King Charles III Marks His 76th Birthday As He Champions His Legacy Project

Nov 14, 2024 by apost team

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The last few years have been momentous for the British monarchy, culminating in the profound passing of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sept. 8, 2022, at Balmoral. It was a devastating day for the royal family as many members gathered to be by her side in her final moments. 

That same day, Elizabeth’s eldest son, King Charles III, ascended the throne. And one day later, he addressed the UK as its new monarch. Since then, and particularly since a video of the new king ordering an aide to remove items from his desk, reports of his lavish demands and eccentric habits — from peculiar food preparation to one specific brand of toilet paper — have surfaced.

It comes as no surprise that the boy born to be king would reportedly garner the nickname the “pampered prince” in his early years. Almost a year to the day after the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s wedding on Nov. 20, 1947, the future queen gave birth to her eldest son, King Charles III, on Nov. 14, 1948. Charles was born in the Buhl Room of Buckingham Palace via cesarean section when Elizabeth was still a princess.

King Charles broke with tradition several times in his youth, attending school instead of being privately tutored, as was the norm for the royal family at the time. He also became the first royal to earn a university degree at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied archaeology and anthropology. He later joined the Royal Air Force after becoming the Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester in July 1958. 

On Nov. 14, 2024, Charles is celebrating his third birthday as a King as he turns 76. Keep reading to learn more about the monarch and how he celebrated his birthdays in the past years.

Almost a year to the day after the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s wedding on Nov. 20, 1947, the future queen gave birth to her eldest son, King Charles III, on Nov. 14, 1948. Charles was born in the Buhl Room of Buckingham Palace via cesarean section when Elizabeth was still a princess. 

Prince Philip was not present as his wife was in labor for 30 hours, and to quell his nerves, he decided to play a game of squash with his private secretary. The Daily Mail reported that when the prince finally received news of a successful delivery, he bounded to the room, which had been converted into an operating theater, still in his sporting flannels and open-neck shirt before declaring the child looked like a plum pudding. 

In keeping with tradition, the bells of Westminster Abbey were rung, and King George VI’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery fired a 41-gun salute, a tradition for royal births.

By the time their second child was due, the royal couple had moved to Clarence House. 

On Aug. 15, 1950, Princess Anne was born weighing 6 lbs. According to the BBC, news of the birth was “posted on the gates of Clarence House, on a board outside the Home Office in Whitehall and at Mansion House in the city.” 

It reported that “The Duke of Edinburgh toasted the new princess’ health in champagne with his staff,” before telephoning Balmoral Castle to inform the king. 

It also added: “The Royal Salute was fired at 1530 in Hyde Park by the King’s Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery. According to tradition, the case of the first round fired will be engraved and sent to Princess Elizabeth,” as the world erupted with cheer at the news.

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Once older, Charles was known as the Prince of Wales, a title now held by his eldest son, Prince William. Charles and the late Princess Diana also welcomed another son together, Prince Harry. The couple had issues throughout their marriage, resulting in divorce about a year before the princess died due to a tragic car accident in 1997. In 2005, Charles married Camilla, now known as the Queen Consort.

Although Charles’ personal life has been a hot topic for decades, His Royal Highness has worked hard to put his name in good light. He is reported to be a patron or president of several non-profit organizations. Charles is also strongly interested in important topics such as the environment, global sustainability, youth opportunities, and education.

And now, the world knows him as King Charles III. Many traditions were maintained for his official coronation ceremony. Among them was the use of the Gold State Coach, which was extensively refurbished for the queen’s Platinum Jubilee in early 2022 and has been used in every coronation since George IV’s in 1821. The elaborate horse-drawn carriage boasts intricate gilded carvings of cherubs and tritons, painted panels, and an interior lined with velvet and satin. The coach is so heavy it has to be pulled by at least eight horses, and even then, only at the pace of a walk.

While the coronation was undoubtedly an event that conveyed grace, elegance, and tradition, it was also a fun and joyous occasion for the royal family and everyone in the Commonwealth. According to the Evening Standard, a life-size chocolate bust of Charles was created over four weeks, using more than 3.7 gal of melted Celebrations chocolate and weighing more than 51 lbs. 

Apart from the grandiose coronation, another momentous event for the Royal Family is celebrating the monarch’s birthday. It has been a longstanding tradition for monarchs to celebrate their birthdays twice a year. While this habit may seem to be unusual, the reason why they do it is simple – no one wants to have their parade rained on! Since British weather is notoriously bad, especially in autumn and winter, official birthday celebrations have been moved to summer.

According to CNN, the tradition started in 1748 by King George II. Like Charles III, George II was born in November, a period wherein British weather is “often far from ideal.” This is why holding public celebrations during those periods was avoided. Instead, they opted for a more private one. 

The public celebration takes place in the summer. Charles III celebrated his 74th birthday a second time on June 17, 2023, with the Trooping the Colours parade. Likewise, the late Queen Elizabeth II, who was born in April, also celebrated her birthday twice – as Reader’s Digest puts it – the April date is “chilly” for her “opulent” birthday bash, which is why she had adapted the tradition of holding it on the “warmer” June date. 

Technically, Charles III’s celebration on Nov. 14, 2023, was the first celebration of his 75th birthday, and he celebrated it again next year on June 17, 2024. That is the second time that Charles III celebrated his birthday as the King, as he already celebrated his first the year before, even though he wasn’t officially crowned until May 2023. 

According to Vanity Fair, he will be celebrating his 76th birthday with a tea party in his home in Highgrove while also launching a new project and an intimate evening at the Clarence House with a “limited” guest list later on. People Magazine reported that “there has been no contact regarding an invitation” for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Charles III’s birthday.

Last year, Charles celebrated his 75th birthday with a full schedule. In a big move, the monarch maintained a full schedule of numerous events supporting causes and foundations he champions. 

The Associated Press reported that he had hosted a party for 400 nurses and midwives, saluting the National Health Services’s 75th birthday as well. Charles also appeared on the cover of the November 2023 issue of Big Issue magazine, a magazine sold by marginalized individuals to provide them with income. 

Charles also kickstarted the Coronation Food Project initiative. The program intends to create distribution hubs to take in excess food and redistribute it to those who need help. CNN reported that Charles and Camilla toured various food distribution sites outside London during his birthday. 

In the November 2023 issue of Big Issue magazine, Charles underscored the importance of the initiative in today’s time. 

“Food need is as real and urgent a problem as food waste – and if a way could be found to bridge the gap between them, then it would address two problems in one,” Charles wrote in the magazine. “It is my great hope that this Coronation Food Project will find practical ways to do just that – rescuing more surplus food and distributing it to those who need it most.”

However, Charles did not end the day without spending it with his family. It was also reported that Charles celebrated his second birthday as a King with the members of the British Royal Family at the Clarence House. 

The Daily Express revealed that for Charles’ birthday this year, he will launch the first two Coronation Food hubs on the first anniversary of the Coronation Food Project.

We wish King Charles a Happy Birthday! What do you think about his plans for his birthday this year? What are your wishes for the monarch? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other Royal Family fans out there!