Charles III

Charles III in 2015, photo by palinchak/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Charles Philip Arthur George

Place of Birth: Buckingham Palace, Westminster, London, England, U.K.

Date of Birth: 14 November, 1948

Ethnicity: European Royal, as well as English, small amounts of German, Hungarian, French, Anglo-Irish, distant Irish, Danish, Swedish, Swiss, Belgian, Dutch, Bohemian/Czech, Scottish, Lithuanian, Russian, Polish

Charles III is King of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, since 8 September, 2022. He is Head of the Commonwealth, and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

He is the son of Elizabeth II, who was Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, from 6 February, 1952 to 8 September, 2022, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

King Charles is married to Camilla, Queen consort of the United Kingdom. With his former wife, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, he is the father of William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and the grandfather of Prince George of Wales and Archie Mounbatten-Windsor, among others.

King Charles’ ancestry is approximately 58% European Royal, 19% English, 8.1% German, 4.7% Hungarian, 3.3% French, 3.1% Anglo-Irish, 1% Irish, and even smaller amounts of Danish, Swedish, Swiss, Belgian, Dutch, Bohemian, Scottish, Lithuanian, and Russian.

While both King Charles’ father and maternal grandfather were of predominantly European Royal descent, King Charles’ maternal grandmother was of mostly English ancestry.

King Charles’ father Prince Philip was born on Mon Repos in Corfu, an island in the Kingdom of Greece. Though he was often referred to as Greek, he had no ethnic Greek ancestry. A plebiscite in Greece in 1862 decided to have Windsor Castle-born, Prince Alfred of the United Kingdom, later Duke of Edinburgh, become King of Greece, though he could not accept the offer. Eventually, the choice was made as Danish-born, George I of Greece, Prince Philip’s paternal grandfather, who established the family’s royal line in Greece. He adopted the Greek Orthodox faith into which Prince Philip was born. Prince Philip later became Anglican.

King Charles’ paternal grandfather was Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark (the son of George I of Greece, and of Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia). King Charles’ grandfather Prince Andrew was born in Old Royal Palace, Athens, Kingdom of Greece. King Charles’ great-grandfather George I was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and was King of the Hellenes, from 30 March, 1863 to 18 March, 1913. He was the son of Christian IX of Denmark, who was born in Gottorf Castle, Schleswig, Duchy of Schleswig, and was King of Denmark, from 15 November, 1863 to 29 January, 1906; and of Princess Louise of Hesse-Kassel, who was born in Kassel, Electorate of Hesse, German Confederation. King Charles’ great-grandmother Grand Duchess Olga was born in Pavlovsk, Russian Empire, the daughter of Grand Duke Konstantin/Constantine Nikolayevich/Nikolaevich/Nicholaievitch of Russia, who was born in the Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, Russian Empire, and who was the son of Nicholas I of Russia, who was Emperor of Russia, from 1 December, 1825 to 2 March, 1855; and of Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg, who was born in Altenburg, Duchy of Saxe-Altenburg.

King Charles’ paternal grandmother was Princess Alice of Battenberg (Victoria Alice Elizabeth Julia Marie, the daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven, born Count Ludwig Alexander von Battenberg, and of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine). King Charles’ grandmother Princess Alice was born in Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England. She eventually founded an order of Greek Orthodox nuns, the Christian Sisterhood of Martha and Mary. King Charles’ great-grandfather Prince Louis was First Sea Lord, from 8 December, 1912 to 28 October, 1914. He was born in Graz, Austrian Empire, the son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, who was born in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany; and of Countess Julia von Hauke, or Julia, Princess of Battenberg, who was born in Warsaw, Congress Poland. King Charles’ great-grandmother Princess Victoria was born in Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England, the daughter of Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, from 13 June, 1877 to 13 March, 1892, who was born in Darmstadt; and of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, who was born at Buckingham Palace, London, England.

King Charles’ maternal grandfather was George VI, who was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, from 11 December, 1936 to 6 February, 1952 (the son of George V, and of Mary of Teck). George VI was born in York Cottage, Sandringham House, Norfolk, England. George V was born in Marlborough House, London, and was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May, 1910 to 20 January, 1936. He was the son of Edward VII, who was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January, 1901 to 6 May, 1910, and of Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who was born at Yellow Palace, Copenhagen, Denmark. King Charles’ great-grandmother Mary of Teck was born in Kensington Palace, London, the daughter of Francis, Duke of Teck, who was born in Esseg, Slavonia, now Osijek, Croatia, and of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, who was born in Hanover, Lower Saxony/Niedersachsen, Germany.

King Charles’ maternal grandmother was Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (the daughter of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and of Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne). Lady Elizabeth was born in Hitchin or in London, England. Claude was the son of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 13th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and of Frances Dora Smith Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne. Cecilia was the daughter of The Rev. Charles William Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck and Caroline Louisa Burnaby.

Sources: Genealogies of Charles III – http://www.wargs.com
https://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com
https://www.famechain.com
https://famouskin.com

Genealogies of Charles III’s parents – https://www.findagrave.com