A king in waiting: Prince Charles at 70

Born on November 14, 1948, Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor is best known to the world as Prince Charles. The Prince of Wales' mother, Elizabeth, comes from the House of Windsor. His father, Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, was naturalized the year before his son's birth under the name of Mountbatten.

In 1952, his mother became Queen Elizabeth II, making little Charles the heir apparent to the throne. From then on, the then-4-year-old could expect to become king one day. Despite the royal title, he was the first heir apparent to go to a normal elementary school in London instead of having a private tutor.

Prince Charles didn't have an easy time at school. His classmates often teased him because of his big ears. His academic achievements weren't exceptional; he even had to repeat a year. Prince Philip insisted that his son should be sent to a "school with discipline and order," so Charles then attended two of his father's former boarding schools, including Gordonstoun in Scotland.

While Prince Charles said in later interviews that the "toughness" of the elite private school was much exaggerated, many biographical accounts of his years there depict those years as extremely difficult for the sensitive prince. He was afterwards admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge, and studied archaeology.

A classic among the royal family's pictures: Philip and Charles wear a Scottish kilt and a sporran, the traditional purse that goes with it, while Lord Snowdon (r.), Princess Margaret's husband, opts for a common suit. As a non-noble, he was freed from the constraints of court etiquette. Standing to the left of Prince Charles is his sister, Princess Anne.

His service in the Royal Navy and the British Air Force (1971-76) turned Charles into a self-confident, attractive prince in uniform. His various love affairs made him known as a "playboy prince" in the British press. The young Lady Diana Spencer also fell for his charm. They married on July 29, 1981 — a dream wedding.

Prince Charles didn't take marital fidelity very seriously. Getting married to the 19-year-old Diana was a pragmatic decision to upkeep the royal dynasty, but his heart belonged to another woman. He pursued his love affair with the married Camilla Parker-Bowles for years, which led Diana to later complain: "There were three of us in this marriage so it was a bit crowded."

They nevertheless spent years appearing together as a harmonious couple, such as here in 1985 on a state visit to the US. President Ronald Reagan (left) and Charles smile as Nancy Reagan and Princess Diana chat. Lady Di sported a very fashionable hairstyle, while Charles' look was rather classic.

Charles and Diana managed to produce such "happy family" pictures despite their rocky marriage. But rumors of infidelity were popping up in the tabloid press. In 1992, the couple officially announced their breakup.

Following Diana's accidental death in August 1997, Prince Charles became overnight the only parent left for his two sons William (left) and Harry. He patiently accompanied them through this painful loss.

While his responsibilities as a royal representative keep him busy, Prince Charles still finds time for a few hobbies. In addition to fox hunting, which brought him a lot of negative press, he regularly goes skiing. He's portrayed here in 2004 with his son William in Klosters, Switzerland. Polo was another one of his favorite sports, but he had to give up the horseback mounted game due to old age.

The heir to the throne likes to surround himself with attractive women, and photographers are more than willing to immortalize him mingling with the stars. Here, in a photo from the year 2000, Charles is with (from left to right) singers Kylie Minogue and Shirley Bassey and harpist Catrin Finch at the Royal Variety Performance in the Dominion Theater in London.

Prince Charles' representational duties means he also undertakes numerous trips abroad. His extremely dry sense of humor certainly helps him manage foreign affairs. His 2014 visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was however a private trip. In the capital, Riyadh, he took part in a folkloric dance known as "Arda," which involves dancing with a sword while wearing traditional Saudi dress.

Discreetly political — his title does not allow him any partiality — the "green" prince has been a longtime promoter of traditional craftsmanship in the UK and he campaigns for new perspectives on urban planning and ecological settlements. With the Prince's Trust, Charles also supports social projects to help bring unemployed youth back to work.

The world got to see the compassionate side of the Prince of Wales in May 2018, as Charles accompanied his daughter-in-law, the American Meghan Markle, to the altar in St. George's Chapel, for her wedding to Prince Harry. At the age of 70, Charles is the longest king-in-waiting, and if ever he does take on the royal title, he will be the oldest new monarch in British history.