups at the time, be it {{wp|Islamist}} ones, or those from the {{wp|far-left}} and the {{wp|far-right}}. Nonetheless, the most notorious of these ultimately came about in around November 1963, when in light of the assassination of then-{{wp|United States|US}} {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|John F. Kennedy}} by the former {{wp|United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine}} soldier, {{wp|Lee Harvey Oswald}}, then {{wp|Soviet}} leader, {{wp|Nikita Khrushchev}}, reportedly claimed that the late {{wp|John F. Kennedy|Kennedy}}'s death was due to a supposed plot by far-right oil barons, whom {{wp|Nikita Khruschev|Khruschev}} subsequently accused of having hatched a similar plot meant for the {{wp|British}} monarch himself, whose apparent friendliness towards the {{wp|Eastern Bloc}} in general would apparently be seen as an obstacle to those favouring a {{wp|Western Bloc}} victory in the {{wp|Cold War}}. Ultimately, the supposed plot alleged by {{wp|Nikita Khruschev|Khruschev}} never came about, although another popular rumour suggested that the {{wp|British}} intelligence agencies, namely the {{wp|MI5}} and the {{wp|Secret Intelligence Service|MI6}} had in fact thwarted a number of assassination plots meant for the King, though neither of their supposed discoveries was ever made public by both intelligence agencies.
===Silver & Ruby Jubilees===
On July 7th 1976, his {{wp|silver jubilee}} was held to commemorate his 25th year on the throne. Interestingly, amidst plans for widespread celebrations of his {{wp|silver jubilee}} that year, Charles himself otherwise reportedly requested for the celebrations to be "simple and modest", although reasons behind this request by the {{wp|British}} monarch were never made public. However, according to {{wp|Margaret Jay, Baroness Jay of Paddington}}, the daughter of then-{{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|James Callaghan}}, the reasoning behind the King's notable decision to have largely muted celebrations commemorating his {{wp|silver jubilee}} was to supposedly distinguish himself from the {{wp|Shah of Iran}}, {{wp|Mohammad Reza Pahlavi}}, whom otherwise held an extravagant ceremony marking the {{wp|2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire|2,500th year anniversary}} of the {{wp|Persian Empire}}, which in addition to being noted for its pompousness and extravagance, would also later become a point of contention among the {{wp|Iranian}} society.
Just a couple of decades later, on July 1991, for what would be his subsequent {{wp|ruby jubilee}} event, he once more personally ordered for any celebrations commemorating the event to be modest and muted in nature, which subsequently earned him much praise from and admiration among the {{wp|British}} public and international observers.
==Abdication==
By the late 1990s, despite already being almost eighty years of age, at the start, Charles reportedly abstained from contemplating on the idea of abdication, as there were no underlying factors compelling him to do so, with the King being in a generally healthy condition, even at an advanced age. Nevertheless, on January 15th 1997, on his 80th birthday, Charles formally announced his abdication from his residence of {{wp|Buckingham Palace}}. His abdication, which came out as an unexpected development among the {{wp|British}} public, but less so by members of the government was subsequently commemorated with a special event honouring the former monarch, which was held around a week after his abdication. Additionally, a day after his abdication, the former king and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|queen}} held a symbolic visit to the island nation of {{wp|Tonga}}, whose sovereign, {{wp|Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV|King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV}}, was the son of the royal couple's close friend, the late {{wp|Sālote Tupou III|Queen Sālote Tupou III}}.
While the primary reason for his abdication remained a point of contention, it was somewhat believed however that the King's abdication was primarily orchestrated by none other than his own wife, the then {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen Lauren}} whom reputedly coerced her husband into abdicating on his 80th birthday out of the concern and the supposed need to prolong the latter's livelihood, which was apparently done so through relieving the latter of his official duties as the {{wp|British}} monarch. Nevertheless, even after his abdication from the throne, Charles continued to retain some degree of activity as the most senior living member of the royal family, with the former monarch occasionally accompanying his wife and children for their respective official engagements. On the other hand, he also took to writing a self-written autobiography, titled ''Charles the Third'', which was subsequently published in 2007.
Around the time of his abdication, Charles, whom upon consulting with then-{{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}}, {{wp|John Major}}, as well as with his eldest son and immediate successor, the new [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|King Thomas]], was officially allowed to retain his title of ''King of the British'', even after his abdication from the throne had came into effect, thereby making him the first {{wp|British}} monarch to abdicate and be subsequently allowed to retain his previous royal title, which was not the case for the eighteen days long {{wp|Victoria|Queen Victoria}}, whom upon her abdication, was forced to revert back to her original title of ''Princess of the United Kingdom''. However, interestingly enough, when his own successor, [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|King Thomas]] himself later chose to abdicate the throne in October 2017, it was then claimed that the privilege to retain one's kingship title as a former monarch would also be offered to the recently abdicated [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|Thomas]] too, although this favour was ultimately declined by William himself, whom reportedly claimed that "such an honour does not suit a rather mundane King such as myself". As a result, he was instead given the title [[Duke of Hanover|''Duke of Hanover'']] sometime after his abdication came into effect, with the title itself currently remaining in use by the former {{wp|British}} monarch.
Around June 2014, three years after his death, Charles's abdication was then notably compared to that of the {{wp|Spanish}} {{wp|Juan Carlos I|King Juan Carlos I}}, as the latter's abdication from the throne, in a manner similar to that of Charles's own abdication almost two decades earlier had left the country with two living kings. Furthermore, the subsequent ascension of {{wp|Felipe VI|King Felipe VI}} was also likened to that of his own son, [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|King Thomas]]'s, whose ascension to the throne, like its {{wp|Spanish}} counterpart, also took place at a time when the previous reigning monarch was still alive. However, observers have unanimously noted that unlike the former {{wp|Spanish}} monarch, whom has been embroiled in a number of personal controversies since his abdication from the throne, the late King Charles III and I has otherwise remained a largely celebrated figure well after his abdication, and even since his own passing in March 2011. Meanwhile, a {{wp|The Guardian|''Guardian''}} article published not long after {{wp|Juan Carlos I}}'s abdication notably wrote that "in the quest to maintain an overwhelmingly popular image after an abdication from the throne, the former {{wp|Juan Carlos I|King of Spain}} should rightfully learn from the late King Charles III and I, whom is otherwise much loved and respected by his people in both life and death", while an article by {{wp|The Independent|''The Independent''}}, titled ''Charles III & Juan Carlos I: Two Kings of Different Fates'', spoke of a "great ironic twist" in comparing the two former monarchs' respective lives, in that while Charles himself gradually progressed from a much disliked and considerably controversial monarch to that of a largely beloved one, {{wp|Juan Carlos I}} himself otherwise went from a largely popular monarch in {{wp|Spain}} to that of a disgraced and unpopular one instead.
==Death==
On March 2nd 2011, at approximately 8:30 a.m., Charles died in his sleep while residing in {{wp|Edinburgh Castle}}, {{wp|Scotland}}, which had been the former king's preferred residence since his abdication. His death, which was first reported by the now widowed {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen Lauren}}, was promptly followed by a government-imposed week-long period of mourning, while his body was first flown from {{wp|Edinburgh}} to the capital city of {{wp|London}}, before being laid in state at {{wp|Westminster Palace|Westminster Hall}}. Then, on March 5th, his body was finally laid to rest at {{wp|Westminster Abbey}}, alongside his mother-in-law, Natalie Bacall. Three years later, the then-recently deceased {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Queen Lauren}} was also subsequently interred alongside her husband and mother. Meanwhile, {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|David Cameron}}, whom in a televised speech aired not long after the King's death, declared the late {{wp|British}} monarch to be "the greatest {{wp|British}} monarch of both the 21st and 20th centuries". Soon enough, he was also officially designated as ''Charles the Great'' in honour of his memory.
