117-535: King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The Scotland Office ( Scottish Gaelic : An Oifis Albannach ), known as
234-651: A Bachelor of Laws (LLB). He became the president of Aberdeen University Students' Representative Council . Darling joined the Labour Party aged 23, in 1977. He became a solicitor in 1978, then changed course for the Scots bar and was admitted as an advocate in 1984. In 1982 he was elected to the Lothian Regional Council , where he supported large rates rises in defiance of Margaret Thatcher 's rate-capping laws, and even threatened not to set
351-579: A COVID-19 vaccine in February 2021. Charles attended the November 2021 ceremonies to mark Barbados's transition into a parliamentary republic , abolishing the position of monarch of Barbados . He was invited by Prime Minister Mia Mottley as the future Head of the Commonwealth; it was the first time that a member of the royal family attended the transition of a realm to a republic. In May of
468-581: A life peerage in the 2015 Dissolution Honours and sat in the House of Lords until his retirement in 2020. According to the Financial Times , Darling was "one of the most consequential post-war chancellors in modern British history". Alistair Darling was born on 28 November 1953 in Hendon , then part of Middlesex (now London), the son of a civil engineer, Thomas, and his wife, Anna MacLean. He
585-507: A "significant moment for Anglo-Irish relations ". Commonwealth heads of government decided at their 2018 meeting that Charles would be the next Head of the Commonwealth after the Queen. The head is chosen and therefore not hereditary. In March 2019, at the request of the British government, Charles and Camilla went on an official tour of Cuba, making them the first British royals to visit
702-404: A break for tea at 5:00 p.m. and eats dinner at 8:30 p.m., returning to work until midnight or after. Ahead of Christmas dinner in 2022, Charles confirmed to animal rights group PETA that foie gras would not be served at any royal residences; he had stopped the use of foie gras at his own properties for more than a decade before becoming king. During a September 2023 state banquet at
819-405: A civil ceremony at Windsor Castle , with a subsequent religious blessing at the castle's St George's Chapel . The wedding venue was changed to Windsor Guildhall after it was realised a civil marriage at Windsor Castle would oblige the venue to be available to anyone who wished to be married there. Four days before the event, it was postponed from the originally scheduled date of 8 April until
936-575: A final time in 2006 , making him president of the Board of Trade and secretary of state for trade and industry . After Brown succeeded Blair as prime minister, he promoted Darling to replace himself as chancellor of the Exchequer in 2007, a position he remained in until 2010. He served as chancellor during the 2007–2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession . From 2012 to 2014, Darling
1053-474: A joint visit would concentrate media attention on the cousins before they could decide on becoming a couple. In August 1979, before Charles would depart alone for India, Mountbatten was assassinated by the Irish Republican Army . When Charles returned, he proposed to Amanda. But in addition to her grandfather, she had lost her paternal grandmother and younger brother in the bomb attack and
1170-553: A parachute training course at RAF Brize Norton two years later, after being appointed colonel-in-chief of the Parachute Regiment in 1977. Charles gave up flying after crash-landing a BAe 146 in Islay in 1994, as a passenger who was invited to fly the aircraft; the crew was found negligent by a board of inquiry. In his youth, Charles was amorously linked to a number of women. His girlfriends included Georgiana Russell,
1287-434: A private meeting in 2013. The Charity Commission described the decision to accept donations as a "matter for trustees" and added that no investigation was required. Alistair Darling Alistair Maclean Darling, Baron Darling of Roulanish , PC (28 November 1953 – 30 November 2023) was a British politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer under prime minister Gordon Brown from 2007 to 2010. A member of
SECTION 10
#17327660680451404-497: A prominent critic of the adoption of genetically modified food , while his support for alternative medicine has been criticised. He has authored or co-authored 17 books . Charles became king upon his mother's death in 2022. At the age of 73, he was the oldest person to accede to the British throne, after having been the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales in British history. Significant events in his reign have included his coronation in 2023 and his cancer diagnosis
1521-518: A rate at all. He served on the council until he was elected to the House of Commons . Darling first entered Parliament at the 1987 general election in Edinburgh Central , defeating the incumbent Conservative MP, Sir Alexander Fletcher , by 2,262 votes; and remained an Edinburgh MP for 28 years until he stood down in 2015. Following the creation of the devolved Scottish Parliament ,
1638-413: A relationship with Major James Hewitt , the family's former riding instructor. Charles and Diana's evident discomfort in each other's company led to them being dubbed " The Glums " by the press. Diana exposed Charles's affair with Parker Bowles in a book by Andrew Morton, Diana: Her True Story . Audio tapes of her own extramarital flirtations also surfaced, as did persistent suggestions that Hewitt
1755-466: A result of injuries sustained in a car crash the following year. In 2005, Charles married his long-term partner, Camilla Parker Bowles . As heir apparent, Charles undertook official duties and engagements on behalf of his mother. He founded the Prince's Trust in 1976, sponsored the Prince's Charities , and became patron or president of more than 800 other charities and organisations. He advocated for
1872-488: A shot with a .22 rifle at the Queen in 1981, attempted to escape a psychiatric hospital in order to assassinate Charles, who was visiting New Zealand with Diana and William. While Charles was visiting Australia on Australia Day in January 1994, David Kang fired two shots at him from a starting pistol in protest of the treatment of several hundred Cambodian asylum seekers held in detention camps. In 1995, Charles became
