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West New York, New Jersey

West New York is a town in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated upon the New Jersey Palisades. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 52,912, an increase of 3,204 (+6.4%) from the 2010 census count of 49,708,  which in turn reflected an increase of 3,940 (+8.6%) from the 45,768 counted in the 2000 census. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 51,981 in 2022, ranking the city the 770th-most-populous in the country.

With more than 52800 PD/sqmi of land according to the 2010 census, West New York was the second-most densely populated municipality in the United States, among places with a population above 50,000, behind neighboring Union City.

History
West New York was incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on July 8, 1898, replacing Union Township, based on the results of a referendum held three days earlier. West New York underwent a massive growth at the beginning of the 20th century, driven by development of textile industries that made North Hudson the "Embroidery Capital of the United States".

The town was populated mainly with Italian Americans and German Americans. Throughout the 1960s, West New York had an influx of Cuban émigrés to the area, leading it to once being called Havana on the Hudson; the city has a majority Hispanic population.

High-rise apartments, some of which place among the tallest buildings in North Hudson, were built along Boulevard East, adding to the population of the town and giving it one of the highest population densities in the country.

Since the 1980s, the Hudson Waterfront, which the Weehawken Terminal had been a part of, has been redeveloped from an industrial to a residential and recreational area, for instance, with the creation of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 1.33 square miles (3.44 km2), including 0.99 square miles (2.58 km2) of land and 0.33 square miles (0.86 km2) of water (25.11%).

The ZIP Code for West New York is 07093. West New York is part of the New York metropolitan area and is at the heart of the North Hudson, New Jersey, region. West New York is bordered on the north by Guttenberg, on the east by the Hudson River, on the south by Union City and Weehawken, and on the west by North Bergen.

West New York is one of North Hudson's communities atop The Palisades above the Hudson River, and home to the highest point in the county. Its Hudson Waterfront has been known as Bulls Ferry since before the American Revolutionary War. Bergenline Avenue is its main commercial thoroughfare, while the wide two-way 60th Street is a major cross-town thoroughfare, and site of Town Hall. More than half of U.S. Presidents have streets bearing their name in the town.

The town borders the municipalities of Guttenberg, North Bergen, Union City and Weehawken in Hudson County; and the New York City borough of Manhattan across the Hudson River.

Demographics
One of 41 municipalities statewide where a majority of residents do not speak English as their primary language, Spanish is spoken at home by more than half of the residents of West New York, according to data from the United States Census Bureau's 2012-2016 American Community Survey data. The town had 83.6% of residents not speaking English as their dominant language, the second highest in the state.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 49,708 people, 18,852 households, and 11,783 families in the town. The population density was 49,341.7 per square mile (19,050.9/km2). There were 20,018 housing units at an average density of 19,870.5 per square mile (7,672.0/km2). The racial makeup was 62.04% (30,839) White, 4.60% (2,289) Black or African American, 1.50% (744) Native American, 6.01% (2,986) Asian, 0.05% (24) Pacific Islander, 20.19% (10,038) from other races, and 5.61% (2,788) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 78.08% (38,812) of the population.

Of the 18,852 households, 28.6% had children under the age of 18; 37.6% were married couples living together; 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present and 37.5% were non-families. Of all households, 29.5% were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.23.

21.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 98.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 96.8 males.

As of the 2010 United States census, West New York had the third-highest percentage of Hispanics in the state, at 78.1%, accounting for 2.5% of the state's Hispanic population. Though Native Americans comprise less than 1% of the city's population, they doubled in the 2000s, and combined with Union City's Native Americans comprise 38% of the county's Native American population.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $44,657 (with a margin of error of ± $2,850) and the median family income was $42,534 (± $3,689). Males had a median income of $36,768 (± $2,414) versus $30,688 (± $1,952) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $24,419 (± $1,215). About 15.8% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 25.6% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census, there were 45,768 people, 16,719 households, and 11,034 families residing in the town. The population density was 44,995.1/mi2 (17,324.6/km2). There were 17,360 housing units at an average density of 17,066.8/mi2 (6,571.3 km2). The racial makeup of the town was 60.09% White, 3.55% African American, 0.67% Native American, 2.93% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 25.16% from other races, and 7.57% from two or more races. 78.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 16,719 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 16.9% had a woman whose husband did not live with her, and 34.0% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the town, the age distribution of the population showed 22.3% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $31,980, and the median income for a family was $34,083. Males had a median income of $26,703 versus $22,326 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,719. 18.9% of the population and 16.1% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 25.4% were under the age of 18 and 22.3% were 65 or older.

As of the 2000 Census, West New York was ranked as #52 on a list of cities with the highest percentage of renters. 80.1% of West New York residents lived in renter-occupied housing units, vs. 33.8% nationwide.

Economy
Bergenline Avenue is the main shopping district of North Hudson. West New York's Urban Enterprise Zone, one of seven established by legislation in 1996, covers portions of Bergenline Avenue from 49th to 67th Streets.

Portions of town are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone, including portions of Bergenline Avenue from 49th to 67th Streets. West New York was selected in 1996 as one of a group of seven zones added to participate in the program. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment and investment within the UEZ, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3.3125% sales tax rate (half of the $6 5/8$% rate charged statewide) at eligible merchants. Established in May 1996, the town's Urban Enterprise Zone status expires in May 2027.

Until the 1880s, the primary commercial area of West New York was Palisade Avenue. An influential citizen named Henry Kohlmeier who lived there objected to the noise created by horse-drawn public coaches, which led to the route being transferred one block west to what is now Bergenline Avenue (formerly Lewis Street), which runs parallel to Palisade Avenue, and which remains the city's main commercial thoroughfare. Currently the longest commercial avenue in the state, boasting over 300 retail stores and restaurants, Bergenline runs through not only the entire length of West New York from north to south, but also through Union City, Guttenberg and North Bergen, making it the main commercial strip for North Hudson. Also known as the "Miracle Mile", Bergenline's largest concentration of retail and chain stores begins at the intersection of 32nd Street in Union City, and continues north until 92nd Street in North Bergen. Bergenline Avenue is also used as the route for local parades, such as the annual Memorial Day Parade Cuban Day Parade and Dominican-American Parade.

Points of interest

 * Excelsior Engine Co. No. 2 Firehouse on Polk Street, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.

Sports
In 1898, the Brooklyn Bridegrooms played two games at the West New York Field Club Grounds. The New York Giants played one game at the field in 1898 and four in 1899.

In 2011, Formula One announced plans to host a street race on a 3.2 mi in West New York and Weehawken called Grand Prix of America, which would begin in June 2013.

