King Charles III: an A to Z

Here is an A to Z of Britain’s King Charles III, who will be crowned on Saturday in London’s Westminster Abbey:

– A for action man –

Charles earned the nickname in his daredevil youth, jumping out of planes, escaping from submarines, windsurfing, playing polo and waterskiing.

– B for black spider –

Before becoming king, he bombarded government ministers with letters, dubbed the “black spider memos” for his messy annotations.

– C for Camilla –

Charles was devastated when, while away on naval service, she wed Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973. Charles turned to Camilla after his marriage to Diana collapsed. They married in 2005 and she will be crowned beside him.

– D for Diana –

A badly-matched couple, their “fairytale” marriage fell apart in explosive fashion. They separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996, a year before her shock death in a car crash.

– E for environment –

A fervent environmentalist, Charles spent his years as heir driven by environmental preservation and organic farming. He was outspoken on climate change long before it became mainstream.

– F for faith –

The head of the Church of England sees his role as defending the free practice of all faiths. In a new move, the final act of the coronation will see Charles receive a greeting from leaders of different faith communities.

– G for Gordonstoun –

Charles hated his time at the stark Scottish boarding school, describing his years there as a lonely “prison sentence”. Toughing it out for duty’s sake formed part of his character.

– H for Highgrove –

Charles’s beloved family home in Gloucestershire, southwest England. Bought in 1980, the three-storey Georgian neo-classical building’s grounds and interiors have been remodelled to Charles’s principles. Around 40,000 visit the grounds each year.

– I for investiture –

In a ceremony foreshadowing the coronation, he was invested as prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle in 1969. Aged 20, he spoke in Welsh, having learnt the language in preparation. Queen Elizabeth II placed the coronet on his head.

– J for jubilee speeches –

His addresses closing Queen Elizabeth’s 2002, 2012 and 2022 jubilee celebrations saw Charles refer to his mother as “Mummy”.

– K for Knatchbull –

The one that got away. Encouraged by Lord Mountbatten, in 1979 Charles proposed to Amanda Knatchbull, his second cousin and Mountbatten’s grand-daughter, but she declined.

– L for loyalty –

“I shall endeavour to serve you with loyalty, respect and love, as I have throughout my life,” Charles pledged in his first address after becoming king.

– M for Mountbatten –

The prince’s great uncle Louis Mountbatten was his mentor and closest confidant, guiding his early life. His assassination by Irish republican paramilitaries in 1979 left Charles distraught.

– N for Navy –

Charles served on the ships from 1971 to 1976, commanding a coastal minehunter for his last 10 months. He served in the Caribbean and around the Pacific and learned to fly helicopters.

– O for offspring –

Charles was a more hands-on parent to Princes William and Harry than his own parents had been. However, he has grown estranged from Harry, who regularly snipes at the monarchy, having quit royal duties and moved to California.

– P for Prince’s Trust –

Charles launched the Prince’s Trust with his £7,500 navy severance pay and the charity had helped more than a million disadvantaged youngsters by the time of his accession.

– Q for Queen Mother –

Charles adored his “darling grandmother”, queen Elizabeth, the queen mother. “For me, she meant everything”, he said in a moving tribute after her death in 2002.

– R for residences –

Charles’s official residence is Buckingham Palace but he spends a lot of time at nearby Clarence House.

He inherited the private Sandringham estate in eastern England and Balmoral estate in Scotland. He retains Highgrove, despite William inheriting the land.

– S for style –

Old-fashioned for some, impeccably suave for others, Charles’s sartorial style is unwavering, perhaps because his outfits are the same: shoes from 1968, a coat from 1985 and immaculate double-breasted suits.

– T for Transylvania –

The king, who claims descent from Vlad the Impaler, bought and restored several properties in Romania to help preserve its stunning nature and unique rural traditions.

– U for university –

He went to Trinity College at the University of Cambridge, becoming the first heir to the throne to take a degree, graduating in 1970 with a 2:2. He switched from anthropology and archaeology to study history.

– V for Vision of Britain –

Charles’s 1989 book outlines his cherished architectural principles, calling for proportionate, aesthetic development in keeping with local tradition. He put his theories into practice, building Poundbury, a model suburb.

– W for Wales –

Queen Elizabeth II made Charles the prince of Wales in 1958 aged nine. He toured Wales every summer and bought a farmhouse, Llwynywermod, in 2006, as his Welsh home. He retains his fluency in Welsh.

– X for X-Rated –

A secretly-recorded 1989 phonecall with Camilla was deeply embarrassing after tabloid newspapers got hold of it and published transcripts in 1993.

– Y for years –

Charles was the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, from the age of three in 1952 to his accession in 2022. He was also the longest-serving prince of Wales.

– Z for Zaza –

Also known as a gin and Dubonnet. The royals’ preferred cocktail before lunch. Former prime minister Tony Blair referred to them as “true rocket fuel”.