BBC Weather is the BBC's department in charge of preparing and broadcasting weather forecasts and is now part of BBC News. The broadcast meteorologists are employed by the Met Office. The longest-serving BBC weather forecaster is Michael Fish, who appeared for 36 years between 1974 and 2010 and still occasionally forecasts for ''South East Today''.

History[link]

Early history[link]

The first BBC weather forecast was a shipping forecast broadcast on the radio on behalf of the Met Office on 14 November 1922, and the first daily weather forecast was broadcast on 26 March 1923.

In 1936, the BBC experimented with the world's first televised weather maps, which was brought into practice in 1949 after World War II. The map filled the entire screen, with an off-screen narrator commenting on the next day's weather.

Advancement of technology[link]

On 11 January 1954, the first in-vision weather forecast was broadcast, presented by George Cowling. In an in-vision the narrator stands in front of the map. At that point, the maps were drawn by hand in the London Weather Centre, before being couriered across London. The forecasts were presented by the same person who had composed them, and had relatively low accuracy. The London Weather Centre which opened in 1959 took the responsibility for the national radio weather broadcasts. Radio forecasters were chosen by a BBC audition from the forecasters at the London Weather Centre.

In 1962, the installation of a fax machine and an electronic computer in the Met Office led to more accurate and quicker forecasting.

Satellite photography was available from 1964, but was of a poor quality and was given on paper, with the coastline etched in felt-tip pen. This didn't change until 1973 with the installation of a new computer, increasing processing power of the Weather Centre greatly, leading to forecasts twice as accurate as earlier ones.

Graphical technology[link]

As computational capability improved, so did graphics technology. Early hand-drawn maps gave way to magnetic symbols, which in turn gave way to bluescreen (CSO) computer-generated imagery technology, each of which allowed the presenter greater control over the information displayed.

Early magnetic symbols tended to adhere poorly to the maps, and occasional spelling errors (such as the presenter writing 'GOF' instead of 'FOG') marred some broadcasts, but allowed the presenter to show how weather would change over time. The symbols were designed to be 'self-explicit', allowing the viewer to understand the map without a key or legend.

These were phased out in 1985 for computer graphics, although the basic design of symbols was kept the same. These forecasts were widely-acclaimed for their simplicity, winning an award from the Royal Television Society in 1993.

On 2 October 2000 BBC Weather underwent a more significant change. Whilst there was not much change to the existing weather symbols new symbols giving information Pollen and Sun levels were introduced. A new more detailed map of Britain was used based on satellite data.

Great Storm of 1987 controversy[link]

Possibly the most famous of the forecasters is the now semi-retired Michael Fish. Famous for his informal manner and eccentric dress sense (he once wore a blue and green blazer emblazoned with all the weather symbols), he was a viewer favourite despite an unfortunate comment before the Great Storm of 1987.

During a weather forecast some hours before the storm, Michael Fish started his forecast with the now infamous line "''Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way. Well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't''". Although he was actually referring to a Florida hurricane (Floyd), and went on to forecast stormy conditions over the South of England, the statement has gone down in popular culture as one of the worst mistakes made so publicly.

Today[link]

The weather symbols were replaced in May 2005 after 29 years and 9 months on air by a controversial format as the forecast underwent another redesign, with the flat map replaced by a 3D globe, and weather conditions shown by coloured areas. Cloud cover is indicated by the brightness of the map, while rain and snow are indicated by animated blue and white areas respectively.

The graphics are provided by Weatherscape XT, which was developed by the commercial arm of the New Zealand Metservice.

The move polarised opinion; some saw it as more accurate and modern, while others disliked the brown colour chosen for the landmass and the presumed high cost of the graphics. The angling of the map, in order to show the curvature of the Earth, led to Scotland appearing little larger than Devon, and Shetland being almost invisible while exaggerating London and the South East. This led to many Scottish commentators accusing the BBC of having a London bias. As a result, the map was realigned, and the moving tour of the UK was lengthened. The previous graphics however, from 2000–05, did appear geographically more accurate when compared with a satellite image.

The new look won a prestigious Silver Award at the Promax/BDA Awards in 2006. Criticism has continued, however, with some viewers complaining about the colour scheme, and of a lack of detail beyond 36 hours.

There have been continuous developments since May 2005. In 2006, a rippling effect was introduced to define seas and oceans.

Online forecasts[link]

The BBC Weather website provides outlook weather forecasts for UK and international locations using animated symbols and a format similar in design to that used for the televised broadcasts. The website launched in 1997.

The website also runs frequent special features about seasonal sports, white Christmas, nature and meteorological science. It also has world weather, UK outlook and weather news.

See also[link]

National, regional and retired BBC weather forecasters

References[link]

Further reading[link]

Hunt, Roger, "The end of weather forecasting at Met Office London", ''Weather'' magazine, Royal Meteorological Society, June 2007, v.62, no.6, pp. 143–146

External links[link]

Weather Category:Television news in the United Kingdom

simple:BBC Weather

name	Prince Charles
title	Prince of Wales; Duke of Rothesay (more)
spouses	Diana, Princess of Wales(m. 1981–1996)Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall(m. 2005–present)
issue	Prince William, Duke of CambridgePrince Harry of Wales
full name	Charles Philip Arthur George |groupfn |namesur}}

| house = House of Windsor | father = Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | mother = Elizabeth II | birth_date = November 14, 1948 | birth_place = Buckingham Palace, London, United Kingdom | date of christening = 15 December 1948 | place of christening = Buckingham Palace, London |alma_mater = Cambridge University | occupation = | religion = Church of England }}

Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George, born 14 November 1948) is the heir apparent and eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been ''His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales''. In Scotland he is additionally known as ''The Duke of Rothesay''. He is the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, having held this status since 1952.

The prince is well known for his humanitarian and social concern: he founded The Prince's Trust in 1976, sponsors The Prince's Charities, and is patron of many other charitable and arts organisations. For many years, the Prince has championed organic farming and sought to raise world awareness of the dangers facing the natural environment, such as climate change. He has been outspoken concerning the role of architecture in society and the conservation of historic buildings, and produced a book on the subject called ''A Vision of Britain'' (1989). He has also promoted herbal and other alternative medical treatment.

Charles was educated at Cheam and Gordonstoun Schools, which his father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, had attended as a child, as well as the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Australia. After earning a bachelor of arts degree from Trinity College, Cambridge, Charles served a tour of duty with the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976. His 1981 marriage to Lady Diana Spencer produced two sons, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (b. 1982) and Prince Harry of Wales (b. 1984). The couple divorced in 1996 after Diana publicly accused Charles of having an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, and Charles admitted adultery on television. Diana perished in a car crash in 1997. In 2005, after a lengthy continued association, the Prince married Camilla, who uses the title Duchess of Cornwall.