Local government
Since 1931, West New York has been governed under the Walsh Act form of New Jersey municipal government. The town is one of 30 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use the commission form of government. The governing body is comprised of a five-member commission, whose members are elected at-large in non-partisan elections to serve four-year terms of office on a concurrent basis as part of the May municipal election. Each Commissioner is assigned to head one of five departments. The Commission selects one of its members to serve as mayor.

, the five members of the West New York Board of Commissioners are Mayor Albio Sires, Marcos Arroyo, Victor Barrera, Marielka Diaz and Adam Parkinson, all serving concurrent terms of office ending May 15, 2027.

In the May 2011 municipal election, the "Together We Can" slate of five candidates led by Roque took all five seats on the Town Council, knocking off the slate of incumbents led by then-mayor Silverio Vega. At the town council's reorganization meeting, the five commissioners unanimously voted to appoint Roque to a four-year term as Mayor of West New York.

In February 2015, Cosmo Cirillo was selected to fill the vacant seat of Rubin Vargas, making Cirillo the youngest commissioner on town history at the age of 27.

Federal, state and county representation
West New York is located in the 8th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 33rd state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 19,438 registered voters in West New York, of which 10,510 (54.1%) were registered as Democrats, 2,460 (12.7%) were registered as Republicans and 6,456 (33.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 12 voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 77.5% of the vote (9,682 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 21.8% (2,725 votes), and other candidates with 0.7% (85 votes), among the 12,605 ballots cast by the town's 21,268 registered voters (113 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 59.3%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 69.6% of the vote (9,071 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 29.0% (3,773 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (78 votes), among the 13,026 ballots cast by the town's 21,023 registered voters, for a turnout of 62.0%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 60.8% of the vote (7,229 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 36.4% (4,329 votes) and other candidates with 0.3% (54 votes), among the 11,883 ballots cast by the town's 18,058 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 65.8.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Democrat Barbara Buono received 55.9% of the vote (3,188 cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 42.4% (2,416 votes), and other candidates with 1.6% (94 votes), among the 5,978 ballots cast by the town's 22,092 registered voters (280 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 27.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 71.2% of the vote (5,328 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 25.5% (1,907 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 1.3% (97 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (67 votes), among the 7,481 ballots cast by the town's 19,045 registered voters, yielding a 39.3% turnout.

Education
West New York is served by the West New York School District for pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant to the decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in Abbott v. Burke which are now referred to as "SDA Districts" based on the requirement for the state to cover all costs for school building and renovation projects in these districts under the supervision of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority.

As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of nine schools, had an enrollment of 8,545 students and 593.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.3:1. Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Early Childhood School with 502 students in Pre-K, Public School #1 with 860 students in grades K–6, Public School #2 with 716 students in grades K–6, Robert Menendez Elementary School (School #3) with 574 students in grades K–6, Albio Sires Elementary School (School #4) with 678 students in grades K–6, Public School #5 with 673 students in grades K–6, Harry L. Bain Elementary School (School #6) with 675 students in grades K–6, West New York Middle School with 1,125 students in grades 7–8. and Memorial High School with 2,079 students in grades 9–12.

Private schools in West New York include Academy of St. Joseph of the Palisades, a K-8 Catholic school, which is overseen by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. In the wake of declining enrollment and lingering financial issues, Mother Seton Interparochial School (which had been formed in 2006 from the merger of St. Michael's and St. Anthony of Padua) and St. Augustine's School, both of which had been located in Union City, were closed by the Newark Archdiocese after the 2019–20 school year and merged into Academy of St. Joseph of the Palisades.

American Training School for Medical Professionals is a bilingual medical school founded in 1998 by Professor Dante Joa.

Emergency services
West New York does not have its own fire department, but is one of five municipalities served by the North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue.

The West New York Emergency Medical Squad consists of 26 people (as of May 2011) who are based at the EMS house on 62nd Street, which houses four trucks, to which each is assigned two workers. The Squad's second, larger facility, at 66th Street, opened May 11, 2011.

West New York's Emergency Medical Services was among the many Hudson County agencies that responded to the January 2009 crash of US Airways Flight 1549, for which they received accolades from the survivors.

Roads and highways
, the town had a total of 24.11 mi of roadways, of which 21.92 mi were maintained by the municipality, 2.19 mi by Hudson County.

The only significant roads directly serving West New York are county highways. County Route 501 follows Kennedy Boulevard along the town's western border. County Route 505 follows Boulevard East and Anthony Defino Way on the east side of town. Both roads are oriented north–south. Interstate 95 (the New Jersey Turnpike), U.S. Route 1/9 and New Jersey Route 495 are major highways located in adjacent municipalities.

Public transportation
NJ Transit bus service is available to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 128, 154, 156, 158, 159, 165, 166 and 168 routes. The 181 and 188 routes offer service to the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal. Travel to other New Jersey communities, including Jersey City, is offered on the 22, 23, 84, 86, 88 and 89.

The Bergenline Avenue station of Hudson-Bergen Light Rail is located at the city line with Union City, while the Weehawken Port Imperial station is located on the Weehawken waterfront at the foot of Pershing Road near the NY Waterway ferry terminal. Regular ferry crossings of the Hudson River run daily.

Jitney commuter buses operate along Bergenline Avenue, providing service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the George Washington Bridge Bus Station, the Newport Centre and other local destinations. The county's most frequent route for dollar buses, jitneys operate along Bergenline Avenue as frequently as one bus every minute.

The closest airport in New Jersey with scheduled passenger service is Newark Liberty International Airport, located 13.6 mi away in Newark and Elizabeth. New York City's LaGuardia Airport is 13.5 mi away in Queens via the Lincoln Tunnel.

Media and culture
West New York is located within the New York media market, with most of its daily papers available for sale or delivery. The Jersey Journal is a local daily paper based in Jersey City. Local weeklies include the free bilingual paper, Hudson Dispatch Weekly, a former daily, The West New York Reporter, which is part of the Hudson Reporter group of local weeklies, and the Spanish language El Especialito. River View Observer is a monthly newspaper that covers the Hudson County waterfront market.