1989-561: A speech at the state banquet, he acknowledged "abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence", but did not formally apologise. In May 2024, the British prime minister Rishi Sunak asked the King to call a general election ; subsequently royal engagements which could divert attention from the election campaign were postponed. In June 2024, Charles and Camilla travelled to Normandy to attend the 80th anniversary commemorations of D-Day . The same month, he received Emperor Naruhito of Japan during
2106-420: A suitable, attractive, and sweet-charactered girl before she has met anyone else she might fall for ... It is disturbing for women to have experiences if they have to remain on a pedestal after marriage". Early in 1974, Mountbatten began corresponding with 25-year-old Charles about a potential marriage to Amanda Knatchbull , Mountbatten's granddaughter. Charles wrote to Amanda's mother, Lady Brabourne , who
2223-484: A tremendous privilege but I believe it is time for me to return to the backbenches from where I shall look after, with great pride, the constituents of Edinburgh South West." Darling suggested on 7 September 2010 on Daily Politics that he was intending only to take a "year out" and might possibly reconsider his future. In May 2009, The Daily Telegraph reported that Darling changed the designation of his second home four times in four years, allowing him to claim for
2340-609: A week of engagements each summer, and attending important national occasions, such as opening the Senedd . The six trustees of the Royal Collection Trust met three times a year under his chairmanship. Charles also represented his mother at the independence celebrations in Fiji in 1970, The Bahamas in 1973, Papua New Guinea in 1975, Zimbabwe in 1980, and Brunei in 1984. In 1983 Christopher John Lewis , who had fired
2457-449: Is Prince Harry's father, based on a physical similarity between Hewitt and Harry. However, Harry had already been born by the time Diana's affair with Hewitt began. In December 1992, John Major announced the couple's legal separation in the House of Commons . Early the following year, the British press published transcripts of a passionate, bugged telephone conversation between Charles and Parker Bowles that had taken place in 1989, which
SECTION 20
#17327660680452574-622: Is Queen Elizabeth House, which was earmarked to be a UK Government hub in the city bringing together around 3,000 UK Government civil servants across a variety of government departments. Between 1999 and 2020, it was located in premises at Melville Crescent . Prior to devolution, the Scottish Office had a number of facilities in Scotland that are now generally operated by the devolved Scottish Government. This includes St Andrew's House and Victoria Quay . The following have been head of
2691-466: The 2001 general election , the Department of Social Security was abolished and replaced by the new Department for Work and Pensions , which also took employment away from the education portfolio. Darling fronted the new department until 2002 when he was moved to the Department for Transport , after his predecessor Stephen Byers resigned. Darling was given a brief to "take the department out of
2808-433: The 2005 general election , he won the seat. The Labour Party was so concerned that Darling might be defeated that several senior party figures, including deputy prime minister John Prescott and chancellor Gordon Brown , made encouragement trips to the constituency during the campaign. Despite being a senior Cabinet minister, Darling was hardly seen outside the area, as he was making the maximum effort to win his seat. In
2925-776: The Boundary Commission for Scotland . Until the advent of the Scottish Parliament and the devolved Scottish Government, the Scottish Office (the precursor to the Scotland Office) was a major UK government department dealing with most aspects of the domestic governance of Scotland, a position known as "administrative devolution". Since devolution, its powers are limited to those relating to reserved matters that are not dealt with by other departments of HM Government as well as relations with
3042-703: The British Armed Forces . In October 1967, he was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge , where he studied archaeology and anthropology for the first part of the Tripos and then switched to history for the second part. During his second year, he attended the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth , studying Welsh history and the Welsh language for one term. Charles became
3159-833: The Conservative government came into office following the 2015 general election . Between 2015 and 2018, the Scotland Office rebranded much of its output under a UK Government in Scotland branding, with the office itself then becoming known as the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland. Similar changes were made in relation to the Wales Office . Both departments reverted to their original names in 2024. The Scotland Office ministers are as follows, with cabinet members in bold: They also promote partnership between
3276-570: The Labour Party , he was a member of Parliament (MP) from 1987 to 2015, representing Edinburgh Central and Edinburgh South West . Darling was first appointed chief secretary to the Treasury by prime minister Tony Blair in 1997, and was promoted to secretary of state for work and pensions in 1998. After spending four years at that department, he spent a further four years as secretary of state for transport , while also becoming secretary of state for Scotland in 2003. Blair moved Darling for
3393-556: The Metropolitan Police inquiry team as a part of Operation Paget , Charles told the authorities that he did not know about his former wife's note from 1995 and could not understand why she had those feelings. In 1999 Charles and Parker Bowles made their first public appearance as a couple at the Ritz London Hotel , and she moved into Charles's official residence, Clarence House , in 2003. Their engagement
3510-623: The National Audit Office . A former Scotland Yard detective stated that with the current rate of £2.50 per person's details this data could have been sold for £60,000,000. The acting leader of the Liberal Democrats , Vince Cable , put the value at £1.5 billion, or £60 per identity. In an interview in The Guardian published 30 August 2008, Darling warned, "The economic times we are facing ... are arguably
3627-531: The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland from 2018 to 2024, is a department of His Majesty's Government headed by the secretary of state for Scotland and responsible for Scottish affairs that lie within HM Government's responsibility. The department evolved from the Scottish Office which was formed in 1885. It was renamed the Scotland Office in 1999 following devolution in Scotland , where
Scotland Office - Misplaced Pages Continue
