125-504: 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 West Lothian question , also known as
250-579: 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
375-641: A cabinet committee for England including other secretaries of state from departments whose remits mainly apply to England only. The English Devolution Council would include the Mayor of London and existing combined authority mayors. An interim mechanism would be put in place for the participation of local leaders in areas of England without a combined authority. The role of the council would be to debate issues related to local and regional governance in England, to call ministers and experts to provide evidence and to advise
500-609: A united Ireland include Sinn Féin and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). During the existence of the Parliament of Northern Ireland (1921–1972), the number of MPs elected from Northern Ireland to Westminster was below the standard ratio of MPs compared with the rest of the UK. During periods when the predominantly unionist MPs from Northern Ireland deprived Labour of working majorities, Conservatives supported
625-470: A "Council of the UK" made up of the UK prime minister and the first ministers of the devolved governments and a "Council of the Nations and Regions" which would bring together the UK central government, devolved administrations, and representatives from the different parts of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The three bodies would be supported by their own intergovernmental secretariat. In 2024,
750-507: 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
875-477: A Member of Parliament. He had been Scotland's longest-serving MP since the resignation of Bruce Millan in 1988. He was succeeded as Father of the House by Alan Williams . In 2009, The Daily Telegraph reported that Dalyell had submitted an expenses claim for £18,000 for three bookcases just two months before his retirement from the House of Commons. Dalyell claimed that this was a legitimate expense to which he
1000-562: A US attack without unambiguous UN authorisation, he should be branded as a war criminal and sent to The Hague ". On 7 March 2003, Dalyell was elected as Rector of the University of Edinburgh . After a three-year term, he was succeeded in 2006 by Mark Ballard . It was announced on 13 January 2004 that Dalyell would not seek re-election as an MP at the next general election, and he left the House of Commons in April 2005 after 43 years as
1125-730: A Welsh Assembly, warned that creating an English parliament or trying to stop Scottish and Welsh MPs from voting on England-only matters would break up the Union. Chuka Umunna suggested in July 2015 that the Labour Party should support the creation of a separate English parliament, as part of a federal United Kingdom. The Labour government of Tony Blair attempted to address part of the West Lothian question by introducing English regional assemblies with no legislative powers. Originally, it
1250-404: 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
1375-405: 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
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#17327729789331500-700: A democratic deficit in England, the Institute for Government and the University of Cambridge 's Bennett Institute for Public Policy proposed the establishment of an "Office for England" led by a "Secretary of State for England" and the formation of an "English Devolution Council". The Existing Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government would be split into a Department for Housing and Communities and an Office for England, which would take on responsibility for oversight of devolved and local governance in England. The Secretary of State for England would chair
1625-474: 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
1750-545: A majority in that election, the Conservative government used a change in standing orders in October 2015 to give MPs representing English (or English and Welsh) constituencies a "veto" over laws affecting only England (or only England and Wales). Thus, a new law could no longer be imposed only on England by a majority of all MPs if a majority of English MPs were opposed. However, a proposed new law could still be vetoed by
1875-438: A majority of all MPs even if a majority of English MPs were in favour. The measures were abolished in 2021, with the government saying that they had "added complexity and delay to the legislative process" and that their removal would allow all MPs to be represented equally. Reversion of all devolved powers, and abolition of the devolved administrations. No voting member from one region would have power over another region, wherein
2000-553: 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,
2125-410: 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. Tam Dalyell Sir Thomas Dalyell, 11th Baronet FRSGS ( / d i ˈ ɛ l / dee- EL ; 9 August 1932 – 26 January 2017), known as Tam Dalyell , was a Scottish Labour Party politician who was a member of
2250-497: 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
2375-413: 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
2500-651: A report, "Devolution, The West Lothian Question and the Future of the Union", which proposed some procedural changes restricting the participation of MPs representing non-English constituencies during the passage of bills relating only to England. While the Conservatives were in government from 2010 to 2015 in coalition with the Liberal Democrats , they set up the McKay Commission to look into
2625-568: A response to Dalyell's speech, when he said "We have finally grasped what the Honourable Member for West Lothian is getting at. Let us call it the West Lothian question." The question is more commonly assumed to refer to the anomaly that came into being in 1999, with Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland members at Westminster allowed to vote upon English matters, but MPs for English constituencies having no influence on affairs which were devolved to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Dalyell
