Charles, Prince of Wales, marks his 72nd birthday with unseen autumnal snap

Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales, turns 72 today - November 14.

An official portrait of Charles, Prince of Wales
An official portrait of Charles, Prince of Wales
(Image credit: Getty)


Charles, Prince of Wales - the Queen's eldest son - turns 72 today, on November 14.

When is the Prince of Wales’ birthday?

Charles, Prince of Wales is celebrating his 72nd birthday today - November 14. And marked the occasion with a rare, unseen snap of him wearing a traditional kilt in the garden.

Clarence House - the official Instagram account for the Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall - shared the photograph and wrote, “Thank you for all the well wishes on The Prince of Wales’s 72nd birthday.”

The official social media account for his mother, the Queen - who recently granted the public an extra bank holiday to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee in 2022 - shared two adorable photographs - a black and white shot of him as a baby and a more recent one of the pair laughing.

The caption read, “Wishing The Prince of Wales a very happy birthday today! Follow our link in bio to find out more about His Royal Highness’s life and work. #happybirthdayhrh.”

Charles’ eldest son, Prince William, and his wife The Duchess of Cambridge were next in line to mark the milestone.

Alongside a picture of him grinning, they wrote, “Wishing a very Happy Birthday to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales!”

His birthday is, coincidentally, just one day before The Crown series 4 airs on Netflix on November 15.

Is Prince Charles heir to the throne?

Despite being 72, Prince Charles is currently heir to the throne and will only take over the Monarchy if Her Majesty abdicates, retires or dies. 

Could Prince William be King before Prince Charles?

Yes, only if Prince Charles died before the Queen. Prince William - Charles’ eldest son - would then be next in line to the throne. 

How many years has the Queen reigned?

The Queen will be celebrating 70 years on the throne on February 6 2022 and plans are in place to stage a series of events from 2-5 June.

It was revealed this week that the country will enjoy an extra bank holiday to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Georgia Farquharson

Georgia writes across Woman & Home and Good to Know and specialises in all things royal. Previously labelled the "Queen of the royals," Georgia knows the whose who and what's what when it comes to the monarchy. When she's not eagerly following the royal family, Georgia enjoys shopping and self-care. She lives with this motto in mind; "if your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough."