King Charles III is celebrating his first birthday as monarch. Here's the best photo from every year
Publish date: 2024-07-16
Updated 2022-11-14T10:11:21Z
King Charles III is celebrating his 74th birthday on Monday.
Charles was the longest-serving heir apparent before he became monarch in September.
He has had many royal career highlights and personal experiences in the public eye.
1971: Having become the first heir to the throne to graduate with a university degree (a 2:2 from Trinity College Cambridge), the then-titled Prince Charles flew himself to RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire to train as a jet pilot.
HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is pictured at the end of his first circuit consolidation exercise on April 3, 1971.Pool Photo RAF - Handout / Getty Images
1972: After passing his RAF training, Charles embarked on a career in the Royal Navy. He joined his first ship, the guided missile destroyer HMS Norfolk, in 1972.
Britain's Prince Charles gives a thumbs-up sign as he prepares to take off in a Wessex Helicopter on a training flight from Yeovilton Royal Navy Air Station, Somerset, on October 21, 1972.AP Photo / B.O.P.
1973: The Prince of Wales, as he was then known, visited the Bahamas for the islands' last days as a British colony. After more than 300 years of British sovereignty, the Bahamas became an independent nation on July 9.
Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, second right, and Sir John Paul, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Bahamas, listen to Bishop Alvin S. Moss, General Overseer of the Church of God of Prophecy, during a Thanksgiving Service, in Nassau, Bahamas, on July 8, 1973, as part of the Bahamas Independence celebrations.AP Photo
1974: Charles made his maiden speech in the House of Lords this year, becoming the first royal to do so since his great-great-grandfather Edward VII in 1884.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles, followed by Princess Alexandra, leave the Vaudeville Theater in London, after attending a performance of Alan Ayckbourn's play 'Absurd Person Singular', Nov. 14, 1974.AP Photo
1975: Continuing to dip into military training, Charles returned to Cambridge to receive his masters degree.
Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales tackles an assault course at the Royal Marines Training Centre in Lympstone, Devon, and achieves a first-class pass, 13th January 1975.Central Press / Hulton Archive / Getty Images
1976: Prince Charles took command of his first ship, the coastal minehunter HMS Bronington. It was also his last year of active military service and the year he started his charity, The Prince's Trust.
Prince Andrew when he visited his elder brother, Prince Charles (rear) aboard his ship, the coastal minesweeper HMS Bronington in London in November 1976.AP Photo
1977: The prince appeared in a disastrous interview on Australian television. The host of the show "Countdown" suffered a complete meltdown on-air, even saying: "Your Royal Highness... oh, oh, I'm sweating like a pig."
Prince Charles on "Countdown" in 1977.Breathing Air / YouTube
1979: Prince Charles attended the funeral of his great uncle and mentor, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, who was murdered by the IRA.
(L-R), Reverend Edward Carpenter, HM Queen, Prince Philip, the Queen Mother, Prince Andrew Prince Charles, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, Captain Mark Phillips, the Dowager Duchess of Gloucester, gathered outside Westminster Abbey, London, September 5th 1979.Central Press / Hulton Archive / Getty Images
1980: Prince Charles met Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India. He also published a children's book, "The Old Man of Lochnagar," originally written for his younger brother Prince Edward.
Prince Charles talking to Mother Teresa during his visit to her home for babies and children, Calcutta, December 1980.Keystone / Hulton Archive / Getty Images
1981: Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, who became the Princess of Wales. At the time of their engagement in February, Diana was 19 years old while Charles was 31.
Britain's Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer pose together at Buckingham Palace, in this Feb. 24, 1981 file photo, following the announcement of their engagement.AP Photo / Ron Bell, pool, file
1982: Prince William of Wales was born, and Charles became the first royal father to be present at the birth of his son.
Britain's Prince William, the 6-month old son of British Prince Charles and Princess Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales with his parents during a special picture call at Kensington Palace in London, England on Dec. 22, 1982.AP Photo / David Caulkin
1983: The Prince and Princess of Wales toured Australia and New Zealand — a trip that was mirrored by newlyweds Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.
