King Charles III and his relationship with his parents.

This blog will look at the relationship with King Charles and his parents Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip from their rocky relationship from when he was born in 1948 to both their deaths in 2021 and 2022 and how their legacy lives on in Charles and the monarchy. 

We start on the 17th November 1947 where Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip get married. They first met as children in 1934 at the wedding of Princess Marina Of Greece and Denmark and Prince George Of Kent. Then they met again in July 1939 at the Royal Navel College in Dartmouth when Elizabeth was 13 and Philip was 18 years old. 

Princess Elizabeth was 21 years old and Philip was 26 years old when they got engaged on the 9th July 1947 and got married on the 20th November 1947. The wedding was the biggest celebrated thing since VE Day in 1945. 

In June 1948 Elizabeth and Philip announced that they were expecting their first child which was due in November. And on the 14th November 1948 Elizabeth and Philip welcomed their first baby who was born at 9:14pm in the evening. It was a healthy baby boy who was named Charles Philip Arthur George. When Charles was born he became 3rd in line to the throne after his grandfather and mother. 

As a Princess she became a full time mother and took the time to spend as much time as possible with her newborn son. They went on holidays often going to Balmoral in Scotland and they often used to spend time out in nature which is why Charles has always loved nature and the outdoors. 

When his grandfather King George VII's health deteriorated in the early 1950s Elizabeth and Philip took over most of the duties for George as he cut back his engagements to get some rest. That meant that they would be going on tours around the country and the commonwealth their young children Charles and Anne would have to stay behind with their nannies and their grandparents and their auntie. 

In 1952 King George VII passed away from lung cancer which meant that Princess Elizabeth became Queen at the age of 26 and Charles became heir to the throne at age 3. Due to her new role Queen Elizabeth II b

As a child Philip was known as a strict father to Charles. He wanted Charles to toughen up as a child he was a very very sensitive child so he wanted Charles sent to the schools he went to which was Chaem and Gordonston which focused on toughness 

Charles however was bullied badly at both schools because of who he was as heir to the throne. The Queen Mother Charles's grandmother was worried about him during that time and so was Lord Mountbatten but Prince Philip insisted that his son would be toughened up by the school. 

In Prince Philip's eyes his favourite child was Princess Anne the only daughter and he thought that she was stronger than her big brother. She didn't go to the schools that Charles attended as his school was an all boys school and the school that Anne went to was an all girls school. However despite the differences Charles and Anne remain close to this day. 

In 1960 Queen Elizabeth II gave birth to her second son who was supposedly the favourite child due to some complications in their marriage around that time. 4 years later Prince Edward was born on the 10th March 1964. By the time they were born they had a much easier childhood as Queen Elizabeth learned to be a mother and be a queen and how she could compromise the two. 

By the time Prince Charles was at the age of being invested as Prince Of Wales in 1969 and that moment was very special between mother and son as he paid homage to his mother and it was Elizabeth who put the Prince Of Wales Coronet on his head and put the cloak around his shoulders. Charles once said that when his mother put him in the cloak and put the crown on his head that it felt like when she used to dress him as a little kid. The mother and son bond were still there. 

Charles in the early to late 70s was Britain's eligible bachelors at the time as he was at the age where he should be settling down and starting a family for heirs. He dated various different women but they never wanted anything serious because of the huge press attention. In the early 1970s he met Camilla Shand who was a bright girl with a brilliant sense of humour and for Charles it was love at first sight. Due to Camilla's past with boyfriends and her partying life the institution deemed her as a not appropriate wife for Charles. 

So he was sent off to the Navy and was told out on sea that his family and Andrew Parker Bowles family went ahead and set up a wedding date for Camilla and Andrew. As you can imagine Charles was absolutely devastated by the news as he did really want to marry Camilla. 

When he came back from the Navy he still needed to look for an appropriate bride to be Princess and Queen one day. He met a young lady called Diana Spencer who had the right looks as a Princess and a future Queen. Diana also didn't have a past which for The Royal Family was amazing. 

It was his father who liked Diana from the get go and was the one who forced Charles to settle down with her and have a family with her. She and Charles announced their engagement 24th February 1981 to which they would have a July wedding that same year. 

July 29th 1981 was the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer as St Paul's Cathedral. At the time of the wedding everyone was excited by the "fairy tale" wedding and no one saw that there were already cracks forming. Charles and Diana were not suited as their interests were not the same. 

Diana gave birth to their first son called William in June 1982. It was a widely celebrated birth as he was second in line to the throne after his father so he would become king one day in the future. Elizabeth took William under her wing as the favourite grandchild as he was one day going to become king and she wanted him to know everything about the monarchy. 

In September 1984 Diana gave birth to their second son called Harry. He was considered the heir of the two as he was third in line to the throne. After the birth of Harry the marriage between Charles and Diana decided to break down slowly. Diana had accused Charles of having an affair with Camilla around the same time. However Diana was having many affairs with other men before Charles got back with Camilla in 1985. 

This made both Elizabeth and Philip very annoyed as they wanted this marriage to stay and didn't want any divorce or separation. During the breakdown of their marriage it was Elizabeth and Philip who mediated between them to get the couple to get along better. 

On the 28th August 1996 the marriage had gotten so bad that it was Elizabeth who wanted them to be divorced. Even though she didn't want the divorce she thought that it was for the best if they'd divorce so they can stop the fighting via the press and get on with life in the best possible way. They both decided to co-parent their two sons and had joint custody of the two sons. 

On the 31st August 1997 Diana, The Princess Of Wales passed away in a car accident after being on holiday with her new lover. Back in Scotland Charles and his two sons were staying on the Balmoral Estate and Charles wanted to do everything to protect his sons from the press as they found out about their mother's death. 

Charles wanted to travel to France to collect Diana's body and use a government plane to which Elizabeth and Philip both oppose this decision but Charles was adamant to give her the send off she deserves. Elizabeth wanted to stay up at Balmoral to protect her grandsons and make sure they are comforted. However the public back in London were angry and grieving and wanted Elizabeth and her family to show up and support the public. 

In the end Elizabeth, Philip, Charles and the boys went to London to look at the millions of floral tributes left outside the Buckingham Palace gates. They also shook hands of the grieving public. 

The funeral took place on the 6th September 1997 at Westminster Abbey as a state funeral which Charles wanted for her. Elizabeth and Philip were again against the idea and wanted her family to sort out the funeral but Charles wanted to fight to have this funeral. 

After that rocky road in the late 90s. In 1999 Charles and his longtime companion Camilla Shand appeared at a birthday party for her sister Annibel they had press waiting outside the Ritz in London waiting for the moment that they've been waiting for in years and years. When they emerged for the first time everyone was photographing them. 

Elizabeth at the time never liked Camilla due to her involvement with her son's first marriage. But after a party that was hosted for King Constantine Of Greece's birthday Elizabeth and Camilla met and they talked and got on well under the circumstances. 

