King Charles III turns 78. A traditional 41-gun salute was fired in London in honour of his birthday by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Green Park. A separate salute was also fired at the Tower of London. Royal gun salutes are part of the official events with which the United Kingdom marks important dates associated with the monarchy.
Charles Philip Arthur George was born on 14 November 1948 at Buckingham Palace. He became heir to the throne at the age of three, when his grandfather, King George VI, died in 1952 and his mother, Elizabeth II, acceded to the throne. In 1958, when he was nine, Charles was named Prince of Wales – a title reserved for the heir to the throne.
From Prince of Wales to king
Charles studied at Gordonstoun – the Scottish boarding school also attended by his father. He then graduated from Trinity College at the University of Cambridge in 1970, becoming the first British heir to the throne to earn a university degree. From 1971 to 1976, he served in the Royal Navy.
In 1976, he founded the Prince's Trust charity, using his severance pay from the armed forces. By the foundation’s 40th anniversary, it had helped more than 825,000 disadvantaged young people find a career.
„I was always brought up to worry about everybody else. I have always tried to cope and do the right thing for everyone,“ Charles says.His personal life was marked by his marriage to Lady Diana Spencer, which took place on 29 July 1981 at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. They had two sons – Prince William, born in 1982, and Prince Harry, born in 1984. Their marriage ended in divorce on 28 August 1996. In 2005, Charles married Camilla.
After decades as heir to the throne, Charles became king on 8 September 2022 following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. He was the longest-serving heir apparent in British history.
Two birthdays by British tradition
The King’s birthday is on 14 November, but the official public celebration takes place in June. The Trooping the Colour military parade is held then, and the choice of a summer month is linked to the greater likelihood of suitable weather. The royal calendar for 2026 lists 13 June as the date of the monarch’s official birthday, while his actual birthday is 14 November.
Over the years, Charles has cultivated a public image as a monarch who speaks openly about the environment, architecture, agriculture and faith. Even as heir to the throne, he described the nature of his role in these words: „The problem is that there is no job description, so you rather have to make it up as you go along.“