Due to his past history of having served in the {{wp|United States Air Force}}, particularly during the {{wp|Second World War}}, Charles's state funeral became the only instance in which a deceased {{wp|British}} monarch was given a {{wp|21-gun salute}} by members of the {{wp|United States Armed Forces}}, with a select number of servicemen from the {{wp|United States Air Force}} performing a simultaneous {{wp|21-gun salute}} at the {{wp|Arlington National Cemetery}} in {{wp|Virginia}}, {{wp|USA}}, together with a select number of servicemen from the {{wp|British Army}} whom performed their own {{wp|21-gun salute}} in honour of the late {{wp|British}} monarch at the {{wp|Westminster Abbey}} in {{wp|London}}, {{wp|England}}, where Charles and his predecessors have been traditionally buried. 
On January 15th 2017, his posthumous 100th birthday celebration was held across the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, during which a number of the Royal Family members visited {{wp|Westminster Abbey}} to pay their respects, while the {{wp|BBC}} notably aired a special documentary surrounding the late king's life, titled ''Charles and Lauren: Britain's Iron Royals''. On the same day, the {{wp|Israeli}} government erected an empty grave for the late monarch on the national cemetery site of {{wp|Mount Herzl}}, in which the lack of an actual corpse being present in his grave there was made up for by the planting of an exact copy of the {{wp|Curtana|curtana}} ceremonial sword on top of it, in a form of official recognition of his "lifelong and unrelenting contribution to the welfare of the {{wp|Jewish}} people". To date, Charles remains the only monarch in history to have ever had a grave built on his own behalf on top of {{wp|Mount Herzl}}, which traditionally houses, among others, deceased {{wp|Israeli}} leaders and numbers of {{wp|Israeli}} citizens honoured for their contribution to the country.
In addition to that, a {{wp|BBC}} poll held concurrently that day saw the late monarch being voted "Greatest British Monarch", with a 52% share of the vote, while trailed by the likes of his great-grandfather, [[Willliam VI and III of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|William VI and III]] (39%), and his father, [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|Frederick]] (9%).
===''Harry Phillips'' Controversy===
A few days after his passing, controversy arose when in an appearance on {{wp|Sky News Australia}}, {{wp|Harry Phillips}}, a seventy-eight-year-old {{wp|Australian}} man from {{wp|Darwin}}, {{wp|Australia}}, made a claim that he was the actual heir to the late King Charles III and I and that the King's eldest son, [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|Thomas]] was not the actual {{wp|King of the British}}, but rather Phillips himself. The man further claimed that sometime in 1939, Charles, whom was then still the {{wp|Prince of the Welsh}}, had secretly married the late {{wp|American}} actress, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}, which then resulted in the birth of a son, that being Phillips himself. However, as the marriage was never officially recognised by the {{wp|Church of England}}, Phillips himself would therefore not ascend to the throne following the King's abdication in 1997, but rather his "half-brother", whom subsequently became [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|King Thomas]].
Almost immediately, the veracity of the man's claim was met with much skepticism and distrust, with [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|King Thomas]] himself even asserting that his late father was "not the kind of man to have a child with another woman with whom he wasn't officially tied to", while actress, {{wp|Katharine Houghton}}, a niece of the late actress's, stated that her aunt had "never mentioned a secret child she had with anyone, even when it seemed alright for her to do so." Moreover, {{wp|Katharine Houghton|Houghton}} also criticsed the man for "stirring up some rubbish tabloid drama at a time when the people who are best suited to respond to such an outrageous claim are already dead." While Charles himself had indeed passed away on March 2nd 2011, he was nonetheless preceded in this regard by {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}}, whom passed away on June 29th 2003. Eventually, Phillips himself later revealed the whole claim to be a stunt, which he hoped, by the sheer amount of scandal and controversy it would generate, would effectively bring down the {{wp|British}} monarchy, an institution which he is said to personally despise as an {{wp|Australian}} republican.
==Marriage==
===Charles & Ingrid===
[[File:Ingrid2queenconsortofdenmark.jpg|thumb|right|{{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Princess Ingrid of Sweden}}, Charles's adoptive sister and longtime childhood friend]]
Unlike his father, [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King Frederick]], whom was prior subjected to a politically, but ultimately successful arranged marriage by Charles's [[William V of the United Kingdom|great-grandfather]], Charles's future marital prospects were left entirely to his own parents by his grandfather, the new [[William VII and IV of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King William VII and IV]] whom, due to the complications surrounding the aftermath of the {{wp|First World War}}, desired for the young Charles to be married off to a {{wp|Scandinavian}} princess instead as to exhibit a more neutral image surrounding the future king. Initially, such prospects were deemed likely following rumours of a possible engagement between Charles and the much older {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Princess Ingrid}} whom, following the death of her mother, {{wp|Princess Margaret of Connaught|Princess Margaret}} when she was only ten years old was adopted by the princely couple through a private arrangement with {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}}'s father, {{wp|Gustaf VI Adolf|Prince Gustaf Adolf}} and was entrusted in looking after the young Charles and his brother, [[Prince William, Duke of Edinburgh|William]], whom were in turn taught with a strong sense of self-discipline and various household skills by {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}} herself. Thus, over time, Charles proved quick to grow fond of the {{wp|Swedish}} princess, whom he generally came to see as his principal sister figure, as he would often spend much of his daily time with the latter, along with occasionally seeking assistance from the much older {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}} regarding his studies or household chores, or even his daily loads of homework given to him by his personal tutors. Genealogy-wise, via the paternal line, {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}} is the prince's fourth cousin through a shared third great grandfather, {{wp|George III|King George III}}, while the latter is in turn, Charles's third cousin via a common great great grandfather, {{wp|William I, German Emperor}}.
Around mid-1919, as Charles and his parents were about to depart back for the {{wp|United Kingdom}} due to his grandfather, [[William VII and IV of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands|King William VII and IV]]'s worsening condition, an ''"emotionally devastated"''two-year-old Charles was immediately overjoyed upon learning that {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}} whom, with her {{wp|Gustaf V|grandfather}}'s permission was allowed to accompany him and his family back to their home country, a decision supported by Charles's own parents whom had already valued the princess as a vital companion to the young Charles. Thus, for the next sixteen years, both Charles and Ingrid continued to grow up together at the royal family's primary residence of {{wp|Buckingham Palace}}. When Ingrid herself turned eighteen years old, an adolescent Charles was often seen accompanying the princess on her usual drive around {{wp|London}}, where the two would occasionally stop at the local shops to run their respective errands. On a near-daily basis, Charles and {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}} would compete against each other in various sports, with tennis particularly being a favourite of the two, so much so that they would go on to compete several times in the {{wp|The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon}} championships, accumulating general success in their decade long career together.
Reportedly, around a year prior to {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}}'s marriage to {{wp|Frederick IX of Denmark|Crown Prince Frederick}} of {{wp|Denmark}}, both Charles and Ingrid were said to have unanimously brushed off proposals of a marriage between them, stating that the two "felt more like a brother and a sister, rather than a husband and a wife". During the latter's subsequent marriage to {{wp|Frederick IX of Denmark|Crown Prince Frederick}} of {{wp|Denmark}}, Charles himself later served as one of the crown prince's groomsmen by {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}}'s own personal behest.
Eventually, with {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}}'s departure for {{wp|Denmark}} as a result of her marriage, coupled with the rampant {{wp|Germanophobia}} in {{wp|Britain}} at the time, Charles ultimately took to self exiling himself abroad in the {{wp|United States}}, before later returning back to the {{wp|United Kingdom}} almost a decade later. Meanwhile, it was said that prior to his departure for the {{wp|United States}}, Charles had initially thought of retreating to {{wp|Denmark}} instead, where he would once again be much closer to {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}} as he was before. However, for reasons unknown, this suggestion was never actually taken by the prince, whom ultimately went on with his initial plan of departing for the {{wp|United States}} in an act of temporary self exile.
