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The Queen’s death after 70 years on the throne was a momentous event, but it has been the most seamless of transitions as the nation has welcomed Charles III as its new King. From his first walkabout – where his loyal subjects heartily sang God Save the King – to his brave and eloquent Christmas Day message, His Majesty has not put a foot wrong in the months since fulfilling his destiny. With the coronation now around the corner – where King Charles will be crowned alongside his Queen Consort Camilla, his devoted wife of 18 years – HELLO! is delighted to publish this special issue, which takes a comprehensive look at the evolution of his role from Prince of Wales to our new monarch. From his early years, through…

The wedding of Charles’s elder son and heir on 29 April 2011 was the greatest royal event the millennium had seen so far and the nation shared fully in his pride and joy. It also shared his warm approval of the bride, Kate Middleton, who had been at Prince William’s side since they’d met at university eight years earlier. Thousands upon thousands of cheering well-wishers lined the streets of London – and a record-breaking billion-strong TV audience tuned in worldwide – as 29-year-old Kate arrived at Westminster Abbey. Inside, the Queen led a congregation of almost 2,000, the most diverse yet seen on such an occasion. Postmen and politicians, charity workers and celebrities mingled with an international roll call of royals. Poised and lovely in an exquisite Alexander McQueen gown,…

When Charles succeeded his mother as monarch, he didn’t hesitate to get to work. Just one day after the Queen died, he – alongside his wife Camilla – was seen greeting people outside Buckingham Palace for the first time as King. As thousands of mourners gathered to pay their respects to the late monarch, he took time to admire the beautiful floral tributes that had been left. Looking solemn and deep in thought, he shook hands with some of those gathered, amid cries of “God bless the King!” “You’re so kind,” he was heard saying, while at one point, several people exclaimed: “Three cheers for the King – hip, hip, hooray!” SHARED SORROW Less than ten days later, His Majesty again greeted well-wishers when he and his son the Prince…

‘I treasure the friendships we have built over these past 70 years and look forward to their deepening’ Throughout his seven-decade tenure as heir to the throne, the King visited more than 100 countries and territories, starting with his first trip abroad, aged five, to Malta. Since then, he has travelled to all corners of the globe, meeting Presidents, Prime Ministers and icons, including Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa. But wherever he goes, he carves out time to meet ordinary people, too. He has been garlanded with flowers in Asia and the South Pacific, danced enthusiastically with his hosts in the Amazon rainforest and visited some of the world’s most extraordinary landmarks. As monarch, His Majesty will continue to fly the flag for the UK overseas and at home, hosting…

‘He will walk and walk and walk. He’s like a mountain goat and leaves everybody miles behind’ Britain’s best-loved gardener Alan Titchmarsh summed up Charles’s passions when he told HELLO! last year: “There is no doubting the King’s devotion and dedication to the landscape, to the environment, to sustainability. I think we know his feelings, even though he may no longer feel able to express them as King in the way he did as the Prince of Wales.” Throughout his 70 years as heir to the throne, Charles was able to relax and take his mind off his often challenging work through a variety of private passions and will no doubt hope to continue these as monarch. It’s no secret the King is a huge advocate of spending time in…

The service will ‘look towards the future while being rooted in traditions and pageantry’ A CLOSER LOOK AT THE CORONATION JEWELS The King’s date with destiny will see him crowned alongside his Queen Consort during a service conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. But although there will be elements that have appeared throughout more than 900 years of coronations at Westminster Abbey, the monarch is understood to be keen to modernise the service. Unlike the three-hour-long ceremony of his mother’s crowning, His Majesty’s is likely to take around one and a half hours and will play out in front of around 3,000 guests, compared with the 8,000 who packed the abbey on makeshift grandstands in 1953. The guest list is yet to be finalised, but is expected to include many…

People across the UK are being encouraged to spend some of their coronation bank holiday volunteering to support their local area. Organised by the Together Coalition with partners including the Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service, major charities and faith groups, The Big Help Out “will highlight the positive impact that volunteering has on communities across the nation”, Buckingham Palace said. It is likely that senior royals including the Prince and Princess of Wales will join in in some way. LEAVING A LEGACY Launching the initiative, Chief Scout Bear Grylls said: “Volunteering has always been a huge part of what makes this country great, from families looking after evacuees during the Second World War to neighbours looking out for each other during the pandemic.” Jon Knight, the chief executive of the…

The dashing young man in naval uniform was following in a well-established family tradition: the then Prince of Wales’s father, grandfather and two great-grandfathers had all served in the Royal Navy. So it seemed natural that the 23-year-old should choose the senior service for life in uniform. However, his six-year term of active service began a little later than other members of the royal family, as he chose to finish his education at Cambridge first. It was suggested that this was a delaying tactic from a reluctant recruit, who had to be persuaded by his father to join. But Prince Charles’s enthusiasm proved otherwise. Some of his inspiration for joining up may well have come from his great-uncle Earl Mountbatten of Burma, a confidant of Charles who had a long…

