Facts About Prince Charles' Past That May Result in Him Abdicating the Throne

As news hits that Queen Elizabeth II is shortly due to retire from the throne, Prince Charles will be getting ready for his duties as King. While the Queen is the face of the monarchy, Prince Charles has been establishing himself as one of the most important people in the family. How much do we really know about Prince Charles and the life of the man who will be King before too long? We are taking a look at Charles and sharing some of the facts and secrets we’ve discovered about the legendary Royal and whether or not he really is suitable!

Keeping it in the family

Prince Charles famously married Lady Diana Spencer, and that marriage brought the world’s two favorite princes, William and Harry. Things might have been very different if Charles married the woman he was dating before finding a match in Diana.

Before Diana was the woman in his life, Charles was actually dating her sister, Sarah for a little while. Things didn’t work out between them, and it was Sarah who called the whole thing off. Their relationship was over once Sarah made it absolutely clear that there was no interest from her side in marrying the future King of the UK and there was some serious speculation as to why.

A fan of the arts

Many who rub shoulders with the sorts of people that Prince Charles does have a love of art. For the majority of those people that means collecting expensive pieces but not really getting their hands dirty themselves. Prince Charles not only has a love of collecting amazing artwork, he likes to create his own too.

Although the critics don’t seem particularly fond of Charles’ work, the Prince of Wales continues to make pieces for the love of it. Then to help raise money for some of his causes, Charles will actually sell his creations with the proceeds going to charity.

A distant relative

In the world of the Royal Family, it’s not uncommon for some of the members to have links to famous noble people from the past. After all, some dynasties were concerned about keeping their bloodlines as pure as possible, so there was a limited number of partners available.

That means those in positions of power are more likely to be related to kings and queens of the past. The same can be said of Prince Charles, who has links to one very surprising former powerful man. Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration behind Dracula, is an ancient ancestor of Prince Charles.

The “Wedding of the Century”

When Charles got married to Diana back in 1981, the press deemed the occasion the “Wedding of the Century.” Diana was marrying into the Royal Family, and in the future, she was going to be in a position of power. Despite it being such a momentous occasion, Prince Charles was reportedly not that keen on the ceremony taking place.

Some reports claimed Charles was weeping on the night before the wedding, perhaps due to some doubts about the match. It seems his doubts were justified as the pair were unable to make the marriage work and were separated 11 years later.

Raising money

Charles might be fortunate enough to be part of an incredibly wealthy family, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting to help others. He could bask in the glory of his wealth and power, but Charles uses this position for good.

Charles is responsible for a ton of different charitable organizations, all of which help to raise over $100 million each year. His help means more people have a better chance of living comfortable lives.

The Prince loves squirrels

Most of us have a favorite animal, and it seems the Prince of Wales has a soft spot for fluffy rodents. One of Charles’ favorite animals is the humble little squirrel. Many of the little creatures that run around his estate in Scotland have been named by Charles as he grows closer to the wildlife around his home.

Charles is so fond of the bushy-tailed creatures he even allows them to run around his house.

Dating Barbra Streisand?

While Charles was studying at university, it was rumored that he developed a huge crush on one of the biggest stars at the time, Barbra Streisand.

As the Prince of Wales, Charles had the fortune of being able to meet the star of the big screen several times in his life. There was a rumor once that Charles and Barbra had an affair, but there was never any conclusive proof to confirm or debunk it.

Close to the Queen Mother

Charles was incredibly fond of his grandmother, the Queen Mother, and the two were thought to be close. She was always very supportive of the decisions Charles made throughout his life, and she was a big champion of his.

Sadly for Charles, the Queen Mother passed in 2002, and the prince commented that she meant everything to him. Losing any family member can be tough, but this one reportedly hit Charles harder than most others.

He’s a published author

The Prince has many talents, and one of those seems to be as an author. In 1984 he had a children’s book published titled ‘The Old Man of Lochnagar.’ Like many children’s books, it had to be a little whacky, and this story centers around an old man who lives in a cave.

The cave is located in a familiar place for Charles, near the ancestral home of the Royal Family at Balmoral in Scotland.

He’s got style

Since he was old enough to dress himself, Prince Charles has been praised for his great sense of style. The Prince of Wales always dresses to impress, no matter what the occasion, and he’s always got the perfect outfit for whatever he’s doing.

In fact, Charles’s style is so universally appreciated that in 2009 he was named Esquire magazine’s ‘World’s Best-Dressed Man.’ Throughout the years Charles has always been the best-dressed person in the room.

He’s been waiting

Prince Charles has been waiting a long time to sit on the throne, so long it’s a record. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, is the longest-serving British monarch ever which means Charles has been waiting to sit on the throne the longest, and she’s still going strong.

Charles has been patiently waiting to take a seat on the throne since 1953, and there are no signs that his wait is coming to an end soon.

A tricky relationship

Prince Charles and his father Prince Philip haven’t always seen eye to eye when it comes to how they should live their lives. Philip has allegedly pushed Charles into some situations in his life he wasn’t all that comfortable with, including his boarding school and marriage to Diana.

It appears that Charles is more of a romantic when it comes to his own life, while Philip often steers his son toward what’s the sensible option.

His famous car

Prince Charles is known as a stylish man, and that’s not just his clothes. The future King also has a thing for cars, and one, in particular, is his pride and joy. Charles’ Aston Martin DB6 MKII was given to him as a 21st birthday present, and he still loves driving it today.

He has made one significant change to the vehicle though, and it no longer runs on gas, instead, it’s powered by wine.