During the {{wp|Second World War}}, with {{wp|Denmark}} under {{wp|Nazi}} occupation, Charles, whom was personally concerned of his now captive adopted sister's life, once reportedly proposed to the {{wp|British}} government for a covert military operation to specifically rescue the {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Crown Princess of Denmark}} whom, alongside members of the {{wp|Danish}} royal family had been left relatively unharmed by the occupying {{wp|Germans}}. The operation, codenamed '''"Operation Maroon"''', had envisaged a small group of {{wp|Royal Marines}} servicemen being deployed approximately 3km from the city of {{wp|Copenhagen}}, wherefrom there, at exactly night time, the soldiers, posing as ordinary {{wp|Danish}} soldiers would enter the {{wp|Danish}} royal residence of {{wp|Amalienborg}} in the capital city before promptly evacuating the crown princess, firstly by land to a remote coastal area, before subsequently evacuating the latter back to the {{wp|United Kingdom}} by boat. However, the plan itself was ultimately struck down out of fear of jeopardising {{wp|Denmark}}'s warm relations with {{wp|Nazi Germany}}, and thus, its people's security, and subsequently, by the {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|crown princess}}'s own refusal to leave her people behind. Nonetheless, she was said to have otherwise thanked the {{wp|British}} for having thought of such an ambitious rescue plan, while also particularly praising the ''Prince of Wales'' himself, whom she reportedly thanked for being "a darling brother whom is always mindful of his sister's plight".
Throughout the second half of the 20th century, both Charles and {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}} went on to maintain a well-preserved sibling-like relationship, lasting well until the latter's death in November 2000. Furthermore, Charles himself even subsequently attended the late {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Queen Ingrid}}'s funeral, during which he remarked, ''"On May 1941, I lost a dear [[Prince William, Duke of Edinburgh|brother]] of mine, and now, on November 2000, I have lost someone whom I will always see as a dear {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|sister}}, in both life and death"''.
===Pre-Exile===
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| footer    = {{wp|Jessica Mitford}} and {{wp|Sarah Baring}}, Charles's romantic partners prior to his exile to the {{wp|United States}}
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Prior to his own self-exile to the {{wp|United States}}, the prince, despite being somewhat socially ostracised due to his family's {{wp|German}} connections, was said to have surprisingly enjoyed some degree of attraction from the women of the upper-class gentry. For instance, at the age of eighteen, Charles's first romantic relationship came about when he was introduced to a similarly aged {{wp|Jessica Mitford}}, the fifth eldest of the infamous {{wp|Mitford family|Mitford}} sisters. Reportedly, despite strong reservations held by Charles's parents due to the general controversial state of the Mitford sisters, the pair's relationship remained generally unaffected by the surrounding circumstances, made evident by Charles's contemporary writings regarding his relationship with {{wp|Jessica Mitford|Mitford}}, whom he would often write off in a positive light. In addition, a shared, mutual interest in left-wing ideologies, namely {{wp|socialism}} also helped strengthen their relationship. On one instance, dated November 5th 1937, when a local {{wp|French}} newspaper wrote of the aristocrat's sighting with the prince during his work trip to {{wp|France}}, rumours of an active physical relationship began to pick up the pace, resulting in {{wp|Jessica Mitford|Mitford}} being promptly recalled back to {{wp|England}}, so as to avoid any further embarrassment, while the prince himself reportedly ignored the rumours throughout the duration of his stay in the country. Nevertheless, as a consequence, Charles's [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|father]] began imposing strict restrictions on the couple, although, as a compromise, they were strictly allowed to communicate through the sole use of letters only, along with the permission to see one another, albeit within the presence of the [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King]] himself.
Ultimately, the couple did eventually separate around February 1938 when {{wp|Jessica Mitford|Mitford}}, having had supposedly enough of the royal-imposed restrictions, was revealed by one of Charles's closest associates to had begun eloping instead with her second cousin, {{wp|Esmond Romilly}}, whom had prior served in the {{wp|Spanish Civil War}} on the side of the left-wing {{wp|Republican faction (Spanish Civil War)|Republican}} faction. Almost immediately, word of their separation incurred a sizable degree of controversy among the upper {{wp|British}} elite, which had begun to perceive the ''Prince of Wales'' as a communist sympathiser due to his past affiliation with the openly left-wing {{wp|Jessica Mitford}}, although these accusations were subsequently rebuked, albeit indirectly by Charles, whom soon afterwards publicly denounced the left-wing {{wp|Paris Commune}} himself in a speech made shortly after the {{wp|Anschluss}} event, thereby dispelling rumours of him being a supposed communist sympathiser. At around the same time, in a closed meeting consisting of the prince himself and his closest affiliates, he was said to have also openly ridiculed the socialite himself, supposedly for  "being unfaithful enough to a relationship as she was to her own aristocratic background". Eventually, sometime in early 1939, in what would be their last significant encounter with one another, Charles, whom while in the midst of a stroll in the streets of {{wp|New York City}}, would come across {{wp|Jessica Mitford|Mitford}} and her now-husband, {{wp|Esmond Romilly}}. Soon enough, having exchanged no more than a few words with one another during the rather brief encounter, both Charles and {{wp|Jessica Mitford|Mitford}} took to immediately departing the scene in a rather hurried manner, with no further encounters involving the two being spoken of ever since. Then, just a few decades later, on July 22nd 1996, and at the age of seventy eight, {{wp|Jessica Mitford|Mitford}} would ultimately die of lung cancer while residing at her home in {{wp|Oakland}}, {{wp|California}}.
In the days immediately following his separation from {{wp|Jessica Mitford|Mitford}}, Charles, whom was then said to have been "emotionally scared" as a result, proved rather quick himself to deny any immediate suggestions for a new possible suitor, although, after much persistent persuasion by both of his parents, as well as some of his closest friends, his stance ultimately shifted when he was then introduced to the much younger eighteen year old aristocrat, {{wp|Sarah Baring}}, whose particular lack of affiliation with any extreme brands of politics that was prevalent in Charles's previous romantic partner proved to be overly reassuring for Charles's parents, whom upon sensing the two's closeness and mutual affection towards one another, began to also encourage their relationship further. At the same time, an initially lukewarm Charles was said to have at first taken little effort into committing to the relationship, although this was gradually mended with the intervention of Charles's own parents, whom began inviting the young {{wp|Sarah Baring|Baring}} more frequently to impromptu lunches or dinners with the royal family. To that end, both Charles and {{wp|Sarah Baring|Baring}} would finally begin committing themselves to their relationship on a more serious note, with the latter even beginning to follow the prince along on his official visits abroad or on his royal functions around the country. At the same time, rumours of {{wp|Sarah Baring|Baring}} being supposedly unfaithful to the prince by allegedly being romantically involved instead with the prince's younger brother, [[Prince William, Duke of Edinburgh|Prince William]] instead, began to circulate among the upper elite, although this would not exactly materialise until after their eventual separation, particularly with the prince himself having had no idea at all of the supposed rumours. Ultimately, after a much contentious dispute with {{wp|Sarah Baring|Baring}}'s parents, in which he failed to get his then romantic interest to come along with him to the {{wp|United States}}, their relationship was thus effectively terminated as the prince departed for {{wp|America}}.   
Nevertheless, around the end of the {{wp|Second World War}}, {{wp|Sarah Baring|Baring}} in particular was briefly suggested, to which she herself enthusiastically supported, to be the alternative choice of a wife for Charles, thus supposedly replacing his then romantic interest, namely the {{wp|American}} actress, {{wp|Lauren Bacall}}. Ultimately, despite Charles's own refusal to reciprocate {{wp|Sarah Baring|Baring}}'s affections, the two were said to have otherwise remained friends throughout the following decades, with {{wp|Sarah Baring|Baring}} herself even attending the King's funeral in March 2011, before later dying of old age just two years later. Meanwhile, her granddaughter, {{wp|Samantha Cameron}} has been married to the {{wp|British}} {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|David Cameron}}, whom is said to have shared a close bond with Charles's own family.