In the late 2000s, West New York, Weehawken, Union City and North Bergen came to be dubbed collectively as "NoHu", a North Hudson haven for local performing and fine artists, many of whom are immigrants from Latin America and other countries, in part due to lower housing costs compared to those in nearby art havens such as Hoboken, Jersey City and Manhattan.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with West New York include:

 * Christine Elizabeth Abrahamsen (1916–1995), author of science fiction and gothic novels
 * Nick Acocella (1943–2020), political journalist and author
 * Ronald Alexander (1917–1995), playwright best known for writing Broadway comedic plays
 * George Alvarez, actor known for the soap operas General Hospital, Port Charles and Guiding Light
 * Jose Arango (born 1937), politician who represented the 33rd Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1984 to 1986
 * Manuela Arbeláez (born 1988), model and actress who has appeared on The Price Is Right
 * Oscar L. Auf der Heide (1874–1945), politician who represented the New Jersey's 11th congressional district from 1925 to 1933 and the 14th congressional district from 1933 to 1935
 * Tyson Beckford (born 1970), male supermodel
 * Warren Boroson (born 1935), financial journalist, author and playwright
 * James J. Braddock (1905–1974), heavyweight boxing champion
 * Rob Byrnes (born 1958), author and blogger
 * Sebastian Capozucchi (born 1995), professional footballer who plays as a defender for USL League One club Chattanooga Red Wolves
 * Frank Cumiskey (1912–2004), Olympic silver medal-winning gymnast
 * Vincent J. Dellay (1907–1999), Congressman who represented NJ's 14th congressional district
 * Emil Draitser (born 1937), author of 12 books and 135 short stories, professor of Russian at Hunter College
 * Ruth Brewer Eisenberg (1902–1996), pianist who was "Ivory" of the inter-racial piano duo Ebony and Ivory
 * Amber Lee Ettinger (born 1982), actress and internet celebrity who rose to fame in 2007 as "Obama Girl"
 * Zulima Farber (born 1946), former New Jersey Attorney General
 * Ada Ferrer (born 1962), historian, writer and professor
 * Noli Francisco (1941–2017), professional poker player
 * Morton Freedgood (1913–2006), author of the novel The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
 * Alan Gewirth (1912–2004), philosopher, a professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago and author of Reason and Morality
 * Don Guardian (born 1953), politician who has represented the 2nd Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2022
 * Walter Hendl (1917–2007), conductor, composer and pianist
 * Arthur Imperatore Sr. (1925–2020), businessman who founded the NY Waterway service
 * Christopher Jackman (1916–1991), politician who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature, and was Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1978 until 1982
 * Angelica M. Jimenez (born 1965), politician who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2012, where she represents the 32nd Legislative District
 * King Kamali (born 1972), IFBB professional bodybuilder
 * AJ Lee (born 1987), actress and retired professional wrestler, best known for her time in WWE
 * Herb Maack (1917–2007), former Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC) player and college football head coach
 * Ray Machado, Cuban-American musician and founder of the Cuban fusion band Máxima Alerta
 * John Mahnken (born 1922), former professional basketball player
 * Harold Martin (1918–2010), member of the New Jersey General Assembly
 * Mayte Martínez (born 1991), Cuban American model, designer and television personality
 * Edward James Olmos (born 1947), actor who lived in West New York from 1979 to 1987, while he built his stage career following his emigration from East Los Angeles
 * Harry Otis (1886–1976), pitcher who played in five games for the Cleveland Naps in 1909
 * Nelson J. Perez (born 1961), prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who serves as the 10th archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
 * Artie Pitt (1913–2002) gymnast who competed in eight events at the 1936 Summer Olympics
 * Gene Prebola (born 1938), tight end who played in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos and New York Jets
 * Caridad Rodriguez (born 1947), former member of the New Jersey General Assembly
 * Jeff Roehl (born 1980), offensive lineman who played for the New York Giants
 * Louis Romano (1930–2000), member of the New Jersey General Assembly
 * Felix Roque, Former Mayor of West New York
 * Mathieu Schneider (born 1969), former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 1,289 games in the National Hockey League with ten different teams
 * Dick Seay (1904–1981), Negro league baseball all-star second baseman
 * Jeremy Shockey (born 1980), NFL football player who has played for the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers
 * Ozzie Silna (1932–2016), businessmen best known as being co-owner of the American Basketball Association's Spirits of St. Louis and the lucrative deal cut to fold that team during the ABA-NBA merger
 * John Skevin (1927–1993), politician who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature
 * Albio Sires (born 1951), former Mayor of West New York who serves in Congress representing NJ's 8th congressional district
 * Isabel Toledo (1960–2019), fashion designer
 * Vito Valentinetti (1928–2021), professional pitcher who played for five MLB seasons
 * Silverio Vega (born 1956), former Mayor of West New York who served in the New Jersey General Assembly
 * Armando Vilaseca, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Education
 * Jessica Vosk (born 1983), Broadway actress who has starred as Elphaba in the Second National Tour of Wicked
 * Gerard Way (born 1977), musician, frontman of the alternative rock band My Chemical Romance
 * Jacqueline Walker (born 1941), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1984 to 1986
 * Warren Wolf (1927–2019), high school football head coach and politician who served as an Ocean County freeholder and a New Jersey State Assemblyman

title: West New York, New Jersey


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Alexandria Township, New Jersey

Alexandria Township is a township in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 4,809, a decrease of 129 (−2.6%) from the 2010 census count of 4,938, which in turn reflected an increase of 240 (+5.1%) from the 4,698 counted in the 2000 census.

Alexandria was formed by Royal charter on March 5, 1765, from portions of Bethlehem Township, and was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Frenchtown (April 4, 1867), Holland Township (April 13, 1874, restored to Alexandria on March 4, 1878, and recreated on March 11, 1879) and Milford (April 15, 1911). The township was named for James Alexander, a surveyor who served as New Jersey Attorney General and who had acquired 10000 acres of land in the area in 1744.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 27.75 square miles (71.87 km2), including 27.53 square miles (71.31 km2) of land and 0.22 square miles (0.56 km2) of water (0.79%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Everittstown, Little York, Mechlings Corner, Mount Pleasant, Mount Salem, Palmyra and Swinesburg. Pittstown is an unincorporated community that is also spread across Franklin Township and Union Township.

The township borders the municipalities of Bethlehem Township, Franklin Township, Frenchtown, Holland Township, Kingwood Township, Milford and Union Township in Hunterdon County; and both Bridgeton Township and Tinicum Township in Bucks County across the Delaware River border with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 4,938 people, 1,758 households, and 1,384 families in the township. The population density was 180.1 PD/sqmi. There were 1,865 housing units at an average density of 68.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 94.80% (4,681) White, 2.00% (99) Black or African American, 0.04% (2) Native American, 1.82% (90) Asian, 0.02% (1) Pacific Islander, 0.63% (31) from other races, and 0.69% (34) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.22% (159) of the population.

Of the 1,758 households, 35.7% had children under the age of 18; 71.4% were married couples living together; 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 21.3% were non-families. Of all households, 16.7% were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.16.

25.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 16.8% from 25 to 44, 38.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 99.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 95.9 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $117,404 (with a margin of error of +/− $11,426) and the median family income was $137,821 (+/− $24,473). Males had a median income of $101,927 (+/− $22,844) versus $60,875 (+/− $7,233) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $47,777 (+/− $5,059). About 3.0% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 4,698 people, 1,535 households, and 1,290 families residing in the township. The population density was 170.6 PD/sqmi. There were 1,598 housing units at an average density of 58.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 97.02% White, 0.79% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.

