You're First in Line to Revisit King Charles III's Road to the Throne

King Charles III has been partying nonstop ahead of his 75th birthday on Nov. 14.

First there was a tea party at Dumfries House, part of Charles' Ayrshire estate in Scotland, where the bulk of the guest list consisted of fellow 75-year-olds whose contributions to their community had been nominated for recognition. And then, a similarly themed group of revelers were treated to a three-tier cake with the king at Highgrove, his Gloucester home.

And, no matter what day the monarch was actually born, his official birthday bash known as Trooping the Colour occurs annually in June for thousands to enjoy, so the party automatically re-starts in seven months.

None of which is to be confused with the private celebration Charles will enjoy now with his wife, Queen Camilla—only 25 years after she wasn't invited to the 50th birthday reception Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip hosted for him and 850 of their nearest and dearest at Buckingham Palace.

Camilla has, of course, been by his side for every major milestone since. But you don't have to tell Charles that life can change in an instant, let alone over the course of a quarter-century. 

At 73, he became the oldest person to assume the British throne following the death of the 96-year-old queen in September 2022.

And it's not as if Charles didn't know it was coming, his knowledge of how succession works being one of the stranger facts that future monarchs—including the king's firstborn son, Prince William—have to live with.

But still, day one for Charles was devoted to proving he was up to the job his mother shouldered without complaint for 70 years. And that's pretty much what every day since has been like, as well.

Not the average itinerary for one's golden years, to be sure, but he knew the road he'd been traveling his entire life was going to lead him exactly there.

In honor of his 75th birthday, take a spare moment to revisit King Charles III's journey to the throne:

The first child of Prince Philip and the future Queen Elizabeth II was born Nov. 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace.

During his earliest years, Charles spent months at a time with his maternal grandparents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother) while his parents lived in Malta, where Philip was stationed with the Royal Navy.

Charles' mother became Queen Elizabeth II on Feb. 6, 1952, when her father, King George VI, died at the age of 56. 

Charles attended but the 4-year-old didn't play a role in his mother's coronation on June 2, 1953.

Charles remains friends with Planet Earth presenter Sir David Attenborough to this day.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first of nine U.S. presidents Charles has met to date.

Prince Andrew was born Feb. 19, 1960, and jumped Anne in the line of succession upon arrival.

Charles formally became the Prince of Wales at his investiture on July 1, 1969.