Early life[link]

Charles was born at Buckingham Palace on 14 November 1948 at 9.14 pm (GMT), the first child of then Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and first grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Baptised in the palace's Music Room on 15 December 1948, using water from the River Jordan, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, the Prince's godparents were: the King (his maternal grandfather); the King of Norway (his cousin, for whom the Earl of Athlone stood proxy); Queen Mary (his maternal great-grandmother); the Princess Margaret (his maternal aunt); Prince George of Greece (his paternal granduncle, for whom the Duke of Edinburgh stood proxy); the Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven (his paternal great-grandmother); the Lady Brabourne (his cousin); and the Hon David Bowes-Lyon (his maternal great-uncle). By letters patent of Charles' great-grandfather, King George V, the titles of a British prince or princess, and the style ''Royal Highness'', were only to be conferred on male-line children and grandchildren of the sovereign, as well as the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales. However, on 22 October 1948, George VI issued new letters patent granting these honours to any children of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip; otherwise, Charles would have merely taken his father's title, and been titled by courtesy as Earl of Merioneth. In this way the children of the heiress presumptive had a royal and princely status.

When Charles was aged three his mother's accession as Queen Elizabeth II made him heir apparent to the then seven realms of which she was queen. As the sovereign's eldest son, he automatically took the titles Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, in addition to being a prince of the United Kingdom. Charles attended his mother's coronation at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953, seated alongside his grandmother and aunt. As is customary for royal offspring, a governess, Catherine Peebles, was appointed and undertook his education between the ages of five and eight. Buckingham Palace announced in 1955 that Charles would attend school rather than have a private tutor, making him the first heir apparent ever to be educated in that manner.

Youth[link]

Education[link]

Charles first attended Hill House School in West London, receiving non-preferential treatment from the school's founder and then head, Stuart Townend, who advised the Queen to have Charles train in football, as the boys at Hill House were never deferential to anyone on the football field. The Prince then attended his father's former school, the Cheam Preparatory School in Berkshire, England; and was finally moved to Gordonstoun, in the north-east of Scotland. Reportedly the Prince despised his time at the latter school – "Colditz in kilts", as Charles put it – though he did spend two of his terms at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Geelong, Australia, during which time he visited Papua New Guinea on a history trip with his tutor, Michael Collins Persse. Upon his return to Gordonstoun, Charles emulated his father in becoming Head Boy, and left in 1967 with two A Levels in History and French.

Tradition was broken again when Charles proceeded straight from secondary school into university, as opposed to joining the Armed Forces. On the recommendation of Robin Woods, Dean of Windsor, and despite only gaining grades of B and C in his A Levels, the Prince was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge University, where he read anthropology, archaeology, and history, tutored by Canadian-born Professor John Coles. He graduated with a 2:2 Bachelor of Arts on 23 June 1970, the third Royal Family member to earn a university degree. On 2 August 1975 he was subsequently awarded a Master of Arts Degree from Cambridge, per the university's tradition. During his tertiary, Charles also attended the Old College (part of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth), studying the Welsh language and Welsh history. He is the first Prince of Wales born outside of Wales ever to attempt to learn the language of the principality.

Created Prince of Wales[link]

Charles was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on 26 July 1958, though his investiture as such was not conducted until 1 July 1969, wherein he was crowned by his mother in a televised ceremony held at Caernarfon Castle, and gave his replies and speech in both Welsh and English. A Welsh nationalist campaign opposed to the investiture tried unsuccessfully to disrupt the ceremony. The following year he took his seat in the House of Lords, and later in the decade became the first member of the Royal Family since King George I to attend a British Cabinet meeting, having been invited by Prime Minister James Callaghan so that the Prince might see the workings of the British government and Cabinet at first hand. Charles also began to take on more public duties, founding his The Prince's Trust in 1976, and travelling to the United States in 1981.

Around the same time the Prince expressed an interest in serving as Governor-General of Australia; Commander Michael Parker explained: "The idea behind the appointment was for him to put a foot on the ladder of monarchy, or being the future King and start learning the trade." However, because of a combination of nationalist feeling in Australia and the dismissal of the government by the Governor-General in 1975, nothing came of the proposal. Charles accepted the decision of the Australian ministers, if not without some regret; he reportedly stated: "What are you supposed to think when you are prepared to do something to help and you are told you are not wanted?" Conversely, Tom Gallagher wrote that Charles had been offered the Romanian throne by monarchists in that country; an offer that was reportedly turned down. The Romanian press again picked up this story in autumn 2011, but Buckingham Palace denied the reports.

Charles is the oldest Prince of Wales since it became the title granted to the heir apparent to the English throne, and the third-longest serving Prince of Wales, behind George IV and Edward VII, whom he will pass on 10 October 2017. If he became monarch of the UK at present he would be the second-oldest person to do so, after William IV, whom he will pass on 18 September 2013.

Military training and career[link]

Following royal tradition, Charles served in the navy and air force. After requesting and receiving Royal Air Force training during his second year at Cambridge, on 8 March 1971 the Prince flew himself to the Royal Air Force College Cranwell to train as a jet pilot. Following the passing-out parade that September, he embarked on a naval career, enrolling in a six–week course at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth and then serving on the guided missile destroyer (1971–1972) and the frigates (1972–1973) and (1974). Charles also qualified as a helicopter pilot at RNAS Yeovilton in 1974, just prior to joining 845 Naval Air Squadron, operating from , and on 9 February 1976 the Prince took command of the coastal minehunter for his last nine months in the navy. Prince Charles learned to fly on a Chipmunk basic pilot trainer, a BAC Jet Provost jet trainer, and a Beagle Basset multi-engined trainer, he then regularly flew the Hawker Siddeley Andover, Westland Wessex and BAe 146 aircraft of The Queen's Flight.

Early romances[link]

In his youth, Charles was linked to a number of women. His great-uncle Lord Mountbatten advised him: "In a case like yours, the man should sow his wild oats and have as many affairs as he can before settling down, but for a wife he should choose a suitable, attractive, and sweet-charactered girl before she has met anyone else she might fall for... It is disturbing for women to have experiences if they have to remain on a pedestal after marriage.".

Charles's lady friends included Georgiana Russell, daughter of the British Ambassador to Spain; Lady Jane Wellesley; Davina Sheffield; Fiona Watson, a model; the actress Susan George; Lady Sarah Spencer; Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg; Lady Tryon; Janet Jenkins, Jane Ward and Camilla Shand, who later became his second wife and Duchess of Cornwall.

Courtship of Amanda Knatchbull[link]

Early in 1974, Mountbatten began corresponding with Charles about a potential marriage to Amanda Knatchbull, Mountbatten's granddaughter. Charles wrote to Amanda's mother, Lady Brabourne (who was also his godmother), expressing interest in her daughter, to which she replied approvingly, though suggesting that a courtship with the not yet 16 year-old girl was premature.

Four years later Mountbatten arranged for himself and Amanda to accompany Charles on his 1980 tour of India. Both fathers, however, objected; Philip feared that the Prince of Wales would be eclipsed by his famous uncle (who had served as the last British Viceroy and first Governor-General of India), while Lord Brabourne warned that a joint visit would concentrate media attention on the cousins before they could decide on becoming a couple. However, in August 1979, before Charles would depart alone for India, Mountbatten was killed by the IRA. When Charles returned, he proposed to Amanda. But in addition to her grandfather, she had lost her paternal grandmother and youngest brother Nicholas in the bomb attack and was now reluctant to join the Royal Family. In June 1980 Charles officially turned down Chevening House, placed at his disposal since 1974, as his future residence. Chevening, a stately home in Kent, was bequeathed, along with an endowment, to the Crown by the last Earl Stanhope, Amanda's childless great-uncle, in the hope that Charles would eventually occupy it.