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#17327729789332750-466: 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
2875-488: 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
3000-561: 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
3125-420: 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
3250-609: 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
3375-500: 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
3500-526: The 2011 Scottish election . A referendum was held on 18 September 2014, with voters rejecting independence by 55% to 45%. In Wales, Welsh Nationalist party Plaid Cymru holds Welsh independence as a long-term aim, while Propel , formerly the Welsh National Party, more aggressively campaigns for independence. In Northern Ireland there are no mainstream political parties calling for an independent Northern Irish state , but parties calling for
3625-465: The 2015 general election , new parliamentary procedures and a Legislative Grand Committee were enacted to bring it into effect. The measures were subsequently abolished in 2021. The equivalent question was raised by the opponents of Irish Home Rule in defeating William Gladstone 's first (1886) and second (1893) home rule bills. Basil Williams enumerated four schemes which Gladstone proposed at various stages: The "West Lothian question" itself
3750-567: The 2017 general election included a commitment to establish the post of a "Minister for England" within the Department of Communities and Local Government who would work along side the existing secretaries of state for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A 2022 report by the Electoral Reform Society suggested the establishment of an "England Office" to act as a representative for English regional and local government to
3875-703: 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
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4000-535: The Cambridge Union Society . Cambridge economist Joan Robinson encouraged him to stay for a year after completing his history degree to take an additional degree in economics, which he did and later described as "the hardest work I ever did, much harder than being a PPS ". He then trained as a teacher at Moray House College in Edinburgh and taught at Bo'ness Academy for three years, and
4125-625: The Chagossians in their campaign to return to Diego Garcia after being expelled in 1968. When invited by a television journalist to rank Tony Blair among the eight Prime Ministers he had observed as a parliamentarian , he cited Blair's policies in Kosovo and Iraq as reasons for placing his party leader at the bottom of the list. He was also a strong presence in Parliament concerning Libya and led no fewer than 17 adjournment debates on
4250-604: The English question , is a political issue in the United Kingdom . It concerns the question of whether members of Parliament (MPs) from Northern Ireland , Scotland and Wales who sit in the House of Commons should be able to vote on matters that affect only England , while neither they nor MPs from England are able to vote on matters that have been devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly ,
4375-528: The House of Commons from 1962 to 2005. He represented West Lothian from 1962 to 1983, then Linlithgow from 1983 to 2005. He formulated what came to be known as the " West Lothian question ", on whether non-English MPs should be able to vote upon English-only matters after political devolution . He was also known for his anti-war, anti-imperialist views, opposing the Falklands War , the Gulf War ,
4500-648: The Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation in 1965, he contested almost every British military intervention, arguing against Britain's involvement in the Aden Emergency , the Falklands War (especially the sinking of the General Belgrano ), the Gulf War , the Kosovo War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq . "I will resist a war with every sinew in my body", he said. Dalyell was also a supporter of
4625-646: The Lockerbie bombing , in which he repeatedly demanded answers by the Government to the reports of Hans Köchler , United Nations observer at the Lockerbie trial. In February 2003, he became the first Father of the House to be ordered to leave the chamber, after asking questions about the government's "dossier" on weapons in Iraq. Following his outspoken opposition to the 2003 invasion of Iraq and criticism of
4750-662: The Lockerbie bombing trial in Scotland; the US Government had indictments against Coleman, accusing him of passport fraud and perjury. Allan Stewart , a former Scottish Office minister and Conservative MP for Eastwood , also said that Coleman should be granted immunity so he could testify in Scotland. The Lord Advocate rejected Dalyell's plea, saying that the Home Office and the English courts had jurisdiction over
4875-556: 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
5000-636: 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
5125-558: The Privileges Committee for a leak about the biological weapons research establishment, Porton Down , to the newspapers (though he said that he thought the draft minutes of the Select Committee on Science and Technology were in the public domain ). When Labour were defeated in 1970 , his chances of senior office were effectively over. He was opposed to Scottish devolution and was the first to come up with
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5250-674: 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
5375-478: The Scottish National Party in a hard-fought by-election for West Lothian . From 1983 onwards, he represented Linlithgow (when the new town of Livingston formed its own constituency) and easily retained the seat. He became Father of the House after the 2001 general election , when Former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath retired from the House of Commons . He was a nominated Member of
