Biggest controversies of King Charles III, new monarch of Britain: King Charles III formally took the throne as the new monarch of England after his beloved mother Queen Elizabeth II's demise on Thursday. While the people of Britain are still mourning the great loss, Charles had to join his duties to the state. The Brits seem to have accepted their new monarch with open hands but with this, his personal life and controversies are being scrutinised too.
Born on November 14, 1948, Charles, before being proclaimed as the King, was the longest-serving heir to the throne. He's also the oldest person to accede to the crown. Here are the biggest controversies he bared during the old times:
King Charles III is the first to admit to extramarital affair
While giving an interview to British journalist Jonathan Dimbleby, Charles admitted to committing adultery during his marriage to Princess Diana. That one exchange has landed the then 45-year-old Prince in hot water. But he was unfaithful only after his marriage had disintegrated beyond repair. In the interview, he was asked if was faithful to Diana during their marriage. He had said Yes.' Then after moments with a bit of hesitation, he added: 'Until it became clear that the marriage had irretrievably broken down.'
Diana too spoke about Charles' affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,” Diana said in her famous 1995 BBC interview.
His divorce from Princess Diana and her tragic death
In 1996, he was the first heir to the throne to have been granted a divorce. He was married to Lady Diana Spencer. A year later, Princess Diana died in a car accident in Paris. As a result, Prince Charles was exempt from the Church of England's remarriage limitations, even though Camilla Parker Bowles and Prince Charles were legally wed in 2005 after the law had already been established in 2002.
Charles facing criticism after Diana's death
On August 30, 1997, a group of paparazzi camped outside the Hotel Ritz in Paris in hopes of getting shots of Diana and boyfriend Dodi Fayed pursued their car to the Pont de l'Alma tunnel, where their driver lost control and crashed. Diana died August 31, 1997.
A stunned world mourned. Bouquets of flowers, many including personal notes, carpeted the grounds outside Diana's home in Kensington Palace.
The public reaction contrasted with that of the royal family, who were criticised for not quickly appearing in public and refusing to lower the flag over Buckingham Palace to half-staff. The mourning prompted soul-searching among members of the House of Windsor.
The rehabilitation of Charles' reputation had to wait until public anger over his treatment of Diana began to fade.
-- with agency inputs