3744-636: The Palace of Versailles , it was reported that he did not want foie gras or out-of-season asparagus on the menu. Instead he was served lobster. Since founding the Prince's Trust in 1976, using his £7,500 of severance pay from the Navy, Charles has established 16 more charitable organisations and now serves as president of each. Together, they form a loose alliance, the Prince's Charities , which describes itself as "the largest multi-cause charitable enterprise in
3861-684: The Railways Act 2005 which abolished the Strategic Rail Authority , a creation of the Labour government under the Transport Act 2000 . Darling was also responsible for the cancellation of several major light rail schemes, including a major extension to Manchester Metrolink (later reversed) and the proposed Leeds Supertram , citing rising costs of £620 million and £486 million respectively. Darling gave
3978-674: The Royal Maundy at Worcester Cathedral . He made his first major public appearance since his cancer diagnosis at the Easter service held at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle , on 31 March. In April 2024, it was announced that he would resume public-facing duties after making progress in his cancer treatment. As early as 1985, Charles was questioning meat consumption. In the 1985 Royal Special television programme , he told host Alastair Burnet that "I actually now don't eat as much meat as I used to. I eat more fish." He also pointed out
4095-552: The "wider public good" rather than as extra funding for the monarchy. It was announced that the funding of the monarchy would be reduced to 12 per cent of the Crown Estate 's net profits. Charles and Camilla have engaged in three state visits and received three. In November 2022 they hosted the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa , during the first official state visit to Britain of Charles's reign. In March
4212-589: The 1998 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination . Charles was one of the first public figures to express strong concerns about the human rights record of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu , initiating objections in the international arena, and subsequently supported the FARA Foundation, a charity for Romanian orphans and abandoned children. Two of Charles's charities,
4329-550: The Bank of England, warned the government against further stimulus spending, due to insecure public finances. Following the defeat of the Labour Party at the 2010 general election, Darling announced that he intended to leave frontbench politics. He endorsed David Miliband to succeed Brown as Leader of the Labour Party in the 2010 leadership election . On 17 May 2010, it was reported that he stated: "It has been an honour and
4446-483: The British throne, at the age of 73. The previous record holder, William IV , was 64 when he became king in 1830. Charles gave his first speech to the nation at 6 pm on 9 September, in which he paid tribute to his mother and announced the appointment of his elder son, William, as Prince of Wales. The following day, the Accession Council publicly proclaimed Charles as king, the ceremony being televised for
4563-585: The Cabinet". On 1 June 2009, Darling apologised "unreservedly" about a mistaken claim for £700, which he had agreed to repay. He was supported by the Prime Minister, who referred to the incident as an inadvertent mistake. In 2010, he resigned from the Faculty of Advocates as they were investigating a complaint about his expenses claims. Darling denied any connection between the two events. Darling
4680-473: The House of Commons. To stimulate the motor industry, a £2,000 allowance was announced for a car more than 10 years old, if it was traded in for a new car. A 50% tax band was announced for earners of over £150,000 to start the following tax year. Darling also announced that personal allowance would be tapered down by £1 for every £2 earned above £100,000 until it reached zero which resulted in an anomalous effective marginal tax rate of 60% above £100,000, with
4797-497: The King and Queen toured Australia and Samoa; it was their first visit to a Commonwealth realm since his accession. In Samoa, Charles attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting for the first time as head of the Commonwealth. The tour was significantly scaled back owing to his cancer diagnosis, a planned visit to New Zealand being among the cancelled events. Charles temporarily paused cancer treatment during
Scotland Office - Misplaced Pages Continue
4914-466: The Prince's Foundation and the Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund (later renamed the King's Foundation and King Charles III Charitable Fund, respectively), came under scrutiny in 2021 and 2022 for accepting donations the media deemed inappropriate. In August 2021, it was announced that the Prince's Foundation was launching an investigation into the reports, with Charles's support. The Charity Commission also launched an investigation into allegations that
5031-549: The Prince's Trust in 1976 and travelling to the United States in 1981. In the mid-1970s, he expressed an interest in serving as governor-general of Australia , at the suggestion of Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser ; however, because of a lack of public enthusiasm, nothing came of the proposal. In reaction, Charles commented, "so, what are you supposed to think when you are prepared to do something to help and you are just told you're not wanted?" Charles served in
5148-632: The Queen in December 1995 to end the marriage. The couple shared custody of their children. Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. Charles flew to Paris with Diana's sisters to accompany her body back to Britain. In 2003 Diana's butler Paul Burrell published a note that he claimed had been written by Diana in 1995, in which there were allegations that Charles was "planning 'an accident' in [Diana's] car, brake failure and serious head injury", so that he could remarry. When questioned by
5265-608: The Republic of Ireland in May 2015. The British Embassy called the trip an important step in "promoting peace and reconciliation". During the trip, he shook hands in Galway with Gerry Adams , leader of Sinn Féin and widely believed to be the leader of the IRA , the militant group that had assassinated Lord Mountbatten in 1979. The event was described by the media as a "historic handshake" and