There were 1,535 households, out of which 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.9% were married couples living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.9% were non-families. 13.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.25.

In the township the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $92,730, and the median income for a family was $93,619. Males had a median income of $70,996 versus $39,904 for females. The per capita income for the township was $34,622. About 4.3% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
Alexandria Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The governing body is comprised of a five-member Township Committee, whose members are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one seat coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as mayor and another as deputy mayor.

In the November 2020 general election, voters approved a ballot question that asked if they wanted to expand the township committee from three members to five. In November 2021, voters chose two candidates to serve three-year terms and one to serve a two-year term, so that there were five members elected to the Township Committee starting in January 2022.

, members of the Alexandria Township Committee are Mayor Robert Mortara (R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2023), Deputy Mayor Jay M. Arancio (R, term on committee ends 2024; term as deputy mayor ends 2023), Tom Hudanish (R, 2025), James P. Kiernan (R, 2023) and Rudolph C. "Chris" Pfefferle (R, 2024).

In September 2015, the Township Committee selected Michelle Garay from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacant seat expiring in December 2016 that had been held by Harry Swift until his death in office earlier that month.

Christian Pfefferle took office in November 2014 after running unopposed to fill the 14 months remaining in the term of the seat that had been vacated by Gabe Plummer when he resigned after he had moved outside of the township in January 2014; Curtis Schick had filled the seat on an interim basis.

Federal, state and county representation
Alexandria Township is located in the 7th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state legislative district.

Politics
Like most municipalities in Hunterdon County, the township leans very strongly towards the Republican Party on the national and state levels. As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,411 registered voters in Alexandria Township, of which 533 (15.6%) were registered as Democrats, 1,458 (42.7%) were registered as Republicans and 1,417 (41.5%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 64.4% of the vote (1,695 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 34.1% (899 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (39 votes), among the 2,651 ballots cast by the township's 3,571 registered voters (18 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 74.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 60.2% of the vote here (1,643 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 37.4% (1,019 votes) and other candidates with 1.8% (48 votes), among the 2,728 ballots cast by the township's 3,378 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.8%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 65.9% of the vote here (1,665 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 36.2% (916 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (28 votes), among the 2,528 ballots cast by the township's 3,030 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 83.4.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 78.7% of the vote (1,332 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 19.6% (332 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (28 votes), among the 1,726 ballots cast by the township's 3,588 registered voters (34 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 48.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 72.3% of the vote here (1,520 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 18.5% (388 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 6.7% (140 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (25 votes), among the 2,102 ballots cast by the township's 3,386 registered voters, yielding a 62.1% turnout.

Education
The Alexandria Township School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 461 students and 49.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.4:1. The two schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Lester D. Wilson School with 187 students in pre-kindergarten through third grade and Alexandria Middle School with 269 students in grades four through eight.

Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades attend Delaware Valley Regional High School, together with students from Frenchtown, Holland Township, Kingwood Township and Milford. The school is part of the Delaware Valley Regional High School District. As of the 2021–22 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 719 students and 62.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.5:1. Seats on the high school district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on the populationof the constituent municipalities, with two seats assigned to Alexandria Township.

The Alexandria Township Education Foundation, is a non-profit organization established in 1997, whose mission is to help achieve and maintain an extra margin of excellence by employing private resources to supplement traditional school district funding.

Eighth grade students from all of Hunterdon County are eligible to apply to attend the high school programs offered by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District, a county-wide vocational school district that offers career and technical education at its campuses in Raritan Township and at programs sited at local high schools, with no tuition charged to students for attendance.

Transportation
Alexandria Field Airport is a privately owned public-use general aviation airport located in the geographic center of the township.

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 71.43 mi of roadways, of which 48.77 mi were maintained by the municipality and 22.66 mi by Hunterdon County.

No Interstate, U.S. or State routes pass through the township. The most significant roads to pass through Alexandria are County Route 513 (Everittstown Road), CR 519 and CR 579 (which only runs along the northeast border).

Interstate 78 is the closest limited access road which is accessible outside the municipality in bordering Union and Franklin Townships.

Wineries

 * Beneduce Vineyards
 * Mount Salem Vineyards

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Alexandria Township include:
 * Mary DeChambres, film and television editor
 * Carla Katz (born 1959), union leader
 * Frank Muehlheuser (1926–2006), American football fullback and linebacker who played in the NFL for the Boston Yanks and the New York Bulldogs
 * Jayson Williams (born 1968), former NBA player with the New Jersey Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, who owned an estate that featured a private basketball court, a personalized movie theatre and many other features

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Alexandria Township, New Jersey


text:
Annandale, New Jersey

Annandale is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Clinton Township, in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP's population was 1,695. The Annandale Historic District was listed on the state and national registers of historic places in 1994.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Annandale had a total area of 1.452 mi2, all of which was land. It has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) and average monthly temperatures range from 28.2 °F in January to 72.9 °F in July. The hardiness zone is 6b.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 1,695 people, 658 households, and 455 families in the CDP. The population density was 1167.6 /mi2. There were 692 housing units at an average density of 476.7 /mi2. The racial makeup was 86.61% (1,468) White, 2.48% (42) Black or African American, 0.35% (6) Native American, 7.32% (124) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.77% (13) from other races, and 2.48% (42) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.66% (79) of the population.

Of the 658 households, 38.8% had children under the age of 18; 56.4% were married couples living together; 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.9% were non-families. Of all households, 25.2% were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.15.

27.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 31.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.3 males.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 1,276 people, 451 households, and 354 families living in the CDP. The population density was 339.8 /km2. There were 472 housing units at an average density of 125.7 /km2. The racial makeup of the CDP was 96.47% White, 0.63% African American, 2.19% Asian, 0.63% from other races, and 0.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.

There were 451 households, out of which 43.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.7% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.5% were non-families. 16.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the CDP the population was spread out, with 29.0% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $80,738, and the median income for a family was $104,009. Males had a median income of $65,814 versus $37,171 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $30,176. None of the families and 1.0% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 8.0% of those over 64.

Historic district
The Annandale Historic District is a historic district encompassing the village of Annandale. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 8, 1994, for its significance in architecture, commerce, and industry from 1852 to 1930. It includes 191 contributing buildings.

Education
Immaculate Conception School (PreK-8) operates under the supervision of Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen.

Points of interest

 * Jones Tavern, former recruiting station for the militia of Hunterdon County.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Annandale include:
 * Matthew Acosta (born 2002), soccer player who plays as a midfielder for USL Championship club New York Red Bulls II.
 * Walter Chandoha (1920–2019), animal photographer, known especially for his 90,000 photographs of cats.
 * John B. Evans (1942–2004), publisher of The Village Voice.

