Solène Delinger 11:00 am, March 25, 2023

Charles III was officially proclaimed King of England in September 2022, upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. He will be crowned on May 6 with his wife, Queen Consort Camilla Parker Bowles. On this occasion, Europe 1 makes you discover 10 very surprising anecdotes about the sovereign.

1. He is the first royal baby of the twentieth century to be born at Buckingham Palace

Elizabeth II gave birth to Charles Philip Arthur George on November 14, 1948. At the time, the British media called little Charles "an absolutely splendid baby". The journalist Matthew Halton had nevertheless recalled that Charles would not be king of England for a very long time. He was right: Queen Elizabeth II died when Charles was 73.

2. He was only5 years old on his first official trip

His father, Prince Philip, was serving in the Navy at the time.

3. He was bullied at school

Charles III did not have an easy education. His classmates at Gordonstoun High School in northern Scotland mocked him and nicknamed him Fatty. Some students even beat him with slippers.

4. He can play the cello

Charles III is a true musician. He began playing the cello after attending, when he was little, a concert by the great cellist Jacqueline du Pré.

5. He wrote a children's book

Specifically, Charles III wrote a fairy tale called The Old Man of Lochnagar and was inspired by stories he told his two younger brothers Andrew and Edward. The book was adapted into an animated short, narrated by King Charles himself.

6. He is not complexed by his ears

Charles III, known for having protruding ears, always refused to have surgery. During his teenage years, his ears were fastened with double-sided tape.

7. It has been featured on postage stamps since it was a child

Charles, heir by birth, has been featured on postage stamps since childhood, unlike his mother Elizabeth II, who was only entitled to a stamp when she became queen. The latest stamp is the one where he poses with his two sons on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

8. He paints watercolors

The King of England is a great enthusiast of painting which is, for him, "one of the most relaxing and therapeutic exercises". One of his paintings, The painting, which depicts the royal residence of Balmoral where Queen Elizabeth II died in September, sold last October for just over 6,500 euros.

9. He only read one entire novel in his life

Anna Karenina is the only novel that the king has read in full. Charles III read mainly essays and history books.

10. It's very green

Proof of this: he reuses the water of his bath to water the plants of his garden ...