Happy birthday, King Charles III!
On Monday, the royal family unveiled a brand-new photograph of the king to mark both his 74th birthday and the start of his new position as Windsor Great Parks’ park ranger.
King Charles was shown with his cane under a big tree, the sun glistening in the distance, dressed in a gray blazer and camel pants.
Seventy years after his father, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, was appointed to the position, “His Majesty The King has formally become Park Ranger of Windsor Great Park,” said the caption on the British Royal Family’s official Instagram account.
According to the job, the “ranger of The Great Park” advises Deputy Ranger and his group on how to maintain the nation’s “oldest properties” on a daily basis.
“The position was first filled in 1559, under Queen Elizabeth I, when Sir Henry Neville was appointed. The office has typically been held by the Sovereign or family members throughout the past 460 years, including The King’s father and grandparents, according to the caption.
“The Duke of Edinburgh served as a ranger in Windsor Great Park for the longest period of time, from 1952 until his death in 2021. His Royal Highness actively participated in managing changes, such as the 1979 return of Red Deer to Deer Park and the growth of The Savill Garden Visitor and Virginia Pavilion.
Prince William, the eldest son of King Charles, and his wife Kate Middleton joined in the birthday celebrations by tweeting a picture of the monarch.
“Wishing His Majesty The King a very happy birthday!” The image was captioned by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
A video of the King’s birthday celebrations from the palace grounds, where a marching band played “Happy Birthday,” was also posted by the royal family.
The royal family captioned the photo, “Happily Birthday is played at today’s Changing the Guard Ceremony to honor His Majesty The King’s birthday.”
Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled the country for 70 years and passed away in September at the age of 96, hasn’t been around for his first birthday.
Charles observed his first Remembrance Day without the late Queen over the weekend. He was joined by his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, as the nation remembered the Commonwealth’s dead warriors.
Prince William, Middleton, Prince Edward, Sophie, and Princess Anne also made appearances at ceremonies honoring the fallen soldiers. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who live in California with their two children, Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1, were noticeably absent.
Since the Sussexes’ resignation from their royal duties in 2020, there has been escalating friction between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Charles. And even though Markle made an effort to reconcile fences by asking for a private session with the King, it doesn’t appear that any peace offerings were given.