In popular culture

 * According to the deed from "Previously On", the fictional town of Westview from WandaVision is coextensive with Annandale.

title: Annandale, New Jersey


text:
Charles III

Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.

Charles was born in Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and became heir apparent when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, acceded to the throne in 1952. He was created Prince of Wales in 1958 and his investiture was held in 1969. He was educated at Cheam School and Gordonstoun, and later spent six months at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia. After completing a history degree from the University of Cambridge, Charles served in the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976. In 1981, he married Lady Diana Spencer. They had two sons, William and Harry. Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, after they had each engaged in well-publicised extramarital affairs. Diana died as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash the following year. In 2005, Charles married his long-term partner, Camilla Parker Bowles.

As heir apparent, Charles undertook official duties and engagements on behalf of his mother. He founded the Prince's Trust in 1976, sponsored the Prince's Charities, and became patron or president of more than 800 other charities and organisations. He advocated for the conservation of historic buildings and the importance of architecture in society. In that vein, he generated the experimental new town of Poundbury. An environmentalist, Charles supported organic farming and action to prevent climate change during his time as the manager of the Duchy of Cornwall estates, earning him awards and recognition as well as criticism; he is also a prominent critic of the adoption of genetically modified food, while his support for alternative medicine has been criticised. He has authored or co-authored 17 books.

Charles became king upon his mother's death in 2022. At the age of 73, he was the oldest person to accede to the British throne, after having been the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales in British history. Significant events in his reign have included his coronation in 2023 and his cancer diagnosis the following year, the latter of which temporarily suspended planned public engagements.

Early life, family, and education
Charles was born at 21:14 (GMT) on 14 November 1948, during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, as the first child of Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh (later Queen Elizabeth II), and Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He was delivered by Caesarean section at Buckingham Palace. His parents had three more children, Anne (born 1950), Andrew (born 1960) and Edward (born 1964). He was christened Charles Philip Arthur George on 15 December 1948 in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher.

George VI died on 6 February 1952 and Charles's mother acceded to the throne as Elizabeth II; Charles immediately became the heir apparent. Under a charter of Edward III in 1337, and as the monarch's eldest son, he automatically assumed the traditional titles of Duke of Cornwall and, in the Scottish peerage, the titles Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. The following year, Charles attended his mother's coronation at Westminster Abbey.

When Charles turned five, a governess known as Catherine Peebles, was appointed to oversee his education at Buckingham Palace. He then commenced classes at Hill House School in west London in November 1956. Charles was the first heir apparent to attend school, rather than be educated by a private tutor. He did not receive preferential treatment from the school's founder and headmaster, Stuart Townend, who advised the Queen to have Charles train in football, because the boys were never deferential to anyone on the football field. Charles subsequently attended two of his father's former schools: Cheam School in Hampshire, from 1958, followed by Gordonstoun, in the north-east of Scotland, beginning classes there in April 1962. He later became patron of Gordonstoun in May 2024.

In his 1994 authorised biography by Jonathan Dimbleby, Charles's parents were described as physically and emotionally distant and Philip was blamed for his disregard of Charles's sensitive nature, including forcing him to attend Gordonstoun, where he was bullied. Though Charles reportedly described Gordonstoun, noted for its especially rigorous curriculum, as "Colditz in kilts", he later praised the school, stating it had taught him "a great deal about myself and my own abilities and disabilities". He said in a 1975 interview he was "glad" he had attended Gordonstoun and that the "toughness of the place" was "much exaggerated". In 1966 Charles spent two terms at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia, during which time he visited Papua New Guinea on a school trip with his history tutor, Michael Collins Persse. In 1973 Charles described his time at Timbertop as the most enjoyable part of his whole education. Upon his return to Gordonstoun, he emulated his father in becoming head boy, and left in 1967 with six GCE O-levels and two A-levels in history and French, at grades B and C respectively. On his education, Charles later remarked, "I didn't enjoy school as much as I might have; but, that was only because I'm happier at home than anywhere else".

Charles broke royal tradition when he proceeded straight to university after his A-levels, rather than joining the British Armed Forces. In October 1967, he was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied archaeology and anthropology for the first part of the Tripos and then switched to history for the second part. During his second year, he attended the University College of Wales in Aberystwyth, studying Welsh history and the Welsh language for one term. Charles became the first British heir apparent to earn a university degree, graduating in June 1970 from the University of Cambridge with a 2:2 Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. Following standard practice, in August 1975, his Bachelor of Arts was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) degree.

Prince of Wales
Charles was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on 26 July 1958, though his investiture was not held until 1 July 1969, when he was crowned by his mother in a televised ceremony held at Caernarfon Castle; the investiture was controversial in Wales owing to growing Welsh nationalist sentiment. He took his seat in the House of Lords the following year and he delivered his maiden speech on 13 June 1974, the first royal to speak from the floor since the future Edward VII in 1884. He spoke again in 1975.

Charles began to take on more public duties, founding the Prince's Trust in 1976 and travelling to the United States in 1981. In the mid-1970s, he expressed an interest in serving as governor-general of Australia, at the suggestion of Australian prime minister Malcolm Fraser; however, because of a lack of public enthusiasm, nothing came of the proposal. In reaction, Charles commented, "so, what are you supposed to think when you are prepared to do something to help and you are just told you're not wanted?"

Military training and career
Charles served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Navy. During his second year at Cambridge, he received Royal Air Force training, learning to fly the Chipmunk aircraft with the Cambridge University Air Squadron, and was presented with his RAF wings in August 1971.

After the passing-out parade that September, Charles embarked on a naval career and enrolled in a six-week course at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth. He then served from 1971 to 1972 on the guided-missile destroyer HMS Norfolk (D21) and the frigates HMS Minerva (F45), from 1972 to 1973, and HMS Jupiter (F60) in 1974. That same year, he also qualified as a helicopter pilot at RNAS Yeovilton and subsequently joined 845 Naval Air Squadron, operating from HMS Hermes (R12). Charles spent his last 10 months of active service in the Navy commanding the coastal minehunter HMS Bronington (M1115), beginning on 9 February 1976. He took part in a parachute training course at RAF Brize Norton two years later, after being appointed colonel-in-chief of the Parachute Regiment in 1977. Charles gave up flying after crash-landing a BAe 146 in Islay in 1994, as a passenger who was invited to fly the aircraft; the crew was found negligent by a board of inquiry.

Bachelorhood
In his youth, Charles was amorously linked to a number of women. His girlfriends included Georgiana Russell, the daughter of Sir John Russell, who was the British ambassador to Spain; Lady Jane Wellesley, the daughter of the 8th Duke of Wellington; Davina Sheffield; Lady Sarah Spencer; and Camilla Shand, who later became his second wife.

