Line #15 UsefulNotes/CharlesIII


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/charleswindsor_2.png]]
2
3	Charles III[[note]]"His Majesty Charles III, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith" in full, "Papa" or "Pa" to his sons, (formerly) "Grandpa Wales" to his grandchildren, "Umpa" to his step-grandchildren when they were younger[[/note]] (born Charles Philip Arthur George, 14 November 1948 at Buckingham Palace, UsefulNotes/{{London}}) is the current King of the UsefulNotes/UnitedKingdom, as well as 14 other countries[[note]]Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu[[/note]]. Known for most of his life as "Prince Charles", he acceded to the throne on the death of his mother, Queen UsefulNotes/ElizabethII, on September 8, 2022. His father was Elizabeth's consort, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died the previous year at age 99. His coronation happened on May 6, 2023, a little under one month shy of the 70th anniversary of his mother's own.
4
5	In the event you meet him, it's "Your Majesty" first and then "Sir" (not sire). His official title is HM The King and style guides vary in the British media on use of the title case. For the BBC, he is the '''King''' in all cases, unlike other monarchs, who will be referred to as "the king".
6
7	Prior to his accession, Charles was the longest-serving Prince of Wales, holding the title from 1958 to 2022 (surpassing Edward VII's long tenure by 5 years) and the Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay from 1952 to 2022 (the latter two titles are automatically given to the heir to the throne, while the title Prince of Wales is given at the sovereign's discretion, usually when the heir to the throne comes of age).[[note]]He was born Prince Charles of Edinburgh, as his mother was not yet queen -- and technically, he was ''not'' entitled to a princely title or "Royal Highness" style because he was a female-line grandson of the sovereign, but his grandfather George VI issued letters patent circumventing this, as it was very clear by this point that Elizabeth would be queen. He was eligible to become Prince of Wales as soon as his mother became queen, but she held off on giving him the title until 1958, while the formal investiture was held shortly before his 21st birthday, after he spent some time in Wales learning its language and history, as a way of ensuring he knew what he was committing to.[[/note]] %% Charles was invested Prince of Wales in July 1969.
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9	He's best known for his love life and the two major women in it. His {{first love}} was Camilla Shand (later Parker Bowles), who had dated several men and essentially cohabited with the man she later married, Andrew Parker Bowles. He instead later married the far younger, sheltered, and virginal [[UsefulNotes/DianaPrincessOfWales Lady Diana Spencer]] in 1981 in what was, for all intents and purposes, a FourthDateMarriage (they'd had thirteen) and certainly became a celebrity marriage, to the point that in some circles, he's more famous as Diana's former husband than as the King. He and Diana had two sons, William and Harry, but he constantly pined after Camilla (and Diana was no stranger to affairs herself); that, along with their age difference[[note]]Almost thirteen years. At the time of their marriage, Diana was barely 20 and Charles was 32. The difference only got larger over time as Charles became more settled in middle age at the same time as Diana became more outgoing and expressive. Say what you will about ''Series/TheCrown'' -- and people have said plenty -- Creator/PeterMorgan hit the nail on the head with the words he put in Princess Anne's mouth: that Charles "[was] older than his years, and Diana [was] younger than hers"[[/note]] and fundamental incompatibility and inability to support each other led to their divorce in 1996, after years of open warfare in the tabloids and other media. He took a very public hit for that, as the public ''adored'' Diana, and although they finally seemed to be heading towards AmicableExes, that emotion exploded when Diana was killed in a car accident in 1997. But since then, he has gradually worked himself into the public's good graces, especially after his rather touching speech at the close of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert. He finally married Camilla in 2005, and their relationship has also undergone a positive change in the public's eye (which some attribute to the "Will and Kate effect").
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11	Other than that, he's also known as an environmentalist, and perhaps a bit nutty and New-Agey. He apparently [[TalkingToPlants talks to plants]], which the media likes to remind everyone. But this does also give him a reputation for being environmentally progressive and remarkably prescient, in particular becoming a pioneer for organic farming (his estates even have a deal with [[UsefulNotes/BritishBusinesses Waitrose]] to supply organic products) and sustainable living at least a decade before it even entered mainstream consciousness. His Highgrove estate has an extensive and state-of-the-art plant-based water recycling system. The village of Poundbury, designed from the ground up to Charles's specifications, is a prototype of city planning meant to showcase means of reducing automobile usage in urban areas by designing road and building layouts around viable foot traffic while maintaining traditional architecture.