In 2002 The Queen Mother passed away at royal Lodge in Windsor at the age of 101 surrounded by her elder daughter and Princess Margaret's children. Elizabeth phoned Charles to let him know about the death who was at the time on a skiing holiday with his two sons. He was of course devastated as he was extremely close to his grandmother and rushed back to the UK as soon as he heard the news. 

Due to royal protocol heirs would never fly together due to any accident that could occur that would involve heirs but on this exception Elizabeth let this happen due to the circumstances. 

At the funeral Elizabeth invited Camilla as a friend of the family but in the eyes of the public and press she was mainly there as a companion of Charles. 

By 2003 Charles and Camilla moved in together at Clarance House and that was another step to Camilla being accepted in The Royal Family. Elizabeth did warm to her slowly and so did Philip. 

In early 2004 Charles went to see his mother to ask if he could marry Camilla and ask his mother for her blessing to the marriage. Elizabeth had to think about it due to the fact that both Charles and Camilla are divorcees and had to seek advice from the archbishops. In the end they came up to a conclusion that Charles and Camilla could marry at Windsor guildhall and then have a blessing in St George's Chapel. 

In February 2005 it was announced that Charles and Camilla were to be engaged and will be married on the 8th April 2005. Due to the death of Pope John Paul the wedding date was changed to April 9th 2005 instead that Charles could represent his mother at his funeral. 

On the morning of the 9th April 2005 Charles and Camilla got married at a civil ceremony at the guild hall in Windsor. Elizabeth did not attend the civil ceremony due to the fact that she was head of the church of England and thought it was wrong to be there. She did attend the blessing ceremony to which she looked very happy for her son who is finally happy and content with the woman he loves. Camilla never took the title of Princess Of Wales to make the Diana fans happy so she used her husband's second highest ranking title of Duchess Of Cornwall. 

Elizabeth did give the speech at the reception of her son's marriage. She toasted the couple by saying "My son is home and dry with the woman he loves" she also likened their long awaited union to the grand national horse racing that was on the same day "They have overcome Becher's Brook and The Chair and all kinds of terrible obstacles"

In the 2010s in her 80s she decided that she would reduce all foreign travel due to her age. Charles ended up doing most of the travel along with younger members of the family. She did continue to perform duties until her death in 2022. 

In 2012 Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her diamond jubilee which meant that she would be on the throne for 60 years. During the concert her eldest son Charles made a speech for her talking about her "selfless service" and the "constant presence" she provided. He also referred to her in this speech as "mummy". 

In 2017 Queen Elizabeth's husband announced that he would be retiring from royal duties at the age of 96 having served for 7 decades. He also stopped accepting public engagements. When he retired Charles accompanied his mother on the engagements that would be required for the consort to attend including The State Opening Of Parliament. He also took up the role of laying the wreath on behalf of his mother for the nation while Queen Elizabeth watched him from the balcony. 

In 2020 the whole world was stopped due to the Coronavirus Outbreak the UK was in a national lock down and Charles and Camilla was locked down together and Elizabeth and Philip was also locked down together too. Being elderly Elizabeth and Philip were careful not to engage with people and they had to limit the amount of staff they have. 

In February 2021 Charles's father Prince Philip was admitted into hospital in London. He did have a history of medical episodes in the late 2000s. But this admission felt different as he got admitted to the hospital during the covid 19 outbreak but at the time Buckingham Palace said that it wasn't anything related to Covid 19. 

In March of the same year Philip's eldest son Charles visited his father in the hospital and spent 30 minutes with him. Charles left that hospital in tears. According to sources the reason why he visited his father in hospital and the reason why he looked so emotional is because he had a proper heart to heart with his father and Philip asked some wishes for him like the fact that he wanted to die at home at Windsor Castle and asked Charles to look after his mother. 

On the 25th March 2021 Charles and Camilla visited Greece for Greek Independence Day where Charles laid a wreath on behalf of his mother. During the clips I've seen you can see how emotional Charles was during that event as there were closeups of tears in his eyes which probably had something to do with his father dying. Prince Philip was born in Greece so he was a Greek prince when he was born. 

On the 9th April 2021 Prince Philip Duke Of Edinburgh passed away peacefully at the age of 99 at Windsor Castle he was surrounded by his wife of 73 years. The restrictions of the pandemic were easing off a bit during this time which meant that Charles was able to visit his mother but didn't stay long to see his father for one last time. 

Prince Philip's funeral took place on the 17th April 2021 and due to the pandemic restrictions there were limited guests and no public allowed also the 30 guests that were invited had to be sitting 2 meters apart and in their bubbles which meant that Queen Elizabeth II had to sit alone at her husband's funeral. 

Prince Charles and Prince Philip never had the easy relationship but further on in their relationship they became close as father and son as they got older and they understand each other more and more. At Philip's funeral Charles looked devastated and was in tears. During the procession you could see tears running down his face. He was supported by his wife Camilla The Duchess Of Cornwall who was also in his bubble. 

After the death of Prince Philip everyone stepped up to help and support Queen Elizabeth II including her son and heir Charles. As his mother was grieving and having health issues of her own, Charles did more and more engagements to help her out. 

In October 2021 Queen Elizabeth was admitted to hospital for some tests and she had to miss COP 26 in Glasgow so Charles, William and their wives went instead. She did do a speech via video where she mentioned how proud she was of her son and her grandson following Prince Philip's legacy with nature and the wildlife. In November 2021 Queen Elizabeth II unusually missed The Royal British Legion Festival Of Remembrance and the cenotaph Charles stood in for her on both occasions and was looking very very emotional. 

In December 2021 Queen Elizabeth did her final Christmas Broadcast where she talked about how she is missing her husband and how the family had helped her during the time of grief. She also said that she can't wait to celebrate the upcoming Platinum Jubilee with the nation. 

In February 2022 Queen Elizabeth II became the first British Monarch to be on the throne for 70 years which means that it was her Platinum Jubilee. In the statement that she revealed that Camilla is in the fullness of time to be known as Queen Consort when her son becomes King. Charles released a statement back and said that he and Camilla were "deeply conscious of the honour represented by my mother's wish" and praised The Queen's "devotion to the welfare of all of her people."

In March 2022 there was a memorial service for Prince Philip so that he can be celebrated by everyone who missed the funeral. Queen Elizabeth's mobility was worsening and had to enter the Abbey in a different way accompanied by her second son who was disgraced with his involvement with Jeffery Epstein. Prince Charles who in the end had a good relationship with his father attended and supported his mother was himself visibly emotional during the service. 

In May 2022 due to her ongoing and worsening mobility couldn't attend the State Opening Of Parliament so Charles again as heir stood up and took on the responsibility. He was understandably nervous as he would be the next person to be doing this as the next King. 

In June 2022 the whole nation and the Commonwealth celebrated her 70 years on the throne with the Platinum Jubilee. The Queen was again getting increasingly frail and couldn't be a part of all of the celebrations. The first day of the celebrations was The Trooping The Colour and Charles was at Horse Guards Parade standing in for his mother again but she did go up on the balcony with her cousin The Duke Of Kent to which they watched a flypast. 