Charles's great-uncle Lord Mountbatten advised him to "sow his wild oats and have as many affairs as he can before settling down", but, for a wife, he "should choose a suitable, attractive, and sweet-charactered girl before she has met anyone else she might fall for ... It is disturbing for women to have experiences if they have to remain on a pedestal after marriage". Early in 1974, Mountbatten began corresponding with 25-year-old Charles about a potential marriage to Amanda Knatchbull, Mountbatten's granddaughter. Charles wrote to Amanda's mother, Lady Brabourne, who was also his godmother, expressing interest in her daughter. Lady Brabourne replied approvingly, but suggested that a courtship with a 16-year-old was premature. Four years later, Mountbatten arranged for Amanda and himself to accompany Charles on his 1980 visit to India. Both fathers, however, objected; Prince Philip feared that his famous uncle would eclipse Charles, while Lord Brabourne warned that a joint visit would concentrate media attention on the cousins before they could decide on becoming a couple.

In August 1979, before Charles would depart alone for India, Mountbatten was assassinated by the Irish Republican Army. When Charles returned, he proposed to Amanda. But in addition to her grandfather, she had lost her paternal grandmother and younger brother in the bomb attack and was now reluctant to join the royal family.

Lady Diana Spencer

Charles first met Lady Diana Spencer in 1977, while he was visiting her home, Althorp. He was then the companion of her elder sister Sarah and did not consider Diana romantically until mid-1980. While Charles and Diana were sitting together on a bale of hay at a friend's barbecue in July, she mentioned that he had looked forlorn and in need of care at the funeral of his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten. Soon, according to Dimbleby, "without any apparent surge in feeling, he began to think seriously of her as a potential bride" and she accompanied Charles on visits to Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House.

Charles's cousin Norton Knatchbull and his wife told Charles that Diana appeared awestruck by his position and that he did not seem to be in love with her. Meanwhile, the couple's continuing courtship attracted intense attention from the press and paparazzi. When Charles's father told him that the media speculation would injure Diana's reputation if Charles did not come to a decision about marrying her soon, and realising that she was a suitable royal bride (according to Mountbatten's criteria), Charles construed his father's advice as a warning to proceed without further delay. He proposed to Diana in February 1981, with their engagement becoming official on 24 February; the wedding took place in St Paul's Cathedral on 29 July. Upon his marriage, Charles reduced his voluntary tax contribution from the profits of the Duchy of Cornwall from 50 per cent to 25 per cent. The couple lived at Kensington Palace and Highgrove House, near Tetbury, and had two children: William, in 1982, and Harry, in 1984.

Within five years, the marriage was in trouble due to the couple's incompatibility and near 13-year age difference. In 1986, Charles had fully resumed his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. In a videotape recorded by Peter Settelen in 1992, Diana admitted that, from 1985 to 1986, she had been "deeply in love with someone who worked in this environment." It was assumed that she was referring to Barry Mannakee, who had been transferred to the Diplomatic Protection Squad in 1986, after his managers determined his relationship with Diana had been inappropriate. Diana later commenced a relationship with Major James Hewitt, the family's former riding instructor.

Charles and Diana's evident discomfort in each other's company led to them being dubbed "The Glums" by the press. Diana exposed Charles's affair with Parker Bowles in a book by Andrew Morton, Diana: Her True Story. Audio tapes of her own extramarital flirtations also surfaced, as did persistent suggestions that Hewitt is Prince Harry's father, based on a physical similarity between Hewitt and Harry. However, Harry had already been born by the time Diana's affair with Hewitt began.

In December 1992, John Major announced the couple's legal separation in the House of Commons. Early the following year, the British press published transcripts of a passionate, bugged telephone conversation between Charles and Parker Bowles that had taken place in 1989, which was dubbed "Camillagate" and "Tampongate". Charles subsequently sought public understanding in a television film with Dimbleby, Charles: The Private Man, the Public Role, broadcast in June 1994. In an interview in the film, Charles confirmed his own extramarital affair with Parker Bowles, saying that he had rekindled their association in 1986, only after his marriage to Diana had "irretrievably broken down". This was followed by Diana's own admission of marital troubles in an interview on the BBC current affairs show Panorama, broadcast in November 1995. Referring to Charles's relationship with Parker Bowles, she said, "well, there were three of us in this marriage. So, it was a bit crowded." She also expressed doubt about her husband's suitability for kingship. Charles and Diana divorced on 28 August 1996, after being advised by the Queen in December 1995 to end the marriage. The couple shared custody of their children.

Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997. Charles flew to Paris with Diana's sisters to accompany her body back to Britain. In 2003 Diana's butler Paul Burrell published a note that he claimed had been written by Diana in 1995, in which there were allegations that Charles was "planning 'an accident' in [Diana's] car, brake failure and serious head injury", so that he could remarry. When questioned by the Metropolitan Police inquiry team as a part of Operation Paget, Charles told the authorities that he did not know about his former wife's note from 1995 and could not understand why she had those feelings.

Camilla Parker Bowles

In 1999 Charles and Parker Bowles made their first public appearance as a couple at the Ritz London Hotel, and she moved into Charles’s official residence, Clarence House, in 2003. Their engagement was announced on 10 February 2005. The Queen's consent to the marriage – as required by the Royal Marriages Act 1772 – was recorded in a Privy Council meeting on 2 March. In Canada, the Department of Justice determined the consent of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada was not required, as the union would not produce any heirs to the Canadian throne.

Charles was the only member of the royal family to have a civil, rather than a church, wedding in England. British government documents from the 1950s and 1960s, published by the BBC, stated that such a marriage was illegal; these claims were dismissed by Charles's spokesman and explained by the sitting government to have been repealed by the Registration Service Act 1953.

The union was scheduled to take place in a civil ceremony at Windsor Castle, with a subsequent religious blessing at the castle's St George's Chapel. The wedding venue was changed to Windsor Guildhall after it was realised a civil marriage at Windsor Castle would oblige the venue to be available to anyone who wished to be married there. Four days before the event, it was postponed from the originally scheduled date of 8 April until the following day in order to allow Charles and some of the invited dignitaries to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

Charles's parents did not attend the marriage ceremony; the Queen's reluctance to attend possibly arose from her position as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. However, his parents did attend the service of blessing and held a reception for the newlyweds at Windsor Castle. The blessing by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams was televised.

Official duties
In 1965 Charles undertook his first public engagement by attending a student garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. During his time as Prince of Wales, he undertook official duties on behalf of the Queen, completing 10,934 engagements between 2002 and 2022. He officiated at investitures and attended the funerals of foreign dignitaries. Charles made regular tours of Wales, fulfilling a week of engagements each summer, and attending important national occasions, such as opening the Senedd. The six trustees of the Royal Collection Trust met three times a year under his chairmanship. Charles also represented his mother at the independence celebrations in Fiji in 1970, The Bahamas in 1973, Papua New Guinea in 1975, Zimbabwe in 1980, and Brunei in 1984.

