HRH The Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor) also Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Chester, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland (born November 14, 1948), of the Royal House of Windsor, is the son of Queen Elizabeth II and heir-apparent to the British, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand, and a number of other Commonwealth thrones. He is correctly referred to as His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales (or in Scotland, HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay). Though commonly used, he ceased to be properly styled Prince Charles (and technically should not be described as such) following the accession of his mother to the throne in 1952, becoming Duke of Cornwall instead.
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Prior to the ceremony, Charles had studied at Gordonstoun School in Scotland, at Trinity College, Cambridge, and also at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he went specifically in order to learn the Welsh language -- the first English-born prince ever to make a serious attempt to do so. This won him some popularity in the principality, but the investiture also aroused considerable hostility among some Welsh nationalists, and there were threats of violence. In the late 1970s, Charles established another first when he became the first member of the Royal Family since King George I to attend a British cabinet meeting, he being invited to attend by Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan so as to see the workings of cabinet government at first hand.
By marriage to the heir-apparent to the throne, Diana received both a title, "Princess of Wales", and the style, "Her Royal Highness". (Though commonly called Princess Diana, such a form of address was incorrect.) They made their homes at Highgrove[?] in Gloucestershire and Kensington Palace[?]. Almost immediately, Diana became a star attraction, chased by the paparazzi and the news media, her every move (including changes in hair-style) followed by millions. However, the marriage soon hit the rocks. Critics of Diana alleged that she was unstable and tempermental; one by one she sacked each of Charles's longstanding staff members and fell out with numerous friends (her father, mother, brother, Duchess of York, Elton John, her own staff -- who quit after rows). Charles, too, was blamed for the marital troubles. He and Camilla Shand had ended their relationship in the 1970s and now found themselves in unhappy marriages. The restart of their affair in the late 1980s was to destroy what remained of the fairytale Charles and Diana marriage, which within five years of the wedding was already on the brink of collapse. Ironically, Charles and Diana were similar in some respects: Both had troubled childhoods. Both took their public roles seriously and devoted much of their time to charity work, becoming highly regarded for it. (Diana notably devoted much time to helping AIDS sufferers, while Charles devoted much effort to marginalised groups in urban centres through his Prince's Trust[?] charity.
Both partners subsequently admitted to extra-marital affairs, he with Mrs. Parker Bowles, she with a number of people, including a young army officer. Though they remained publicly a couple, they effectively had separated by the late 1980s, he living in Highgrove, she in Kensington Palace. The media noted their increasing periods apart and their obvious discomfort at being in each other's presence. By 1992, it was obvious that the marriage was over in all but name. The couple formally separated, with media sources taking different sides in what became known as the "War of the Waleses". Charles received much of the blame when details of his relationship with Mrs. Parker Bowles were revealed. She and her husband divorced, and he married a woman with whom he had had a long-term relationship during his marriage.
Secondly and more sensitively, there remains the issue of Mrs. Parker Bowles' title after marriage. In strict constitutional law, she would automatically assume the title 'Princess of Wales' and the style 'Royal Highness'. Such a development is almost almost universally unacceptable, even to those supporting a marriage between the couple. Legislation may have to be enacted allowing for a morganatic marriage, whereby she could neither become a princess or queen, and would not be styled HRH, but would use a courtesy title, perhaps 'Duchess of Cornwall'. (He is Duke of Cornwall.) Though her age suggests it is highly improbable, such legislation would also need to state that any children of the union would be excluded from the succession to the throne. Practical issues would also potentially arise over the status of her children by her first marriage, who in the event of a second marriage would become step-children of the future king and step-brothers and step-sisters to Princes William and Harry. (And so the focus of media attention, hence the need for some clarifications, such as inheritance rights to property of the Prince of Wales, police protection, etc.)
Charles is a complex character. An openly-admitted depressive, a passionate man who cares deeply about issues such as the environment, architecture, inner-city renewal and the quality of life, he is highly regarded on the international stage as an effective performer for the United Kingdom. On a visit to the Republic of Ireland, for example, instead of simply using a standard foreign office speech, he delivered a personally-researched, personally-written speech on Anglo-Irish affairs which was warmly received by Irish politicians and the Irish media. While his popularity has fluctuated, he remans the most active Prince of Wales in centuries, who, while he could have opted for a low-key life, has devoted his time and effort to trying to better the lives of his future subjects. Only the Camilla issue remains as the complicating factor in his public image and persona.
See also: British Royal Family
Jonathan Dimbleby, The Prince of Wales: A Biography (ISBN 0316910163)
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