On the second day of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations it was the Thanksgiving Service to which Queen Elizabeth II didn't attend due to her worsening mobility issues so again Charles stood in her place and some people said that seeing Charles in this role will be the future. During the service Charles did look increasingly emotional probably due to his mother's absence. 

On the third and final day was the Jubilee Pageant to which again Queen Elizabeth didn't attend and Charles again stood in for her. However Charles did convince his mother to come on the balcony for what would be her last balcony appearance. The balcony appearance only had her direct heirs Charles, William, George, Charlotte, Louis and Charles and William's wives. 

After the Jubilee celebrations Queen Elizabeth's health began to deteriorate rapidly and she stayed up in Scotland for her final years. In her final weeks Charles was seen visiting his mother on a number of occasions at Balmoral Castle. 

On the 7th September 2021 Charles was seen at Dumfries House for his last engagement as Prince Of Wales. In a clip from that engagement Charles was seen looking tired, emotional and just not himself and I guess looking back we know why he was acting differently. 

On 8th September 2021 at around 12pm it was announced by Buckingham Palace that Queen Elizabeth II was under medical supervision by her doctors at Balmoral Castle. Her family were called up to Scotland and people were speculating on what was going on. Charles was at Dumfries House when he received the phone call that his mother was dying. 

He was driving a car when he received the news that his mother passed away at the age of 96 at 3:10pm and the reason he knew was when his private secretary gave him the phone and her private secretary said 'your majesty' 

He dealt with his mother's death really well. He was of course devastated but he was trained for this moment for 70 years and he knew what to do when it came to greeting people and holding meetings and travelling to the UK. 

The legacy of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip will live in their eldest son as he now goes through his own reign. He will be always looking up at his parents and he will be continuing their legacy by keeping up with his duty to The Nation and The Commonwealth and keeping up with his nature and the climate change just like his father before him. 

I have written various blogs on some of the topics above including Prince Philip's death and funeral, The Platinum Jubilee and Queen Elizabeth II's death and funeral. You can look for those blogs via my blog homepage. 

The Life Of Queen Elizabeth II

 In this blog we will be looking at the incredible life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II to mark what would have been her 100th Birthday on the 21st April 1926. 

Princess Elizabeth was born as Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on the 21st April 1926. Her parents were Prince Albert and Elizabeth The Duke and Duchess Of York her grandparents were King George V and Queen Mary. During her grandfather's reign she was third in line to the British throne after her uncle Edward and her father George. 

Elizabeth has one sister Margaret Rose who was 6 years younger than her. They were both cared for by their nanny and were educated under the supervision of their mother and their nanny. Due to Elizabeth's position as an heir and knowing that her uncle wouldn't have any children she was certain to become queen someday. She was also educated about her position as an heir and future queen. They both were educated with lessons on history, music, literature, and language. 

Their childhood was a very happy one as George and Elizabeth were committed parents to Elizabeth and Margaret despite their engagements in royal life. Old films show that they used to play with them and in their gardens. It also showed their holidays in the country which they loved, they also loved playing with their dogs and rode on horses too. Princess Elizabeth was affectionately known as Lilibet based on the fact she couldn't pronounce her own name when she was really young. 

When her grandfather died in 1936 her uncle became King Edward VIII and she became second in line to the throne. Later in 1936 Edward wanted to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson and because he wasn't allowed to marry a divorcee he chose to abdicate to marry her. This triggered a constitutional crisis. So her father became King George VI even though he didn't really want to become king. 

So when her father became king she became heir presumptive however if George and Elizabeth had a son the son would've been next due to male preference primogeniture which meant that Elizabeth would've been second in line to the throne. 

As an heir she now had to learn the constitution who she was home tutored by a professor from Eton College. She also joined a girl guide group in London so she can socialise with other girls her age. As King and Queen her parents toured Australia and New Zealand. Both daughters stayed in Britain as their father George thought they were too young to be on tours. She apparently looked very tearful when they left. 

In September 1939 Britain entered into the second world war. It was suggested that both princesses should evacuate to Canada to avoid London's frequent bombings. This was rejected by their mother who declared "The children won't go without me. I won't leave without the king and the king will never leave. 

From February 1940 they lived at The Royal Lodge but then moved to Windsor Castle where they lived for the next five years. The princesses helped keep the spirits put on staged pantomimes at Christmas in aid for the Queen's wool fund. In 1940 the princesses made their first radio programme on BBC's children's hour where they addressed the children of the nation who have been evacuated from the cities. 

In 1943 Elizabeth undertook her first solo public engagement to visit the Grenadier Guards. She was appointed colonel of the Grenadier Guards in 1942. As she approaches her 18th birthday parliament changed the law so that she can act as a councillor of state in the event of her father's absence. He visited Italy in the same year so she could act as a councillor of state. Also in the war she also became a driver and a mechanic, she was given the rank of honorary junior commander which is the equivalent of a female captain at the time.

At the end of the war in Europe on Victory In Europe Day Elizabeth and Margaret mingled with the crowds in London. She can remember her and her sister linking arms with unknown people and was terrified that she and her sister got recognised but they wanted to experience the joy and excitement. They stayed up and partied all night and spent most of the night at The Ritz in London. 

In 1934 and 1937 Princess Elizabeth met her future husband Prince Philip Of Greece and Denmark they were second cousins once removed. She fell in love with him when she was at the age of 13 and at 18 they started writing letters to each other. At 21 they announced their engagement on the 9th July 1947. The engagement attracted some controversy due to the fact that Philip was a foreign prince. 

Before the marriage Philip renounced his Greek and Danish titles and adopted his mother's British family Mountbatten. Before the marriage he was created The Duke Of Edinburgh and the title of His Royal Highness. They were married on the 20th November 1947 at Westminster Abbey. They received 2,500 gifts from around the world. Elizabeth required ration coupons to buy the material for her wedding dress. 

Elizabeth gave birth to her first child Prince Charles later King Charles III in November 1948 one year earlier King George VI had issued letters patent allowing her children to use the style and title of Prince and Princess. 3 years later after the birth of Charles she gave birth to a daughter called Anne in August 1950. 

In 1951 King George VI's health declined with lung problems and had a lung removed during surgery at Buckingham Palace. During his absence and recovery she stood in for him at public engagements. in early 1952 her and Prince Philip started a tour in New Zealand and The British Colony of Kenya. During that tour King George VI passed away in his sleep at Sandringham House. His daughter became queen upon his death. Her husband Prince Philip broke the news to his wife. 

She wanted to be called Queen Elizabeth II. Despite their arguments to stay at Clarence house the government wanted The new queen and her young family to move to Buckingham Palace because that is where the monarch does most of their work/meetings and engagements. 

Prince Philip has pushed for his children to bear the name Mountbatten but the government and Queen Mary wanted it to stay as The House Of Windsor so they kept the name Windsor as the house but his children's last name would be Mountbatten-Windsor. 

On the 24th March 1953 Elizabeth's grandmother Queen Mary passed away. The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was held on the 3rd June 1953. The ceremony went ahead at Westminster Abbey and it was the first coronation to be broadcast on television with the exception of the anointing and communion as that stays private between God and the Monarch. 