5500-758: The Scottish Parliament and the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) . The term West Lothian question was coined by Enoch Powell MP in 1977 after Tam Dalyell , the Labour MP for the Scottish constituency of West Lothian , raised the matter repeatedly in House of Commons debates on devolution. In 2011 the UK Government set up the Commission on the consequences of devolution for the House of Commons , chaired by Sir William McKay , former Clerk of
5625-794: The War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War . Dalyell was born in Edinburgh , and raised in the family home of his mother Eleanor Dalyell , the Binns , near Linlithgow , West Lothian; his father Gordon Loch CIE (1887–1953) was a colonial civil servant and a scion of the Loch family . Highland Clearances facilitator James Loch (1780–1855) was an ancestral uncle. Loch (and his son) took his wife's surname in 1938, and through his mother Dalyell inherited
5750-695: The baronetcy of Dalyell , but he never used the title. Dalyell was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and Eton College . He did his national service with the Royal Scots Greys from 1950 to 1952, as an ordinary trooper , after failing his officer training. He then went to King's College, Cambridge , to study mathematics, but switched to history. He became chairman of the Cambridge University Conservative Association and vice-president of
5875-552: The " West Lothian question ", although it was actually named by Conservative MP Enoch Powell . He continued to argue his own causes: in 1978–79, he voted against his own government over 100 times, despite a three-line whip . In the 1990s, Dalyell asked the Lord Advocate , Lord Rodger of Earlsferry , to grant diplomatic immunity to Lester Coleman , a co-author of Trail of the Octopus , so that he could give evidence in
6000-552: 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
6125-589: 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,
6250-483: 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
6375-625: The European Parliament from 1975 to 1979, and a member of the Labour National Executive from 1986 to 1987 representing the Campaign group . Dalyell's independent stance in Parliament ensured his isolation from significant committees and jobs. His early career was promising and he became Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Richard Crossman . He annoyed a number of ministers and was heavily censured by
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#17327729789336500-425: The Government, Downing Street suggested that he might face withdrawal of the Labour whip . In May, the American magazine Vanity Fair reported Dalyell indirectly as having said that Prime Minister Tony Blair was unduly influenced by a "cabal of Jewish advisers". He specifically named Lord Levy , who was Blair's official representative in the Middle East, and Labour politicians Peter Mandelson (whose father
6625-423: The House of Commons , to examine the question. The commission published a report in 2013 which proposed various procedural changes, including the recommendation that legislation which affects only England should require the support of a majority of MPs representing English constituencies. This recommendation was known as English votes for English laws . Following the election of a Conservative majority government in
6750-429: 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
6875-522: The London Assembly as a recreation of a similar London wide authority to that of the Greater London Council , which he had led before it was abolished in the 1980s. Further progress was thwarted when a referendum in the North East rejected the proposal for an elected assembly in November 2004 leading to the shelving of similar proposals for other English regions. The Regional Development Agencies were all scrapped by March 2012 with their powers and functions being transferred either to local government or in
7000-466: 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
7125-486: 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
7250-524: 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
7375-403: 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
7500-458: 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
7625-406: The Scotland Act 1998, which states that the legislative powers of the Scottish Parliament do "not affect the power of the Parliament of the United Kingdom to make laws for Scotland". Legislation relating to reserved issues such as defence , national security , foreign policy and monetary and economic issues are voted on by all the MPs at Westminster to ensure consistency across the whole of
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#17327729789337750-408: The UK central Government on English affairs. Another solution might be the dissolution of the United Kingdom leading to some or all of the countries of the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland , Scotland , and Wales ) becoming independent sovereign states. The Scottish National Party (SNP), which campaigns for Scottish independence , won an outright majority in the Scottish Parliament in
7875-403: The UK government and serve to coordinate between central and local government on English devolved matters. It also called for an "English Leaders' Forum" to bring together UK ministers with combined authority mayors, single local authority mayors and council leaders. In a report titled Devolving English Government published in April 2023, to counter what they described as over-centralisation and
