List of titles and honours of Charles III facts for kids

Charles III on horseback during Trooping the Colour in 2023

Charles III has many important titles, special awards, and honorary jobs. He received these as a member of the British royal family, as the person next in line to the throne (called heir apparent) after Elizabeth II, and now as the King of the United Kingdom and 14 other countries in the Commonwealth realms.

Royal and Noble Titles
Military Roles and Ranks
University Education
Commonwealth Roles
- Head of the Commonwealth
- Special Appointments and Awards
International Honors
Other Special Recognitions
- Memberships and Fellowships
- Honorary University Degrees
Freedom of the City
Places and Things Named After Him
See also

Royal and Noble Titles

When Charles was born, his grandfather, George VI, gave him the title "His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Edinburgh."

When his mother became Queen, Charles automatically received several important titles. In England, he became the Duke of Cornwall. In Scotland, he became the Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. Because of this, he was known as "His Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall" in England and "His Royal Highness The Duke of Rothesay" in Scotland.

In 1958, his mother, the Queen, made him the Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester. On July 1, 1969, he had a special ceremony called an investiture. During this event, he received a special crown and robes. In 2021, after his father, Prince Philip, passed away, Charles also inherited the titles Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich. When he became King on September 8, 2022, these titles became part of the Crown, meaning they are now held by the King.

Titles Charles held as Prince
Title	From		To
Title	Date	Reason	Date	Reason
Duke of Cornwall	6 February 1952	His mother became Queen	8 September 2022	Became King Charles III
Duke of Rothesay
Earl of Carrick
Baron of Renfrew
Lord of the Isles
Prince and Great Steward of Scotland
Prince of Wales	26 July 1958	Given to the heir to the throne		Became King Charles III
Earl of Chester	26 July 1958	Given to the heir to the throne
Duke of Edinburgh	9 April 2021	Inherited from his father
Earl of Merioneth
Baron Greenwich

Choosing His King's Name

The King's special symbol, the Royal cypher, with the Tudor Crown

The King's special symbol for Scotland, with the Crown of Scotland

After Queen Elizabeth II passed away, Prime Minister Liz Truss announced that Charles would be known as King Charles III. This was the first official time his new name was used. Soon after, Clarence House confirmed he would indeed use the name Charles III.

Before this, some people wondered if he would pick a different name. This is because the two previous kings named Charles had difficult times. Charles I was executed in 1649. Charles II ruled during the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London. Also, the name Charles III was used by Charles Edward Stuart, a person who claimed to be the rightful king in the 1700s. Many thought he might choose George VII to honor his grandfather. However, Charles said he had not discussed his regnal name before becoming King.

His Titles in Different Countries

As King, Charles III has a specific title for each country where he is the monarch. These titles usually include "King of [Country Name] and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth."

For example, in the United Kingdom, his full title is: English: His Majesty Charles the Third, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

In Canada, his title is: English: Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of Canada and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. In 2023, Canada changed his title slightly. It no longer mentions the United Kingdom or "Defender of the Faith."

Unofficial Titles from Different Cultures

In some places, Charles has been given special unofficial names or titles by local communities. These show respect and connection.

In Blackfoot (from Alberta, Canada): Mekaisto, which means Chief Red Crow.
In Manitoba, Canada: Leading Star.
In Inuktitut (from Nunavut, Canada): Attaniout Ikeneego, meaning The Son of the Big Boss (or heir apparent).
In Cree (from Saskatchewan, Canada): Kīsikāwipīsimwa miyo ōhcikanawāpamik, meaning The Sun Watches Over Him in a Good Way.
In Maasai (from Tanzania, Africa): Oloishiru Ingishi, meaning The Helper of the Cows.
In Tok Pisin (from Papua New Guinea, Oceania): Nambawan pikinini bilong Misis Kwin, meaning The number one child belonging to Mrs Queen.
In Vanuatu, Oceania: High Chief Mal Menaringmanu.

Military Roles and Ranks

King Charles III, in his Royal Air Force uniform

King Charles III, in his New Zealand Army uniform

King Charles III has a long history with the armed forces. He served in the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. He holds many high ranks and honorary positions in the military across the Commonwealth.

In the United Kingdom, he is an Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy, a Field Marshal in the British Army, and a Marshal of the Royal Air Force. Since becoming King, he is also the Head of the Armed Forces and the Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom.
In Canada, he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces. Before becoming King, he was a Vice-Admiral in the Royal Canadian Navy and a Lieutenant-General in the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force.
In New Zealand, he is the Admiral of the Fleet of the Royal New Zealand Navy, a Field Marshal of the New Zealand Army, and a Marshal of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He is also the Head of the Armed Forces.

