Charles King Popular Books

Charles King Biography & Facts

Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.Charles was born in Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and became heir apparent when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, acceded to the throne in 1952. He was created Prince of Wales in 1958 and his investiture was held in 1969. He was educated at Cheam School and Gordonstoun, and later spent six months at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia. After completing a history degree from the University of Cambridge, Charles served in the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976. In 1981, he married Lady Diana Spencer. They had two sons, William and Harry. Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, after they had each engaged in well-publicised extramarital affairs. Diana died as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash the following year. In 2005, Charles married his long-term partner, Camilla Parker Bowles. As heir apparent, Charles undertook official duties and engagements on behalf of his mother. He founded the Prince's Trust in 1976, sponsored the Prince's Charities, and became patron or president of more than 800 other charities and organisations. He advocated for the conservation of historic buildings and the importance of architecture in society. In that vein, he generated the experimental new town of Poundbury. An environmentalist, Charles supported organic farming and action to prevent climate change during his time as the manager of the Duchy of Cornwall estates, earning him awards and recognition as well as criticism; he is also a prominent critic of the adoption of genetically modified food, while his support for alternative medicine has been criticised. He has authored or co-authored 17 books. Charles became king upon his mother's death in 2022. At the age of 73 he was the oldest person to accede to the British throne, after having been the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales in British history. Significant events in his reign have included his coronation in 2023 and his cancer diagnosis the following year, the latter of which temporarily suspended planned public engagements. Early life, family, and education Charles was born at 21:14 (GMT) on 14 November 1948, during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, as the first child of Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (later Queen Elizabeth II), and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He was delivered by Caesarean section at Buckingham Palace. His parents had three more children, Anne (born 1950), Andrew (born 1960) and Edward (born 1964). On 15 December 1948, at four weeks old, he was christened Charles Philip Arthur George in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher.George VI died on 6 February 1952 and Charles's mother acceded to the throne as Elizabeth II; Charles immediately became the heir apparent. Under a charter of Edward III in 1337, and as the monarch's eldest son, he automatically assumed the traditional titles of Duke of Cornwall and, in the Scottish peerage, the titles Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. On 2 June the following year, Charles attended his mother's coronation at Westminster Abbey.When Charles turned five, a governess known as Catherine Peebles, was appointed to oversee his education at Buckingham Palace. Charles then commenced classes at Hill House School in west London in November 1956. He was the first heir apparent to attend school, rather than be educated by a private tutor. He did not receive preferential treatment from the school's founder and headmaster, Stuart Townend, who advised the Queen to have Charles train in football, because the boys were never deferential to anyone on the football field. Charles subsequently attended two of his father's former schools: Cheam School in Hampshire, from 1958, followed by Gordonstoun, in the north-east of Scotland, beginning classes there in April 1962. In his 1994 authorised biography by Jonathan Dimbleby, Charles's parents were described as physically and emotionally distant and Philip was blamed for his disregard of Charles's sensitive nature, including forcing him to attend Gordonstoun, where he was bullied. Though Charles reportedly described Gordonstoun, noted for its especially rigorous curriculum, as "Colditz in kilts", he later praised the school, stating it had taught him "a great deal about myself and my own abilities and disabilities". He said in a 1975 interview he was "glad" he had attended Gordonstoun and that the "toughness of the place" was "much exaggerated". In 1966, Charles spent two terms at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia, during which time he visited Papua New Guinea on a school trip with his history tutor, Michael Collins Persse. In 1973, Charles described his time at Timbertop as the most enjoyable part of his whole education. Upon his return to Gordonstoun, he emulated his father in becoming head boy, and left in 1967 with six GCE O-levels and two A-levels in history and French, at grades B and C respectively. On his education, Charles later remarked, "I didn't enjoy school as much as I might have; but, that was only because I'm happier at home than anywhere else".Charles broke royal tradition when he proceeded straight to university after his A-levels, rather than joining the British Armed Forces. In October 1967, he was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied archaeology and anthropology for the first part of the Tripos and then switched to history for the second part. During his second year, he attended the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth, studying Welsh history and the Welsh language for one term. Charles became the first British heir apparent to earn a university degree, graduating in June 1970 from the University of Cambridge with a 2:2 Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. Following standard practice, in August 1975, his Bachelor of Arts was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) degree. Prince of Wales Charles was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on 26 July 1958, though his investiture was not held until 1 July 1969, when he was crowned by his mother in a televised ceremony held at Caernarfon Castle; the investiture was controversial in Wales owing to growing Welsh nationalist sentiment. He took his seat in the House of Lords the following year and he delivered his maiden speech on 13 June 1974, the first royal to speak from the floor since the future Edward VII in 1884. He spoke again in 1975.Charles began to take on more public duties, founding the Prince's Trust in 1976 and travelling to the United States in 1981. In the mid-1970s, he expressed an interest in serving as governor-general of Australia, at the suggestion of Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser; however, .... Discover the Charles King popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Charles King books.

