Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is the heir apparent to the British throne as the eldest son of Elizabeth II. He has been Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay since 1952, and he is the oldest and longest-serving heir apparent in British history.
He is also the longest-serving Prince of Wales, having held that title since 1958. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace as the first grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. He was educated at Cheam and Gordonstoun schools, which his father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, had attended as a child. Charles also spent a year at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia.
'Meddlesome king' Charles risks destroying monarchy with his opinions - expert
dailystar.co.ukPrince Charles is an "opinionated prince" who could become a "meddlesome king" and bring down the monarchy, according to a royal commentator.The comments came after The Times reported that the Prince of Wales had privately called the UK government's plans to deport illegal immigrants to Rwanda "appalling".
Writing in the Spectator, royal expert Peter Hunt expressed concerns that Charles' opinions could contravene the convention that members of the Royal Family remain politically neutral.
Along with the Rwanda debacle, Hunt referenced Charles' "black spider" memos, written to government ministers over the years and supposedly expressing opinions on matters from armed forces funding to affordable homes. "His once private – and not denied – belief that the government’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is ‘appalling’ is not the consensus view," Hunt said. "The monarchical straitjacket – which has never irked the Queen – delights those who believe Charles could one day provoke a constitutional crisis. "Such concern is heightened by the fact his criticism of asylum policy has emerged in the wake of the successful Platinum Jubilee celebrations."The risk is of an opinionated prince morphing into a meddlesome king."Another example Hunt gives is an incident in 1999 when, during a Chinese state visit, Charles showed support for the Dalai Lama's distaste for the Chinese regime by boycotting a state banquet.
In recent months Charles has become increasingly involved in the running of the monarchy, with the Queen stepping back from some roles due to health issues.
Read more on dailystar.co.uk