5382-861: The Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Navy. During his second year at Cambridge, he received Royal Air Force training, learning to fly the Chipmunk aircraft with the Cambridge University Air Squadron , and was presented with his RAF wings in August 1971. After the passing-out parade that September, Charles embarked on a naval career and enrolled in a six-week course at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth . He then served from 1971 to 1972 on
5499-626: The SNP. Darling was nominated for a life peerage in the 2015 Dissolution Honours , becoming Baron Darling of Roulanish, of Great Bernera in the County of Ross and Cromarty on 1 December 2015. He was introduced to the House of Lords on 10 December 2015. Darling retired from the Lords on 28 July 2020, citing distance and the COVID-19 pandemic . Darling had a brief previous marriage when young, but
5616-582: The Scotland Office (since 2009, this position has been called Director of the Scotland Office ): King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms . Charles was born in Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI , and became heir apparent when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II , acceded to
5733-868: The UK Government and the Scottish Government, as well as relations between the UK and Scottish Parliaments. The department is based across two sites, one in Edinburgh and the other in London. Dover House in Whitehall has been used as the London base of the office and its predecessors since 1885. It also provides accommodation for the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland and other government bodies. Since 2020, its base in Edinburgh
5850-401: The United Kingdom, raising over £100 million annually ... [and is] active across a broad range of areas including education and young people, environmental sustainability, the built environment, responsible business and enterprise, and international". As Prince of Wales, Charles became patron or president of over 800 other charities and organisations. The Prince's Charities Canada
5967-507: The additional tax burden for some put immense pressure onto the government; including Darling with Brown facing criticism from his own Parliamentary Labour Party. In May 2008 Darling announced he would help low-paid workers hit by the scrapping of the 10p rate, by raising that year's personal tax allowance by £600 funded by borrowing an extra £2.7 billion. To boost falling demand, the government announced an additional £20 billion spending package. Subsequently, Mervyn King , governor of
SECTION 50
#17327660680456084-402: The code name Operation Golden Orb . Reports before his accession suggested that Charles's coronation would be simpler than his mother's in 1953, with the ceremony expected to be "shorter, smaller, less expensive, and more representative of different faiths and community groups – falling in line with the King's wish to reflect the ethnic diversity of modern Britain". Nonetheless,
6201-450: The conservation of historic buildings and the importance of traditional architecture in society. In that vein, he generated the experimental new town of Poundbury . An environmentalist, Charles supported organic farming and action to prevent climate change during his time as the manager of the Duchy of Cornwall estates, earning him awards and recognition as well as criticism; he is also
6318-530: The coronation was a Church of England rite, including the coronation oath , the anointment , delivery of the orb , and enthronement . In July that year, the royal couple attended a national service of thanksgiving where Charles was presented with the Honours of Scotland in St Giles' Cathedral . In July 2023, Charles asked for the profits from Britain's growing fleet of offshore windfarms to be used for
6435-647: The costs of his family home in Edinburgh, and to buy and furnish a flat in London including the cost of stamp duty and other legal fees. Darling said that "the claims were made within House of Commons rules". Nick Clegg , Leader of the Liberal Democrats, criticised him by saying: "given that very unique responsibility that [Darling] has [as Chancellor], it's simply impossible for him to continue in that role when such very major question marks are being raised about his financial affairs". A former Scottish Labour chairman and treasurer described Darling's position as "untenable" and said that "[Darling] certainly shouldn't be in
6552-494: The country. The tour was seen as an effort to form a closer relationship between Cuba and the United Kingdom. Charles contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic in March 2020. Several newspapers were critical that Charles and Camilla were tested promptly at a time when many NHS doctors, nurses and patients had been unable to be tested expeditiously. He tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time in February 2022. He and Camilla, who also tested positive, had received doses of
6669-514: The couple's continuing courtship attracted intense attention from the press and paparazzi. When Charles's father told him that the media speculation would injure Diana's reputation if Charles did not come to a decision about marrying her soon, and realising that she was a suitable royal bride (according to Mountbatten's criteria), Charles construed his father's advice as a warning to proceed without further delay. He proposed to Diana in February 1981, with their engagement becoming official on 24 February;
6786-543: The couple's incompatibility and near 13-year age difference. In 1986, Charles had fully resumed his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. In a videotape recorded by Peter Settelen in 1992, Diana admitted that, from 1985 to 1986, she had been "deeply in love with someone who worked in this environment." It was assumed that she was referring to Barry Mannakee , who had been transferred to the Diplomatic Protection Squad in 1986, after his managers determined his relationship with Diana had been inappropriate. Diana later commenced
6903-465: The current Zimbabwean regime abhorrent". Charles represented the Queen at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. In November 2010, he and Camilla were indirectly involved in student protests when their car was attacked by protesters. In November 2013, he represented the Queen for the first time at a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting , in Colombo , Sri Lanka. Charles and Camilla made their first joint trip to
7020-417: The daughter of Sir John Russell , who was the British ambassador to Spain ; Lady Jane Wellesley , the daughter of the 8th Duke of Wellington ; Davina Sheffield; Lady Sarah Spencer ; and Camilla Shand , who later became his second wife. Charles's great-uncle Lord Mountbatten advised him to "sow his wild oats and have as many affairs as he can before settling down", but, for a wife, he "should choose