First marriage[link]

thumb|The Prince and [[Diana, Princess of Wales|Princess of Wales with Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan in November 1985]] Although Charles first met Lady Diana Spencer in 1977—while visiting Diana's home, Althorp, as the companion of her elder sister, Sarah—he did not consider her romantically until the summer of 1980. While sitting together on a bale of hay at a friend's barbecue in July he mentioned Mountbatten's death, to which Diana replied that Charles had looked forlorn and in need of care during his uncle's funeral. Soon, according to Charles' chosen biographer, Jonathan Dimbleby, "without any apparent surge in feeling, he began to think seriously of her as a potential bride," and she accompanied the Prince on visits to Balmoral and Sandringham

Charles's cousin Norton Knatchbull (Amanda's eldest brother) and his wife told Charles that he did not seem in love with Diana and that she appeared awestruck by his position. Meanwhile, the couple's continued courtship attracted intense press speculation and paparazzi coverage. When Prince Philip told him that the media attention would injure her reputation if Charles did not come to a decision about marrying her soon, and realising that Diana was a suitable royal bride (according to Mountbatten's criteria), Charles construed his father's advice as a warning to proceed without further delay.

Engagement and wedding to Diana[link]

Prince Charles proposed to Diana in February 1981, and they married in St Paul's Cathedral, on 29 July. The couple made their homes at Kensington Palace and at Highgrove House, near Tetbury and had two children: Princes William (born 21 June 1982) and Henry (known as "Harry") (born 15 September 1984). Charles set precedent by being the first royal father to be present at his children's births. Persistent suggestions have been made that the father of Harry is not Charles but James Hewitt with whom Diana had an affair. These suggestions have been based on a physical similarity between Hewitt and Harry. However Hewitt stated to the press in 2002 that Harry had already been born by the time the affair between him and Diana began.

Separation and divorce[link]

Within five years, the couple's incompatibility and age difference, as well as Diana's obsession with Charles' previous girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles, became visible and damaging to their marriage. Their evident discomfort in each other's company led to their being dubbed "The Glums" in the press. Diana exposed Charles's affair with Camilla in Andrew Morton's book, ''Diana, Her True Story'' and tapes of her own extramarital flirtations surfaced.

In December 1992, Prime Minister John Major announced their formal separation in Parliament. The same year, the British press published bugged recordings of a passionate private 1989 telephone conversation between the Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles.

Charles and Diana divorced on 28 August 1996. When Diana perished in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997, the Prince of Wales flew there, with Diana's sisters, to accompany her body back to Britain.

Second marriage[link]

Engagement and wedding to Camilla[link]

Clarence House announced on 10 February 2005 that Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles were engaged; the Prince presented her with an engagement ring that had belonged to his grandmother. In a Privy Council meeting on 2 March, the Queen's consent to the marriage (as required by the Royal Marriages Act 1772) was recorded. In Canada, however, the Department of Justice announced its decision that the Queen's Privy Council for Canada was not required to meet to give its consent to the marriage, as the union would not result in offspring and thus would have no impact on the succession to the Canadian throne.

Charles is the first member of the Royal Family to have a civil, rather than religious, wedding in England. Official documents from the 1950s and 1960s had been published by the BBC that stated such a marriage was illegal, though these were dismissed by Clarence House, and explained to be obsolete by the sitting government.

The marriage was to take place in a civil ceremony at Windsor Castle, with a subsequent religious blessing at St George's Chapel. However, because the conduct of a civil marriage at Windsor Castle would oblige the venue thereafter to be available to anyone wishing to be married there, the location was changed to the Windsor Guildhall. On 4 April the originally scheduled date of 8 April was postponed by one day, to allow the Prince of Wales and some of the invited dignitaries to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II. Charles' parents did not attend the marriage ceremony on the 9th; the Queen's reluctance to attend arising from her position as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh did, however, attend the service of blessing, and held a reception for the newlyweds at Windsor Castle, afterwards.

A unique feature during the Blessing of Charles and Camilla's marriage by the Archbishop of Canterbury was the inclusion of the strongest act of penitence from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The royal couple led the congregation in declaring:

We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, which we, from time to time, have committed by word, thought and deed, against thy Divine Majesty, provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us.

Social interests[link]

Philanthropy and charity[link]

Since founding The Prince's Trust in 1976, Charles has established fifteen more charitable organisations, and now serves as president of all of those, plus two others; together, these form a loose alliance called The Prince's Charities, which describes itself as "the largest multi-cause charitable enterprise in the United Kingdom, raising over £100million annually... [and is] active across a broad range of areas including education and young people, environmental sustainability, the built environment, responsible business and enterprise and international."

In 2010, The Prince's Charities Canada was established in a similar fashion to its namesake in the UK. Charles is also patron of over 350 other charities and organisations, and carries out duties related to these throughout the Commonwealth realms; for example, he uses his tours of Canada as a way to help draw attention to youth, the disabled, the environment, the arts, medicine, the elderly, heritage conservation, and education.

Built environment[link]

The Prince of Wales has frequently shared his views on architecture and urban planning in public forums, claiming to "care deeply about issues such as the environment, architecture, inner-city renewal, and the quality of life." His architectural philosophy was expressed on 30 May 1984 in a speech given for the 150th anniversary of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), in which he memorably described a proposed extension to the National Gallery in London as a "monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved friend" and deplored the "glass stumps and concrete towers" of modern architecture. He asserted that "it is possible, and important in human terms, to respect old buildings, street plans and traditional scales and at the same time not to feel guilty about a preference for facades, ornaments and soft materials," called for local community involvement in architectural choices, and asked:

Why can't we have those curves and arches that express feeling in design? What is wrong with them? Why has everything got to be vertical, straight, unbending, only at right angles – and functional?

Charles also published a book and created a documentary entitled ''A Vision of Britain'', which critiqued some aspects of modern architecture. Despite criticism from the professional architectural press, the Prince has continued to put forward his views, stressing traditional urbanism, the need for human scale, and the restoration of historic buildings as an integrated element of new development and sustainable design. Two of Charles' charities forward his theories on design: The Prince's Regeneration Trust (formed by a merger of Regeneration Through Heritage and the Phoenix Trust in 2006) and The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment (which absorbed The Prince of Wales's Institute of Architecture in 2001). Further, the village of Poundbury was created at the instigation of Prince Charles, with a master plan by Leon Krier.

Charles helped establish a national trust for the built environment in Canada after lamenting, in 1996, the unbridled destruction of many of the country's historic urban cores. He offered his assistance to the Department of Canadian Heritage in creating a trust modelled on Britain's National Trust, a plan that was implemented with the passage of the 2007 Canadian federal budget. In 1999, the Prince also agreed to offer the use of his title to the Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage Leadership, awarded by the Heritage Canada Foundation to municipal governments that have shown sustained commitment to the conservation of historic places. Charles has also received awards for his efforts in regard to architecture, such as the National Building Museum's Vincent Scully Prize in 2005, while visiting the United States and touring southern Mississippi and New Orleans to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina; he donated $25,000 of the prize money towards restoring storm-damaged communities.