In 1953 Prince Philip and Elizabeth embarked on a 7 month tour around the commonwealth visiting 13 countries. Despite their tour their children Charles and Anne were looked after by their aunt and grandmother and nannies but they joined their parents later on in the tour. In February 1960 Elizabeth gave birth to her third child Andrew and her fourth child Edward in March 1964. 

On the 26th July her eldest son and heir Charles was created as The Prince Of Wales at the age of 10. The investiture took place on the 1st July 1969 at 21 years old. It was televised at Caernarfon castle in Wales. He was taught Welsh for the ceremony. 

After the births of Andrew and Edward she became a mother who was there considering she has been in the role of queen for quite a while now. She used to move meetings around so she can spend more time at home with her sons putting them to bed and bath time. 

In 1977 Elizabeth marked her 25th anniversary of her reign. Parties and events took place throughout the nation and the commonwealth she also went on many tours to the commonwealth which she is the head of since her father died in 1952. 

While she was Queen to the nation and commonwealth but she had her own hobbies and interests including horse riding which she was a very very good one as she was taught as a child by her mother and tutors. She had a love of dogs and she was around dogs when she was very young her first dog was a Corgi called Susan who was gifted to her by her father when she turned 18. 

Started from Susan she started to breed corgis and she also once created a new dog breed called a Dorgi which is a cross between a corgi and dachshund and they were popular and will continue to be popular due to their owner being Queen Elizabeth II. 

Elizabeth and her family loved country life especially at their favourite Scottish retreat Balmoral Castle to which they spent their summers where they would go on walks and played games and had BBQs. Balmoral is the place that she and her family could feel normal. 

2002 was a hard year for Elizabeth as in February her younger sister Princess Margaret died at the age of 71 years old from a stroke which devastated Elizabeth as she was really close with her sister. In March of the same year her mother Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother died at the age of 101 years old. Amiss of the devastation of family deaths Queen Elizabeth celebrated her Golden Jubilee. She really didn't want to celebrate due to the deaths of her sister and her mother. The celebrations did go ahead and it was successful. 

On the 21st December Elizabeth surpassed her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria when she became the oldest British monarch and longest reigning Queen Regnant. 

In 2012 Elizabeth marked 60 years of his accession and celebrations were marked by various events like pagents and concerts and it was celebrated with a tour of the nation and the commonwealth and the tours were taken by her children and grandchildren. 

She was also very involved with the London summer Olympics by opening it at the ceremony after parachuting from a helicopter with James Bond which was a fun way to introduce her. No one in her family knew about it apart from Prince Philip. Her children and grandchildren absolutely loved it. 

When it came to 2020 the whole world was struck by Covid-19 which meant that everyone would be in lock down. The UK was no exception and neither is The Royal Family, Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip were on lock down at Windsor Castle and public engagements were cancelled or postponed and she started to hold meetings online via zoom. 

On the 5th April she addressed the nation on the pandemic and wanted to address the nation and comfort them in such hard times. The speech ended with "Take comfort that while we may have more to endure, better days will come, we will be with our friends again, we will be with our family again, we will meet again" the "we will meet again" came from the line of the famous WWII song 'we'll meet again' by Vera Lynn. 

On the 8th May Elizabeth addressed the nation again to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VE day at exactly 9pm which is the same time her father George VI addressed the nation after it was declared that WW2 was over. She told everyone to "never give up, never despair" 

At the start of 2021 Queen Elizabeth had to endure one of the hardest moments of her reign when her husband of 73 years was in hospital for a precautionary measure. In early March he returned to Windsor Castle and on the 9th April 2021 Prince Philip passed away at Windsor Castle at the age of 99, Elizabeth was by her husband's bedside when he died. 

The funeral of her husband took place at Windsor Castle on the 17th April 2021 at 3pm. There was a 1 minute silence to remember his life as a nation. Due to pandemic restrictions Queen Elizabeth II was forced to sit alone at her husband's funeral and the photo was dubbed as one of the most heartbreaking moments of her reign. The government did suggest that they'd relax the rules for this funeral but she rejected it. 

After the death of Philip she threw herself back into work by resuming meetings and online engagements online. People called her brave that she can carry on with her duties despite the tragic death of her husband. 

Despite the pandemic she attended the state opening of parliament with her son Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess Of Cornwall. Charles stood in for his father by holding his mother's hand when walking down towards the houses of lords. 

In October 2021 Queen Elizabeth II was meant to go to Ireland which was cancelled as she was admitted to hospital for "preliminary investigations" that hospital visit sparked concern and worry throughout the nation and it was also the downfall of her health. On remembrance weekend she cancelled her appearances to the Royal Albert Hall for The festival of remembrance and then shockingly she cancelled her appearance at the cenotaph which in her eyes was the most important event in the royal calendar. Her son and heir Charles stepped in for her that weekend. 

On the 6th February was the start of her Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, In a statement to the nation she let it be known that when the time comes for her son becomes King it would be her sincere wish that Camilla should be KNOWN as Queen consort when the time comes. This statement about Camilla marked a change in public move towards Camilla despite the affair and the issues that had happened during Charles and Diana's marriage in the 80s to the 90s. 

Later that month Queen Elizabeth caught covid along with Charles and Camilla and other members of her family. Luckily she had her vaccination the previous year and only experienced cold-like symptoms and recovered by the end of the month. 

In May 2022 she missed the state opening of parliament which marked a change in the future of the monarchy by having her son and heir Charles to attend and read the speech on her behalf. He also stepped in for his mother at the jubilee events too. Her absence was very hard on Charles and you can see his emotion in these events. I want to say that they probably knew about her declining health and knew that she didn't have much time left. 

In June 2022 she and her family celebrated her incredible 70 year reign. Her health and mobility became worse at this point and she didn't attend events including Trooping the colour, the thanksgiving service, concert and the pageant but was apparently persuaded by her son Charles to appear on the balcony which would've been her last balcony appearance before her death. 

In the summer of 2022 Queen Elizabeth went back to Balmoral Castle to enjoy her last summer in a place where she loved the most. Things got more concerning when Charles was seen visiting his mother more often in Scotland. On the 6th September 2022 she appointed her 15th Prime Minister Liz Truss and that would've been her last public engagement of her photographed. The Queen's last message was issued on the 7th September. 

Also on the 7th September, her heir Charles was seen at Dumbfries house looking really tired and sad and looked like he wanted to cry in his engagements that day. Imagine being Charles sat at these engagements knowing when he was going to get the news that would change his life. 

On the 8th September 2022 at 12:30pm there was an announcement that her health was a worry and family members were on their way up to Balmoral. The nation was warmed up with this announcement. Both Charles and Anne were already in Scotland. Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at the age of 96 and Anne was by her mother's bedside when she died. Her son who is now King was on the road on the way to the castle when he heard the news of his mother's death. 