===Jane Manning===
While executing his military duties abroad in {{wp|Australia}}, Charles was then briefly rumoured to have been in a discreet romantic relationship with a local {{wp|Australian}} news reporter and interviewer, Jane Manning. The latter, having had a distinguished career in the profession herself, had been allowed to privately interview the prince in a follow-up to one of the former's private meetings with members of the {{wp|Australian}} wartime government. Reportedly, the two promptly struck up a relationship during the said interview although officially, the prince himself was never seen together with Manning on any further occasions. However, it was confirmed atleast that following the interview, the two did discreetly meet one another on several further occasions, albeit with no form of an official relationship between the two ever being confirmed by either Charles or even Manning herself, whom in a later publication titled ''Australia's Soldier Prince'', wrote of the prince being a "very gentlemanly and honourable man overall".
===Katharine Hepburn & Lauren Bacall===
====Katharine Hepburn====
[[File:Katharine Hepburn promo pic.jpg|thumb|right|{{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}, whom Charles first befriended following his exile to the {{wp|United States}}, and whom would later become the King's close lifelong friend afterwards]]
Following his self-imposed exile to the {{wp|United States}}, the prince did not initially opt on immediately seeking a new love interest in a country that was largely foreign for himself, having opted instead towards building an acting career under the guise of his pseudonym, ''Robert Clarke''. However, sometime on March 3rd, while dining at a local restaurant in {{wp|New York City}}, the prince was reunited with the actress, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}, whom as a result of the prince having had his iconic beard shaved off prior to his exile to the country, did not immediately recognised the prince herself, while in actuality, the two had met one another just three years prior when Charles was conducting an official visit to the {{wp|United States}}. However, due to his tightly arranged schedule at the time, the two were only able to spend a limited amount of time together, although it was said that on the night of the prince's very first day in the country, the two spent the late hours together with a fancy dinner arranged by Charles himself, followed by a state-wide tour around {{wp|Conneticut}}, as well as visiting state landmarks and touring the beaches throughout most of the night. Thus, it was later believed that the two had actually begun their years long romantic relationship around that very moment. In an interview decades later with one of the prince's entourage, it was claimed that on that very same day, the prince himself even returned home at a much later time than expected, which initially caused some concern over the prince's wellbeing.
Nevertheless, soon after reintroducing himself to the actress, the two quickly resumed their friendship and concurrent romantic relationship through an exchange of visits to one another's residences, during which they were often said to have played sports against one another, with tennis and golf being the common choice of options for the two, while also occasionally discussing their shared liberal and progressive views. Even so, despite the two mostly keeping the nature of their relationship rather hidden from the public eye, the couple's routine activities together, which were often unknowingly reported to back home by a group of {{wp|Metropolitan Police}} agents assigned by the {{wp|British}} government to discreetly monitor the prince's new life in the country, otherwise greatly concerned then-{{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|Neville Chamberlain}}, whom generally feared that, if left unchecked, the couple would eventually begin considering an official marriage, which would in turn cause great concern for the {{wp|British}} establishment, not least due to her {{wp|American}} nationality and commoner background, but rather due to her own outspoken nature and her recent divorce which, given the fact that {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}}'s ex-husband was still alive at the time, would have particularly conflicted with Charles's future role as the head of the {{wp|Church of England}}, which did not canonically recognised marriages with a divorcee whose spouse is still alive at the time of the divorcee's marriage with a new partner. As a result, {{wp|Neville Chamberlain|Chamberlain}} then reportedly wrote a private letter to the prince, asking for him to "mindfully separate yourself away from the unorthodox-minded woman for the sake of the country", in the hopes that the {{wp|British}} heir apparent would heed his demand. However, it was said that Charles himself otherwise had the letter torn up shortly after reading it, even going so far as to tell {{wp|Neville Chamberlain|Chamberlain}} to "bugger off" and to "worry more about a {{wp|European}} war being ever more likely, and less about what a man chooses to do with his own life".
[[File:NC.jpg|thumb|left|{{wp|Neville Chamberlain}}, {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom}} from 1937 to 1940. He is infamously remembered for his failed appeasement policy against {{wp|Adolf Hitler}} of {{wp|Nazi Germany}}]]
Throughout the duration of their relationship, it was believed that out of a mutual interest in keeping their relationship hidden from the public eye, both Charles and {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}} reportedly took to assuming false identities together, with the said personas being their common choice of identity whenever they were meeting someone new on the outside. As such, Charles, under his false identity, would have been known as ''Martin Montgomery'' while {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}} herself, under the pretext of being the prince's supposed "sister", would, in turn, assume the identity of ''Anne Montgomery'', a decision later falsely believed to had been the prince honouring the famed {{wp|British}} {{wp|Field Marshal}}, {{wp|Bernard Montgomery}}, whom in contrast to said assumptions, had only risen in prominence during the subsequent {{wp|Second World War}} period, which took place sometime after the decision to assume the coincidentally similar surname together by the prince and the actress was undertaken.
Nonetheless, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}}'s own personal opposition to contracting any further marriages after her first one, coupled with her own understanding of the {{wp|Church of England}}'s canonical rule against marrying a divorcee with a living former partner, would ultimately negate any possibilities of a marriage between the two. Meanwhile, aside from their frequent meetings with one another, both Charles and {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}} notably competed together in the 1939 Wimbledon Championships, which they triumphantly won. For a time, particularly during the year long period from 1941 to 1942, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}} was then reportedly described as being the prince's "emotional pillar", particularly following the death of Charles's younger brother, the [[Prince William, Duke of Edinburgh|Duke of Edinburgh]] in combat, which led the two to emotionally bond over their shared loss of a beloved sibling, with {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}} having prior lost her younger brother, Thomas Hepburn to suicide when she was then only thirteen years old. Later on, in an interview with {{wp|Larry King}}, the actress subsequently claimed that at one point, she was able to successfully prevent the then-''Prince of Wales'' from "madly shooting himself in the head", an incident brought on by the death of Charles's only brother and sibling, the [[Prince William, Duke of Edinburgh|Duke of Edinburgh]], and which the {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|actress}} herself later referred to as "the greatest achievement of my life".
[[File:FC Home.jpg|thumb|right|The family residence of the late actress, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}} in {{wp|Fenwick, Connecticut}}]]
Later on, at Charles's own royal wedding, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}} went on to serve as the sole bridesmaid to Charles's wife and fellow actress, {{wp|Lauren Bacall}}, whom she also closely befriended in the process. Following this, the actress also went on to supposedly serve as a de facto mediator should the royal couple ever run into a serious disagreement with one another. Moreover, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}} was later believed to have been the namesake for the couple's eldest daughter, [[Catherine, Princess Royal]], for whom the actress was a godmother herself. Meanwhile, throughout the following decades or so, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|Hepburn}}'s consistently close relationship with Charles, which lasted well until her eventual death in 2003, notably made the actress a subject of almost constant malicious and largely unproven rumours claiming that the two were still intimately close with one another, as opposed to the popular belief that the two have since largely toned down the nature of their relationship since Charles's marriage to his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|wife}} in 1946. On one instance, an {{wp|American}} magazine infamously referred to the {{wp|Katharine Hepburn|actress}} as "the King of England's {{wp|Marilyn Monroe}}", in referencing popular rumours surrounding an illicit affair between the {{wp|Marilyn Monroe|late actress}} and the late {{wp|President of the United Kingdom|President}} {{wp|John F. Kennedy}}, whom at the time of supposed affair, was already married for a while to his wife, {{wp|Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis}}.
