Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is the heir apparent to the British throne as the eldest son of Elizabeth II. He has been Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay since 1952, and he is the oldest and longest-serving heir apparent in British history.
He is also the longest-serving Prince of Wales, having held that title since 1958. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace as the first grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. He was educated at Cheam and Gordonstoun schools, which his father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, had attended as a child. Charles also spent a year at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia.
Queen ‘prayed for a brother’ so that she wouldn’t have to take the crown, says expert
ok.co.ukAs a young princess, Her Majesty the Queen wished for a brother to avoid the pressures of the crown. According to Ian Lloyd, author of The Queen: 70 Chapters in the Life of Elizabeth II , prayed hard for her mother to produce a male heir and take the throne instead of her.
Ian exclusively tells OK! : “The Queen Mother really wanted a son, and the young Elizabeth hoped for a brother - then she wouldn’t have to be Queen.” In his new book, the author writes: “Margaret Rhodes [first cousin of the Queen] recalled that following the 1936 abdication, which resulted in Elizabeth becoming heiress presumptive, Princess Elizabeth prayed hard for a brother to succeed her in the line of succession. “She, of course, never had one.” Despite her wishes as a youngster, the Queen declared her vow to “always be devoted in service” and has become the UK’s longest (and beloved) reigning monarch.
Her Majesty celebrates her 96th birthday on April 21, with her official birthday to follow in June. Coinciding with her Platinum Jubilee, the summer event is set to be an exciting long weekend full of pomp and fabulous parades.
Ian adds: “The Queen’s legacy is being Britain’s longest reigning monarch, and she’s celebrated for her discretion, duty, self-sacrifice and commitment to her country and the Commonwealth.” When Prince Philip sadly died in April 2021, royal experts were quick to shoot down rumours that the Queen would abdicate.
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