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13	For all that he is seen as/really is a New Agey environmentalist and old-school aristocrat, his tenure as Prince of Wales showed him to be made of the stuff of an entrepreneur-philanthropist. On the entrepreneur front, his aforementioned deal with Waitrose is just the most obvious of his canny leveraging of the Duchy of Cornwall to his profit. Poundbury also produces good rents for the Duchy, and Charles is noted to have been a good husbandman of the Duchy's other large realty holdings. As to philanthropy, he established The Prince's Trust in 1976 to support programmes for disadvantaged and at-risk youths across the UK. In this endeavour, the Trust -- funded heavily from the Duchy of Cornwall and the then-Prince's other private revenues -- is seen as remarkably successful and well-regarded even in otherwise anti-royalist circles.
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15	The prospect of his actually assuming the throne was viewed with some ambivalence. For one thing, he's shown a certain taste for political meddling -- nothing major, but enough to qualify as overstepping, mostly along the lines of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_spider_memos writing letters to government ministers]] expressing his opinions on various matters at a time when monarchs with strong political views tend to be viewed with suspicion (though almost twenty years later, opinions which, for the most part, express strong environmental concern are perhaps more welcome and pertinent). For another, he's just not as beloved as his mother was (who benefited from several decades to become a national symbol in her own right) and his sons (who inherited Diana's charm and benefit from her halo of sainthood). Because of this, there was a relatively mild, completely illegal, but persistent, question of whether to skip him and go straight to William when the Queen died. There have even been plays written about it, and when ''Series/TheVicarOfDibley'' finished up, Creator/RichardCurtis didn't want to strike the sets, saying (rather presumptuously) that "Britain might need some cheering up when Charles becomes King."[[note]]Somewhat ironically, Elizabeth ended up outliving most of that show's regular cast, with the exceptions of Creator/DawnFrench and Creator/JamesFleet.[[/note]] This apparently significantly irritated Charles as, by all accounts, he ''really'' wanted to be King. Frankly, you can't really blame him for having angsted over it; he was over 70 years old at the time, an age when most people have already retired, but was still an apprentice waiting to take on his ''real'' job -- which, in many respects, he was born to do, and which he could only have when his mother died; wanting a job that can only be taken upon the death of a parent after so long waiting for it and knowing that that's what it will take to finally have it must be a stressor almost unique in the modern world. He was the oldest ever heir apparent in British history and the oldest person ever to accede the throne.[[note]]He wasn't the oldest ever first in line -- that would be Sophia, Electress of Hanover, who was Heiress Presumptive from the accession of Queen Anne in 1702 until her (Sophia's) death in 1714 at age 83. (Sophia could at any point have been superseded by a legitimate child of Queen Anne, though as a practical matter, Anne was done having children by 1700, but the technical possibility allowed Charles to claim the title of oldest heir apparent, i.e. nobody can take his first spot in line while he lives.) The Queen would have had to live to be 105 for him to beat that record -- which was a distinct possibility, as Her Majesty seemed to be unstoppable even beyond Prince Philip's death, and death came upon her seemingly abruptly.[[/note]]
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17	He's known to have quite the sense of humour and to be fond of [[BritishHumour British comedy]]. When attending galas like the Royal Variety Performance and We Are Most Amused, he's among those laughing the hardest, even at jokes at his own expense. He's the world's highest-ranking fan of ''Creator/MontyPython'' (and their forerunner ''Radio/TheGoonShow''). The former is appropriate as his coronation not only featured the Sovereign's Orb (which was immediately compared to the HolyHandGrenade of Antioch on social media), but also featured a 'strange woman' (Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons[[note]]She has the former job because UsefulNotes/LizTruss felt compelled to give her the latter and UsefulNotes/RishiSunak couldn't think of anything better to do with her after he took over[[/note]] Penny Mordaunt) with a sword (the Great Sword of State, which the Lord President has the job of carrying in the coronation procession. She did the job well even according to observers who didn't care for her or her politics)..
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19	He has rather [[UnusualEars large ears]].
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21	He became Prince Regent in all but name in the last two years of his mother's reign, taking over important ceremonial duties such as the Opening of Parliament and Trooping the Colour, as his mother became more frail.
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23	It was long conjectured that when he did become King, he might not have used Charles as his regnal name.[[note]]Although there have only been three monarchs since 1066 who did not reign under their first given name: Victoria, who disliked and did not use her first name Alexandrina; her son Edward VII, who chose not to use his first name of Albert in order to let his father the Prince Consort "stand alone"; and his grandson, George VI, who was also Albert and known as Bertie like his grandpa, but went with George in honour of his father, George V, and to provide some continuity after the shock of his brother Edward VIII's abdication. It's far less of a "tradition" than people think.[[/note]] There was a perceived stigma attached to the name, as Charles I was beheaded (an event which marked the end of the UsefulNotes/EnglishCivilWar) and Charles II is best remembered for having fathered illegitimate children by several mistresses. Also, "Charles III" was the regnal name of [[UsefulNotes/HanoverStuartWars the Jacobite pretender to the throne also known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie"]]. The rumour was that he would take the name George VII, in honour of his grandfather. Others hoped that he would use one of his other names as his regnal name and become [[AwesomeMcCoolname King Arthur]]. In the end, he went with Charles III, probably because after his mother's 70 years on the throne, it was the only name people knew him by.