‘Our dad was there for us. But he was going through the grieving process as well’Prince Harry The Prince of Wales looks on in fascination as his 12-year-old son Prince Harry excitedly points out something that has caught his attention to his father and older brother Prince William, in this sweet picture of the three in Glenn Muick on the Balmoral estate in Scotland. It was 16 August 1997 and the royal trio were sharing a summer break in a place where they loved to spend time together in the great outdoors, hiking in the fresh air in the dramatic landscape of forests, lochs and glens. Charles and Diana had divorced the year before and had established how they would coparent their boys. But only 15 days after this photo…

‘As far as I’m concerned, it was just the two of us’Harry Seven years after Prince William’s wedding, his younger brother Prince Harry followed suit on 19 May 2018 with his own walk down the aisle. The 33-year-old former soldier had fallen head over heels in love with Californian actress Meghan Markle, three years his senior, and the public, too, was charmed. Meghan was hailed as bringing a breath of fresh air to the palace, where her mixed heritage would be an asset for the modern royal family. An atmosphere of joyful inclusivity and showbusiness glamour surrounded the nuptials. With international interest running high, an estimated 1.9 billion TV viewers from all over the globe tuned into the ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. Hollywood A-listers George Clooney,…

‘I didn’t want to be accused of not doing the things that needed doing at the time’ The King has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to the environment, with the world only just catching up with his ideas. Having made his first speech on the subject before the phrase global warming was coined, at just 21 he warned of threats from plastic waste, the dumping of chemicals and air pollution. “We are faced at this moment with the horrifying effects of pollution in all its cancerous forms,” he told a conference on the subject, Countryside In 1970. “In those early days I was described as old fashioned, out of touch and anti-science; a dreamer in a modern world,” he would later write. But despite being a…

He may have one of the most important jobs in the land, but the King certainly knows how to have fun – as he has proved many times. Whether it’s mixing cocktails, climbing, or starring in a sketch, the royal has always jumped at the chance to give anything a go, usually with a big smile on his face. His Majesty seldom turns down an opportunity to hit the dancefloor, as demonstrated during last year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, when he partnered a local farmer at a tea dance hosted by his Prince’s Foundation at his Gloucestershire home Highgrove. Similarly, the then Prince of Wales gamely learned some Irish dance moves in Co. Tipperary last spring and couldn’t resist joining in the traditional dancing during a visit to Mexico with the…

With the title of King comes a number of official and private homes across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The headquarters of the monarchy since 1837, Buckingham Palace is technically the official London home of the King and the Queen Consort – although with a ten-year restoration and renovation project under way, it seems likely that the royal couple will remain at their London residence, Clarence House, just a short stroll away. The 1820s five-bedroom house, however, is no competition for Buckingham Palace when it comes to size, with its 775 rooms including 19 state rooms and 92 offices over five floors with a doctor’s surgery, swimming pool, post office, cinema and jeweller’s workshop. It also has London’s largest private garden – which famously hosts three garden parties in…

Expect to see a riot of colour, carriages and cavalry as the royal family join Their Majesties on their journey Their Majesties will arrive at Westminster Abbey in The King’s Procession and will return to Buckingham Palace afterwards as part of a larger ceremonial procession, with the sumptuous 1762 Gold State Coach tipped to feature. Expect to see a riot of colour, carriages and cavalry as members of the royal family join them on their journey. Thousands of spectators are likely to line The Mall to catch a glimpse of the spectacle. Then, less than a year since their most recent appearance there with the Queen for her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Their Majesties will lead members of the royal family on to the balcony for the first time to wave…

‘People up and down the UK will do their bit’ Global music icons and stars of stage and screen will take part in a spectacular concert on the East Lawn at Windsor Castle to mark the historic weekend. Against the stunning backdrop of the almost 1,000-year-old castle, a world-class orchestra will play musical favourites fronted by superstar singers and dancers. There will also be a performance by The Coronation Choir – a diverse group of community choirs and amateur singers from across the UK, including refugee choirs, deaf signing ensembles and LGBTQ+ groups. Its members’ stories will be told in a new documentary. On the night, singers will perform alongside The Virtual Choir, made up of singers from choirs across the Commonwealth. The audience will include volunteers from the King…

It was his mother the Queen, a keen equestrian, who first taught the young Prince to ride Although Charles’s first and greatest loves were music, art and culture, the young Prince gamely tried his hand – and excelled – at a range of sports traditionally loved by the royals. As he matured, he gravitated to polo, skiing and fishing and particularly enjoyed practising his skills on the field at Windsor, tackling the slopes at Klosters and casting for trout in the River Dee at Balmoral. Polo, known to many as the “sport of kings”, was a firm favourite and he became a skilled player. His mother the Queen, a keen equestrian, first taught him to ride, alongside his sister Princess Anne when they were little. Although initially timid on horseback,…

