Charles the Great

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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
King of the Dutch
Reign7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997
Inauguration1 January 1952
PredecessorFrederick
SuccessorThomas
Grand Duke of the Luxembourgers
Reign7 July 1957 - 15 January 1997
Coronation1 January 1952
PredecessorFrederick
SuccessorThomas
BornPrince Charles of Cambridge, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, 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
Spouse
Lauren Bacall (m. 1947)
Issue
Detail
Full name
Charles Frederick William Louis
HouseHanover-Stuart-Orange-Nassau
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; Dutch: Karel Frederik Willem Lodewijk; French: Charles Frédéric Guillaume Louis; 15 January 1917 - 2 March 2011), better known as Charles the Great, was King of the British as Charles III, and King of the Dutch and Grand Duke of the Luxembourgers as Charles I 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 personal 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 as well as that of the Netherlands and Luxembourg'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, the Netherlands, and within Luxembourg. 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. A prolific tennis player during his princely years, Charles competed several times in the Wimbledon championships, mostly alongside his adoptive sister Princess Ingrid of Sweden (later Queen Ingrid of Denmark), with whom he won the championships several times in the years 1934, 1936, 1946, and lastly, in 1947.

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, Dutch, and Luxembourgish 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, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Prussia
  • 5 January 1923 - 20 January 1923 His Royal Highness The Prince of Orange, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Duke of Cornwall
  • 20 January 1923 - 7 July 1957 His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Prince of Orange, and the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg
  • 7 July 1957 - 2 March 2011 His Majesty The King of the British, King of the Dutch, and the Grand Duke of the Luxembourgers

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.