8000-533: The United Kingdom as a whole, or not at all. Carswell and Hannan write: "All the fields of policy currently within the purview of the Holyrood Parliament should be transferred to English counties and cities (thereby, incidentally, answering the west Lothian Question)." In 2022, Labour proposed a body to be known as the "Council of England", chaired by the prime minister, to bring together combined authority mayors, representatives of local government and other stakeholders. The Council of England would be complimented by
8125-401: 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
8250-402: The United Kingdom. The Scottish Parliament is not able to pass laws on these issues itself, as they were not devolved. The West Lothian question is not involved in this situation, as all parts of the Union have a say roughly proportional to their population and all are equally affected. During devolution , a convention was created to manage the power of Westminster to legislate on matters within
8375-497: The Westminster Parliament will not normally legislate on devolved matters in Scotland without first obtaining the consent of the Scottish Parliament. During the 2000s a number of pieces of legislation which affected only or mainly England were passed by the UK Parliament, although the votes cast by MPs were such that the legislation would not have been passed if only the votes cast by MPs representing English constituencies had been counted. The opposition Conservative Party commissioned
8500-517: The case of London, the Greater London Authority. Douglas Carswell and Daniel Hannan have proposed that all the powers currently devolved to the Scottish Parliament should also be devolved to the English counties and cities. This would mean that the situation of Scottish MPs voting on policy which only affected England would no longer arise, because parliament would no longer be responsible for areas of policy which affected only England. Therefore, parliament would have to choose to make policy either for
8625-402: 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,
8750-399: 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
8875-421: 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
9000-610: 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
9125-514: 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;
9250-624: 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
9375-571: 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
9500-471: 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
9625-608: The demand of the US government's extradition demand regarding Coleman, and that the Crown Office and the Scottish Office had no authority over the case. Dalyell later said, "I had contact with Les Coleman 10 years ago. In my opinion, though he has a chequered history, I take him seriously." Dalyell was vocal in his disapproval of actions he deemed imperialistic . Beginning with his opposition to Britain becoming involved in
9750-1021: 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
9875-544: The environment. Having been educated by left-wing economists at Cambridge , Dalyell said that he became a socialist because of the level of unemployment in Scotland. He joined the Labour Party in 1956, following the Suez Crisis . After being unsuccessful as a parliamentary candidate for Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles in 1959, he became a Member of Parliament in June 1962, when he defeated William Wolfe of
10000-484: 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
10125-582: 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
10250-719: 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
10375-528: 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
10500-547: 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
10625-523: 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
10750-513: 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
10875-495: 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,
11000-473: 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
11125-399: 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,
11250-561: The legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament. This is known as the Sewel Convention, and the related Scottish parliamentary motions are now known as legislative consent motions (previously Sewel motions). These motions (of which there are around a dozen per year) allow MPs to vote on issues which, among other things, are within the Scottish Parliament's legislative competence. The Sewel Convention states that
11375-516: 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
11500-531: The national parliament takes important decisions (such as waging war) then people should be fully represented. 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
11625-539: The new Labour government established a UK wide Council of the Nations and Regions and an England only Mayoral Council including ministers from the UK government, the Mayor of London and mayors of England's combined authorities. Unlike the proposed "Council of England", the Mayoral Council does not include representatives from local government in areas without a combined authority. The Labour Party manifesto for
11750-578: 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
11875-400: The parliaments of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland legislating locally. In the early-20th-century context of Irish home rule, the equivalent option was dubbed Home Rule All Round . Lord Falconer , the former Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs , has stated that he believes that an English Parliament would "dwarf all other institutions." Peter Hain , who campaigned for
12000-405: The principle that "every member of the House of Commons is equal to every other member of the House of Commons". Scotland traditionally enjoyed a greater number of MPs per head of population than the rest of the UK, but this advantage was reduced significantly at the 2005 UK general election . An argument against the idea of having a lower number of MPs, in return for more devolved powers, is that if