7137-427: The devolved bodies. Along with the Wales Office , the Scotland Office has shared administrative functions first with the 2007 Department for Constitutional Affairs and later the Ministry of Justice . The Secretary of State for Scotland also holds certain powers of oversight over the operation of the Scottish Parliament under the Scotland Act 1998 . Donald Dewar , who held the office from 1997–99, resigned to become
SECTION 60
#17327660680457254-635: The donations meant for the Prince's Foundation had been instead sent to the Mahfouz Foundation. In February 2022, the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into the cash-for-honours allegations linked to the foundation, passing their evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service for deliberation in October. In August 2023, the Metropolitan Police announced that they had concluded their investigations and no further actions would be taken. The Times reported in June 2022 that, between 2011 and 2015, Charles accepted €3 million in cash from Qatari prime minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani . There
7371-466: The event he won it with a majority of 7,242 over the second-placed Conservative candidate, the latter having been held back by the Liberal Democrats coming in a close third. Darling won by a comfortable 16.5% margin on a 65.4% turnout. In 2010 , despite Labour's defeat nationally, he received an increased majority of 8,447. As a backbencher he sponsored the Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1988. He soon became an opposition home affairs spokesman in 1988 on
7488-431: The first British heir apparent to earn a university degree, graduating in June 1970 from the University of Cambridge with a 2:2 Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. Following standard practice, in August 1975, his Bachelor of Arts was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) degree. Charles was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on 26 July 1958, though his investiture was not held until 1 July 1969, when he
7605-470: The first member of the royal family to visit the Republic of Ireland in an official capacity. In 1997, he represented the Queen at the Hong Kong handover ceremony . At the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005, Charles caused controversy when he shook hands with the president of Zimbabwe , Robert Mugabe , who had been seated next to him. Charles's office subsequently released a statement saying that he could not avoid shaking Mugabe's hand and that he "finds
7722-425: The first time since 1860, there was a run on a British bank, Northern Rock . Although the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority have jurisdiction in such cases, ultimate authority for deciding on financial support for a bank in exceptional circumstances rests with the chancellor. The 2007 subprime mortgage financial crisis had caused a liquidity crisis in the UK banking industry, and Northern Rock
7839-569: The first time. Attendees included Queen Camilla, Prince William, and the British prime minister, Liz Truss , along with her six living predecessors. The proclamation was also read out by local authorities around the United Kingdom. Other realms signed and read their own proclamations, as did Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories , the Crown Dependencies , Canadian provinces , and Australian states . Charles and Camilla's coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023. Plans had been made for many years, under
7956-475: The following day in order to allow Charles and some of the invited dignitaries to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II . Charles's parents did not attend the marriage ceremony; the Queen's reluctance to attend possibly arose from her position as Supreme Governor of the Church of England . However, his parents did attend the service of blessing and held a reception for the newlyweds at Windsor Castle. The blessing by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams
8073-416: The following year, Charles attended the State Opening of the British Parliament , delivering the Queen's Speech on behalf of his mother, as a counsellor of state . Charles acceded to the British throne on his mother's death on 8 September 2022. He was the longest-serving British heir apparent , having surpassed Edward VII's record of 59 years on 20 April 2011. Charles was the oldest person to succeed to
8190-410: The following year, the King and Queen embarked on a state visit to Germany; Charles became the first British monarch to address the Bundestag . Similarly, in September, he became the first British monarch to give a speech from France's Senate chamber during his state visit to the country . The following month, Charles visited Kenya where he faced pressure to apologise for British colonial actions. In
8307-513: The following year, the latter of which temporarily suspended planned public engagements. Charles was born at 21:14 ( GMT ) on 14 November 1948, during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI , as the first child of Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (later Queen Elizabeth II), and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh . He was delivered by Caesarean section at Buckingham Palace. His parents had three more children, Anne (born 1950), Andrew (born 1960) and Edward (born 1964). He
8424-462: The front bench of Neil Kinnock . Following the 1992 general election , he became a spokesman on Treasury affairs , but was promoted to Tony Blair's Shadow Cabinet as the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury in 1996. Following the 1997 general election , he entered Cabinet as the chief secretary to the Treasury. In 1998, he was appointed Secretary of State for Social Security , replacing Harriet Harman who had been dismissed. Following
8541-495: The funeral of his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten. Soon, according to Dimbleby, "without any apparent surge in feeling, he began to think seriously of her as a potential bride" and she accompanied him on visits to Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House . Charles's cousin Norton Knatchbull and his wife told Charles that Diana appeared awestruck by his position and that he did not seem to be in love with her. Meanwhile,
8658-522: The government's support to the Crossrail scheme for an east–west rail line under London, whose £10 billion projected cost later rose to £15 billion. Although he was not at the Department for Transport at the time of the collapse of Railtrack, Darling vigorously defended what had been done in a speech to the House of Commons on 24 October 2005. This included threats that had been made to