From 1997 the Prince of Wales also visited Romania to view and highlight some of the destruction caused during the Communist rule of Nicolae Ceauşescu, particularly Orthodox monasteries and Saxon villages of Transylvania, where he purchased a house. Charles also became patron of two Romanian built environment organisations: the Mihai Eminescu Trust and the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture, and Urbanism, an advocate of architecture that respects cultural tradition and identity. Charles also has “a deep understanding of Islamic art and architecture”, and has been involved in the construction of a building and garden at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies which combine Islamic and Oxford architectural styles.

Charles has occasionally intervened personally in projects employing architectural styles such as modernism and functionalism. Lord Rogers has condemned this as "an abuse of power" and "unconstitutional". In 2009 Charles wrote to the Qatari royal family, the developers of the Chelsea Barracks site, labelling Rogers's design "unsuitable". Subsequently, Rogers was removed from the project and The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment was appointed to propose an alternative. Rogers has also claimed the Prince intervened to block his designs for the Royal Opera House and Paternoster Square. Lord Foster, Zaha Hadid, Jacques Herzog, Jean Nouvel, Renzo Piano, and Frank Gehry, among others, wrote a letter to The Sunday Times to this effect complaining that the Prince's "private comments" and "behind-the-scenes lobbying" subverted the "open and democratic planning process" in the case of the Chelsea Barracks project. Additionally, Piers Gough and other architects condemned Charles's views as "elitist" in a letter encouraging colleagues to boycott Charles's address to RIBA.

The Worshipful Company of Carpenters installed Charles as an Honorary Liveryman "in recognition of his interest in London's architecture."

Natural environment[link]

Since the early 1980s, Charles has promoted environmental awareness. Upon moving into his Highgrove estate, he developed an interest in organic farming, which culminated in the 1990 launch of his own organic brand, Duchy Originals, which now sells more than 200 different sustainably produced products, from food to garden furniture, the profits from which (£6 million, as of 2008) are donated to The Prince's Charities. Documenting this work on his estate, Charles co-authored (with Charles Clover, environment editor of the ''Daily Telegraph'') ''Highgrove: An Experiment in Organic Gardening and Farming'', published in 1993, and offers his patronage to Garden Organic. Along similar lines, the Prince of Wales became involved with farming and various industries within it, regularly meeting with farmers to discuss their trade; though the 2001 foot-and-mouth epidemic in England prevented Charles from visiting farmers in Saskatchewan, organic farmers there came to meet him at the Assiniboia town hall. In 2004, he also founded the Mutton Renaissance Campaign, which aims to support British sheep farmers and make mutton more attractive to Britons. His organic farming efforts, however, attracted media criticism: According to ''The Independent'' in October 2006 "...the story of Duchy Originals has involved compromises and ethical blips, wedded to a determined merchandising programme." and, in February 2007, Duchy products themselves came under attack, with the tabloid ''Daily Mail'' claiming that the food was "unhealthier than Big Macs." In 2007, Charles also launched The Prince's May Day Network, which encourages businesses to take action on climate change.

Clarence House announced in December 2006 that the Prince of Wales would make his household's travel arrangements more eco-friendly and, in 2007, Charles published in his annual accounts the details of his own carbon footprint, as well as targets for reducing his household's carbon emissions. That same year, he received the 10th annual Global Environmental Citizen Award from the Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment, the director of which, Eric Chivian, stated: "For decades the Prince of Wales has been a champion of the natural world... He has been a world leader in efforts to improve energy efficiency and in reducing the discharge of toxic substances on land, and into the air and the oceans". However, Charles' travel by commercial airliner to the United States to attend the award ceremony drew criticism from some environmental activists, such as the Plane climate change action group's campaigner Joss Garman, and in April 2009 he faced similar criticisms for chartering a private jet for a five day tour of Europe to promote environmental issues.

Speaking to the European Parliament on 14 February 2008, he called for European Union leadership in the war against climate change. During the standing ovation that followed, Nigel Farage, the leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), was the only MEP to remain seated and went on to describe Charles's advisers as "naive and foolish at best."

In a speech to the Low Carbon Prosperity Summit in a European Parliament chamber on 9 February 2011, Charles said that climate change sceptics are playing "a reckless game of roulette" with the planet's future and are having a "corrosive effect" on public opinion. He also articulated the need to protect fisheries and the Amazon rain forest, and to make low-carbon emissions affordable and competitive.

In 2011, he received the RSPB Medal.

Alternative medicine[link]

Charles has controversially championed alternative medicine. In 2004, Charles' Foundation for Integrated Health divided the scientific and medical community over its campaign encouraging general practitioners to offer herbal and other alternative treatments to National Health Service patients, and in May 2006, Charles made a speech to an audience of health ministers from various countries at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, urging them to develop a plan for integrating conventional and alternative medicine and argued for homeopathy.

In April 2008, ''The Times'' published a letter from Edzard Ernst, Professor of Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter, which asked the Prince's Foundation to recall two guides promoting alternative medicine, saying "the majority of alternative therapies appear to be clinically ineffective, and many are downright dangerous." A speaker for the foundation countered the criticism by stating: "We entirely reject the accusation that our online publication ''Complementary Healthcare: A Guide'' contains any misleading or inaccurate claims about the benefits of complementary therapies. On the contrary, it treats people as adults and takes a responsible approach by encouraging people to look at reliable sources of information... so that they can make informed decisions. The foundation does not promote complementary therapies." That year, Ernst published a book with Simon Singh, mockingly dedicated to "HRH the Prince of Wales" called ''Trick or Treatment: Alternative Medicine on Trial''. The last chapter is highly critical of Charles's advocacy of complementary and alternative treatments.

The Prince's Duchy Originals produce a variety of CAM products including a “Detox Tincture” that Edzard Ernst has denounced as "financially exploiting the vulnerable" and "outright quackery". In May 2009, the Advertising Standards Authority criticised an email that Duchy Originals had sent out to advertise its Echina-Relief, Hyperi-Lift and Detox Tinctures products saying that it was misleading. The Prince personally wrote at least seven letters to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) shortly before they relaxed the rules governing labelling of such herbal products, a move that has been widely condemned by scientists and medical bodies.

On 31 October 2009 it was reported that Prince Charles had personally lobbied the Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, regarding greater provision of alternative treatments in the NHS.

In 2010, following accounting irregularities noted by the auditor, two former officials at the Prince's ''Foundation'' were arrested for fraud believed to total £300,000. Four days after the arrests, the ''Foundation'' announced its closure, claiming that it "has achieved its key objective of promoting the use of integrated health." The charity's finance director, accountant George Gray, was convicted of theft totalling £253,000 and sentenced to three years in prison. The Prince's ''Foundation'' was re-branded and re-launched in late 2010 as ''The College of Medicine.'' It continues to act as an alternative medicine lobby group.