Her other sons Andrew and Edward were not there due to a delay with the plane when waiting for Harry. They arrived a couple of hours after their mother's death. Harry arrived just before the official announcement. At 6:30pm her death was announced to the world via a statement where it was stated that the new king and queen consort would arrive back in London the next day. 

The new King Charles III took tours all over the nation attending services of thanksgiving for his mother as you can imagine he was stressed and emotional during those 2 weeks. He had problems with leaky pens which people should've understood because he was grieving the death of his beloved mother. He also addressed the nation on the 9th September 2022 a day after his mother's death by paying tribute to her incredible life. 

Her funeral took place on the 18th September 2022 where she was laid to rest with her husband at King George VI Memorial Chapel where her father, mother and sister are buried. I have written a blog called RIP Queen Elizabeth II which details her death in more detail. 

On the 19th April 2026 Queen Elizabeth II would've turned 100 years old and there will be various memorials happening on that day. This blog is to commemorate her life and her incredible reign of 70 years. I hope you like the blog that I've written and be sure to give any feedback and suggestions on past and future blogs. 

King George V

King George V was the grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II and great grandfather of King Charles III was born as George Frederick Ernest Albert was born on the 3rd June 1865. His parents were King Edward VII and Queen Alexandria. 

George was born at 1:18am on the 3rd June 1865 at Marlborough house in London he was the second son of Albert Edward, Prince Of Wales and Princess Alexandra, Princess Of Wales. His grandparents were Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He was baptised at Windsor Castle on the 7th July. 

When he was born he became 4th in line to the throne after his grandmother and father and elder brother. Him and his older brother Prince Albert Victor were educated together as George was only 17 months younger than Albert but he and his brother didn't excel brilliantly. 

George's father Edward enrolled him and his brother to the navy as the navy was "The very best possible training for any boy" In September 1877 when both brothers were 12 years old they joined the cadet training ship HMS Britannia at Dartmouth in Devon.  

For the three years since they trained in Devon the two princes served on HMS Bacchante. They toured the colonies of the British Empire in the Caribbean, South Africa, Australia, Norfolk, Virginia as well as South Africa and the Mediterranean. They also toured Japan where George had a local artist tattoo a blue and red dragon on his arm which made it the first monarch to have a tattoo. 

As a young man he was destined to serve in the navy, he served for many years under the command of his uncle Prince Alfred, Duke Of Edinburgh who was stationed in Malta. There he grew close to and fell in love with his cousin Princess Marie Of Edinburgh. His grandmother and father approved the match but his mother and her mother didn't approve. 

In November 1891 his brother Albert Victor became engaged to their second cousin Princess Victoria Mary Of Teck also known as May to many of her family members. In January 1892 6 weeks after the formal engagement Albert Victor died of pneumonia during a flu pandemic leaving George second in line to the throne and would likely succeed after his father. George himself only just recovered from illness after being bed bound with typhoid fever which killed his grandfather Prince Albert. 

His grandmother Queen Victoria still regarded Princess Mary as a suitable match for her grandson and George and Mary grew close during their shared period of mourning. A year after Albert Victor's death George proposed to Mary and was accepted. The couple married on 6th July 1893 at the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace in London. 

With the death of his elder brother George's naval career ended and as he was second in line to the throne he became The Duke Of York. The Duke and Duchess Of York had five sons and a daughter. It was once claimed that George was a strict father to the point where the children were terrified of their father. There was no indication that he was that horrible to his children but he did have a parenting style that matched the time. 

On 2nd January 1901 his grandmother Queen Victoria died and his father ascended to the throne as King Edward VII and George inherited the title of The Duke Of Cornwall and later became The Prince Of Wales. He carried out his duties as Prince Of Wales accordingly by touring The British Empire and opened the first session of the Australian parliament on the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia. 

His stint as Prince Of Wales fell short as 9 years after his grandmother's death his father passed away on the 6th May 1910 and he became King George V. George had never liked his wife's habit of signing official documents as Victoria May and George insisted that she should choose only one name. She didn't want to use the name Queen Victoria but never wanted to use it in the memory of his late grandmother. In the end she became Queen Mary instead. 

King George V and Queen Mary's coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on the 22nd June 1911 and was celebrated by the festival of Empire in London. They then went on a tour of Ireland  then went to India as the Emperor and Empress of India. 

On 4th August 1914 was the start of The First World War. Because of George's connection with Germany via his grandfather Prince Albert which changed the name from The House of Saxe-Coburg Gotha to the royal house of Windsor> On the 11th December 1917 King George V issued a letters patent he restricted the style of Royal Highness and the titular dignity of Prince or Princess of Great Britain and Ireland to the children of the sovereign and the eldest living son of the eldest living son of The Prince of Wales. 

The King was a very active person in the war effort so was The Queen as they visited the front line and health workers with Queen Mary helping out with the red cross. 

2 months after the end of the first world war The King's youngest son John died at the very young age of 13 after a lifetime of ill health. George was informed by his wife Queen Mary which did put the family into immense grief. 

In May 1922 George and Mary toured Belgium and Northern France visiting the First World War cemeteries and memorials being constructed by the Imperial War Graves Commission. The event was described in a poem "The King's Pilgrimage" by Rudyard Kipling. The tour and one short visit to Italy in 1923 were the only times George agreed to leave The United Kingdom on official business after the end of the war. 

In 1932 King George V became the first British monarch to deliver a Christmas Message on the radio and the speech became a tradition which still goes on to now as King Charles III delivered the speech in 2025. 

In 1935 King George V celebrated his Silver Jubilee of his reign the whole nation loved The King and he became a well loved king. The celebrations included a carriage procession through London and a national service of thanksgiving which was followed by a balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace. The jubilee was declared as a bank holiday with celebrations happening across the nation with garden parties. 

George's relationship with his eldest son deteriorated in his later years as he didn't like the fact that he had many affairs with various married women. He got on well with his second son Prince Albert and he absolutely doted with his granddaughter Princess Elizabeth and he nicknamed her Lilibet which was a private nickname for her. Elizabeth called her grandfather grandpa England which now King Charles III's grandchildren call him grandpa Wales which was a subtle tribute to this. 

The First World War took a toll on George's health on the 28th October 1915 George was seriously injured when his horse threw him off at a troop review in France. Due to his heavy smoking he suffered breathing problems and suffered from chronic bronchitis. 

In November 1928 he fell seriously ill with septicaemia which localised between the base of his right lung and diaphragm in the form of empyema that required drainage. The doctors wanted him to rest abroad but the King rejected it with rather strong language so he retired for three months to Craigwell House in the seaside resort of Sussex. During this period his son and heir took over duties. 

George never fully recovered. In 1936 in his final year he was occasionally administered with oxygen. In December 1935 his favourite sister Victoria passed which depressed him very deeply. On the evening of 15th January 1938 George took to his bedroom at Sandringham House complainig of a cold. He remained in his bedroom until his death. He became gradually weaker and drifting in and out of consciousness. 