8775-473: The guided-missile destroyer HMS Norfolk and the frigates HMS Minerva , from 1972 to 1973, and HMS Jupiter in 1974. That same year, he also qualified as a helicopter pilot at RNAS Yeovilton and subsequently joined 845 Naval Air Squadron , operating from HMS Hermes . Charles spent his last 10 months of active service in the Navy commanding the coastal minehunter HMS Bronington , beginning on 9 February 1976. He took part in
8892-523: The headlines". He oversaw the creation of Network Rail , the successor to Railtrack , which had collapsed in controversial circumstances for which his predecessor was largely blamed. He also procured the passage of the legislation – the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 – which abolished the Rail Regulator and replaced the post with the Office of Rail Regulation . He was responsible for
9009-482: The inaugural First Minister of Scotland following devolution on 17 May 1999. Under the Blair Ministry and Brown Ministry , the office of secretary of state for Scotland was sometimes held along with another Cabinet role. These cases were Alistair Darling , who served as Secretary of State for Scotland between 2003 and 2006 while also being Secretary of State for Transport . When Douglas Alexander took on
9126-478: The independent Rail Regulator that if he intervened to defend the company against the government's attempts to force it into railway administration – a special status for insolvent railway companies – the government would introduce emergency legislation to take the regulator under direct political control. In 2003, when the Scotland Office was folded into the Department for Constitutional Affairs , he
9243-399: The latter's state visit to the United Kingdom. In July the annual Holyrood Week, which is usually spent in Scotland, was shortened so that Charles could return to London and appoint a new prime minister following the general election. After Sunak's Conservatives lost the election to the Labour Party led by Sir Keir Starmer , Charles appointed Starmer as prime minister. In October 2024,
9360-723: The majority of its responsibilities were transferred to the Scottish Executive (since renamed the Scottish Government). The office is responsible for the representation of Scotland and Scottish affairs in the UK Government, facilitating the smooth operation of devolution , liaising between the central Government and the Scottish Government at Edinburgh and the administering of certain reserved matters of government relating to Scotland. The department sponsors one non-departmental public body,
9477-467: The majority of taxpayers would be marginally better off as a result of these changes, around 5,100,000 low earners (including those earning less than £18,000 annually) would have been worse off. On 18 October 2007, the Treasury released statistics which established that childless people on low incomes could lose up to £200 a year as a result of the changes, while parents and those earning more than £20,000 would gain money. Increasing political backlash about
9594-407: The marginal tax rate returning to 40% for incomes above £112,950. Gordon Brown confirmed on 10 March 2010 that Darling would deliver his final third budget before the general election, which was delivered on 24 March 2010. Darling was Chancellor of the Exchequer when the confidential personal details of over 25 million British citizens went missing while being sent from his department to
9711-516: The most enjoyable part of his whole education. Upon his return to Gordonstoun, he emulated his father in becoming head boy , and left in 1967 with six GCE O-levels and two A-levels in history and French, at grades B and C respectively. On his education, Charles later remarked, "I didn't enjoy school as much as I might have; but, that was only because I'm happier at home than anywhere else". Charles broke royal tradition when he proceeded straight to university after his A-levels, rather than joining
9828-581: The north-east of Scotland, beginning classes there in April 1962. He later became patron of Gordonstoun in May 2024. In his 1994 authorised biography by Jonathan Dimbleby , Charles's parents were described as physically and emotionally distant and Philip was blamed for his disregard of Charles's sensitive nature, including forcing him to attend Gordonstoun, where he was bullied. Though Charles reportedly described Gordonstoun, noted for its especially rigorous curriculum, as " Colditz in kilts ", he later praised
9945-578: The number of Scottish seats at Westminster was reduced, and the Edinburgh Central constituency he represented was abolished, to be split between constituencies centred on peripheral areas of the city. The Labour government offered a peerage to Lynda Clark , the Advocate General for Scotland , so that Darling could contest the new Edinburgh South West constituency, the main successor to Clark's Edinburgh Pentlands constituency. At
10062-704: The pros and cons of Scottish Independence. Darling was criticised by some Scottish Labour MPs and supporters who believed that working with Conservatives on the Better Together campaign might damage Labour's prospects in Scotland. At the 2015 general election , Labour lost all but one of their seats in Scotland to the SNP , with swings of over 30% in several seats, including a UK record swing of 39.3% against Labour in Glasgow North East . Labour also lost Darling's former constituency to Joanna Cherry of
10179-516: The role in 2006 he also held the additional Transport office. His successor Des Browne , who was Secretary of State from 2007–08, was simultaneously the secretary of state for defence . Jim Murphy was appointed to the office in 2008, which remained his only government position until the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition gained power in 2010. The position was then held by Liberal Democrat Members of Parliament until
10296-623: The school, stating it had taught him "a great deal about myself and my own abilities and disabilities". He said in a 1975 interview he was "glad" he had attended Gordonstoun and that the "toughness of the place" was "much exaggerated". In 1966 Charles spent two terms at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia, during which time he visited Papua New Guinea on a school trip with his history tutor, Michael Collins Persse. In 1973 Charles described his time at Timbertop as