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25	Owing to intermarriage among the royal families of UsefulNotes/{{Europe}}, he is related to all [[UsefulNotes/OtherRoyalFamilies other reigning hereditary monarchs in Europe]]. He is second-cousin once-removed to both King Harald V of Norway and King Felipe VI of Spain; third-cousin once-removed to King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, King Philippe of Belgium, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, and King Frederik X of Denmark, fifth-cousin to both King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein; and the fifth-cousin once-removed to [[UsefulNotes/TheMonegasqueRoyalFamily Prince Albert II of Monaco]].
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27	At the end of his first address as King, he addressed his "dear mama" by quoting [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]]:
28	->'''King Charles III:''' May [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} flights of angels sing thee to thy rest]].
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30	See also: UsefulNotes/TheBritishRoyalFamily (for the current members), UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfWindsor (for the more historical members). Not to be confused with several other monarchs (and pretenders) who went by Charles III, including (as noted above) Bonnie Prince Charlie.
31	----
32	!!Appearances of Charles in fiction (both as Prince of Wales and as King):
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35	%% This list has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order.
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39	[[foldercontrol]]
40
41	[[folder:Fan Works]]
42	* Referenced in a cameo in ''Fanfic/SlippingBetweenWorlds'' in which a young British Army officer reflects on how, with minimal training in a ''very'' unfamiliar weapon, he almost fumbled ceremonial sword drill in front of Royalty. The NoodleIncident, even a year further on, can still have that young officer in a cold sweat as to how his attempt to salute a Prince with his sword could have resulted in, at the very least, a pierced Royal nostril. It is inferred that Charles was gracious about it and deliberately failed to notice.
43	[[/folder]]
44
45	[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]
46	!!Historical Films / Biopics:
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48	* He doesn't appear in 2013's ''[[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1758595/ Diana]]'' (with Creator/NaomiWatts) since it focuses on Diana's post-divorce days, but he is mentioned.
49	* In the 2002 TV film ''[[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339532/ Prince William]]'', he's played by Martin Turner.
50	* Alex Jennings plays him in ''Film/TheQueen'', which focuses on how his mother dealt with the aftermath of Diana's death and her exchanges with the then-new Prime Minister UsefulNotes/TonyBlair.
51	* ''Film/{{Spencer}}'' depicts the bitter end of his marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales, with him being played by Jack Farthing.
52	* The 2005 TV film ''[[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0462609/ Whatever Love Means]]'' depicts the early years of his relationship with Camilla in the 1970s, with Charles being played by Laurence Fox.
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54	!!Other Films:
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56	* In 1994's ''Film/LaCiteDeLaPeur'', bodyguard Serge Karamazov claims that [[ReallyGetsAround he's had sex with everyone he's guarded]], [[HistoryWithCelebrity including Prince Charles]].
57	* In ''Film/GoldenEye'', Moneypenny has a bust of Prince Charles in her office.
58	* In ''Film/YankeeZulu'', he appears in all of one scene, having a spicy illicit phone call that is being listened in on by paparazzi, but because he and the woman are speaking isiZulu using dictionaries, the eavesdroppers can't get any dirt on him.
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Literature]]
62	* The Windsors provide a rallying point for a chaotic UK after the Change renders modern technology and guns inoperable, in Creator/SMStirling's ''Literature/{{Emberverse}}''. Elizabeth II is described as dying of "heartbreak and overwork" a year after the Change, and is succeeded by Charles, who is eventually driven mad from the stress. His successor, William, is referred to as "the Great".
63	* In the second ''Series/HouseOfCardsUK'' novel and TV series, ''To Play The King'', the unnamed King is a clear NoCelebritiesWereHarmed take on Charles, with expies for Diana and William also present, played by Creator/MichaelKitchen in the latter.
64	* Charles wrote the 1980 childrens' book ''The Old Man of Lochnagar'', which also ''features him'' as the {{Narrator}}, telling the story of the titular Old Man, who lives in a cave near the royals' estate at Balmoral.
65	* Although he's only named by title, it's clearly he, along with his then-wife Diana and the then-infant Prince William who Literature/JackRyan saves from an IRA attack in the novel ''Literature/PatriotGames''.
66	* ''On His Majesty's Secret Service'' (2023) by Charlie Higson is the first official ''Literature/JamesBond'' novel set in his reign.
