Charles, prince of Wales

Charles (Philip Arthur George), prince of Wales

(born Nov. 14, 1948, Buckingham Palace, London, Eng.) Heir apparent to the British throne, son of Elizabeth II and Philip, duke of Edinburgh. In 1971 he studied at the University of Cambridge, becoming the first heir to the throne to obtain a university degree, and he later attended the Royal Air Force College and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. He took a tour of duty with the Royal Navy (1971–76). In 1981 he married Lady Diana Spencer (see Diana, princess of Wales), and they had two sons, William and Henry. Their marriage grew strained amid intense scrutiny from the press and rumours of infidelity; they divorced in 1996. He subsequently began publicly keeping company with Camilla Parker Bowles (b. 1947), and they married in 2005. He has been known for his advocacy of excellence in architecture and other causes.