In 1983 Christopher John Lewis, who had fired a shot with a .22 rifle at the Queen in 1981, attempted to escape a psychiatric hospital in order to assassinate Charles, who was visiting New Zealand with Diana and William. While Charles was visiting Australia on Australia Day in January 1994, David Kang fired two shots at him from a starting pistol in protest of the treatment of several hundred Cambodian asylum seekers held in detention camps. In 1995, Charles became the first member of the royal family to visit the Republic of Ireland in an official capacity. In 1997, Charles represented the Queen at the Hong Kong handover ceremony.

At the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005, he caused controversy when he shook hands with the president of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, who had been seated next to him. Charles's office subsequently released a statement saying that he could not avoid shaking Mugabe's hand and that he "finds the current Zimbabwean regime abhorrent".

Charles represented the Queen at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. In November 2010, he and Camilla were indirectly involved in student protests when their car was attacked by protesters. In November 2013, he represented the Queen for the first time at a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Charles and Camilla made their first joint trip to the Republic of Ireland in May 2015. The trip was called an important step in "promoting peace and reconciliation" by the British Embassy. During the trip, Charles shook hands in Galway with Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Féin and widely believed to be the leader of the IRA, the militant group that had assassinated Lord Mountbatten in 1979. The event was described by the media as a "historic handshake" and a "significant moment for Anglo-Irish relations".

Commonwealth heads of government decided at their 2018 meeting that Charles would be the next Head of the Commonwealth after the Queen. The head is chosen and therefore not hereditary. In March 2019, at the request of the British government, Charles and Camilla went on an official tour of Cuba, making them the first British royals to visit the country. The tour was seen as an effort to form a closer relationship between Cuba and the United Kingdom.

Charles contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic in March 2020. Several newspapers were critical that Charles and Camilla were tested promptly at a time when many NHS doctors, nurses and patients had been unable to be tested expeditiously. He tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time in February 2022. He and Camilla, who also tested positive, had received doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in February 2021.

Charles attended the November 2021 ceremonies to mark Barbados's transition into a parliamentary republic, abolishing the position of monarch of Barbados. He was invited by Prime Minister Mia Mottley as the future Head of the Commonwealth; it was the first time that a member of the royal family attended the transition of a realm to a republic. In May of the following year, Charles attended the State Opening of the British Parliament, delivering the Queen's Speech on behalf of his mother, as a counsellor of state.

Reign
Charles acceded to the British throne on his mother's death on 8 September 2022. He was the longest-serving British heir apparent, having surpassed Edward VII's record of 59 years on 20 April 2011. Charles was the oldest person to succeed to the British throne, at the age of 73. The previous record holder, William IV, was 64 when he became king in 1830.

Charles gave his first speech to the nation at 6 pm on 9 September, in which he paid tribute to his mother and announced the appointment of his elder son, William, as Prince of Wales. The following day, the Accession Council publicly proclaimed Charles as king, the ceremony being televised for the first time. Attendees included Queen Camilla, Prince William, and the British prime minister, Liz Truss, along with her six living predecessors. The proclamation was also read out by local authorities around the United Kingdom. Other realms signed and read their own proclamations, as did Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, British Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies, Canadian provinces, and Australian states.

Charles and Camilla's coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 2023. Plans had been made for many years, under the code name Operation Golden Orb. Reports before his accession suggested that Charles's coronation would be simpler than his mother's in 1953, with the ceremony expected to be "shorter, smaller, less expensive, and more representative of different faiths and community groups – falling in line with the King's wish to reflect the ethnic diversity of modern Britain". Nonetheless, the coronation was a Church of England rite, including the coronation oath, the anointment, delivery of the orb, and enthronement. In July that year, they attended a national service of thanksgiving where Charles was presented with the Honours of Scotland in St Giles' Cathedral.

Charles and Camilla have engaged in three state visits and received three. In November 2022 they hosted the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, during the first official state visit to Britain of Charles's reign. In March the following year, the King and Queen embarked on a state visit to Germany; Charles became the first British monarch to address the Bundestag. Similarly, in September, he became the first British monarch to give a speech from France's Senate chamber during his state visit to the country. The following month, the King visited Kenya where he faced pressure to apologise for British colonial actions. In a speech at the state banquet, he acknowledged "abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence", but did not formally apologise.

In May 2024, the British prime minister Rishi Sunak asked the King to call a general election; subsequently royal engagements which could divert attention from the election campaign were postponed. In June 2024, Charles and Camilla travelled to Normandy to attend the 80th anniversary commemorations of D-Day. The same month, he received Emperor Naruhito of Japan during the latter's state visit to the United Kingdom, originally planned to be held in 2020 but postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In July the annual Holyrood Week, which is usually spent in Scotland, was shortened so that Charles could return to London and appoint a new prime minister following the general election. He appointed Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister on 5 July 2024.

Health
In March 1998, Charles had laser keyhole surgery on his right knee. In March 2003 he underwent surgery at King Edward VII's Hospital to treat a hernia injury. In 2008 a non-cancerous growth was removed from his nasal bridge.

In January 2024, Charles underwent a "corrective procedure" at the London Clinic to treat benign prostate enlargement, which resulted in the postponement of some of his public engagements. In February, Buckingham Palace announced that cancer had been discovered during the treatment, but that it was not prostate cancer. Although his public duties were postponed, it was reported Charles would continue to fulfil his constitutional functions during his outpatient treatment. He released a statement espousing his support for cancer charities and that he "remain[ed] positive" on making a full recovery. In March, Camilla deputised for him in his absence at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey and at the Royal Maundy at Worcester Cathedral. He made his first major public appearance since his cancer diagnosis at the Easter service held at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on 31 March. In April 2024, it was announced that he would resume public-facing duties after making progress in his cancer treatment.

Diet
As early as 1985, Charles was questioning meat consumption. In the 1985 Royal Special television programme, he told host Alastair Burnet that "I actually now don't eat as much meat as I used to. I eat more fish." He also pointed out the societal double standard whereby eating meat is not questioned but eating less meat means "all hell seems to break loose." In 2021, Charles spoke to the BBC about the environment and revealed that, two days per week, he eats no meat nor fish and, one day per week, he eats no dairy products. In 2022, it was reported that he eats a breakfast of fruit salad, seeds, and tea. He does not eat lunch, but takes a break for tea at 5:00 p.m. and eats dinner at 8:30 p.m., returning to work until midnight or after. Ahead of Christmas dinner in 2022, Charles confirmed to animal rights group PETA that foie gras would not be served at any royal residences; he had stopped the use of foie gras at his own properties for more than a decade before becoming king. During a September 2023 state banquet at the Palace of Versailles, it was reported that Charles did not want foie gras or out-of-season asparagus on the menu. Instead he was served lobster. Charles does not like chocolate, coffee, or garlic.