Humanitarian issues[link]

The plight of various peoples has been a target of Charles' efforts, predominantly the long-term unemployed, people who have been in trouble with the law, people who are in difficulty at school, and people who have been in care. The Prince's Trust is the main outlet through which Charles works with young people, offering loans to groups, business people, and others who have had difficulty receiving outside support. Fundraising concerts are regularly held in benefit of the trust, with leading pop, rock, and classical musicians taking part. In Canada, Charles has also supported humanitarian projects, taking part, along with his two sons, in the ceremonies marking the 1998 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and helping to launch the Canadian Youth Business Foundation in Saskatchewan in 2001, when he also visited Scott Collegiate, an inner-city school in Regina.

After spending time in the Northwest Territories in 1975, Charles formed a special interest in the Canadian north, as well as Canada's Aboriginal Peoples, the leaders of which he met and sometimes took time to walk and meditate with. Reflecting this association, the Prince of Wales has been conferred with special titles from First Nations communities: in 1996 Cree and Ojibway students in Winnipeg named the Prince ''Leading Star'', and in 2001 he was dubbed ''Pisimwa Kamiwohkitahpamikohk'', or "the sun looks at him in a good way", during his first visit to the province of Saskatchewan. He was also one of the first world leaders to express strong concerns about the human rights record of Nicolae Ceauşescu, initiating objections in the international arena, and subsequently supported the FARA Foundation, which runs Romanian orphanages.

Charles attended the Bilderberg Group conference in 1986 specifically to attend a debate on the South African economic crisis.

An example of his concern for humanitarian issues has been his recent (2011) launch of his Pakistan Recovery Fund which aims to raise a minimum of £2million towards health, education, reconstruction and livelihood projects.

Religious and philosophical beliefs[link]

The Prince of Wales was confirmed at age 16 by the then-Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey, at Easter 1965 in St. George's Chapel, Windsor. He is known to attend services at various Anglican churches close to Highgrove. With the Queen and the rest of the royal family, he also regularly worships at Crathie Kirk when staying at Balmoral Castle. In 2000, he was appointed as Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

The Prince of Wales also travels (amidst some secrecy) each year to Mount Athos to spend time in the Orthodox monasteries there, as well as in Romania, demonstrating his interest in Orthodox Christianity.

Charles is also patron of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford.

Sir Laurens van der Post became a friend of Charles in 1977, and was dubbed the "guru to Prince Charles" and made godfather of Charles' son, Prince William. From him, the Prince of Wales developed a focus on philosophy, especially that of Asian and Middle Eastern nations, praising Kabbalistic artworks, and penning a memorial for Kathleen Raine, the Neoplatonist poet who died in 2003.

Hobbies and personal interests[link]

Sports[link]

From his youth the Prince was an avid player of competitive polo until 1992, breaking his arm in 1990 and becoming briefly unconscious after a fall in 2001. He then played for charity until 2005. Charles also frequently took part in fox hunting, before the sport was banned in the United Kingdom in 2005. By the late 1990s, as opposition to the activity was growing, the Prince of Wales' participation was viewed as a "political statement" by those opposed to it, such as the League Against Cruel Sports, which launched an attack against Charles after he took his sons on the Beaufort Hunt in 1999, when the government was attempting to ban hunting with hounds. The Prince has also been a keen salmon angler since youth, and a supporter of Orri Vigfússon's efforts to protect the North Atlantic Salmon. Charles has frequently fished the River Dee in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, while he claims his most special angling memories are from his time in Vopnafjörður, Iceland.

Charles is a supporter of Burnley Football Club.

Visual and performing arts[link]

The Prince is President or Patron of more than 20 performing arts organisations, including the Royal College of Music, the Royal Opera, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus, Welsh National Opera, and the Purcell School. The Prince also founded The Prince's Foundation for Children and The Arts in 2002 to help more children experience the arts first-hand. He is President of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and regularly attends performances in Stratford-Upon-Avon, supports fundraising events and attends the company's annual general meeting.

In 2000, he revived the tradition of harpists being appointed to the Royal Court, by appointing an Official Harpist to The Prince of Wales.

A keen and accomplished watercolourist, Charles has exhibited and sold a number of his works, as well as publishing books on the subject.

As an undergraduate at Cambridge he played cello, and has also sung with the Bach Choir twice. His enduring enjoyment of comedy is evidenced by his organising of a comedy gala to celebrate his 60th birthday. He also has an interest in illusionism, becoming a member of The Magic Circle after passing his audition in 1975 by performing the "cups and balls" effect. He is reportedly a fan of Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen.

Publications[link]

A published author of several books reflecting his own interests, Charles has also contributed a foreword or preface to books by other writers. His works include:

''The Old Man of Lochnagar'', 1980 ISBN 0-374-35613-0

''A Vision of Britain: A Personal View of Architecture'', 1989 ISBN 0-385-26903-X

''Watercolours'', 1991 ISBN 0-316-88886-9

''Highgrove: An Experiment in Organic Gardening and Farming'', 1993 (with Charles Clover) ISBN 0-671-79177-X

''The Garden at Highgrove'', 2001 (with Candida Lycett Green) ISBN 1-84188-142-2

''Highgrove: Portrait of an Estate'', 2002 (with Charles Clover) ISBN 1-84188-170-8

''The Elements of Organic Gardening'', 2007 (with Stephanie Donaldson) ISBN 0-297-84416-4

Television documentaries and presenting[link]

In addition, he has written and presented the following documentary films: ''A Vision of Britain''. Directed by Nicholas Rossiter. BBC, 1988 ''The Earth in Balance: A Personal View of the Environment''. Dir. James Hawes. BBC, 1990.

Narrated and presented by the Prince of Wales: ''Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World''. Dir. Stuart Sender, 2010. ''The Prince and the Composer: A Film about Hubert Parry''. Dir. John Bridcut. BBC, 2011.

Official duties[link]

In 2008, the ''Daily Telegraph'' declared Charles the "hardest-working member of the royal family." He carried out 560 official engagements in 2008, 585 in 2010, and over 600 in 2011.

As Prince of Wales, Prince Charles undertakes official duties on behalf of his mother, in her role as sovereign of any of the Commonwealth realms. He will frequently stand in for the Queen at the funerals of foreign dignitaries, and at investitures into British orders. It was when he attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II that Charles unintendedly caused controversy: when shaking hands with other guests, Charles found himself shaking that of Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe, who had been seated next to him. Charles' office subsequently released a statement saying: "The Prince of Wales was caught by surprise and not in a position to avoid shaking Mr. Mugabe's hand. The Prince finds the current Zimbabwean regime abhorrent. He has supported the Zimbabwe Defence and Aid Fund which works with those being oppressed by the regime. The Prince also recently met Pius Ncube, the Archbishop of Bulawayo, an outspoken critic of the government."

