The wait of a lifetime is over. Charles becomes the oldest monarch to ascend a British throne, aged 75, after a lifetime spent in the shadow of a giant mother.
A crown that has a great legacy to manage. Not a few have been those who have raised doubts about Charles' ability to guarantee the future and stability of the kingdom. It is no coincidence that many have called for William's accession to the throne, but the dynastic principle is not affected, the monarchical institution is not a popularity contest.
Who is the new king, Charles
He spent seven decades as first in line to the throne and is the longest-serving heir in British history.
Charles was born at Buckingham Palace on November 14, 1948, during the reign of his grandfather George VI.
Unlike previous heirs to the throne who received lessons from private tutors, the Queen and Prince Philip decided that their eldest son would go to school.
He broke royal tradition when he went straight to university after passing his A-levels instead of joining the armed forces, Sky News reports.
In 1969, Charles officially took the title, Prince of Wales. Charles first met Lady Diana Spencer in 1977.
"I remember thinking that as a 16-year-old she was very cheerful and fun and attractive," Charles later said of Diana.
The couple married in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey on July 29, 1981, an event watched by an estimated 750 million people worldwide.
In 1982, their first child, William, was born, and two years later, their second child, Harry, was born.
A year after her divorce from Charles, Diana died in a car accident in Paris along with her partner Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul.
But problems in the couple's marriage soon became apparent. Diana knew that Charles and Camilla were having an affair, which she confessed in an interview with Panorama in 1995. In 1996, they divorced.
Charles's strained relationship with Prince Harry has been in the spotlight in recent years.
Harry singled out his father for criticism during the Duke and Duchess' interview after he and wife Meghan stepped down from their royal duties and moved to California.
Harry said he felt "really let down" by his father and claimed Charles had stopped taking calls.