Diana, Princess of Wales, and Prince Charles sit in their car as a large crowd looks on during their visit to Stirling Oval, Canberra, Australia, March 26, 1983.AP Photo / Dave Caulkin
1984: Prince Harry was born, making the Wales' a family of four.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, pose for a family portrait with their sons, Prince William, right, and Prince Harry, at the Kensington Palace in London, England on Oct. 6, 1984.AP Photo
1985: Charles and Diana whipped the US into a frenzy when they visited Washington D.C. At the White House, the princess took to the dance floor with John Travolta.
In this Nov. 9, 1985 photo provided by the Ronald Reagan Library, actor John Travolta dances with Princess Diana at a White House dinner in Washington.AP Photo / Ronald Reagan Library, File
1986: Charles and Diana visited Tokyo, Japan, and watched a sumo tournament.
Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Princess Diana, the Princess of Wales, talk to high-ranking sumo wrestlers during their visit to Kokugikan National Sumo arena in downtown Tokyo, Japan on May 11, 1986.AP Photo / Katsumi Kasahara
1987: Charles and Diana were invited on a Majorcan holiday by the King of Spain. Charles later said his marriage had broken down completely by this point.
King Juan Carlos, second right, talks with Princess Diana, Princess of Wales, as Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, third left, talks with Queen Sofia during a visit to Toledo, Spain on April 24, 1987, on the last day of the semi-official visit of the British Royals to Spain.AP Photo
1988: Charles diced with death while skiing with friends in Klosters, Switzerland, when an avalanche hit. The prince's friend Major Hugh Lindsay was killed and another friend, Patti Palmer-Tomkinson, was seriously injured.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles pose for photographers.AP Photo
1989: Prince Charles gave a speech at the Saving the Ozone Layer World Conference in London, saying "human beings have been upsetting that balance [of nature], persistently" since the Industrial Revolution.
Crown Prince Shaikh Hamed Bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain, left, rides down the course at Royal Ascot, England on June 22, 1989, accompanied by Britain’s Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, center, and his father the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip, prior to the start of racing on what is traditionally know as ‘Ladies Day’ at Ascot.AP Photo / John Redman
1990: In a very royal injury, the prince broke his arm after falling off his horse during a game of polo. Charles later required a second operation after the fracture failed to heal.
Britain's Prince Charles leaves Cirencester Hospital, England, with Princess Diana, July 1, 1990, with his arm in a sling after falling off his horse and breaking his arm during a polo match.AP Photo / Gill Allen
1991: Prince Charles became embroiled in another row over architecture. The prince resigned as the patron of Scotland's national museum over a competition to design a new building. The royal said too much weight had been given to the opinion of "so-called experts."
In this April 23, 1991 file photo, Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana, laugh together during their visit to an iron ore mine near Carajas, Brazil.AP Photo / Dave Caulkin, file
1992: Andrew Morton published "Diana: Her True Story," detailing the breakdown of Charles and Diana's marriage. In December, the Prime Minister, John Major, announced to the House of Commons that The Prince and Princess of Wales had agreed to separate.
The front cover of "Diana, Her True Story" by Andrew Morton.AP Photo / PA
1993: 'Camillagate' — The Daily Mirror leaked recordings of an explicit phone conversation between Charles and his mistress Camilla Parker Bowles in which the prince allegedly expressed his desire to live inside her trousers.
Prince Charles of Great Britain starts down the stairs of Platforma Norte of the spectacular 2,500-year-old Zapotec ruins of Monte Alban on the edge of Oaxaca City, Mexico on Feb. 18, 1993.AP Photo / Richard Drew
1994: In this photo taken in Sydney, Australia, Prince Charles is pushed to safety by security personnel after 24-year-old student David Kang fired two blank rounds from a starter gun at him. Kang was protesting the treatment of Cambodian asylum seekers in Australia.
Britain's Prince Charles on right is pushed to safety by a security man in this file photo from January 26, 1994 when student David Kang, bottom left, had fired a starter's pistol at the Prince who was delivering an Australia Day speech in Sydney.AP Photo / Bluey Thompson
1995: Diana gave an interview to Panorama, watched by 23 million people, wherein she claimed: "There were three of us in this marriage." British press reported that the Queen had written to Charles and Diana urging them to agree to an early divorce.
