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.
There’s an older couple performing a swing dance to pass the time, as others in the queue form an excited audience around them.They smile adoringly, clap enthusiastically, and shout out, “It’s like Strictly Come Dancing.” Just four hours ago they didn’t know each other.
In their normal worlds, their lives never would have crossed paths. However, today they are spending hours together as they wait patiently in the queue to see the Queen laying-in-state, united in grief for Britain's longest-serving monarch.
Colin, 61, and Sue, 57 from Peterborough, take a break from showcasing their dance moves to tell me that they’re here because “the Queen was the heart of the nation.” Colin takes a pause before adding, “her smile lit up the world.” Just a few metres down the line are Londoners Grace, 46 and her son Lachlan who proudly tells me that he is nine years old and has been granted special permission to stay up past his usual 8:30pm bedtime to see the Queen.
They have an enviable picnic selection from Tesco, and it’s clear from the orange remnants around Lachlan's mouth that he’s already been enjoying tucking into the treats.
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