Both Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall travel abroad on behalf of the United Kingdom. The Prince has been regarded as an effective advocate of the country, with his visit to the Republic of Ireland, where he delivered a personally researched and written speech on Anglo-Irish affairs that was warmly received by Irish politicians and the media, being cited as an example. His service to the Canadian Armed Forces permits him to be informed of troop activities, and allows him to visit these troops while in Canada or overseas, taking part in ceremonial occasions. For instance, in 2001, the Prince placed a specially commissioned wreath, made from vegetation taken from French battlefields, at the Canadian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and in 1981 he became the patron of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. He also attends official events in the United Kingdom in support of Commonwealth countries, such as the Christchurch earthquake memorial service in 2011 at Westminster Abbey. On 16 November 2011, the Prince attended a special service at Westminster Abbey as the Patron of the King James Bible Trust celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible in the presence of The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, clerics and thousands of worshippers.

Prince Charles makes regular tours of Wales, fulfilling a week of engagements in the principality each summer, and attending important national occasions, such as opening the Senedd. In 2000, Charles revived the tradition of the Prince of Wales having an official harpist, in order to foster Welsh talent at playing the harp, the national instrument of Wales. He and the Duchess of Cornwall also spend one week each year in Scotland, where the Prince is patron of several Scottish organisations.

The six Trustees of the Royal Collection Trust meet three times a year under his chairmanship..

Livery company commitments[link]

The 108 Livery companies of the City of London cumulatively donated £41 million to charity during 2010. The Prince of Wales continues a centuries-long royal association with the Livery, being

Permanent Master of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights

a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Drapers

an Honorary Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians

a Royal Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners, and

an Honorary Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Carpenters.

Media image[link]

Since his birth, Prince Charles has undergone close media attention, which increased as he matured. It has been an ambivalent relationship, largely impacted by his marriage to Diana and its aftermath.

Impact of marriage to Diana[link]

He was presented as the world's most eligible bachelor on the cover of ''Time,'' but subsequently overshadowed by Diana, Princess of Wales. After Diana's death, the media regularly breached Charles' privacy and printed ''exposés''.

In 2006, the Prince filed a court case against the ''Mail on Sunday'', after excerpts of his personal journals were published, revealing his opinions on matters, such as the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong to China in 1997, in which Charles described the Chinese government officials as "appalling old waxworks." Mark Bolland, his ex-private secretary, declared in a statement to the High Court that Charles "would readily embrace the political aspects of any contentious issue he was interested in.... He carried it out in a very considered, thoughtful and researched way. He often referred to himself as a 'dissident' working against the prevailing political consensus." Jonathan Dimbleby has reported that the Prince "has accumulated a number of certainties about the state of the world and does not relish contradiction."

Others formerly connected with the Prince have betrayed his confidence. An ex-member of his household handed the press an internal memo in which Charles commented on ambition and opportunity, and which was widely interpreted as blaming meritocracy for creating a combative atmosphere in society. Charles responded: "In my view, it is just as great an achievement to be a plumber or a bricklayer as it is to be a lawyer or a doctor,"

Reaction to press treatment[link]

Charles's anguish was recorded in his private comments to Prince William, caught on a microphone during a press photo-call in 2005 and published in the national press: "I hate doing this... These bloody people." Of the BBC's royal reporter, Nicholas Witchell, he said: "I can't bear that man. I mean, he's so awful, he really is."

In 2002, Charles, "so often a target of the Press, got his chance to return fire," when addressing "scores of editors, publishers and other media executives" gathered at St Bride's Fleet Street to celebrate 300 years of journalism. Defending public servants from "the corrosive drip of constant critism," he noted that the press had been "awkward, cantankerous, cynical, bloody-minded, at times intrusive, at times inaccurate and at times deeply unfair and harmful to individuals and to institutions." But, he concluded, regarding his own relations with the press, "from time to time we are probably both a bit hard on each other, exaggerating the downsides and ignoring the good points in each."

Guest appearances on television[link]

The Prince of Wales has occasionally guested as himself on television. In 1984 he read his children's book, ''The Old Man of Lochnagar'', for the BBC's ''Jackanory'' series. The UK soap opera ''Coronation Street'' featured an appearance by Charles during the show's 40th anniversary in 2000, as did the New Zealand adult cartoon series ''bro'Town'' (2005), after he attended a performance by the show's creators during a tour of the country.

His saving of the Scottish stately home, Dumfries House, was the subject of Alan Titchmarsh's documentary, "Royal Restoration," in 2012.

Charles was interviewed with the Princes William and Harry by Ant & Dec to mark the 30th Anniversary of his charity, The Prince's Trust, in 2006.

On 10 May 2012, Charles tried his hand at being a weather presenter for the BBC, reporting the forecast for Scotland as part of Holyrood Week. He injected humour in his report, asking, "Who the hell wrote this script?" as several references were made to royal residence locations.

Residences[link]

Clarence House, the former London residence of the late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, is the Prince of Wales' current official residence. Previously, he resided in an apartment at St James's Palace. Charles also holds a private estate in Gloucestershire, Highgrove House, and one in Scotland, the Birkhall estate near Balmoral Castle and also previously owned by the Queen Mother. Upon the occasion of his marriage to Diana, Charles had reduced his voluntary tax contribution from the profits generated by the Duchy of Cornwall from 50% to 25%.

In 2007 the Prince purchased a 192–acre (150 acres of grazing and parkland, and of woodland) property in Carmarthenshire, and applied for permission to convert the farm into a Welsh home for him and the Duchess of Cornwall, to be rented out as holiday flats when the royal couple is not in residence. Though neighbours said the proposed alterations flouted local planning regulations, the application was put on hold while a report was drafted on how the alterations would affect the local bat population. Charles and Camilla took residence at the new property, called ''Llwynywermod'', in June 2008.

In 2006 the Prince bought a house in the village of Viscri in south-eastern Transylvania, one of the Saxon villages with fortified churches in Transylvania designated in 1993 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO; in 2008 he bought another house in the 16th-century village of Valea Zălanului / Zalánpatak in the Székely Land region of Transylvania. Both properties are rented out as guest houses when the Prince is not in residence.

Titles, styles, honours and arms[link]

Titles and styles[link]

Charles has held a number of titles throughout his life, as the grandson of the monarch, the son of the monarch and, later, honoured in his own right with princely and noble titles. When in conversation with the Prince of Wales, the practice is to initially address him as ''Your Royal Highness'' and thereafter as ''Sir''.

There has been speculation as to what regnal name the Prince will choose upon his succession to the throne. If he keeps his current first name, he will be known as ''Charles III''. However, it was reported in 2005 that Charles has suggested he may choose to reign as ''George VII'' in honour of his maternal grandfather, and to avoid association with the Stuart kings Charles I (who was beheaded) and Charles II (who was known for his playboy lifestyle), as well as to be sensitive to the memory of Bonnie Prince Charlie, who was called "Charles III" by his supporters. Charles' office immediately denied this report.

Honours and military appointments[link]

The Prince of Wales has held a number of substantive ranks in the armed forces of a number of countries since he was made a flight lieutenant of the Royal Air Force in 1972. Since 2009, Charles holds the second highest ranks in all three branches of the Canadian Forces and, since 16 June 2012, the highest ranks of the three branches of the British Armed Forces, the latter being to "recognise his dedicated support... to The Queen in her role as Commander-in-Chief."

