Prince Charles takes the throne of the United Kingdom after seven decades of waiting his turn, since becoming heir at the age of three, when his mother Elizabeth II assumed the crown on February 6, 1952.
Charles, currently married to Camilla Parker, Duchess of Cornwall, begins to reign when he is already a grandfather and passes what for some is the retirement age, although his mother has already torn this convention by holding the scepter until she is 96, which makes her the longest-lived sovereign in British history.
During this time of waiting, the Prince of Wales, who has two children, William and Harry, with his first wife, Princess Diana, set several records, the first being the oldest heir.
Elizabeth II’s eldest son broke that mark on September 19, 2013, when he surpassed his ancestor William IV, who ascended the throne in June 1830, aged 64, following the death of his brother George IV.
William IV died without heirs in 1837 and was succeeded by his niece Victoria, who in turn became the longest-reigning British monarch at 63 years, until she was surpassed by Elizabeth II.
Although Charles was the oldest male heir, he could not beat the woman who had the most years of waiting, Sophia of Hannover (1630-1714), who died at age 83 without having laid the crown.
In addition to being the longest-living heir, Charles is also the longest-serving heir, surpassing Edward VII, who ascended the throne at age 59 after the death of his mother Victoria in 1901.
From early childhood, Prince Charles, who has a large entourage of aides, was groomed to be king, which made the wait even more agonizing.
Becoming grandfather to Prince George, son of William and Kate Middleton, on July 22, 2013, he joked that the birth was the highlight of his 64-year existence.
An undisguised impatience
Charles had previously indicated that he regretted the long wait and, in an official video recorded during a visit to Scotland in 2012, suggested that the prospect of his reign was waning.
“Impatient? I? What a suggestion! Of course I am! My time will run out soon. I’ll be extinct if I’m not careful.”
His biographer, Penny Junor, has pointed out that, in return, becoming king will prevent Charles from taking care of what has filled his life until now, his lucrative estate in the Duchy of Cornwall, with which he trades food products, and his various charities.
In addition to the determination of his mother, who at age 21 vowed to serve the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth for her entire life, “short or long”, Charles also had to deal with his children’s increased popularity.
A survey carried out in July 2013 after the birth of Prince George – third in line – indicated that the most popular royals after the Queen were the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, and Prince Harry.
In addition to his personal issues such as Princess Diana’s bitter divorce, his public image has contributed to his unpopularity, as he is often seen as prim and pompous.
Charles is accused of not wanting to accept the current limitations of a monarch, who is a purely ceremonial figure, and is known to have written to the government to try to influence national affairs.
In this new stage, when he occupies the position for which he was born and educated, Charles will finally be able to demonstrate whether, after adapting to the role of eternal heir, he can also conquer the role of king.
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