Best Seller Charles King Books of 2024

  • How to Train Your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel synopsis, comments

    How to Train Your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

    Craig Daniels

    Want to learn how to be in control of your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel? Training your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy  Basic commands  Common puppy problems Housetr...

  • Different Seasons synopsis, comments

    Different Seasons

    Stephen King

    Includes the stories “The Body” and “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine A “hypnotic” (The New York Times Book Review) collection...

  • Sister Queens synopsis, comments

    Sister Queens

    Julia Fox

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERThe history books have cast Katherine of Aragon, the first queen of King Henry VIII of England, as the ultimate symbol of the Betrayed Woman, cruelly tosse...

  • The Dark Tower II synopsis, comments

    The Dark Tower II

    Stephen King

    The second volume in Stephen King’s #1 bestselling Dark Tower Series, The Drawing of the Three is an “epic in the making” (Kirkus Reviews) about a savage struggle against underworl...

  • The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Handbook synopsis, comments

    The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Handbook

    Linda Whitwam

    The FULL COLOUR Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Handbook is the most uptodate and indepth book on Cavaliers.  This big, beautifully illustrated book is essential reading for an...

  • From a Buick 8 synopsis, comments

    From a Buick 8

    Stephen King

    The #1 New York Times bestseller from Stephen Kinga novel about the fascination deadly things have for us and about our insistence on answers when there are none…Since 1979, the st...

  • Cujo synopsis, comments

    Cujo

    Stephen King

    The #1 New York Times bestseller, Cujo “hits the jugular” (The New York Times) with the story of a friendly Saint Bernard that is bitten by a bat. Get ready to meet the most hideou...

  • The Colorado Kid synopsis, comments

    The Colorado Kid

    Stephen King

    On an island off the coast of Maine, a man is found dead. There's no identification on the body. Only the dogged work of a pair of local newspapermen and a graduate student in fore...

  • The Lost Dogs synopsis, comments

    The Lost Dogs

    Jim Gorant

    An inspiring story of survival and our powerful bond with man's best friend, in the aftermath of the nation's most notorious case of animal cruelty. Animal lovers and sports fans...

  • The Dark Tower I synopsis, comments

    The Dark Tower I

    Stephen King

    “An impressive work of mythic magnitude that may turn out to be Stephen King’s greatest literary achievement” (The Atlanta JournalConstitution), The Gunslinger is the first volume ...

  • King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table synopsis, comments

    King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table

    Roger Lancelyn Green

    King Arthur is one of the greatest legends of all time. From the magical moment when Arthur releases the sword in the stone to the quest for the Holy Grail and the final tragedy of...

  • Skeleton Crew synopsis, comments

    Skeleton Crew

    Stephen King

    Includes the stories “Uncle Otto’s Truck” and “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut”set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, MaineFeatures “The Mist” now a TV series event on SpikeThe #1 New York...

  • The Regulators synopsis, comments

    The Regulators

    Stephen King

    Master storyteller Stephen King presents the classic, terrifying New York Times bestseller of those caught between the surreal forces of good versus evil in a small suburban Ohio t...

  • Finders Keepers synopsis, comments

    Finders Keepers

    Stephen King

    The second book in Stephen King’s Bill Hodges trilogy (Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, End of Watch)now an AT&T Audience Original Series!“Stephen King’s superb stayupallnight th...

  • Chasing the Boogeyman synopsis, comments

    Chasing the Boogeyman

    Richard Chizmar

    The acclaimed New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling novel of smalltown evil that “is genuinely chilling and something brandnew and exciting” (Stephen King) and “unforgettable” (...

  • Dreamcatcher synopsis, comments

    Dreamcatcher

    Stephen King

    From master storyteller Stephen King comes his classic #1 New York Times bestseller about four friends who encounter evil in the Maine woods.Twentyfive years ago, in their haunted ...

  • Insomnia synopsis, comments

    Insomnia

    Stephen King

    A #1 national bestseller“A yarn so packed with suspense, romance, literary reference, fascinating miscellaneous knowledge, and heart that only Stephen King could have written it. M...

  • Mr. Mercedes synopsis, comments

    Mr. Mercedes

    Stephen King

    WINNER OF THE 2015 EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL #1 New York Times bestseller! In a highsuspense race against time, three of the most unlikely heroes Stephen King has ever created try...

  • End of Watch synopsis, comments

    End of Watch

    Stephen King

    Now an AT&T Audience Original SeriesThe fabulously suspenseful and "smashing" (The New York Times Book Review) final novel in the Bill Hodges trilogy from the #1 New York Times...

  • Traitor King synopsis, comments

    Traitor King

    Andrew Lownie

    Drawing upon newly released archives, bestselling biographer Andrew Lownie tells the story of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's glittering lives after Edward abdicated the thr...

  • Act of Oblivion synopsis, comments

    Act of Oblivion

    Robert Harris

    From the bestselling author of Fatherland, The Ghostwriter, Munich, and Conclave comes this spellbinding historical novel that brilliantly imagines one of the greatest manhunts in ...