Charles' first honorary appointment within the armed forces was as Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Wales in 1969; since that time, the Prince has also been installed as Colonel-in-Chief, Colonel, Honorary Air Commodore, Air Commodore-in-Chief, Deputy Colonel-in-Chief, Royal Honorary Colonel, Royal Colonel, and Honorary Commodore of at least 36 military formations throughout the Commonwealth. He is also the commander of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, which is the only foreign regiment in the British army.

He has been inducted into eight orders and received five decorations from amongst the Commonwealth realms, and has been the recipient of 17 different appointments and decorations by foreign states, as well as nine honorary degrees from universities in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Arms[link]

Bannerimage	Prince of Wales Standard.svg
Notes	The Prince's own coat of arms are the escutcheon of the arms of the sovereign in right of the United Kingdom with a label for difference. The version used everywhere but Scotland is listed here. Within Scotland, the arms of the Duke of Rothesay, which quarters the arms of the Great Steward and of the Lords of the Isles, placing the arms of the heir apparent to the Scots throne on an inescutcheon in the centre, are used.
Adopted	1911
Crest	Upon the Royal helm the imperial crown Proper, thereon a lion statant gardant Or crowned with the crown of the Prince of Wales
Escutcheon	Quarterly 1st and 4th gules three lions passant guardant in pale or armed and langed azure 2nd or a lion rampant gules armed and langued azure within a double tressure flory counterflory of the second 3rd azure a harp or stringed argent overall an escutcheon of Royal Badge of Wales.
Supporters	Dexter a lion rampant gardant Or imperially crowned Proper, sinister a unicorn Argent, armed, crined and unguled Or, gorged with a coronet Or composed of crosses patée and fleurs de lis a chain affixed thereto passing between the forelegs and reflexed over the back also Or
Motto	ICH DIEN''(German: I serve)''
Orders	The Order of the Garter ribbon.HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE''(French: Shame be to him who thinks evil of it)''
Other elements	The whole differenced by a plain Label of three points Argent, as the eldest child of the sovereign.
Banner	The banners used by the Prince vary depending upon location. Apart from the exceptions below, the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom is used, differenced as in his arms with a label of three points argent, and the escutcheon of the arms of the Principality of Wales in the centre. This is the standard that is used outside the United Kingdom by the prince and also that used throughout the entire United Kingdom when the prince is acting in an official capacity associated with the UK Armed Forces. 30px In Wales the banner is based upon the Coat of Arms of the Principality of Wales, (the historic arms of the Kingdom of Gwynedd), which consist of four quadrants, the first and fourth with a red lion on a gold field, and the second and third with a gold lion on a red field. Superimposed is an escutcheon vert bearing the single-arched crown of the Prince of Wales. 30px In Scotland the personal banner used since 1974 is based upon three ancient Scottish titles: Duke of Rothesay, (The heir apparent to the King of Scots), High Steward of Scotland and Lord of the Isles. The flag is divided into four quadrants as per the arms of the Chief of Clan Stewart of Appin; the first and fourth quadrants comprise a gold field with a blue and silver checkered band in the centre; the second and third quadrants displaying a black galley on a silver field. The arms are differenced from those of Appin by the addition of an inescutcheon bearing the tressured lion rampant of Scotland; defaced by a plain label of three points Azure to indicate the heir apparent. 45px Also used in Scotland is a standard, ''viz'' the Royal Standard of Scotland, again defaced with a label of three points Azure to indicate the heir apparent. 40px In Cornwall, the banner is "sable fifteen bezants Or", that is, a black field bearing fifteen gold coins, which Prince Charles uses in his capacity as Duke of Cornwall. 50px The Prince of Wales also holds a personal heraldic banner for Canada, consisting of the shield of the Canadian Royal Arms defaced with both a blue roundel surrounded by a wreath of gold maple leaves, within which is a depiction of the Prince of Wales' feathers, and a white label of three points.
Badge	Three ostrich feathers encircled by a gold coronet
Symbolism	As with the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom. The first and fourth quarters are the arms of England, the second of Scotland, the third of Ireland.
Previous versions	}}

Issue[link]

{|class="wikitable" |- ! width=225px|Name ! width=150px|Birth ! width=200px|Marriage ! width=100px|Issue |- | Prince William, Duke of Cambridge | 21 June 1982 | Catherine Middleton (29 April 2011) | |- | Prince Harry of Wales | 15 September 1984 | | |}

Ancestry[link]

Charles is a member of the House of Windsor, which traces its descent back in the female line through the Hanoverian kings to Sophia, Electress of Hanover. Sophia's mother, Elizabeth of Bohemia, was daughter of King James I, the first Stuart monarch of England.

{{ahnentafel-compact5 |style=font-size: 90%; line-height: 110%; |border=1 |boxstyle=padding-top: 0; padding-bottom: 0; |boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc; |boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9; |boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc; |boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc; |boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe; |1= 1. Charles, Prince of Wales |2= 2. Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark |3= 3. Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom |4= 4. Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark |5= 5. Princess Alice of Battenberg |6= 6. George VI of the United Kingdom |7= 7. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon |8= 8. George I of Greece |9= 9. Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia |10= 10. Prince Louis of Battenberg |11= 11. Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine |12= 12. George V of the United Kingdom |13= 13. Princess Mary of Teck |14= 14. Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne |15= 15. Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck |16= 16. Christian IX of Denmark |17= 17. Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel |18= 18. Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia |19= 19. Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg |20= 20. Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine |21= 21. Countess Julia Hauke |22= 22. Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine |23= 23. Princess Alice of the United Kingdom |24= 24. Edward VII of the United Kingdom |25= 25. Princess Alexandra of Denmark |26= 26. Francis, Duke of Teck |27= 27. Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge |28= 28. Claude Bowes-Lyon, 13th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne |29= 29. Frances Dora Smith |30= 30. Charles Cavendish-Bentinck |31= 31. Caroline Louisa Burnaby }}

Notes[link]

Footnotes[link]

Citations[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

Official website of HRH The Prince of Wales

Prince Charles as a Young Bachelor – slideshow by ''Life'' magazine

Official website of 'The Prince's Trust'

View an image of an official portrait of Prince Charles by David Griffiths

The Prince's Official Canadian Visit (2001)

