But who really is Prince Charles? At a time when the British monarchy is changing its mind following the death of Elizabeth II, a look back at an unloved son who was able to find his way to the hearts of his subjects little by little.

The Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 this Thursday, September 8, 2022. Immediately, operation London Bridge is set up, a plan which organizes and frames the funeral of the monarch. But, immediately after his death, what program? His son now becomes king.

' The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The king and queen consort [Camilla, who now gets this new title, editor's note] will stay at Balmoral tonight and return to London tomorrow “, said the official account of the royal family. This is, at first, the program that awaits Charles, who thus abandons his previous functions, in particular that of prince of wales , to become king. But, if he immediately takes the head of the British crown, his coronation will only take place later. A source had notably declared to the Mail On Sunday that Charles wanted a coronation' much less expensive 'Her Majesty's ceremony, which at the time cost £1.57 million, a sum which, in euros and with inflation, is around £56 million.

The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.

The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/VfxpXro22W

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022

King's first statement

Charles issued a statement shortly after news of the Queen's death was announced, speaking publicly since he rose from Prince to King of England. He writes : ' The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a time of great sadness for me and all my family members. We mourn the departure of a beloved sovereign and a beloved mother. I know his loss will be deeply felt by the country, the territories and the Commonwealth, and by so many around the world. In this time of grief and change, my family and I will take comfort in knowing the respect and deep affection there was for the Queen. '

First in the line of succession to the British crown, Prince Charles is far from unanimous with the public. A wavering popularity following the failure of his marriage to Princess Lady Di, with whom he had two children. But since his second marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles, he appears closer to his subjects.

Le Prince Charles : a future tout traced

Born on November 14, 1948, Prince Charles is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. At the age of four, her destiny seems set when her mother ascends the throne. He becomes the first heir to the crown of England and is raised in this sense alongside Princess Anne, his younger sister. Following his schooling at Trinity College in Cambridge, from which he graduated in anthropology, archeology and history, Charles enlisted. For five years, he applied himself to serving his country in the ranks of the Royal Navy. A course of the most consensual imposed by the monarchy.

Prince Charles: the best and the worst

At the head of the succession to the British throne, Charles quickly set out to find a wife to start a family. He gets to know Lady Diana whom he soon marries. The marriage was celebrated in 1981 and made the headlines of all the media. But the couple they form is clouded by the very nature of their relationship. If Diana enjoys enormous sympathy capital, Prince Charles does not have the favor of the public. His image will improve with the birth of his two sons Prince William in 1982 and the Prince Harry in 1984. The happy years will be short-lived, and the couple will separate in 1992 before divorcing four years later. The tragic death of Diana in 1997 will not help restore his image since, at the same time, we discover that he was having an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, his childhood sweetheart. Nevertheless, while time tends to the wounds, Charles marries the Duchess of Cornwall in 2005. It was from this moment, and because he put himself at the service of various humanitarian causes, that he regained the confidence of British subjects. The marriage of William and Kate in 2011 has finished establishing the popularity of Charles: he is finally ready to take over and become the next monarch of England.

Source journaldesfemmes.fr