He also holds many honorary titles like Colonel-in-Chief for various regiments in Australia, Canada, Papua New Guinea, and the United Kingdom. This means he is a special patron or leader for those military groups.

Charles as Colonel of the Welsh Guards, Trooping the Colour, 2012

University Education

Charles attended the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

Country	Date	School	Degree
United Kingdom	1970	University of Cambridge	Bachelor of Arts (BA)
United Kingdom	1975	University of Cambridge	Master of Arts (MA Cantab)

Commonwealth Roles

Head of the Commonwealth

On April 20, 2018, leaders of the Commonwealth countries agreed that Charles would become the Head of the Commonwealth after his mother. He took on this role when she passed away.

Special Appointments and Awards

Charles has received many special appointments and awards from different countries, especially those in the Commonwealth. These are often part of special orders of chivalry, which are groups of people honored for their service.

For example, in the United Kingdom, he was a Royal Knight Companion of the Order of the Garter and the Great Master of the Order of the Bath. Now that he is King, he is the Sovereign (the highest leader) of these important orders. He also holds similar high positions in orders from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Papua New Guinea.

He has also received various medals to mark important events, such as his mother's coronations and jubilees.

Ribbons of King Charles III

Sovereign of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath		Order of Merit		Sovereign of the Order of Australia
Queen's Service Order	Order of Canada		Order of Military Merit		Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal	Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal		Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal		Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal
Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with three bars	Canadian Forces' Decoration with three clasps		New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal		New Zealand Armed Forces Award

When wearing his medals, Charles usually wears the special stars of the Garter, Thistle, and Bath orders on his chest. If he can only wear one, he wears the Order of the Garter star, unless he is in Scotland, where he wears the Scottish Order of the Thistle star.

International Honors

Charles has also received many honors from countries around the world. These are often high awards given to important visitors or leaders. Some examples include:

Order of the White Rose of Finland (Finland)
Order of the Chrysanthemum (Japan)
Order of the Crown (The Netherlands)
Order of the Elephant (Denmark)
Royal Order of the Seraphim (Sweden)
Legion of Honour (France)
Order of Charles III (Spain)
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Germany)
Grand Order of Mugunghwa (South Korea)

Other Special Recognitions

Memberships and Fellowships

Charles is an honorary member of several important organizations.

Country	Date	Organisation	Position
United Kingdom	1975 –	Marylebone Cricket Club	Honorary Life Member
United Kingdom	1975 –	Honourable Society of Gray's Inn	Royal Bencher
United Kingdom	1978 –	Royal Society	Royal Fellow (FRS)
United Kingdom	2000 –	Royal Asiatic Society	Fellow (FRAS)

He is also an Honorary Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Carpenters, recognizing his interest in London's buildings. He holds similar honorary roles in other historic London companies like the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights and the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.

Honorary University Degrees

Many universities have given Charles honorary degrees, which are special titles given to people who have achieved great things, even if they didn't study there.

Country	Date	School	Degree
England	1981	Royal College of Music	Doctor of Music (D.Mus.)
New Zealand	1981	University of Otago	Doctor of Literature (LittD)
Canada	1983	University of Alberta	Doctor of Laws (LLD)
Italy	1987	University of Bologna	Doctor of Literature and Philosophy (LLD)
Canada	1991	Queen's University at Kingston	Doctor of Laws (LLD)
England	1998	University of Durham	Doctor of Civil Law (DCL)
Scotland	2001	University of Glasgow	Doctor of Laws
England	2007	University of Chester	Doctor of Letters (DLitt)
Scotland	2004	Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama	Doctor of the Academy
India	2013	Forest Research Institute	Doctor of Science (D.Sc.)
Romania	31 May 2014	University of Bucharest	Doctorate
Romania	29 May 2017	Babeș-Bolyai University	Doctorate

Freedom of the City

The "Freedom of the City" is an old honor given by a city to a respected member of the community or a visiting dignitary. It means they are welcomed and respected in that city. Charles has received this honor from several cities:

Cardiff, Wales (1969)
London, England (1971)
Calgary, Canada (1977)
Portsmouth, England (1979)
Swansea, Wales (1994)
Madrid, Spain (2011)
Athens, Greece (2021)

Places and Things Named After Him

Some places, buildings, and even animals have been named in honor of King Charles III.

Academic: King Charles III Professorship at Trinity College, Cambridge.
Geographic: The Prince Charles Mountains in the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Prince Charles Strait in the British Antarctic Territory.
Buildings: Prince Charles Park in Fiji, Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong, and The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane, Australia.
Awards: The Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage Leadership.
Species: A type of frog from Ecuador, Hyloscirtus princecharlesi, also known as the Prince Charles Stream Tree Frog.