Despite taking the throne much later than expected, King Charles III spent his entire life preparing for the day he would become king. That moment came on September 8, 2022, when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom’s longest-reigning monarch, died. At age 73, Charles is the oldest person to assume the British throne and must now put a lifetime of learning and shadowing his mother to the test.

Born Charles Philip Arthur George on November 14, 1948, in London, England, Charles was Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s first child. He became heir apparent to the British throne and received the title of Duke of Cornwall at age 3, after his grandfather, King George VI, died and his mother became queen. Charles attended the Hill House School in London before heading off to boarding school at Cheam School in Headley, Hampshire, England the following year. At age 9, he was made the Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester and began taking on more responsibilities.