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af:Charles, Prins van Wallis ang:Carl Wēala Þēoden ar:الأمير تشارلز az:Uels şahzadəsi Çarlz be:Чарльз, прынц Уэльскі bg:Чарлз (принц на Уелс) bs:Charles, princ od Velsa ca:Carles de Gal·les cs:Charles, princ z Walesu cy:Y Tywysog Siarl, Tywysog Cymru da:Charles, prins af Wales de:Charles Mountbatten-Windsor, Prince of Wales et:Charles, Walesi prints el:Κάρολος, Πρίγκιπας της Ουαλίας es:Carlos de Gales eo:Karlo, princo de Kimrujo eu:Karlos Galeskoa fa:شاهزاده چارلز، شاهزاده ولز fr:Charles de Galles ga:Charles, Prionsa na Breataine Bige gd:Prionnsa Teàrlach, Prionnsa na Cuimrigh gl:Carlos de Inglaterra gu:પ્રિન્સ ચાર્લ્સ ko:웨일스 공 찰스 hy:Արքայազն Չարլզ hi:चार्ल्स, वेल्स के युवराज hr:Charles, princ Walesa id:Charles dari Wales is:Karl Bretaprins it:Carlo, principe di Galles he:צ'ארלס, נסיך ויילס ka:ჩარლზ მაუნტბატენ-უინძორი kw:Charlys, Pryns Kembra la:Carolus Walliae Princeps lv:Princis Čārlzs lt:Princas Čarlzas hu:Károly walesi herceg mk:Чарлс (принц од Велс) mr:वेल्सचा युवराज चार्ल्स arz:تشارلز (امير ويلز) ms:Charles, Putera Wales mn:Уэльсийн хунтайж Чарльз my:ချားလ်စ် ဝေလမင်းသား nl:Charles, prins van Wales ja:チャールズ (プリンス・オブ・ウェールズ) no:Charles, prins av Wales nn:Prins Charles av Wales oc:Carles Windsor pnb:شہزادہ چارلس pl:Karol, książę Walii pt:Carlos, Príncipe de Gales ro:Charles, Prinț de Wales ru:Чарльз, принц Уэльский se:Charles (Walesa prinsa) sco:The Prince Charles, Duke o Rothesay simple:Charles, Prince of Wales sl:Charles, valižanski princ sr:Чарлс, принц од Велса fi:Walesin prinssi Charles sv:Prins Charles, prins av Wales ta:வேல்சு இளவரசர் சார்லசு te:చార్లెస్, వేల్స్ యొక్క యువరాజు th:เจ้าชายชาลส์ เจ้าชายแห่งเวลส์ tr:Galler Prensi Charles uk:Чарльз, принц Уельський vi:Charles, Hoàng thân xứ Wales war:Charles, Prinsipe han Wales zh-yue:查理斯王子 zh:查爾斯 (威爾斯親王)

Name	Laura Elizabeth Brown (née Tobin)
Birth place	Northampton, England
Death date
Resting place coordinates
Nationality	British
Ethnicity	White British
Known for	Weather forecaster
Education	Duston Upper School
Alma mater	Reading University
Employer	Met Office, BBC
Occupation	Meteorologist
Years active	2007-present
Spouse	Dean Brown
Parents	Carol (née Wilkinson) & Paul Tobin
Footnotes	}}

Laura Elizabeth Brown (''née'' Tobin, and known professionally by that name; born 1981 in Northampton), is an English broadcast meteorologist, working for the United Kingdom Met Office and the BBC, producing BBC Weather reports for BBC Television and BBC Online.

Early life[link]

Tobin was born and raised in Northampton with her twin brother Mark. She attended Duston Upper School, gaining A-Levels in Mathematics, Physics and Art, and then studied Physics and Meteorology at Reading University.

Career[link]

On graduation from University in 2003, she joined the Met Office. On completing her training, she was assigned in October 2004 to the Cardiff Weather Centre, where she gained experience of broadcasting on BBC Radio Wales. In 2005, Tobin moved to RAF Brize Norton, providing aeronautical meteorology reports and briefings to Royal Air Force transport crews, and to the media of the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS).

BBC Weather[link]

Tobin joined the team of BBC Weather Centre forecasters at the end of 2007, eventually regularly appearing on BBC News Channel, BBC World News Channel, BBC Radio 5 Live, and the on-demand interactive services of BBC Red Button found on digital terrestrial (DVB-T) and digital satellite (DVB-S) TV. She also regularly presented the weather for the BBC News at One on BBC One.

Personal life[link]

Tobin married Dean Brown on 13 August 2010 in Bray-on-Thames, England.

References[link]

Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:People from Northampton English Category:Alumni of the University of Reading Category:English meteorologists Category:BBC weather forecasters

Philip Avery (born 15 November 1959) is a meteorologist and former national BBC Weather forecaster.

Career[link]

Philip Avery became a household name appearing regularly on BBC News, BBC World News, BBC Red Button, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio Five Live and BBC Radio 4, where he was a regular forecaster on the ''Today programme''. He previously forecast on the ''BBC News at Ten'', the ''BBC News at Six'' and the ''BBC News at One''.

He joined the BBC Weather centre in April 1998. He took time out from presenting between September 2004 and July 2005 to take part in the Global Challenge 2004-2005 yacht race.

In October 2010 it was announced that Avery would no longer be presenting BBC weather forecasts.

Philip Avery, has been on the BBC News Channel presenting the weather again during May 2012.

Personal life[link]

Philip Avery was born in Dunfermline, Scotland and spent time as a meteorologist for the Royal Navy. Avery married in October 2006 and has recently become a father.

References[link]

External links[link]

BBC Weather profile

Category:BBC weather forecasters Category:BBC World News Category:Living people Category:1959 births Category:Alumni of Keele University

name	Carol Kirkwood
birth name	Carol MacKellaig
birth date
birth place	Morar, Invernessshire, Scotland
disappeared date
death date
resting place coordinates
nationality	British
alma mater	Napier University, Edinburgh
occupation	Presenter, Weather Forecaster
known for	''BBC Breakfast''
religion	Christianity
spouse	Jimmy Kirkwood
website

Carol Kirkwood (born 29 May 1962) is a Scottish weather presenter, employed by the Met Office and best known for forecasting the weather for ''BBC Breakfast''.

Early life[link]

Kirkwood was born Carol MacKellaig in Morar, Invernessshire, Scotland. She was one of eight children and her parents ran a hotel in Morar; she was a Girl Guide. After attending Lochaber High School in Fort William, Carol gained a BA in commerce from Napier University in Edinburgh.

Career[link]

After graduation, Kirkwood joined the BBC's Secretarial Reserve in London and after a series of internal moves presented short slots on BBC Radio Scotland, and then BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4. She subsequently worked as an Associate Director in recruitment and as training consultant for a management consultancy in Cheshire.

Kirkwood rejoined the BBC at Elstree Studios training department in 1993 as a freelance presenter, during which time she presented a bi-monthly programme ''Talking Issues'' for HTV West. In 1996 Kirkwood joined the new UK operation of ''The Weather Channel,'' but after it closed down in January 1998 she underwent training under the guidance of the BBC at the Met Office, before joining BBC News as a weather presenter. She has appeared regularly on BBC One, BBC News, BBC World News, BBC Red Button and the ''BBC News at Six'', and has been the main weather presenter on ''BBC Breakfast'' since 2008.

Since 2005, Kirkwood has also presented live forecasts as part of the BBC's coverage of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, sharing these duties with Dan Corbett and Susan Powell. She won the TRIC award for best TV Weather Presenter in 2003, 2008, 2009 and 2012.

Since 2007 she has been the presenter of ''The Weather Show'' (shown quarterly on BBC News), and is also a regular contributor and reporter for BBC1's ''The One Show''. She has appeared as a guest on CBBC's children's show ''Hacker Time''. In July 2011 Kirkwood became a co-presenter of BBC One's ''The Great British Weather''.

References [link]

Category:Living people Category:Alumni of Edinburgh Napier University Category:BBC weather forecasters Category:BBC World News Category:People from Lochaber Category:1960 births Category:Scottish television presenters Category:BBC radio presenters