Following her death on June 29th 2003, Charles himself promptly acquired the late actress's residence in {{wp|Fenwick, Connecticut}}, which has since been managed as a private property of the {{wp|British}} royal family alongside several other private properties belonging to the family in the {{wp|United States}}, namely [[Wales House]] in {{wp|New York (state)|New York}}.
====Lauren Bacall====
[[File:Lauren Bacall 1945 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|{{wp|Lauren Bacall}} in 1945]]
While posing as a {{wp|British}}-{{wp|American}} actor under the alias of ''Robert Clarke'', he was first introduced to the then newly debuted actress, {{wp|Lauren Bacall}}, whom prior to their eventual relationship, had initially starred together with the prince in several films of considerable success herself, some of which were even directed by Charles himself under his pseudonym. The couple's off-screen relationship, which was said to have evolved from a largely professional, mentorlike relationship to a more romantic one overtime, would gradually begin to amass some attention from the {{wp|American}} media, while the couple's romantic exploits were also being concurrently reported back to both the royal family and the {{wp|British}} government back home in {{wp|England}}. Then, just prior to his deployment for the {{wp|Pacific War}}, {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}}, along with her own mother, Natalie Bacall, opted to move in together with the prince at the latter's estate in {{wp|Albany}}, {{wp|New York (state)|New York}}, which had been acquired years prior by Charles and his entourage. To that end, while the prince was deployed to {{wp|Australia}}, the two generally remained in contact with one another using telephones, as well as other forms of communications.
Around April 1945, Charles would then personally telegraph his father, [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King Frederick]] for the latter's permission to marry Bacall, in which he wrote, ''"For {{wp|Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid}} is my beloved sister, and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Lauren}} is my dearest wife"''. However, while both the [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King]] and {{wp|Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia|Queen}} chose not to ultimately oppose their son's decision out of fear of upsetting the latter himself, prospects of the prince's marriage with an {{wp|American}} commoner were quick to become the subject of a heated debate among {{wp|Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament}} members, with some arguing that such a marriage would be "wholly unacceptable to the {{wp|British}} public", then compounded by anti-{{wp|British}} {{wp|Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine|riots}} led by {{wp|Zionist}} militias in {{wp|Mandatory Palestine}}. Regardless of this setback, since moving in together a few years prior, the couple made their first formal public appearance together at a state dinner on May 8th that year, hosted by the then newly inaugurated {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Harry S. Truman|Truman}} as part of the {{wp|Victory in Europe Day}} celebrations.
The following month, a private emissary was sent to {{wp|New York (state)|New York}} by the {{wp|British}} {{wp|Foreign Secretary}} at the time, {{wp|Anthony Eden}}, in order to seemingly convince the couple to abandon any pretexts of marriage, while citing "irreconcilable differences" as a cover-up for their apparent separation instead. However, neither side was able to ultimately reach a mutual agreement, with Charles himself adamantly refusing to give up his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|romantic interest}} in favour of the proposed alternatives, which, among others, included his former romantic interest and {{wp|English}} socialite, {{wp|Sarah Baring}}, and {{wp|Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark}}, the youngest daughter of {{wp|Constantine I of Greece|King Constantine I}} of {{wp|Kingdom of Greece|Greece}}. In the midst of this, it was said that a large number of {{wp|British}} aristocrats also took to offering their own most eligible daughters as the prince's potential bride, so as to better alleviate their image and standing among the other members of the {{wp|British}} nobility, although some, perhaps out of longstanding skepticism held against the ''Prince of Wales'', otherwise refused to do so themselves, with the potential ramifications of having their respective daughters marrying a controversial {{wp|British}} royal being a driving factor behind their particular refusal to do so.
Meanwhile, soon after the meeting itself ended largely inconclusively, over the course of the next couple of months, both Charles and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}} then promptly embarked on an international trip to the four {{wp|Dominion}} countries, namely {{wp|Canada}}, {{wp|Australia}}, {{wp|Dominion of New Zealand|New Zealand}}, and {{wp|Union of South Africa|South Africa}}, as the approval of their respective prime ministers was deemed to be fundamental in securing enough legitimacy for Charles's planned marriage to {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}}. Ultimately, all four of the prime ministers that the royal couple had sought agreed to support the couple's marriage, with the {{wp|New Zealand}} {{wp|Prime Minister of New Zealand|Prime Minister}} at the time, {{wp|Peter Fraser}} being the last to do so due to his country being the most distant from the {{wp|United Kingdom}}. 
{{multiple image
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Following {{wp|Winston Churchill|Churchill}}'s electoral defeat in July 1945, the succeeding {{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}}, {{wp|Clement Attlee}} promptly declared his support for the marriage, having argued that {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}}'s non-divorcee status, as well as the general lack of any compromising details of her past life would present no overall conflict with the {{wp|Church of England|Church}}'s teachings, while at the same time, he also personally said that the latter's {{wp|Jewish}} belief was "politically compromising", which was in relations to the {{wp|Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine}} happening at the time. At one point, rumours of {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}} allegedly serving as a spy for {{wp|Zionist}} militant groups in {{wp|Mandatory Palestine}}, then followed by anonymous claims regarding her alleged infidelity during Charles's absence for the {{wp|Second World War|war}} briefly circulated among both the {{wp|British}} public and government, though these were promptly rebuked by both Charles and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}}, before being subsequently discredited by government officials themselves. Among his most notable critics was his then incarcerated uncle, {{wp|Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia}}, an ardent {{wp|Nazi}} whom reportedly lambasted the ''Prince of Wales'' in an interview for having "eloped with an {{wp|Untermensch}} (subhuman)", in alluding to his wife's {{wp|Jewish}} faith, while notorious {{wp|British Union of Fascists|BUF}} leader, {{wp|Oswald Mosley}} labeled the prince as "a traitor to the pure {{wp|Britannic}} race who had sold his soul to the {{wp|Jews}} instead". Later on, a private meeting with the {{wp|Geoffrey Fisher|Archbishop of Canterbury}} in the following month at the {{wp|Isle of Man}} secured the {{wp|Church of England|Church}}'s ultimate approval of the union, which soon led to an engagement on September 25th that same year.
Following this, the couple was promptly advised to wait for at least a year to make way for preparations surrounding the wedding ceremony, during which period the prince sought to personally seek out {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}}'s estranged father, William Perske, whom Charles was believed to have later on named his two sons after. In a 2004 interview with {{wp|Larry King}}, the {{wp|British}} royal eventually confirmed that he had indeed met his estranged father-in-law, revealing that "we had a rather pleasant conversation about the state of my marriage to Betty", while adding that "he (Perske) wished me well in my future endeavour and made me promise to become a good husband and an overall promising father as well". It was also revealed that the two men later remained in almost frequent contact with one another, a habit that lasted well until Perske's passing in November 1982, and which was kept largely secret from {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}} herself, as to avoid offending the latter. However, an alternative view suggests that the actress had been made aware of the habit by none other than Charles himself, whom was then supposedly allowed to continue doing so by {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}} under the guise of "reconciliation". 
