God save the King!

A profile of Charles III looks at the man behind the monarch

- JUDY EWENS

At the age of 73, King Charles III became the oldest monarch to ascend to the British throne following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September, aged 96, at Balmoral Castle.

As Charles turns 74 on 14 November, ITV’s one-off documentary Charles: Our New King, presented by Tom Bradby, looks at the man behind the monarch – from his birth, and childhood through to his long tenure as the Prince of Wales. There are insights from his friends and those who’ve worked with him in his younger years, plus people who have helped with causes close to his heart.

Charles was born in Buckingham Palace on 14 November 1948 and became heir apparent at three when his grandfather George VI died on 6 February 1952 and his mother became Queen II. On 2 June 1953, aged four, he attended his mother’s coronation.