The event was watched by a record-breaking TV audience It was called “the wedding of the century” before it even took place, encapsulating the excitement and hope, pomp and pageantry that surrounded the nuptials of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer on 29 July 1981. Across Britain, people enjoyed a bank holiday while the event, estimated to have cost £57m, was watched by a record-breaking global TV audience of 750 million viewers across 74 countries. The ceremony alone was attended by 3,500 guests, with a further 600,000 flocking to the streets of London to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds. Joining them were 5,000 police and military officers gathered along the two-mile procession route, some in disguise as carriage footmen. Swept up in the wedding fever, even the…

‘Theirs is a real love story and they have an amazing relationship’Penny Junor It hasn’t been a conventional royal romance, but Charles’s rock-solid marriage to Camilla has been a fundamental asset to his role as heir to the throne and then King. United on the world stage and devoted soulmates behind the scenes, their decades-long partnership has weathered many storms, navigated well by the couple who have grown stronger together as a result. “Theirs is a real love story and they have an amazing relationship,” Penny Junor, author of The Duchess: Camilla Parker Bowles and the Love Affair that Rocked the Crown, tells HELLO!. “They both enjoy gardening, walking and painting and, above all, they really make each other laugh. “Camilla is hugely important to Charles and she is really…

With his head bowed and grief etched on his face, the new King Charles paid one of his last public acts of homage to his mother as she lay in state after her death. On the Friday night before the Queen’s funeral, against the majestic backdrop of 900-year-old Westminster Hall, Her Majesty’s eldest son was joined by his three siblings to hold a vigil around her coffin. They stood in silent contemplation for 15 minutes as they guarded their mother’s body, one week after she died. People who had queued for hours to make their own tribute watched their new King’s vigil in silence as they paid their own respects. DUTIFUL TO THE END The Queen had passed away on 8 September, having made her last official appearance just two…

Although the Queen Consort remains the main tower of strength for the King, three other women will continue to play major roles in supporting him in his slimmed-down core royal family. The Princess of Wales, the Princess Royal and the Countess of Wessex have all been instrumental in representing the family and fulfilling duties both at home and abroad. And although the British crown will belong to a man for the next three generations – King Charles will be succeeded by the Prince of Wales and then Prince George – the Windsor women will remain a strong force in public life. The second highest-ranking woman in the family after Camilla, the King’s daughter-in-law Kate is a key player, a position that Charles acknowledged in his first speech as monarch, when…

It is high among his achievements, a cause that has touched and transformed the lives of more than a million young people and will help even more while he is King. The Prince’s Trust, which was founded by the then Prince of Wales in 1976, as a key part of his mission to help unemployed and disadvantaged youngsters, has grown into one of the most successful funding organisations in Britain. STAYING CLOSE And although Charles has taken on new responsibilities since becoming monarch, he remains president of the trust, which is now the UK’s leading youth charity and still addresses causes close to his heart. “Charles is a King of the people and has always engaged with the people,” Dickie Arbiter, the Queen’s former press secretary and author of On…

As King, he is supreme governor of the Church of England and, as he is anointed with sacred oil during a deeply religious coronation ceremony, he will vow to “defend the faith”. But His Majesty’s crowning will be far more inclusive and diverse than with previous monarchs. He has long been passionate about promoting religious tolerance and holds regular meetings with leaders of other religions and Christian denominations to bolster inter-faith relations. In 1994, he famously declared that he was more a “defender of faith” than “the faith”, saying he preferred to embrace all religious traditions. Perhaps with an eye on his destiny, he clarified his words in a 2015 interview, saying: “I mind about the inclusion of other people’s faiths and their freedom to worship in this country. And…

‘Their Majesties are looking forward to marking the occasion with the public’ It will be a day that goes down in history when the King and Queen Consort are crowned together at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May. But along with the traditional pomp and splendour of the solemn religious ceremony, there will be a host of special events to mark the momentous occasion, bringing the nation together for a long weekend of celebrations. Tens of thousands of people are expected to line the streets of London to watch a magnificent carriage procession from the abbey to Buckingham Palace, where a traditional balcony appearance by the royal family will crown the day. The Coronation Big Lunch will see neighbours and communities come together to enjoy food and festivities on the…

‘Sharing friendship, food and fun gives people more than just a good time’ Communities will come together for street parties and picnics as they take part in The Coronation Big Lunch on Sunday 7 May. Overseen by The Big Lunch team at the Eden Project and supported by The National Lottery, thousands of events will take place in streets, gardens and parks across the UK to enable people to share in the national celebrations. The Queen Consort has been patron of The Big Lunch since 2013 and she and the now King attended a Big Lunch to mark the Platinum Jubilee last June. Last summer, one in four people across all four nations – 17.2 million in total – got together for a Big Lunch, raising £22m for good causes…