Meanwhile, in the months leading up to their marriage, by [[Frederick of the United Kingdom|King Frederick]]'s advice, the couple embarked on a series of international tours abroad meant to better their image among both the {{wp|British}} and global populace. Beginning with a state visit to {{wp|Turkey}} where the couple was said to have mostly frequented the country's beaches, they then furthered their tour to the {{wp|Kingdom of Iraq|Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq}} before going further south to {{wp|Saudi Arabia}}, where they were hosted by the {{wp|Saudi}} {{wp|Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia|King Abdulaziz}}, better known as Ibn Saud. Then, after a week long stay in the kingdom, the couple moved further eastward to {{wp|Iran}}, where they were received by the relatively young {{wp|Shah of Iran}}, {{wp|Mohammad Reza Pahlavi}}, whom had initially ascended to the throne himself following the forced abdication of his father, {{wp|Reza Shah}} by the {{wp|British}} just several years before. Reportedly, after an initially warm reception of the royal couple by the {{wp|Mohammed Reza Pahlavi|Shah}}, both the latter and particularly Charles himself were afterwards said to have descended into a "state of mutual hostility", supposedly due to Charles's own largely negative personal opinion towards the young {{wp|Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah}} as his own country's absolute ruler, as well as due to popular rumours claiming that the {{wp|Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Shah}} himself, in both public and private instances, was said to have attempted to flirt with the slightly younger {{wp|Lauren Bacall}}, much to the displeasure of the {{wp|British}} royal, whom in turn reportedly said, ''"Entertain yourself with quite the wrong people, and your time on the throne will be no longer than your {{wp|Reza Shah|father}} himself"''.
Eventually, upon departing from {{wp|Bandar Abbas}} just a few days later, the couple afterwards embarked on another region-wide trip around {{wp|Oceania}}, where in addition to paying personal visits to the major countries of {{wp|Australia}} and {{wp|New Zealand}}, the couple also visited most of the {{wp|Oceanian}} island nations there, which included {{wp|Fiji}}, {{wp|Samoa}}, {{wp|Kiribati}}, and most notably, the largely independent {{wp|Tonga|Kingdom of Tonga}}, where they publicly struck a close friendship with the kingdom's ruler, {{wp|Sālote Tupou III|Queen Sālote Tupou III}}. In addition to that, while otherwise visiting {{wp|New Zealand}}, Charles himself reportedly engaged in a traditional {{wp|Kī-o-rahi|kī-o-rahi}} game with the country's {{wp|Maori}} locals, a game which the prince reportedly lost, but which Charles himself later came to admire.
On March 1946, the two were married in a private {{wp|Anglican}} ceremony in {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}}'s native home state of {{wp|New York (state)|New York}}. The ceremony, which was held at {{wp|Oheka Castle}} in {{wp|Long Island}}, saw the attendance of members of the {{wp|United States}} government led by {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Harry S. Truman|Truman}}, alongside members of foreign royalties, including the {{wp|British}} royal family, led by {{wp|Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia|Queen Louise}}, Charles's own mother, while on the other hand, then-{{wp|Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister}} {{wp|Clement Attlee}}, whom was unable to attend the event himself, was otherwise represented in his place by {{wp|Ernest Bevin}}, the then-{{wp|Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs|Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs}}, alongside some of {{wp|Clement Attlee|Attlee}}'s own cabinet members. Then, the royal couple was treated to a statewide tour around {{wp|New York (state)|New York}}, for which they were joined by {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|Harry S. Truman|Truman}} and the {{wp|Bess Truman|First Lady}}. Upon concluding a follow-up state dinner at the {{wp|White House}} in {{wp|Washington, D.C.}}, the royal couple was initially coerced into returning back to {{wp|Britain}} as to accustom themselves, particularly {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}} to their future life together in the {{wp|United Kingdom|country}}. However, Charles himself proved quick to resist such a suggestion, for he feared alienating his newlywed wife from her {{wp|New York (state)|New York}} birthplace, thereby opting to remain in the {{wp|United States}} itself for the first few years or so, where both Charles and his wife are better accustomed to themselves with their respective scores of {{wp|Hollywood}} celebrity associates. Even so, sometime in early 1950, the royal couple did eventually return back to the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, which they purposely did so during the nightly hours, as to attract less attention as possible from the public upon their arrival there.
[[File:Wedding Mansion.jpg|thumb|left|{{wp|Oheka Castle}}, where the royal couple was married on March 1946]]
For their honeymoon tour, the couple embarked on a notably four months long visit to the island countries of {{wp|Seychelles}} and {{wp|Tonga}}, which were reportedly preferred due to their remote nature and beautiful scenery. Beginning with a flight from {{wp|New York}}, the couple momentarily stopped in {{wp|Kingdom of Egypt|Egypt}} before proceeding further south to {{wp|Union of South Africa|South Africa}}, from where Charles and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}} arrived in {{wp|Seychelles}} via a ship, where they were subsequently received by the then {{wp|List of colonial governors and administrators of Seychelles|Governor of Seychelles}}, {{wp|Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke|Sir Percy Selwyn Selwyn-Clarke}}. After about a two months long stay, the couple returned back to {{wp|Union of South Africa|South Africa}} before proceeding further east to a stop in {{wp|British Raj|India}}, then {{wp|Colony of Singapore|Singapore}}, and subsequently {{wp|Australia}} and {{wp|New Zealand}}, from which the couple departed for {{wp|Tonga}}. Then, while residing in the island country for the next two months or so, the royal couple proceeded to engage in a multitude of activities alongside the local {{wp|Tongan}} community, thereby further strengthening their already pre-existing popularity with the locals there, which had arisen from their very first visit to the island country itself just a year prior. Later on, following their return to the {{wp|United States}}, the couple went on to embark on a private yacht cruise alongside their closest friends, namely with the likes of singer, {{wp|Frank Sinatra}}, his then-wife, Nancy Barbato (later replaced with actress, {{wp|Ava Gardner}}), actress and Charles's former lover, {{wp|Katharine Hepburn}}, his own cousin, [[Prince Charles, Duke of Clarence and Avondale|Prince Charles of Clarence and Avondale]], and lastly, actress, {{wp|Hedy Lamarr}}, whom would soon become Charles's very own cousin-in-law herself by marriage to Charles's similarly named cousin, with whom he once reportedly joked, ''"None could be more fortunate than a couple of princes with their beautiful American wives whom perhaps, by God's will, are quite mismatched in regards to their ages but are nevertheless the magnificent women they are in their own right with their equally proud husbands by their sides"''.
Despite their newfound status as a royal couple, both Charles and {{wp|Lauren Bacall|Bacall}} were able to generally balance their state responsibilities alongside those of their previous acting careers, with the couple undertaking occasional state visits on behalf of the {{wp|United Kingdom}}, whilst also furthering their respective acting careers in several more moderately successful films before their official retirement sometime in the early months of 1950, which preceded their subsequent return to the {{wp|United Kingdom}}.
Later into their marriage, it was said that following the death of the actress and wife of {{wp|Rainier III, Prince of Monaco}}, {{wp|Grace Kelly}} in September 1982 as a result of a fatal car crash, Charles himself reportedly took to subsequently bar his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|wife}} from ever driving a vehicle herself from that point onwards, supposedly out of intense personal paranoia, and a presumed fear that the same fate might befall his own {{wp|Lauren Bacall|wife}}, whom much like {{wp|Grace Kelly|Kelly}} herself, is an {{wp|American}} actress whom had married a {{wp|European}} royal. However, this claim was never addressed nor confirmed by either Charles or his {{wp|Lauren Bacall|wife}} in their lifetimes, while their eldest son, the former [[Thomas of the United Kingdom|King Thomas]] otherwise dismissed it as being an "insignificant tabloid rumour". On the other hand, Charles, whom in response to the {{wp|Assassination of John F. Kennedy|assassination}} of {{wp|US}} {{wp|President of the United States|President}} {{wp|John F. Kennedy}}, otherwise had his personally-owned {{wp|Triumph Roadster|1948 Triumph Roadster}} vehicle be outfitted with a roof, complete with bulletproof windows, believing that the open-top design of the vehicle carrying the {{wp|American}} president had ultimately led to his demise. At the same time, Charles was also known for his propensity for driving in public around the {{wp|United Kingdom}} during his occasional free times, a habit that was deemed by {{wp|British}} security services to be inviting potential assassination attempts against the {{wp|British}} monarch himself, whose death was believed to have been more likely had he continued to drive around in a largely exposed state.