On the 20th January George was close to his death. His physicians issued a bulletin with the words "The King's life is moving peacefully towards its close" George's final words were mumbled "god damn you!" were addressed to his nurse when she gave him a sedative that night with his physician who supported the gentle growth of euthanasia. 

The time of the King's death was recorded at 11:55pm but the nation found out the following day. The new King and his brothers stood guard at their father's coffin which became the vigil of the princes which started a royal tradition for the funerals of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 2002 with her 4 grandsons and the vigil continued with Queen Elizabeth II with her 4 children and in a first Princess Anne was the first female royal to stand in the vigil of the princes in 2022. 

The King's funeral was a very small and simple ceremony at St George's Chapel at Windsor on the 28th January 1936 and was broadcast live to the nation on the radio. He was later interred in the Royal Vault beneath the quire at St George's Chapel. George's body was transferred to a monumental sarcophagus in the North Nave Aisle on the 27th February 1939 and then he and his wife were buried together following Mary's death and funeral on the 31st March 1953. 

The History Of The King's Trust

This blog will go into the success of the King's Trust and the history and the trust and how it has become successful over the years. 

The King's Trust started out when King Charles III then a prince finished his stint at the navy back in 1976 when he used his severance pay that was £7,400 to help set this charity up. He wanted to do something to help young people from 16 to 30 years old who were under privileged and had rough backgrounds to find employment or to start up their own businesses. 

The young people who they help can be from any background including unemployment, homelessness, and involvement with criminal activities. The trust also does courses to boost confidence and can help young people lead a fulfilling life with a more stable future. 

Over the last five years 3 in 4 young people supported by The Trust moved into work, education or training. 

Various celebrities who are also ambassadors of the trust were also supported by the trust including Ant and Dec and Idris Elba who are now supporting young people to chase their dreams. These celebrities have/will present documentaries celebrating 30 years and 50 years of the trust that also includes King Charles III as founder and patron of the trust. 

The King has had a lot of support from his family over the years with the trust including his mother The Late Queen Elizabeth II who in 1999 she presented a Royal Charter in a ceremony in Buckingham Palace where she gave a speech saying how proud her and The Duke Of Edinburgh were of their eldest son for the success of his trust. 

In a 2016 documentary Ant and Dec went to interview Charles's wife the then Duchess Of Cornwall who commented on how proud she was to be married to someone who had the vision to build such a successful charity. 

The ambassadors for The King's Trust are various celebrities including Brian May, Ant and Dec, Idris Elba, David and Victoria Beckham, Tim Peake, Rod Stewart, Lionel Ritchie, Paul McCartney, Dominic West, Gareth Southgate and Fearne Cotton and so many more. They have been inspired by The King's Trust or helped by The King's Trust over the years. 

Every year The King's Trust puts on an award ceremony hosted by Ant and Dec. They hand out awards to nominated young people who made it with The King's Trust and they go through their incredible success stories and you can normally find the award show on ITV. 

On the 8th September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 and the president of the trust became King Charles III. In his first address to the nation he did mention that he wouldn't have the time and energy to focus on his work moving forward due to the new duties of King. 

However he makes time to try and stay up to date with The King's Trust and his various other charities by still hosting receptions and visiting places that The King's Trust helps. As Prince Of Wales he was able to attend the award ceremonies every year and presenting the awards on stage and in person, but since he has become king it was no longer possible to attend these events, he still however hosts receptions of the winners and all those involved afterwards. 

The King's Trust has now also become international since 2015 which supports young people worldwide. They aim to support those worldwide with unemployment and young people who struggle in education by providing various courses and classes. 

The King's Trust international operates in India, Jordan, Pakistan, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad, Greece, Serbia and Malta just to name a few, 66% of young people have successfully entered work or education or training since 2018 internationally. 

In the UK The King's Trust has worked with over 1 million young people since it was founded in 1976. The King's Trust was built by King Charles III upon the commitment that every young person has a chance to succeed. 

Next year The King's Trust will celebrate 50 years where there will be a number of events in celebration of the trust and the young people who have been helped by the organisation. There will also be a documentary that will be released on Netflix hosted by Idris Elba and King Charles III to look into the massive success of The King's Trust and how it has helped all these young people not only in the UK but globally too. 

Why we shouldn't hate King Charles III and the explanation of constitutional monarchy

 In this blog we'll go through the various reasons as to why King Charles III is underrated as a King and as Prince Of Wales and what's the difference between being King and Prince Of Wales. 

As of 1952 after his grandfather's passing Charles who was at the time was 4 years old became heir after his mother Princess Elizabeth became Queen. 

In 1969 he was invested as Prince Of Wales where he pledged an oaf to his Mother Queen Elizabeth II, it was watched by millions of people who saw the investiture live. 

After he became Prince Of Wales he started to do the work of a Prince Of Wales which involved helping his mother take overseas tours on her behalf or doing investitures on her behalf too. Also as Prince Of Wales he was allowed a little bit more lead in what he can say as he was not yet monarch. Which annoyed a lot of people and thinking that he would be a very meddling king.

In an interview for his 70th birthday in 2018 he made comment that he was not stupid and that there is only room for one monarch at a time and that he knew the responsibilities of a constitutional monarchy. He has in the past as Prince Of Wales been known for writing letters to various politicians about climate change, architecture and nature. 

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair said in an interview about Charles that he never considered these letters as interfering and that he was only writing these letters because he cared about the planet and the people who lives on the planet. He also mentioned in the interview that Charles was ahead of his time with what he was talking about with climate change and nature and at the time nobody wanted to believe him. 

As Prince Of Wales he became the backbone and the founder of The Prince's Trust (now known as The King's Trust) as in 1976 he finished his time in the army and used his severance pay of £7,400 to launch the charity. The charity's aim is to help young people between 11 to 30 who are unemployed or had a difficult time to find work experiences and go on courses to help them find a stable job or to set up a business from scratch. 

Over the nearly 50 years this charity has helped millions of young people nationally and internationally. Every year The King's Trust holds an award show for all the young people and their achievements and where they are now to where they were then. The charity will celebrate 50 years in 2026. 

King Charles currently has over 400 patrons which he is either patron of or the president of which is charities like Cancer Research UK, Macmillan Cancer, Age UK, The Canal and The River Trust. These patronages increased after his mother Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022. 

When it comes to climate change and nature Charles has always been passionate about nature and the climate change and has always spoken out about it. He has always believed that nature is gods greatest gift to us and that we are not paying enough attention to the planet and the climate change that could destroy our planet. 

He has always been on various documentaries and done various interviews on this topic and is always voicing his anger on how we need to take more care of our planet. This outspoken view is only Charles showing care and compassion to people and the planet. People often take this as Charles being mad and politically interfering. 

Another thing that he has been made fun of is when he admits to talking to his plants and people call him mad and loony for talking to plants because they cannot answer him back. This has in the past hurt him but he in the end took the jokes that were made about him and he just laughed along with these people. 

Another thing that he gets laughed at for is his views on architecture and how he made his own model village called Poundbury which is a sustainable town with houses made of sustainable building materials. People who live there believe that this town is the future of building although the houses and the shops are quite pricey. 

