Since his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969, King Charles III has given hundreds of speeches and interviews. Many of them are poignant, funny, and demonstrate passions close to his heart – such as gardening, the environment and even painting.
Here, we take a look at some of his best quotes so far.
“It is with a certain sense of pride and emotion that I have received these symbols of office, here in this magnificent fortress, where no one could fail to be stirred by its atmosphere of timeworn grandeur, nor where I myself could be unaware of the long history of Wales in its determination to remain individual and to guard its own particular heritage.” (In Welsh, at his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969)
“I just come and talk to the plants, really — very important to talk to them. They respond.” (1986 interview)
“Throughout her life, Her Majesty The Queen – my beloved Mother – was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example.” (On the passing of Queen Elizabeth II)
“People are notoriously short-sighted when it comes to questions of wildlife and several species have been wiped out because no one has woken up in time to the danger.” (In a letter to Prime Minister Harold Wilson about modern fishing methods in 1969)
“Over more than three decades, I have been privileged to talk with some of the world's most eminent experts on climate change and environmental issues and to listen to the wisdom of some of the world's indigenous people.
“The conclusion I draw is that the future of mankind can be assured only if we rediscover ways in which to live as a part of nature, not apart from her.” (COP 15 speech in Copenhagen, 2009)
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“We have to reconnect with those traditional approaches and techniques honed over thousands of years which, only in the 20th century, were seen as ‘old-fashioned’ and of no use in a progressive modern age.” (Essay for The Architectural Review in 2014)
“I've had this extraordinary feeling, for years and years, ever since I can remember really, of wanting to heal and make things better…
“I feel more than anything else it's my duty to worry about everybody and their lives in this country, to try to find a way of improving things if I possibly can.” (Time magazine interview, 2013)
- Where does the King live? From royal palaces to private residences, here's where the monarch calls home – there's even a Transylvanian retreat
- Why does the king have two birthdays?
“I learned the way a monkey learns, by watching its parents.” (On becoming a Royal)
“I find myself born into this particular position. I'm determined to make the most of it. And to do whatever I can to help. And I hope I leave things behind a little bit better than I found them.” (60 Minutes interview, 2005)
“Painting transports me into another dimension which, quite literally, refreshes parts of the soul which other activities can't reach.” (On his hobby of watercolour painting – he has had his artwork on display and on sale)
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“The garden at Highgrove really does spring from my heart and, strange as it may seem to some, creating it has been rather like a form of worship.” (1993)
“They are in fact the world’s air-conditioning system – the very lungs of the planet – and help to store the largest body of freshwater on the planet... In simple terms, the rainforests, which encircle the world, are our very life-support system.” (Presidential Lecture in Jakarta, Indonesia, 2008)
“Perhaps you will allow me to restate my determination to join you in continuing to do whatever I can, for as long as I can, to maintain not only the health and vitality of the ocean and all that depends upon it, but also the viability of that greatest and most unique of living organisms – Nature herself.” (Our Ocean Conference, 2017)
“One of my great joys is to see the pleasure that the garden can bring to many of the visitors and that everybody seems to find some part of it that is special to them.” (On Highgrove, 2019)
“We must recognise that what we have in common is far greater than what divides us.” (Presidential Lecture in Jakarta, Indonesia, 2008)
Discover more about Britain's royals
- Does the King need a passport to travel?
- Where are Britain's lost kings buried? A guide to some unorthodox royal burial sites
- King Charles III is dumping deer bones and dead trees in rivers. Here's how it's saving Scotland’s waterways
- The celebrities related to British royalty – the surprising connection between Beyonce, Hugh Grant and Queen Elizabeth II
Main image: King Charles III smells a 'Highgrove' rose during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show in 2009. Credit: Sang Tan/WPA Pool/Getty