==Personal Information==
==Personal Information==


==Titles & Honours==
==Titles & Honours==
*'''15 January 1917 - 5 January 1923''' ''His Royal Highness'' Prince Charles of Cambridge, the Netherlands, and Prussia
*'''15 January 1917 - 5 January 1923''' ''His Royal Highness'' Prince Charles of Cambridge and Prussia
*'''5 January 1923 - 20 January 1923''' ''His Royal Highness'' The Prince of Orange, Duke of Cornwall
*'''5 January 1923 - 20 January 1923''' ''His Royal Highness'' The Duke of Cornwall
*'''20 January 1923 - 7 July 1951''' ''His Royal Highness'' The Prince of Wales, and the Prince of Orange
*'''20 January 1923 - 7 July 1957''' ''His Royal Highness'' The Prince of Wales
*'''7 July 1951 - 2 March 2011''' ''His Majesty'' The King of the British, King of the Dutch, and the Grand Duke of the Luxembourgers
*'''7 July 1957 - 2 March 2011''' ''His Majesty'' The King of the British


==Honours==
==Honours==
Line 499: Line 146:
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''22 January 1940 - 17 May 1944''': {{wp|Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier}}, {{wp|British Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''22 January 1940 - 17 May 1944''': {{wp|Brigadier (United Kingdom)|Brigadier}}, {{wp|British Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''17 May 1944 - 16 March 1947''': {{wp|Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant General}}, {{wp|British Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''17 May 1944 - 16 March 1947''': {{wp|Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant General}}, {{wp|British Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''16 March 1947 - 7 July 1951''': {{wp|Field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal}}, {{wp|British Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''16 March 1947 - 7 July 1957''': {{wp|Field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal}}, {{wp|British Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''7 July 1951 - 15 January 1997''': {{wp|Head of the British Armed Forces|Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces}}<br/>  
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997''': {{wp|Head of the British Armed Forces|Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces}}<br/>  
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''15 January 1997 - 3 March 2011''': {{wp|Field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal}}, {{wp|British Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|army}} '''15 January 1997 - 3 March 2011''': {{wp|Field marshal (United Kingdom)|Field Marshal}}, {{wp|British Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''5 March 1936 - 11 December 1936''': {{wp|Lieutenant commander (Royal Navy)|Lieutenant Commander}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''5 March 1936 - 11 December 1936''': {{wp|Lieutenant commander (Royal Navy)|Lieutenant Commander}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
Line 506: Line 153:
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''2 January 1938 - 17 May 1944''': {{wp|Commodore (Royal Navy)|Commodore}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''2 January 1938 - 17 May 1944''': {{wp|Commodore (Royal Navy)|Commodore}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''17 May 1944 - 16 March 1947''': {{wp|Vice-admiral (Royal Navy)|Vice-admiral}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''17 May 1944 - 16 March 1947''': {{wp|Vice-admiral (Royal Navy)|Vice-admiral}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''16 March 1947 - 7 July 1951''': {{wp|Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''16 March 1947 - 7 July 1957''': {{wp|Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''7 July 1951 - 15 January 1997''': {{wp|Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom|Lord High Admiral}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997''': {{wp|Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom|Lord High Admiral}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''15 January 1997 - 3 March 2011''': {{wp|Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|naval}} '''15 January 1997 - 3 March 2011''': {{wp|Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet}}, {{wp|Royal Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|air force}} '''20 November 1936 - 3 March 1937''': {{wp|Flying lieutenant}}, {{wp|Royal Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|air force}} '''20 November 1936 - 3 March 1937''': {{wp|Flying lieutenant}}, {{wp|Royal Air Force}}<br/>
Line 514: Line 161:
{{flagicon|UK|air force}} '''5 April 1938 - 17 May 1944''': {{wp|Group captain}}, {{wp|Royal Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|air force}} '''5 April 1938 - 17 May 1944''': {{wp|Group captain}}, {{wp|Royal Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|air force}} '''17 May 1944 - 16 March 1947''': {{wp|Air Marshal}}, {{wp|Royal Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|air force}} '''17 May 1944 - 16 March 1947''': {{wp|Air Marshal}}, {{wp|Royal Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|air force}} '''16 March 1947 - 7 July 1951''': {{wp|Air Chief Marshal}}, {{wp|Royal Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|air force}} '''16 March 1947 - 7 July 1957''': {{wp|Air Chief Marshal}}, {{wp|Royal Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|air force}} '''7 July 1951 - 3 March 2011''': {{wp|Marshal of the Royal Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|UK|air force}} '''7 July 1957 - 3 March 2011''': {{wp|Marshal of the Royal Air Force}}<br/>


{{flag|Canada}}<br/>
{{flag|Canada}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Canada|army}} '''7 July 1951 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Canadian Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Canada|army}} '''7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Canadian Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Canada|naval}} '''7 July 1951 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal Canadian Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Canada|naval}} '''7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal Canadian Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Canada|air force}} '''7 July 1951 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal Canadian Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Canada|air force}} '''7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal Canadian Air Force}}<br/>


{{flag|Australia}}<br/>
{{flag|Australia}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Australia|army}} '''7 July 1951 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Australian Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Australia|army}} '''7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Australian Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Australia|naval}} '''7 July 1951 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal Australian Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Australia|naval}} '''7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal Australian Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Australia|air force}} '''7 July 1951 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal Australian Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|Australia|air force}} '''7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal Australian Air Force}}<br/>


{{flag|New Zealand}}<br/>
{{flag|New Zealand}}<br/>
{{flagicon|New Zealand|army}} '''7 July 1951 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|New Zealand Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|New Zealand|army}} '''7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|New Zealand Army}}<br/>
{{flagicon|New Zealand|naval}} '''7 July 1951 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal New Zealand Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|New Zealand|naval}} '''7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal New Zealand Navy}}<br/>
{{flagicon|New Zealand|air force}} '''7 July 1951 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal New Zealand Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|New Zealand|air force}} '''7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997''': Commander-in-Chief of the {{wp|Royal New Zealand Air Force}}<br/>


{{flag|United States}}<br/>
{{flag|United States}}<br/>
Line 536: Line 183:
{{flagicon|United States|air force}} '''4 March 1942 - 11 December 1942''': {{wp|Second Lieutenant}}, {{wp|United States Army Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|United States|air force}} '''4 March 1942 - 11 December 1942''': {{wp|Second Lieutenant}}, {{wp|United States Army Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|United States|air force}} '''11 December 1942 - 4 March 1943''': {{wp|Captain (United States O-3)|Captain}}, {{wp|United States Army Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|United States|air force}} '''11 December 1942 - 4 March 1943''': {{wp|Captain (United States O-3)|Captain}}, {{wp|United States Army Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|United States|air force}} '''4 March 1943 - 15 March 1946''': {{wp|Colonel (United States)|Colonel}}, {{wp|United States Army Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|United States|air force}} '''4 March 1943 - 15 January 1947''': {{wp|Colonel (United States)|Colonel}}, {{wp|United States Army Air Force}}<br/>
{{flagicon|United States|air force}} '''15 March 1946 - 7 July 1951''':  
{{flagicon|United States|air force}} '''15 January 1947 - 7 July 1957''':  
{{wp|Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General}}, {{wp|United States Air Force}}<br/>
{{wp|Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General}}, {{wp|United States Air Force}}<br/>