10413-461: The societal double standard whereby eating meat is not questioned but eating less meat means "all hell seems to break loose." In 2021, Charles spoke to the BBC about the environment and revealed that, two days per week, he eats no meat nor fish and, one day per week, he eats no dairy products. In 2022, it was reported that he eats a breakfast of fruit salad, seeds, and tea. He does not eat lunch, but takes
10530-794: The throne in 1952. He was created Prince of Wales in 1958 and his investiture was held in 1969. He was educated at Cheam School and Gordonstoun , and later spent six months at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia. After completing a history degree from the University of Cambridge , Charles served in the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976. In 1981, he married Lady Diana Spencer . They had two sons, William and Harry . Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, after they had each engaged in well-publicised extramarital affairs. Diana died as
10647-587: The tour. In March 1998, Charles had laser keyhole surgery on his right knee. In March 2003 he underwent surgery at King Edward VII's Hospital to treat a hernia injury. In 2008 a non-cancerous growth was removed from his nasal bridge . In January 2024, Charles underwent a "corrective procedure" at the London Clinic to treat benign prostate enlargement , which resulted in the postponement of some of his public engagements. In February, Buckingham Palace announced that cancer had been discovered during
10764-622: The traditional titles of Duke of Cornwall and, in the Scottish peerage, the titles Duke of Rothesay , Earl of Carrick , Baron of Renfrew , Lord of the Isles , and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland . The following year, Charles attended his mother's coronation at Westminster Abbey . When Charles turned five, Catherine Peebles was appointed as governess to oversee his education at Buckingham Palace. He then commenced classes at Hill House School in west London in November 1956. Charles
10881-518: The treatment, but that it was not prostate cancer . Although his public duties were postponed, it was reported Charles would continue to fulfil his constitutional functions during his outpatient treatment. He released a statement espousing his support for cancer charities and that he "remain[ed] positive" on making a full recovery. In March, Camilla deputised for him in his absence at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey and at
10998-506: The wedding took place in St Paul's Cathedral on 29 July. Upon his marriage, Charles reduced his voluntary tax contribution from the profits of the Duchy of Cornwall from 50 per cent to 25 per cent. The couple lived at Kensington Palace and Highgrove House , near Tetbury , and had two children: William , in 1982, and Harry , in 1984. Within five years, the marriage was in trouble due to
11115-467: The worst they've been in 60 years. And I think it's going to be more profound and long-lasting than people thought." His blunt warning led to confusion within the Labour Party. However, Darling insisted that it was his duty to be "straight" with people. In October 2008 the government bailed out the Royal Bank of Scotland as part of the 2008 bank rescue package ; Darling said in 2018 that the country
11232-408: Was also his godmother, expressing interest in her daughter. Lady Brabourne replied approvingly, but suggested that a courtship with a 16-year-old was premature. Four years later, Mountbatten arranged for Amanda and himself to accompany Charles on his 1980 visit to India. Both fathers, however, objected; Prince Philip feared that his famous uncle would eclipse Charles, while Lord Brabourne warned that
11349-583: Was announced on 10 February 2005. The Queen's consent to the marriage – as required by the Royal Marriages Act 1772 – was recorded in a Privy Council meeting on 2 March. In Canada, the Department of Justice determined the consent of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada was not required, as the union would not produce any heirs to the Canadian throne . Charles
11466-592: Was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland in combination with his Transport portfolio. In the Cabinet reshuffle of May 2006, he was moved to be Secretary of State for Trade and Industry ; Douglas Alexander replaced him as both Secretary of State for Transport and Secretary of State for Scotland. On 10 November 2006 in a mini-reshuffle, Malcolm Wicks , the Minister for Energy at the Department of Trade and Industry , and thus one of Darling's junior ministers,
11583-642: Was appointed Minister for Science while Darling took over day-to-day control of the Energy portfolio. On 28 June 2007, the new prime minister and former chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown promoted Darling to replace himself as chancellor, a promotion widely anticipated in the media. Journalists observed that three of Darling's four junior ministers at the Treasury ( Angela Eagle , Jane Kennedy and Kitty Ussher ) were female, and dubbed his team "Darling's Darlings". In September 2007, for
11700-529: Was christened Charles Philip Arthur George on 15 December 1948 in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace by the Archbishop of Canterbury , Geoffrey Fisher . George VI died on 6 February 1952 and Charles's mother acceded to the throne as Elizabeth II; Charles immediately became the heir apparent . Under a charter of Edward III in 1337, and as the monarch's eldest son, he automatically assumed
11817-574: Was created, leading dozens of pubs across Britain to follow Hughes, barring Darling from their pubs. The story was eventually picked up by most national press and broadcast media in Britain, and David Cameron , Leader of the Opposition at the time, cited the movement at Prime Minister's Questions on 26 March. On 12 March 2008, Darling gave his first budget in the House of Commons. On 22 April 2009, Darling delivered his second budget speech in
11934-502: Was crowned by his mother in a televised ceremony held at Caernarfon Castle ; the investiture was controversial in Wales owing to growing Welsh nationalist sentiment. He took his seat in the House of Lords the following year and he delivered his maiden speech on 13 June 1974, the first royal to speak from the floor since the future Edward VII in 1884. He spoke again in 1975. Charles began to take on more public duties, founding
12051-536: Was dubbed " Camillagate " and "Tampongate". Charles subsequently sought public understanding in a television film with Dimbleby, Charles: The Private Man, the Public Role , broadcast in June 1994. In an interview in the film, Charles confirmed his own extramarital affair with Parker Bowles, saying that he had rekindled their association in 1986, only after his marriage to Diana had "irretrievably broken down". This