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
70	* ''[[Series/{{Blackadder}} Blackadder: The Cavalier Years]]'' features Creator/StephenFry as King Charles I, but his voice and mannerisms were a clear impression of the current Charles.
71	* Charles briefly appeared AsHimself in a 2000 LiveEpisode of ''Series/CoronationStreet'', appearing meeting Audrey Roberts on a TV screen. The footage had been filmed earlier in the day when Charles visited the set of the show, and was presented with Audrey's actress Sue Nicholls.
72	* The Netflix series ''Series/TheCrown2016'', which dramatises the reign of his mother, shows his childhood sparsely in Series 1 and 2, and focuses on his relationship with Diana in Series 3, 4 and 5. In Series 3 and 4 he's played by Creator/JoshOConnor, and for Series 5 and 6, Creator/DominicWest was cast. As Series 5 was released shortly after Charles ascended the throne, this led to a lot of jokes about how did [[Series/TheWire Jimmy McNulty]] get to be the King. (It doesn't help that Dominic West doesn't seem to have aged a day since 2004.)
73	* He made a few appearances via FakeShemp in ''Series/TheGoodies''. He was a fan of the show, and was at once point asked to guest star, but the idea never got past Palace security.
74	* ''Series/SpittingImage'' often portrayed then-Prince Charles as a simplistic, naïve guy who fought for charity, but was too odd and out of touch with the modern world to be admired. Often jokes were about his love for plants, not spending much time with Princess Diana and waiting in frustration to become king.
75	* Referenced in ''Series/TheVow2020'' when Catherine Oxenberg, desperate to rescue her daughter India from the cult NXIVM, calls up her mother Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia and asks her to call up "[[FirstNameBasis Charles]]" to ask him to intercede with the Dalai Lama on her behalf, explaining offhandedly that her mother is his second cousin. The King and Princess Elizabeth actually have a very good relationship.
76	* The satirical soap ''Series/TheWindsors'' features a very fictionalized version of him and the British Royal Family in general. He's portrayed by Harry Enfield.
77	[[/folder]]
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79	[[folder:Music]]
80	* Music/TheSmiths: The TitleTrack of ''Music/TheQueenIsDead'' riffs on the then-prince's image as desperate to become king with the lines "I say, 'Charles, don't you ever crave to appear on the front of the ''Daily Mail'', dressed in your mother's bridal veil?'"
81	[[/folder]]
82
83	[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
84	* Charles and Diana make frequent appearances as characters in ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'', where Charles stuffily sticks to tradition, and quietly lusts for royal power. This is in contrast to the carefree and young Diana, who would rather jet off to California, wear old Levi's, and eat cold wienies in a Winnebago.
85	[[/folder]]
86
87	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
88	* In the first edition of ''TabletopGame/Twilight2000'', Charles becomes King following his mother's abdication in 1994. He survives the nuclear exchange (although some of his family do not) and is placed as head of state of a military government that controls a good chunk of Southern England. That governmment returns to civilian rule (albeit still with martial law) by 2000, but he retains a role trying to keep things going.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Theatre]]
92	* He's a main character in ''Theatre/{{Diana}}'', a musical about the life of his first wife.
93	* ''Theatre/KingCharlesIII'' is a speculative fiction play centered around the death of his mother and his ascension to the throne, eight years before that actually happened in real life. Notable for being written entirely in iambic pentameter blank verse in a very obvious homage to Creator/WilliamShakespeare's history plays.
94	[[/folder]]
95
96	[[folder:Video Games]]
97	* ''VideoGame/HeadOverHeels'' contains numerous surreal friends and enemies, most famously a [[Series/DoctorWho Dalek]] with Prince Charles for a head.
98	[[/folder]]
99
100	[[folder:Western Animation]]
101	* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/CelebrityDeathmatch'', then-Prince Charles defeats American funk legend Music/{{Prince}} by smashing his head in with a mallet. His mother is highlighted after the win, causing Prince Charles to go berserk and attack her, saying it's his turn to be King. He is no match for her, but she treats that incident more like a mother scolding her child, and Prince Charles is merely embarrassed.
102	** With Prince being in his Love Symbol #2 period at the time, the bout is described as "The artist formerly known as Prince versus the Prince formerly known as Charles".
103	* ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'': In one episode he briefly appears and cries about not being the king. In another episode, he tries to poison Queen Elizabeth, but she hits him on the head with a scepter.
104	* Appears in ''WesternAnimation/{{The Prince\|2021}}'', voiced by Creator/DanStevens.
105	* He briefly appears at the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' episode "To Surveil with Love", voiced by Creator/EddieIzzard.
106	[[/folder]]
107	----
108	->''God Save the King!''

Context UsefulNotes / CharlesIII