Line 547: Line 194:
| boxstyle_3 = background-color: #ffc;
| boxstyle_3 = background-color: #ffc;
| boxstyle_4 = background-color: #bfc;
| boxstyle_4 = background-color: #bfc;
| 1 = 1. '''Charles III and I of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands'''
| 1 = 1. '''Charles III, King of the British'''
| 2 = 2. [[Frederick of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands]]
| 2 = 2. [[Frederick, King of the British|Frederick]]
| 3 = 3. {{wp|Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia|Victoria Louise of Prussia}}
| 3 = 3. {{wp|Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia|Victoria Louise of Prussia}}
| 4 = 4. [[William VII and IV of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands]]
| 4 = 4. [[George V, King of the British|George V]]
| 5 = 5. {{wp|Sophia of Prussia}}
| 5 = 5. {{wp|Sophia of Prussia}}
| 6 = 6. {{wp|Wilhelm II, German Emperor}}
| 6 = 6. {{wp|Wilhelm II, German Emperor}}
| 7 = 7. {{wp|Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein|Princess Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg}}
| 7 = 7. {{wp|Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein|Princess Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg}}
| 8 = 8. [[Willliam VI and III of the United Kingdom and of the Netherlands]]
| 8 = 8. [[William V, King of the British|William V]]
| 9 = 9. {{wp|Princess Louise of Prussia}}
| 9 = 9. {{wp|Princess Louise of Prussia}}
| 10 = 10. {{wp|Frederick III, German Emperor}}
| 10 = 10. {{wp|Frederick III, German Emperor}}

Latest revision as of 17:19, 2 April 2024

Charles III
Medium
King of the British and of the People of his other Realms
Reign7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997
Coronation20 September 1957
PredecessorFrederick
SuccessorThomas
Prime Ministers
See list
BornPrince Charles of Cambridge and Prussia
(1917-01-15)15 January 1917
Haga Palace, Stockholm, Sweden
Died2 March 2011(2011-03-02) (aged 94)
Buckingham Palace, London
Burial5 March 2011
Westminster Abbey, London
Spouse
Lauren Bacall (m. 1947)
Issue
Detail
Full name
Charles Frederick William Louis
HouseHanover
FatherFrederick
MotherVictoria Louise of Prussia
ReligionProtestant
Military service
Branch/service United States Air Force
Years of service1942-1957 (active service)
RankBrigadier General
Unit6th Air Intelligence Squadron
Battles/warsPacific War

Charles III (English: Charles Frederick William Louis; German: Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig; 15 January 1917 - 2 March 2011), better known as Charles the Great, was King of the British from 7 July 1957 to 15 January 1997. Known for his controversial marriage to the Jewish American actress, Lauren Bacall, Charles was also known for his somewhat outspoken support for decolonisation, political and social liberalism, and for his own opposition against what he termed as "the imperialism of the First and Second worlds". In the meantime, Charles was also personally a strong proponent of European unity and was reportedly one of the first individuals that first conceived the idea of the European Economic Community which later became the modern-day European Union.

His reign, which spanned throughout most of the second half of the 20th century saw a series of wide-ranging and dramatic reforms that effectively transformed Britain's political and social climate, all of which were either personally directed or orchestrated by Charles and his wife, with his most major success being the implementation of absolute primogeniture succession system within the United Kingdom. Prior to ascending to the throne, during the 1940s, Charles established a modestly successful career as an actor in Hollywood, earning a total of three Best Actor awards, before later enlisting in the United States Army Air Force for the Pacific War, for which he was awarded several military honours, along with being the first and only British, Dutch, and Luxembourgish royal to date to ever receive a high-ranking officer rank in the United States Armed Forces, namely the rank of Brigadier General. On 15 January 1997, following celebrations marking his 80th birthday, Charles formally abdicated the throne in favour of his son Thomas on the grounds of "ill health" and "personal issues", thereby becoming the second British monarch to do so after Queen Victoria in 1837. Afterwards, following his death in March 2011, he was posthumously given the epithet the Great in recognition of his personal contributions to the country.

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. Meanwhile, as one of the majority shareholders of Atlantic Connection, Charles is estimated to be worth around $19.7 billion, making him one of the richest monarchs in the world.

Early Life

Personal Information

Titles & Honours

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

Honours

National & Commonwealth

Foreign

Military Appointments

 United Kingdom
wikipedia:United Kingdom 13 February 1935 - 30 January 1936: Officer Cadet, British Army
wikipedia:United Kingdom 30 January 1936 - 11 November 1936: Second Lieutenant, British Army
wikipedia:United Kingdom 11 November 1936 - 5 March 1937: Lieutenant, British Army
wikipedia:United Kingdom 5 March 1937 - 11 December 1937 : Major, British Army
wikipedia:United Kingdom 11 December 1937 - 22 January 1940: Colonel, British Army
wikipedia:United Kingdom 22 January 1940 - 17 May 1944: Brigadier, British Army
wikipedia:United Kingdom 17 May 1944 - 16 March 1947: Lieutenant General, British Army
wikipedia:United Kingdom 16 March 1947 - 7 July 1957: Field Marshal, British Army
wikipedia:United Kingdom 7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997: Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces
wikipedia:United Kingdom 15 January 1997 - 3 March 2011: Field Marshal, British Army
wikipedia:United Kingdom 5 March 1936 - 11 December 1936: Lieutenant Commander, Royal Navy
wikipedia:United Kingdom 11 December 1936 - 2 January 1938: Captain, Royal Navy
wikipedia:United Kingdom 2 January 1938 - 17 May 1944: Commodore, Royal Navy
wikipedia:United Kingdom 17 May 1944 - 16 March 1947: Vice-admiral, Royal Navy
wikipedia:United Kingdom 16 March 1947 - 7 July 1957: Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Navy
wikipedia:United Kingdom 7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997: Lord High Admiral, Royal Navy
wikipedia:United Kingdom 15 January 1997 - 3 March 2011: Admiral of the Fleet, Royal Navy
wikipedia:United Kingdom 20 November 1936 - 3 March 1937: Flying lieutenant, Royal Air Force
wikipedia:United Kingdom 3 March 1937 - 30 October 1937: Squadron leader, Royal Air Force
wikipedia:United Kingdom 30 October 1937 - 5 April 1938: Wing commander, Royal Air Force
wikipedia:United Kingdom 5 April 1938 - 17 May 1944: Group captain, Royal Air Force
wikipedia:United Kingdom 17 May 1944 - 16 March 1947: Air Marshal, Royal Air Force
wikipedia:United Kingdom 16 March 1947 - 7 July 1957: Air Chief Marshal, Royal Air Force
wikipedia:United Kingdom 7 July 1957 - 3 March 2011: Marshal of the Royal Air Force

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

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

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

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

Ancestry

  1. ↑ In April 1992, together with Belize, the country together joined to become the newest states of the West Indies, thereby bringing to an end their monarchical systems which are, in turn, replaced by that of the West Indies.
  2. ↑ In April 1992, together with The Bahamas, the country together joined to become the newest states of the West Indies, thereby bringing to an end their monarchical systems which are, in turn, replaced by that of the West Indies.
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