The Duchy Of Cornwall is a Duchy for The Prince Of Wales where there is land where the Duke Of Cornwall can get income from its various estates. When Charles first took over as the Duke Of Cornwall the duchy was in a sorry state. When he became old enough to run the duchy himself he made sure that the people on the land were looked after and made sure that farming land especially was passed down through generations. 

From 1993 to 2022 the then Prince Charles voluntarily paid income tax on the duchy's surplus which is something that his son William is yet to do. As Duke Of Cornwall he began making his own organic products like the Duchy Original biscuits which the profits went to charity. 

In 1990 Charles formed a charity called The King's Foundation which was inspired by Charles's philosophy of harmony. The King's foundation does education programmes on farming, traditional arts and crafts and health and Wellbeing. These courses and classes are based across the country including Highgrove Gardens which is The King and Queen's private country home, The Castle Of Mey which was once owned by Charles's grandmother Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and Dumfries House. 

Since the charity launched 35 years ago they have made an impact in 35 other countries. The overseas work ranges from planning a sustainable new neighbourhood to restoring historic buildings. On the 8th October 2025 The King's Foundation announced a new documentary about The King's visions in nature and sustainability that is due to be released in the new year of 2026. 

After his Mother's passing in 2022 he became King Charles III and started to do what his mother used to do as a monarch. He has watched his mother for over 70 years and learned the ropes from the very best. 

As King a lot of people are talking about religion saying that he "changed religion" or that he's supporting a certain religion which isn't entirely true. Queen Elizabeth II has always been seen supporting other religions and was sometimes seen wearing the appropriate outfits to match the religion that she supports. Both her and Charles have both been faithful Christians by going to church every single Sunday and other important religious events. 

You also have to be reminded that Charles's father Prince Philip was Greek and was also a believer in the Greek religion too. Charles still used this in his coronation to potentially pay tribute to his late father. It doesn't mean that he is turning. 

When it comes to the Meghan and Harry scandal I see a lot of people demanding that The King remove their titles or take Harry and his children off of the Line Of Succession which he cannot do. As a constitutional monarch he cannot remove any of that because the removal of titles etc has to come through parliament in order for this to happen. 

Being a constitutional monarch means that he can only advise the government not to enforce anything. Charles has absolutely no political powers over this country and does not enforce anything that the government at the time has done. As I do see people blame the King over something that the government has done which is just not fair on him. 

The hate that Charles still gets to this day along with Queen Camilla is when it comes to Diana and how their marriage ended and how it was all Charles and Camilla's fault despite the fact that Diana had multiple affairs during her marriage with Charles and that her behaviour pushed Charles over the edge. There is a blog on this page that goes into the marriage of Charles and Diana looking at both sides but researching various books and documentaries. 

When it comes to certain William and Catherine fans demanding Charles to abdicate just remember that a crowned and anointed monarch never ever abdicates. King Edward VIII abdicated but that was before a coronation or a crown being placed on his head. This abdication crisis in 1936 is why monarchs never abdicate because it causes uproar and becomes a constitutional crisis. 

Ever since he was a child he has always been a sensitive boy who one day became King. All of this hate that people put on him especially after he found out that he has cancer in 2024 that you would think people would calm down over the hatred but it turned out that it isn't the case. 

All in all Charles is an amazing person who launched all of these charities and spoke about matters to the heart only because he cares about this world and completely cares about the people that live on this world. I don't understand why he is so hated for doing his job and helping people. Hopefully this blog and the information on it will show that he is very misunderstood. 

The Funeral Of Queen Elizabeth II

 On the 19th September 2022 the queen was laid to rest in London and Windsor. 

The King and his siblings arrived at Westminster Hall to walk in the procession. On the coffin The King wrote a note that said "In Loving and devoted memory Charles R" that was hidden amongst the flowers which was handpicked by Charles himself from Highgrove and other royal residences one of the flowers were myrtle which was the late queen's wedding flower in her bouquet. 

Also on the coffin was the Imperial State Crown, Orb and Sceptre as well at the wreath and the handwritten note. The coffin was covered by The Royal Standard as it made its way along the road to Westminster Abbey. In the procession you had the new King and his younger siblings as well as his two sons and extended family. 

When they arrived at the abbey the wives and partners were ready to stand next to their other halves. When he got into Westminster Abbey the new King seemed to have trouble taking off his gloves which made him nearly breakdown. He felt calmer when Camilla stood by his side. 

As the coffin arrived at the abbey eagle eyed noticed that a small spider crawling over the top of the handwritten note. The traditional symbolism of spiders as good omens and it's origins became apparent in royal gardens. 

The planning of this royal funeral has been in the making in years and years so people knew exactly what to expect as a part of the funeral. 

The coffin entered the abbey at 11am and that's when the service started. The attendees to the funeral included King Charles's grandchildren Prince George and Princess Charlotte as well as all the late queen's grandchildren, great grandchildren and cousins. Other heads of state were also in attendance. 

Throughout the service we saw emotion through her children and grandchildren. King Charles III being a sensitive man himself did really struggle as he was seen wiping tears at various moments of the service especially God Save The King luckily he was supported by his wife Camilla during both services. We also saw Prince Edward and his wife Sophie wiping tears from their eyes in the service. 

There was a two minute silence that happened near the end of the service along with a emotional rendition of God Save The King then came the bagpipes that played the lament of Sleep Dearie Sleep. 

After the service the royal family took themselves behind the coffin to walk round London until they got to the marble bridge to where they watched the coffin being lifted onto the hearse. Her late majesty's only daughter Princess Anne who has accompanied her mother throughout her journey accompanied her to her final resting place at Windsor Castle where her committal service took place. 

The coffin then made it's way to Windsor Castle with Princess Anne accompanying it to it's final journey. When the coffin arrived at the long walk and making it's way up to the castle itself this would've been the last time that the public could get to see the coffin. 

As the coffin entered its final journey it was met with Queen Elizabeth II's pony named Emma who looked as though she was bowing to her owner one last time. As the coffin entered the quadrangle the coffin and procession then slowly went past two of her corgis named sandy and mick. Waiting at the other side of the quadrangle was her children and family ready to walk behind the coffin for one final time. 

The King who at this point of the ceremony was clearly and visibly struggling to keep it together was supported by his loyal sister Princess Anne who has been really supporting him throughout along with Camilla. 

Lining the way were all of the staff who worked for her including the cooks and housekeeping staff. In the cars behind the coffin was The Queen, Princess Of Wales and her children along with the other spouses. 

The committal service is where the coffin is lowered into a vault to where other past members of the royal family are until they can be buried along with their spouses and close relatives. In this case Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband Prince Philip can be buried together after the committal service takes place. There's a private burial that takes place after the coffin goes down the vault to where the family can have their personal moment to say goodbye. 

During the service the crown jewels are seen being taken off the coffin for the next monarch to use for their coronation. The King places a company colour flag onto the coffin to signify where the commanding officer, The lord chamber who is the most senior member of the royal household then breaks his want to signify that his duty is done. 

