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Who Is Charles, Prince Of Wales?
Born Nov. 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace, Prince Charles is the eldest of four siblings. As Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s first-born son, Prince Charles is the heir apparent – the next in line to the throne should his mother step down or (knock on wood) pass away. Because of this, he has spent his life fulfilling royal duties for the family.
He has long been considered one of the hardest-working royals. Even today, Prince Charles’s sons call their father a “workaholic”. In an interview, Prince William said that “The man never stops”. “This is a man who has dinner ridiculously late at night”, said Harry in the same interview. “And then goes to his desk later that night and will fall asleep on his notes to the point of where he’ll wake up with a piece of paper stuck to his face”.
But in the Royal Family, It seems that this attitude is quite common. Do you know hold Prince Philip was when he retired from royal duties? He was 96!
Prince Charles’ Siblings
Anne, Princess Royal
Date of birth: Aug. 15, 1950
Position in the line of succession: 14th in line of succession.
Spouse(s): Divorced from Captain Mark Phillips; Currently married to Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence
Children: Peter Phillips and Zara Tindall
Princess Anne received her title as Princess Royal in June 1987, but of all the royal siblings, she is believed to be the most reluctant about stepping up as monarch. She went by Anne Mountbatten-Windsor in her official marriage documents and chose not to give her children royal titles.
However, Princess Anne still takes her royal duties seriously, as she is often named one of the busiest royals in the family. In 2017 alone, she attended 455 engagements, including receptions, dinners, and charity events.
Even then, she has found time to pursue other “normal” endeavours. She grew up with a keen interest in equestrianism and even competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. She’s also known for her extensive charity work. She has been the president of Save the Children since 1970, travelling to countries like Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, and Bosnia for charity purposes.
Relationship With Prince Charles
Despite being Prince Charles’ only sister, there has been a lot of speculation in the news surrounding the pair’s relationship – especially at the height of Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. The affair allegedly put years-long tension in the siblings’ relationship.
Personality-wise, the “strong-willed and forthright” Princess clashes with the “softer, gentler” Charles. The two couldn’t be more different, as some have pointed out that Princess Anne is more like her father, whom she’s said to share a “special bond with”, while Charles is more like his mother.
Andrew, Duke Of York
Date of birth: February 19, 1960
Position in the line of succession: Eighth in line.
Spouse(s): Divorced from Sarah, Duchess of York (also known as Fergie)
Children: Princess Beatrice of York and Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank
In recent years, Andrew has landed himself in hot water for his association with alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. As long-time friends, the two were seen together numerous times. In 2010, he was videotaped visiting Epstein’s Manhattan mansion – yes, the same one where Epstein was allegedly running his underage sex ring!
However, a recent statement from Buckingham Palace said the Prince was “appalled” by the allegations and said he “deplores the exploitation of any human being and the suggestion he would condone, participate in or encourage any such behaviour is abhorrent”. He denied witnessing “any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction”.
Relationship With Prince Charles
Born nearly a decade after his older siblings, it’s easy to understand rumours that Andrew and Charles aren’t exactly the closest of brothers. Andrew was notably absent from the celebration of Charles’s 50th year as Prince of Wales. A documentary called Jeremy Paxman on the Queen’s Children also suggested that Prince Charles's brother was not in favour of being seen as his “spare”.
Edward, Earl Of Wessex
Date of birth: March 10, 1964
Position in the line of succession: 11th in line.
Spouse(s): Sophie, Countess of Wessex. (Because most women who marry into the royal family receive the title of “Duchess” on their wedding day, Sophie is often mistakenly called the Duchess of Wessex. However, this is a misnomer, as her husband is not a duke.)
Children: Lady Louise and James, Viscount of Severn
Following in the footsteps of his father and brothers, who all served as naval officers, Edward joined the Royal Marines in 1987 but quit after only four months of commando training. He moved to media and started a production company called Ardent Productions, which produced documentaries and dramas. The company was not as successful and well-received as the Prince had hoped.
Eventually, Prince Edward worked with the Queen full-time, doing public engagements and charity work on behalf of his mother.
Relationship With Prince Charles
Though his relationship with Charles is not as strained as those of his older siblings, Edward did cause a rift after his production company invaded Prince William’s privacy as he attended university in 2001.