London newspapers' front page headlines, Thursday December 21,1995.AP Photo / Martin Cleaver
1996: Charles and Diana's marriage is dissolved after 15 years. According to the Prince of Wales' website, the princess was still regarded as a member of the royal family and continued to live in Kensington Palace.
Britain's Princess of Wales and a friend identified as Lucia Flechia de Lima, are driven from Duke's Hotel in London Friday July 12 1996, following an announcement that the Princess and her husband, Prince Charles are to divorce.AP Photo / Peter Jordan
1997: Princess Diana is killed in a car crash in Paris. Charles flew to Paris with Diana's two sisters to bring her body back to London.
The Prince of Wales casts a concerned glance towards his sons Prince William (left) and Prince Harry as they wait for the coffin of Princess Diana to be loaded into a hearse outside of Westminster Abbey, Saturday, Sept. 6, 1997, in London.AP Photo / John Gaps III
1998: Prince Charles dropped Prince Harry off at the prestigious Eton College where he would join his brother William as a boarder.
Prince Harry meets Headmaster John Lewis, right, as Prince Charles looks on, after his arrival at the prestigious Eton college Wednesday, Sept. 2, 1998. Prince Harry will join his older brother William as a boarder at the elite school.AP Photo / Pool
1999: Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles made their first public appearance together at The Ritz in London.
Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles leave the Ritz Hotel in London in this Thursday, Jan. 28, 1999 file photo.AP Photo / Alastair Grant, File
2000: Camilla met with the Queen for the first time at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire. The meeting was a sign that Camilla was finally being accepted into the royal folds and by the public.
Camilla and Prince Charles.AP Photo / Kent Gavin / Pool
2001: Charles launched a report warning that half of all British villages no longer have a pub. "Now, perhaps more than ever in their history, rural pubs must draw on their resourcefulness and resilience," the prince said in a foreword to the document.
Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales raises a glass as he samples a pint of beer during a visit to a Hotel in Stainforth, Yorkshire Monday, Dec. 17, 2001.AP Photo / John Giles / WPA
2002: Charles visited Brazil and took to the football pitch before heading on to Mexico as part of a royal visit.
Britain's Prince Charles kicks a soccer ball at a cultural center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, March 5, 2002.AP Photo / Douglas Engle
2003: Prince Charles posed for a photograph with his mother Queen Elizabeth II and his eldest son Prince William. The royal family was gathered for a dinner to mark the 50th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation.
Three generations of the British Royal family — Queen Elizabeth II, her eldest son, the Prince of Wales, Charles, left, and his eldest son, Prince William, pose for a photograph at Clarence House in London, Monday, June 2, 2003, before a dinner to mark the 50th anniversary of her Coronation.AP Photo / Kirsty Wigglesworth / Pool
2004: Charles shared a laugh with son Prince William during the family's annual skiing holiday in the Swiss Alps in March.
HRH Prince Charles poses with son Prince William in the Swiss village of Klosters at the start of their annual skiing holiday in the Swiss Alps on March 28, 2004 in Switzerland.Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
2005: Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at the Guildhall, Windsor, on April 9. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh did not attend, although they did host a reception.
TRH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, depart the Civil Ceremony where they were legally married, at The Guildhall, Windsor on April 9, 2005 in Berkshire, England.Georges De Keerle/Getty Images
2006: Prince Charles greets former Spice Girls Emma Bunton and Geri Halliwell during a garden party at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Prince's Trust.
Britain's Prince Charles greets former Spice Girl Emma Bunton as he hosts a garden party at Buckingham Palace London to celebrate the Prince's Trust 30th anniversary Friday July 14, 2006.AP
2007: The Prince of Wales was awarded the Global Environmental Citizen Award from Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment on January 28, in recognition of his work voicing his concerns about the natural environment.