The coffin then goes down the vault slowly along with a lone bagpipe that was playing the lament as he made his way slowly out of the chapel allowing the music to fade as the coffin is lowered into the vault. The camera stayed on the lone bagpipe player as the coffin was lowered to allow the family to grieve. 

The national anthem then played for a final time which was also really emotional as her son was seen almost in tears during the anthem. People thought that during this version of the national anthem that The New King nearly lost it and broke down. 

About an hour after after the funeral aired Buckingham Palace announced on their social media pages that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest in the King George VI chapel along with her late husband, mother, sister and father. 

The funeral was beautifully stunning as well as heartbreaking and it was really really hard to see her family grieve so publicly and to see them cry at certain areas of the service. This is one of the times where it just goes to show that our royal family are human too. 

As the world said goodbye to a monarch who has served her nation for over 70 years we welcomed a new King who so far has made his mother proud. God Save The King 

The relationship Of The Queen Mother and King Charles III

 In this blog I will look at the relationship between King Charles III and his grandmother Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. 

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was the mother of Queen Elizabeth II and the wife of King George VI. On the 14th November 1948 her first grandson Prince Charles Philip Arthur George was born. 

From Charles's birth she was smitten with him. Growing up he was always in the company of his grandparents when his parents were away on tours and engagements. 

On 6th February 1952 her husband King George VI passed away at the age of 53 years old from lung cancer. In heartbreak and grief Elizabeth turned to her 2 grandchildren Charles and Anne for distraction. Their cheeky personalities and their playfulness kept her going through her grief and heartbreak. 

Charles has always been a sensitive child and Elizabeth took him under her wing and provided a shoulder to cry on for him. People who have looked at the relationship between grandson and grandmother stated that Charles potentially reminded Elizabeth of her husband King George VI who was also very very sensitive. 

When his mother became Queen she toured the commonwealth Charles and Anne stayed with nannies and also spent a lot of time with their Grandmother and Auntie. 

Elizabeth absolutely doted on Charles. When Charles started school with Gordonstoun it was Elizabeth who was concerned of Charles in being the sensitive child he was that the school was too tough for him but his father Prince Philip insisted that he would attend to his old school to toughen him up. 

When it came to his love life his grandmother was trying to match Charles up with various women along with Lord Mountbatten. Charles dated all these women until he laid eyes on Camilla Shand. She and Charles clicked straight away and would go on dates all of the time. Charles liked her love of nature and her fun and witty personality. 

However Charles and Camilla's relationship didn't last. His grandmother Elizabeth didn't like the fact that Camilla had a past and her partying personality so she asked her family to arrange a marriage between her and Andrew Parker Bowles. She came up with this idea along with Lord Mountbatten. 

In December 1936 King Edward VIII abdicated from the throne due to marrying a divorcee. Elizabeth reckoned that his abdication stressed her husband out and caused his early death. This is why she didn't approve of her grandson's relationship with Camilla. She was worried that it would cause a big scandal like the abdication. But the decision to get Camilla married to another man caused an even bigger scandal. 

On the 29th July 1981 Charles married Lady Diana Spencer. Unfortunately this was a forced marriage as his family pushed him to marry a virgin so that he could produce an heir. At the time of his marriage to Diana everyone was hyped to see a marriage that came out of a fairy tale. However things were not as they seemed in the marriage. 

I did write a blog on Charles and Diana and their relationship a few months ago which can be found on my main blog page. 

Charles was completely depressed and down during his marriage to Diana. His grandmother was very supportive but encouraged him to keep going in his marriage and to keep trying. During his marriage with Diana he began seeing Camilla again after Diana started having an affair with a guy called James Hewitt. 

In 1997 Charles and Diana got a divorce, Elizabeth was very very disappointed with the news but felt sorry for her grandson for the press attention that he received during this time. In August Lady Diana tragically passed away in a car accident, all Elizabeth did was stay with her grandson and her young great grandsons who lost their mother. 

In 1999 Charles and Camilla's relationship went public when they left together at The Ritz Hotel after a birthday party. The true feelings of Elizabeth's reaction to the public relationship was unknown but it has been said that Elizabeth detested Camilla for getting between Charles and Diana. 

After all the scandals with Charles and Diana she was still incredibly close to her grandson. 

In her later years Charles took care of his grandmother by helping her to walk by being seen arm in arm with his grandmother. When she went into hospital in her later life it was Charles who visited her first and who picked her up and took her home and took care of her. When she reached 100 years old on the 4th August 2000 Charles was the one who stayed by his grandmother's side throughout the whole celebration including the pageant. 

In February 2002 Elizabeth's youngest daughter passed away at the age of 71 years old from a stroke. Charles was the one who rushed to his grandmother's side to comfort her and support her. 

On the 30th March 2002 on Good Friday, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother passed away at Royal Lodge Windsor at the age of 101. She passed away from old age and from a continuous cold that she contracted in December of 2001. 

Charles was holidaying in the Klosters. He found out during a phone call with his mother, He was absolutely heartbroken and devastated over his beloved grandmother's death. Apparently Harry once said of his father's reaction as that he never saw his father so heartbroken before. 

He and his two sons cut their holiday short to get back to the UK. Charles apparently really minded that he wasn't at his grandmother's side for her final hours. 

A few days after her death he made a televised tribute to his "Magical grandmother" by complimenting his grandmother's sense of humour and her love to her family and how she helped the nation during the Second World War he also mentioned how she understood the British Character. During the tribute it was very clear by his body language and voice that he was heartbroken and struggled to think of things to say with the pauses between words. He also said that he dreaded this moment and he never thought that her death would come. 

He also mentioned that he learnt so much from her and how he adored her as a child. She and Charles would write letters to each other and he would call her letters "sparkling." He also used to laughed with her until they cried and he stated that he "shall miss those laughs" 

At her funeral you could see how heartbroken he was. Various newspapers at the time stated that he gripped onto his sword incredibly tightly that people actually feared that he would fall on his knees. During the sermon the papers also noted that his lip started trembling and his eyes were pricked with tears and he flinched everytime the archbishop mentioned her name. Luckily at the funeral his longtime companion Camilla Shand was invited by Queen Elizabeth II as a family friend but I think the real reason was for her to show her support in a distance way to her eldest son who was really really struggling. 

After her funeral Charles inherited Birkhall her Scottish retreat on the Balmoral estate to him, Clarance house in London and the Castle Of Mey in Scotland. He goes to these places very often and currently resides in Clarance house with his wife Camilla who moved in with him in 2003. 

Birkhall was also the place where he proposed to Camilla in December 2004. Camilla's engagement ring was The Queen Mother's that was given to her by Queen Mary as a wedding gift. 

Now as we look back on Elizabeth's relationship with Charles it has become very clear that his now second wife Queen Camilla supports him in the exactly the same way as his grandmother by being there for him and not leaving his side. 

To this day he spends her birthdays at the Castle Of Mey at the start of August every single year. He still uses Birkhall as a retreat during his wedding anniversary to Camilla and every summer.