  • The Gown synopsis, comments

    The Gown

    Jennifer Robson

    One of the most anticipated reads from InStyle, HelloGiggles, Hypable, Bookbub, and Bookriot!One of Real Simple's Best Historical Fiction novels of the year!“The Gown is marve...

  • The Tommyknockers synopsis, comments

    The Tommyknockers

    Stephen King

    “Stephen King never stops giving us his all” (Chicago Tribune) in this #1 national bestseller about the idyllic small town of Haven, Maine, and its encounter with a deadly evil out...

  • The American Story synopsis, comments

    The American Story

    David M. Rubenstein

    Cofounder of The Carlyle Group and patriotic philanthropist David M. Rubenstein takes readers on a sweeping journey across the grand arc of the American story through revealing con...

  • To Catch A King synopsis, comments

    To Catch A King

    Charles Spencer

    In January 1649, King Charles I was beheaded in London outside his palace of Whitehall and Britain became a republic. When his eldest son, Charles, returned in 1651 to fight for hi...

  • The Royal Secret synopsis, comments

    The Royal Secret

    Lucinda Riley

    Note to readers: In the UK, this book is published under the title The Love Letter.“Plenty of twists, flashbacks, and a dash of romance keep the suspense high. For anyone looking f...

  • The Dark Tower IV synopsis, comments

    The Dark Tower IV

    Stephen King

    The fourth volume in the brilliant Dark Tower Series is “splendidly tense…riproaring” (Publishers Weekly)a #1 national bestseller about an epic quest to save the universe.In Wizard...

  • Christine synopsis, comments

    Christine

    Stephen King

    Stephen King’s ultimate evil vehicle of terror, Christine: the frightening story of a nerdy teenager who falls in love with his vintage Plymouth Fury. It’s love at first sight, but...

  • Riding the Bullet synopsis, comments

    Riding the Bullet

    Stephen King

    From international bestseller Stephen King the first ebook ever publisheda novella about a young man who hitches a ride with a driver from the other side.Riding the Bullet is “a gh...

  • The Queen Mother synopsis, comments

    The Queen Mother

    William Shawcross

    The official and definitive biography of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the most beloved British monarch of the twentieth century. Consort of King George VI, mother of Queen Eli...

  • The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon synopsis, comments

    The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

    Stephen King

    From international bestseller Stephen King, a classic story that engages our emotions on the most primal level, a fairy tale grimmer than Grimm but aglow with a girl’s indomitable ...

  • The Dark Tower III synopsis, comments

    The Dark Tower III

    Stephen King

    The third volume in the #1 nationally bestselling Dark Tower Series, involving the enigmatic Roland (the last gunfighter) and his ongoing quest for the Dark Tower, is “Stephen King...

  • The Dark Half synopsis, comments

    The Dark Half

    Stephen King

    Set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine A “wondrously frightening” (Publishers Weekly) tale of terror and #1 national bestseller about a writer’s pseudonym that comes alive...

  • Four Past Midnight synopsis, comments

    Four Past Midnight

    Stephen King

    Includes the story “The Sun Dog”set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, MaineThe Bram Stoker Prizewinner for Best Fiction Collectionfour chilling novellas from Stephen King that ...

  • Coolidge synopsis, comments

    Coolidge

    Amity Shlaes

    Amity Shlaes, author of The Forgotten Man, delivers a brilliant and provocative reexamination of America’s thirtieth president, Calvin Coolidge, and the decade of unparalleled grow...

  • King Charles synopsis, comments

    King Charles

    Robert Jobson

    An exhaustive and revealing biography of Britain’s new monarch, King Charles III, with fresh reporting by the journalist the Wall Street Journal dubbed “the Godfather of royal repo...

  • Highland Deception synopsis, comments

    Highland Deception

    Lori Ann Bailey

    National Readers Choice Winner and Holt Medallion Historical WinnerScotland, 1642. He has sworn he will never marry.Lachlan Cameron is honor bound to see a wounded lass to safety, ...

  • Thinner synopsis, comments

    Thinner

    Stephen King

    The “extraordinary” (Booklist) novel of a cursed man’s quest to find the source of his nightmare and to reverse it before he becomes…nothing at all. This #1 New York Times bestsell...

  • A Good Marriage synopsis, comments

    A Good Marriage

    Stephen King

    Now a major motion picture, Stephen King's brilliant and terrifying story of a marriage with truly deadly secrets.Darcy Anderson’s husband of more than twenty years is away on one ...

  • Mile 81 synopsis, comments

    Mile 81

    Stephen King

    Mile 81 is Stand by Me meets Christinethe story of an insatiable car and a heroic kid.At Mile 81 on the Maine turnpike is a boarded up rest stop, a place where high school kids dri...

  • Queen By Right synopsis, comments

    Queen By Right

    Anne Easter Smith

    From the awardwinning author of A Rose for the Crown, Daughter of York, and The King’s Grace comes another masterful historical novelthe story of Cecily of York, mother of two king...