A picky eater

Although he’s grown up with the finer things, Charles can be fussy when it comes to certain foods. Charles has a personal chef, which is great because he has some special food requirements, like his eggs being boiled for exactly seven minutes.

His eating habits are so particular that often when he visits friends, Charles will actually bring his own food instead of eating theirs. That takes the pressure away from his friends at least!

He’s magic!

Charles likes to try his hand at different things, and in 1975 he decided he would like to join the Magic Circle. The Magic Circle is an organization of professional magicians that requires people to pass an examination to gain entry.

Charles had been trying out his magician skills for long enough to pass the official examination of the organization. We wonder if his best trick is getting a royal flush when he plays poker.

He has green fingers

Charles is an advocate for saving the planet, and he’s also a lover of all things plant. The prince loves to grow them on his estate, but his relationship with plants goes far beyond just watering them.

Charles has been known to talk to the plants he’s growing, and he thinks that this is what helps them to grow in his gardens. If the plants don’t flower, he threatens to throw them in the composter.

He’s like most of us

Like half of the world’s population, Prince Charles is a huge fan of the fantasy books series, Harry Potter. The Prince of Wales is very fond of reading the books to his grandchildren, and he gets really into it.

The rumors are that Charles loves reading the books to his family so much that he’ll make up different voices for each of the characters on the page. We wonder what Hogwarts house Charles belongs to.

Alternative treatments are alright

Prince Charles is a big advocate of using alternative medicines, despite the disdain many health professionals have for them. Doctors in the UK might not enjoy hearing it, but Charles is all for homeopathic treatments.

Charles encourages the NHS (National Health Service) to introduce more of these treatments for patients, despite the fact there are no proven benefits. Perhaps the placebo effects gained from these treatments are often all a patient needs to feel better.

His own food company

Maybe because he’s such a fussy eater, Prince Charles decided to create his own food manufacturing company. Charles’s food company, called Duchy Originals, only supplies organic ingredients and first hist stores back in 1990.

Since then, Prince Charles’ company has been growing from strength to strength, with the majority of the profits going to charity. The brand has raised over $11 million for Charles’ various charitable organizations and is helping Charles to make a difference.

His net worth

Being so high up in the Royal Family means Charles is already worth quite a lot of money. Charles is thought to be worth around $400 million thanks to the income he gains from the Duchy of Cornwall.

This is the collection of estates in Charles’ name which spans well over a dozen countries. That net worth is set to soar whenever he does finally sit on the throne who is worth over $500 million.

He could change his name

When the time finally comes for Prince Charles to become King, he might end up changing his name. The previous two King Charles’ didn’t enjoy the best of reputations so Charles might not want to associate himself with them.

Instead, he could go with his middle name, George, or go for something else entirely. Kings and Queens get to decide their ruling name, and it doesn’t have to be the same as their birth name.

He’s got a frog named after him

Prince Charles has been advocating for the conservation of wildlife for many years, and that’s resulted in an animal being named after him. In 2012 a newly discovered species of frog was discovered in Ecuador, and it was called Hyloscirtus Princecharlesi.

His conservation work in the rainforest is the reason why the frog was named after him, but it’s endangered. Charles’ Rainforest Project is going to have to keep working hard to save this species.

Keeping Quiet

Prince Charles is known for his opinions and sometimes not keeping them to himself. He had a lot to say about Prince Harry’s relationship with Meghan Markle and he certainly did not keep it a secret. Throughout his mother’s reign, he has been known to speak out about things that a future king should probably keep quiet about.

If it’s one thing Queen Elizabeth II has learned during her time, it’s that one should keep one’s opinions to one’s self! The Royals are meant to stay away from politics but Charles has been known for standing up for what he believes. As a Prince, it may slide, but it definitely won’t as a King.

Spending Money

The future Kings attitude towards flying may become a big problem when he reaches the throne. If it is one thing the British public don’t like to see, it is the Royals “wasting” taxpayers money.

While other members of the Royal family have been happy to fly on regular airlines or even sometimes by coach, Prince Charles is not one of them. He even refuses to fly first class, this could be a big problem for the Royals if the King is seen to be taking advantage of the peoples hard earned money.

Nicknames

Prince Charles’ staff have their very own nickname for him, referring to him as “The Boss”, this is not very King-like at all. In fact, no person is permitted to ever refer to the Queen or King as anything other than their title and first name.

This is a Royal rule that has been passed on through centuries and is firmly stuck in place, even today. Though the nickname may be light-hearted, it has been said that Prince Charles should have already taken control of the nickname long ago, since it was also blatant that he would one day become King.

Celebrity Friends

Joan Rivers was also rumored to have had a fling with Prince Charles however this was quickly squashed and details of a friendship between the pair became apparent. Members of the Royal family shouldn’t be seen as to have a relationship with any celebrities, especially outspoken ones such as Joan Collins.

The personality is known to attend Prince Charles’ Highgrove country retreat and get on well with Camilla, she said, “I love her. She’s a great old broad. She just gets it.”

Ahead Of Time

As well as the flying, Prince Charles is also said to be rather demanding when it comes to visiting friends. Again, this is something that a King should not do. It is common courtesy when you are the Queen or King, to be respectful of people who are hosting you.

The Queen, for example, has to act polite and charmed on all occasions, no matter what the situation is. Prince Charles has already proven that this isn’t the way for him when he visited a friend’s home in northern England, he sent his staff a day before him to change some of the furniture that he thought was more appropriate.