Britain's His Royal Highness Prince Charles, Prince of Wales speaks after receiving the Harvard Medical School Center for Health and the Global Environment's 10th Anniversary Global Environmental Citizen award at the Harvard Club January 28, 2007 in New York City.Stephen Chernin-POOL/Getty Images
2008: In November 2008, Prince Charles celebrated his 60th birthday — the first Prince of Wales to reach this milestone without becoming monarch. Here, he's given a birthday cake during a visit to a community center in London.
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales holds a birthday cake he was given during his visit to Beckton Community Centre as part of the launch of The Prince's Trust Youth week on November 14, 2008 in London, England.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
2009: Charles' mother, Queen Elizabeth II, presented him with the the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honour on May 18, 2009 — the highest accolade the society can give.
Queen Elizabeth II presents Prince Charles, Prince of Wales with the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honour during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show on May 18, 2009 in London.Sang Tan/WPA Pool/Getty Images
2010: The Prince of Wales dabbled in a putt or two ahead of the Ryder Cup golf tournament in Newport, Wales.
Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales practices putting during an official visit prior to the 2010 Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort on September 29, 2010 in Newport, Wales.Andrew Redington / Getty
2011: Charles' son Prince William, Duke of Cambridge married Kate Middleton on April 29, 2011 in a celebration that caught the attention of the entire world. It was also the year that Prince Charles became the oldest heir apparent to bear the title Prince of Wales.
Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall watch as Britain's Prince William kisses his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the Royal Wedding in London Friday, April, 29, 2011.AP
2012: The whole country — and the world — celebrated throughout the year to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne.
In this June 5, 2012 file photo, Britain's Prince Charles, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William stand on the balcony at Buckingham Palace during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in central London.AP
2013: Prince Charles became a grandfather for the first time on July 22, 2013, when Kate Middleton gave birth to Prince George. He looked pretty delighted to receive a teddy bear to give to his new grandson a few days later.
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is presented with a teddy bear for Prince George of Cambridge during a visit to the 132nd Sandringham Flower Show at Sandringham House on July 31, 2013 in King's Lynn, England.Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images
2014: The Invictus Games, an international sports event for wounded warriors that was founded by Prince Harry, took place in London in September of 2014.
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales look at a mobile phone as they watch the athletics at Lee Valley Track during the Invictus Games on September 11, 2014 in London, England.Chris Jackson / Getty
2016: As part of a celebration for the 500th Anniversary of the Royal Mail, Prince Charles took a ride on a motorbike that was once used for delivering telegrams.
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales tries a 1933 BSA 500cc motorbike used for delivering telegrams as he attends a reception to mark the 500th Anniversary of the Royal Mail at Merchant Taylor's Hall on September 6, 2016 in London, England.Chris Jackson / Getty
2017: In November, Charles spent three days visiting the Caribbean islands that were hit by earthquakes in September. Here, he surveys the devastation in Barbuda.
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales view the destroyed landscape left by the hurricane on November 18, 2017 in Codrington, Barbuda.Chris Jackson / Getty
2018: Prince Charles took Meghan Markle's arm as he prepared to walk her down the aisle on May 19, when she married his son, Prince Harry. The Duchess of Sussex did not have her own father present at the wedding.
Meghan Markle walks up the aisle with Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle during her wedding to Prince Harry on May 19, 2018, in Windsor, England.Dominic Lipinski/ - WPA Pool/Getty Images
2015: During a 12-day tour of New Zealand and Australia, the Prince of Wales placed a poppy on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales places a poppy on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial on November 11, 2015, in Canberra, Australia.Mick Tsikas - Pool/Getty Images
2019: Charles became a grandfather again, this time to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first son, Archie Harrison. He attended the christening ceremony alongside the royal family in July.
The royal family at Archie's christening.Chris Allerton/ Getty Images
2020: It was a difficult year for Charles, who tested positive for COVID-19 in March shortly before his son, Prince William, also tested positive in April. "I thought to myself, if anybody is going to beat this, it's going to be him," William told the BBC of his father's recovery.
2022: Charles became King Charles III upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8. He led the procession at the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey on September 19.
King Charles led the procession.MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Image
