From suavely-dressed action man to tactful diplomat and tree-hugger in wellies Charles has played bewildering variety of roles in the course of his long wait to be King.
Both Charles and Andrew were sent to Gordonstoun, a tough boarding school on the remote, windswept north coast of Scotland that their father, Prince Philip, had been to.
Did you know that the King starts the morning with headstands or that he was the first royal to scuba dive?Here, in 59 intriguing facts, MailOnline profiles his extraordinary interests and accomplishments