12125-425: The question. The Commission proposed that bills in the House of Commons which affected England solely or differently should require a majority vote of MPs representing English constituencies. The Conservative manifesto for the 2015 general election included a proposal that England-only legislation should require approval from a Legislative Grand Committee prior to its Third Reading in the House of Commons. Having won
12250-496: The same matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? To illustrate his point, Dalyell chose the example of a member of Parliament for West Lothian who could vote on matters affecting the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire , but not on matters concerning Blackburn, West Lothian in his own constituency. The name "West Lothian question" was later coined by the Ulster Unionist MP Enoch Powell in
12375-623: 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
12500-461: 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
12625-541: The status of the Westminster Parliament as the supreme legislature of Scotland, with Westminster retaining the ability to override, or veto, any decisions taken by the Scottish Parliament. The Westminster Parliament remains the sovereign body; powers are devolved rather than transferred to the Scottish Parliament. The ability of all Westminster MPs to vote on Scottish legislation has not been legally diminished by devolution, as made clear by Section 28(7) of
12750-736: 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
12875-587: 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
13000-566: 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
13125-518: 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
13250-541: The voting members of that other region do not have reciprocal rights; all regions would be treated equally. The creation of a devolved English parliament or assembly , with full legislative powers, akin to the Scottish Parliament is seen by some as a solution to this problem, with full legislative powers also being conferred on the existing Welsh Parliament . The Westminster (United Kingdom) Parliament would continue to meet and legislate on matters of UK-wide competence such as Defence, Foreign Affairs and economic matters with
13375-506: 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
13500-428: Was Director of Studies on the ship school Dunera from 1961 to 1962. In 1969 Dalyell became a columnist for New Scientist magazine, contributing Westminster Scene (later Westminster Diary ) until his retirement in 2005. This provided "a conduit for researchers to speak to Parliament and vice versa ", covering many subjects of public concern including industrial diseases, data protection, chemical weapons and
13625-419: Was Jewish) and Jack Straw (whose great-grandfather was Jewish). Mandelson said that "apart from the fact that I am not actually Jewish , I wear my father's parentage with pride". Dalyell denied accusations that the remarks were anti-Semitic . In March 2003, regarding the 2003 invasion of Iraq , Dalyell accused Blair of being a war criminal. He stated that "since Mr Blair is going ahead with his support for
13750-479: Was a vocal opponent of Scottish devolution in the 1979 and 1997 plebiscites. A devolved Scottish Parliament was created in 1999 after a clear majority voted in favour of devolution in the second referendum. The Scottish Parliament was formed by statute, the Scotland Act 1998 , and is thus a creation of Westminster . No sovereign status on the Scottish Parliament is conferred, and the act has not changed
13875-408: 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
14000-641: 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
14125-529: 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
14250-502: 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
14375-485: 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
14500-592: Was entitled; the House of Commons' Fees Office released £7,800. Dalyell was given an honorary doctorate by Heriot-Watt University in 2011. Dalyell married Kathleen Wheatley, a teacher, on 26 December 1963; she was the elder daughter of John Wheatley , Lord Advocate and Labour MP for East Edinburgh. They have a son Gordon Wheatley Dalyell, and a daughter Moira, both of whom are lawyers. In his retirement, and for some years previously, he contributed obituaries to The Independent . In 2011 he published his autobiography, The Importance of Being Awkward . The dedication
14625-650: 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
14750-573: Was first posed in 1977 during a British House of Commons debate about Scottish and Welsh devolution proposals. In the 14 November sitting, Tam Dalyell , the Labour MP for the Scottish constituency of West Lothian , asked, For how long will English constituencies and English Honourable members tolerate ... at least 119 Honourable Members from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland exercising an important, and probably often decisive, effect on English politics while they themselves have no say in
14875-483: 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
15000-684: 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
15125-404: 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
15250-426: Was planned that these would be directly elected. The London Assembly was the first of these, established following a referendum in 1998, in which public and media attention was focused principally on the post of Mayor of London . Ken Livingstone was the first directly elected mayor of London. He started his victory speech with "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted 14 years ago", making it clear he saw
15375-417: 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
15500-520: 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
15625-491: 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
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