12168-595: Was established in 2010, in a similar fashion to its namesake in Britain. Charles uses his tours of Canada as a way to help draw attention to youth, the disabled, the environment, the arts, medicine, the elderly, heritage conservation, and education. He has also set up the Prince's Charities Australia , based in Melbourne , to provide a coordinating presence for his Australian and international charitable endeavours. Charles has supported humanitarian projects; for example, he and his sons took part in ceremonies that marked
12285-483: Was followed by Diana's own admission of marital troubles in an interview on the BBC current affairs show Panorama , broadcast in November 1995. Referring to Charles's relationship with Parker Bowles, she said, "well, there were three of us in this marriage. So, it was a bit crowded." She also expressed doubt about her husband's suitability for kingship. Charles and Diana divorced on 28 August 1996, after being advised by
12402-490: Was hours away from a breakdown of law and order if the bank had not been bailed out. Darling's predecessor, Gordon Brown, just before he became prime minister, had abolished the 10% starting rate on income tax and reduced the basic rate of income tax from 22% to 20% in his final budget on 21 March 2007; this was to come into effect in the tax year starting 6 April 2008. This was not amended in Darling's 2008 budget. Although
12519-889: Was married to former journalist Margaret McQueen Vaughan from 1986 until his death; the couple had a son and a daughter. Margaret Vaughan worked for Radio Forth, the Daily Record and Glasgow Herald until Labour's election victory in 1997. Darling admitted to smoking cannabis in his youth. He enjoyed listening to Pink Floyd , Coldplay , Leonard Cohen and the Killers . Darling suffered from cancer and died at Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, on 30 November 2023, two days after his 70th birthday. There were widespread tributes from politicians from different political parties. Former prime minister Gordon Brown praised his "integrity" and "wise judgement". A memorial service for Darling at St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh
12636-735: Was no evidence that the payments were illegal or that it was not intended for the money to go to the charity, although, the Charity Commission stated it would review the information and announced in July 2022 that there would be no further investigation. In the same month, The Times reported that the Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund received a donation of £1 million from Bakr bin Laden and Shafiq bin Laden ;– both half-brothers of Osama bin Laden – during
12753-404: Was now reluctant to join the royal family. Charles first met Lady Diana Spencer in 1977, while he was visiting her home, Althorp . He was then the companion of her elder sister Sarah and did not consider Diana romantically until mid-1980. While Charles and Diana were sitting together on a bale of hay at a friend's barbecue in July, she mentioned that he had looked forlorn and in need of care at
12870-417: Was televised. In 1965 Charles undertook his first public engagement by attending a student garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse . During his time as Prince of Wales, he undertook official duties on behalf of the Queen, completing 10,934 engagements between 2002 and 2022. He officiated at investitures and attended the funerals of foreign dignitaries. Charles made regular tours of Wales, fulfilling
12987-781: Was the chairman and one of the directors of the Better Together campaign, which campaigned for a "No" vote in the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence . He was involved in the campaign's launch in June 2012, delivered a speech on the subject in the annual John P Mackintosh lecture in November 2012, and addressed a fringe meeting at the Scottish Conservative Conference in June 2013. In August 2014, Darling took part in Salmond & Darling: The Debate and Scotland Decides: Salmond versus Darling , televised debates with first minister Alex Salmond on
13104-538: Was the chairman of the Better Together Campaign , a cross-party group that successfully campaigned for Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom in the 2014 independence referendum . He was a vocal advocate for the Remain campaign for the 2016 European Union membership referendum . In November 2014, Darling announced that he was standing down at the 2015 general election . He was nominated for
13221-520: Was the first heir apparent to attend school, rather than be educated by a private tutor. He did not receive preferential treatment from the school's founder and headmaster, Stuart Townend , who advised the Queen to have Charles train in football , because the boys were never deferential to anyone on the football field. Charles subsequently attended two of his father's former schools: Cheam School in Hampshire, from 1958, followed by Gordonstoun , in
13338-650: Was the great-nephew of Sir William Darling , a Conservative/ Unionist Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South (1945–1957) who had served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh during the Second World War . He was educated at Chinthurst School , in Tadworth , Surrey, then in Kirkcaldy , and at the private Loretto School , in Musselburgh . He attended the University of Aberdeen , from where he graduated as
13455-546: Was the only member of the royal family to have a civil , rather than a church, wedding in England. British government documents from the 1950s and 1960s, published by the BBC, stated that such a marriage was illegal; these claims were dismissed by Charles's spokesman and explained by the sitting government to have been repealed by the Registration Service Act 1953. The union was scheduled to take place in
13572-527: Was tied up in a private company. In March 2008, Darling's budget was criticised in a media campaign spread by a social networking site. Amid anger at the rise in alcohol duties, James Hughes, a landlord in Edinburgh (where Darling's constituency was based) symbolically barred Darling from his pub, and a passing reporter from the Edinburgh Evening News ran the story. A Facebook group
13689-489: Was unable to borrow as required by its business model. Darling authorised the Bank of England to lend Northern Rock funds to cover its liabilities and provided an unqualified taxpayers' guarantee of the deposits of savers in Northern Rock to try to stop the run. Northern Rock borrowed up to £20 billion from the Bank of England, and Darling was criticised for becoming sucked into a position where so much public money
#44955