The longest-serving Heir Apparent

As of 2011, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, is the longest-serving heir-apparent in British history, longer than King Edward VII the successor of Queen Victoria. The Prince of Wales has been the King-in-Waiting since he was four years old when his mother ascended the throne in February 1952 on the death of his grandfather, King George VI.

But unlike Edward VII, Prince Charles has a great deal of respect and love for his mother that he never anticipate wearing the British crown in the coming years, in fact he is not comfortable with the discussions regarding his future reign because it means the death of his mother and he avoided that ghastly prospect.

Among the children of the sovereign, it is Prince Charles who made no pretence about expressing grief or sadness even in public. Known with his transparent emotion, the Prince of Wales never withheld tears when necessary. When his beloved great uncle, Lord Mountbatten (maternal uncle of his father, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh), whom he referred as his dear grandpapa, died in 1979, the Prince of Wales then 30, was seen shedding tears at one point during the funeral service at Westminster Abbey, and when he gave the reading, his voice faltered. He was equally tearful and somber when his beloved grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother died in 2002.

The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer before their wedding in 1981

He first married Lady Diana Spencer, the youngest daughter of the 8th Earl of Althorp, in 1981 who bore him two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. They separated in December 1992 and divorced in August 1996. Diana, who became the Princess of Wales after their marriage in July 29, 1981, died in a tragic car accident in Paris, France. He remarried to Camilla Parker Bowles in April 2005 whom he dated in 1971. However due to her background as a divorce woman, she would not be crowned as Queen Consort when Charles someday ascend the throne but will just be known as Princess Consort, which is unheard in the history of England.

Born Charles Philip Arthur George on November 14, 1948, Charles broke tradition when he became the first British heir to study in a normal school like a commoner. All his predecessors, including his mother, never attended formal school but only tutored in the palace. He completed his Bachelor's degree in 1970 at the prestigious Cambridge University becoming the third royal family member (after his mother's cousins, Princess Alexandra of Kent and Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester) to earn a college diploma.

Prince Charles's official style and titles are Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay (his title in Scotland), Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter and the Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath.

An Interview with BBC's Alan Titchmarsh where Prince Charles talked about Highgrove, his sprawling private estate at Tetbury, Gloucestershire and the spectacular gardens he designed and developed at Highgrove

While waiting for his destiny, the Prince of Wales occupied his time attending important royal functions on behalf of the monarchy. He made foreign trips to promote the trade and industry of the United Kingdom, organized charities and support many organizations in Britain. He is known also as an environmentalist and vigorously promoting organic farming. At Highgrove Estate, his country home in Gloucestershire which he bought prior to his marriage to Diana in 1981, he has two working farms all using modern technologies about organic farming.

For the past years, the public noticed how the future King gained self-confidence. His calm demeanour won admirers nationwide which was elusive during the time when the Princess of Wales dominated the centre stage of the monarchy. Now, Prince Charles rebounded from those years of intense popularity competitions with his former wife.

But it takes more years and even another decade before he would be known as * Charles III (or George VII), his mother is still in her superior health and still very active doing her duties. But long years of waiting will make the Prince of Wales more confident and more effective on his future role as King.

* Prince Charles never discuss the prospect of becoming King publicly but many royalists continue to debate what would be the proper and appropriate regnal name he should use. Prince Charles will most likely take the name of Charles III when he ascend the throne but many people are anticipating the regnal name George VII in honour of his grand father because the two Charles (I and II) had both an unsettling and controversial background in British history.

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According to "Royal Sisters" ( a book written by Anne Edwards), the Prince of Wales is named after his great uncle, King Haakon VII of Norway the former Prince Charles of Denmark who married Queen Elizabeth II's great aunt, Princess Maud (youngest sister of King George V). The Norwegian King was very generous to the family of Prince Philip during their difficult life in France where they settled after Prince Andrew was forced to live in exile. Prince Andrew, son of King George I of Greece, was convicted for treason punishable by death but King George V of England dispatched a British war ship to Greece and saved Andrew. Prince Philip was only 18 months old at that time.