Charity work
Since founding the Prince's Trust in 1976, using his £7,500 of severance pay from the Navy, Charles has established 16 more charitable organisations and now serves as president of each. Together, they form a loose alliance, the Prince's Charities, which describes itself as "the largest multi-cause charitable enterprise in the United Kingdom, raising over £100 million annually ... [and is] active across a broad range of areas including education and young people, environmental sustainability, the built environment, responsible business and enterprise, and international". As Prince of Wales, Charles became patron or president of over 800 other charities and organisations.

The Prince's Charities Canada was established in 2010, in a similar fashion to its namesake in Britain. Charles uses his tours of Canada as a way to help draw attention to youth, the disabled, the environment, the arts, medicine, the elderly, heritage conservation, and education. He has also set up the Prince's Charities Australia, based in Melbourne, to provide a coordinating presence for his Australian and international charitable endeavours.

Charles has supported humanitarian projects; for example, he and his sons took part in ceremonies that marked the 1998 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Charles was one of the first public figures to express strong concerns about the human rights record of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, initiating objections in the international arena, and subsequently supported the FARA Foundation, a charity for Romanian orphans and abandoned children.

Investigations of donations
Two of Charles's charities, the Prince's Foundation and the Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund (later renamed the King's Foundation and King Charles III Charitable Fund, respectively), came under scrutiny in 2021 and 2022 for accepting donations the media deemed inappropriate. In August 2021, it was announced that the Prince's Foundation was launching an investigation into the reports, with Charles's support. The Charity Commission also launched an investigation into allegations that the donations meant for the Prince's Foundation had been instead sent to the Mahfouz Foundation. In February 2022, the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into the cash-for-honours allegations linked to the foundation, passing their evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service for deliberation in October. In August 2023, the Metropolitan Police announced that they had concluded their investigations and no further actions would be taken.

The Times reported in June 2022 that, between 2011 and 2015, Charles accepted €3 million in cash from Qatari prime minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. There was no evidence that the payments were illegal or that it was not intended for the money to go to the charity, although, the Charity Commission stated it would review the information and announced in July 2022 that there would be no further investigation. In the same month, The Times reported that the Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund received a donation of £1 million from Bakr bin Laden and Shafiq bin Laden – both half-brothers of Osama bin Laden – during a private meeting in 2013. The Charity Commission described the decision to accept donations as a "matter for trustees" and added that no investigation was required.

Personal interests

From young adulthood, Charles encouraged understanding of Indigenous voices, claiming they held crucial messages about preservation of the land, respecting community and shared values, resolving conflict, and recognising and making good on past iniquities. He dovetailed this view with his efforts against climate change, as well as reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples and his charitable work in Canada. At CHOGM 2022, Charles, who was representing his mother, raised that reconciliation process as an example for dealing with the history of slavery in the British Empire, for which he expressed his sorrow.

Letters sent by Charles to government ministers in 2004 and 2005 expressing his concerns over various policy issues – the so-called black spider memos – presented potential embarrassment following a challenge by The Guardian newspaper to release the letters under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In March 2015, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom decided that Charles's letters must be released. The Cabinet Office published the letters in May 2015. The reaction was largely supportive of Charles, with little criticism of him; the press variously described the memos as "underwhelming" and "harmless", and concluded that their release had "backfired on those who seek to belittle him". It was revealed in the same year that Charles had access to confidential Cabinet papers.

In October 2020, a letter sent by Charles to the governor-general of Australia, Sir John Kerr, after Kerr's dismissal of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1975, was released as part of the collection of palace letters regarding the Australian constitutional crisis. In the letter, Charles was supportive of Kerr's decision, writing that what Kerr "did last year was right and the courageous thing to do".

The Times reported in June 2022 that Charles had privately described the British government's Rwanda asylum plan as "appalling" and he feared that it would overshadow the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda that same month. It was later claimed that Cabinet ministers had warned Charles to avoid making political comments, as they feared a constitutional crisis could arise if he continued to make such statements once he became king.

Built environment
Charles has openly expressed his views on architecture and urban planning; he fostered the advancement of New Classical architecture and asserted that he "care[s] deeply about issues such as the environment, architecture, inner-city renewal, and the quality of life." In a speech given for the 150th anniversary of the Royal Institute of British Architects in May 1984, he described a proposed extension to the National Gallery in London as a "monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved friend" and deplored the "glass stumps and concrete towers" of modern architecture. Charles called for local community involvement in architectural choices and asked, "why has everything got to be vertical, straight, unbending, only at right angles – and functional?" Charles has "a deep understanding of Islamic art and architecture" and has been involved in the construction of a building and garden at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, which combine Islamic and Oxford architectural styles.

In Charles's 1989 book A Vision of Britain, and in speeches and essays, he has been critical of modern architecture, arguing that traditional designs and methods should guide contemporary ones. He has continued to campaign for traditional urbanism, human scale, restoration of historic buildings, and sustainable design despite criticism in the press. Two of his charities – the Prince's Regeneration Trust and the Prince's Foundation for Building Community, which were later merged into one charity – promote his views. The village of Poundbury was built on land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall to a master plan by Léon Krier, under the guidance of Charles and in line with his philosophy. In 2013 developments for the suburb of Nansledan began on the estate of the Duchy of Cornwall with Charles's endorsement. Charles helped purchase Dumfries House and its complete collection of 18th century furnishings in 2007, taking a £20m loan from his charitable trust to contribute toward the £45m cost. The house and gardens remain property of the Prince's Foundation and serve as a museum and community and skills training centre. This led to the development of Knockroon, called the "Scottish Poundbury".

After lamenting in 1996 the unbridled destruction of many of Canada's historic urban cores, Charles offered his assistance to the Department of Canadian Heritage in creating a trust modelled on Britain's National Trust, a plan that was implemented with the passage of the federal budget in 2007. In 1999, Charles agreed to the use of his title for the Prince of Wales Prize for Municipal Heritage Leadership, awarded by the National Trust for Canada to municipal governments that have committed to the conservation of historic places.

Whilst visiting the US and surveying the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, Charles received the National Building Museum's Vincent Scully Prize in 2005 for his efforts in regard to architecture; he donated $25,000 of the prize money towards restoring storm-damaged communities. For his work as patron of New Classical architecture, Charles was awarded the 2012 Driehaus Architecture Prize from the University of Notre Dame. The Worshipful Company of Carpenters installed Charles as an Honorary Liveryman "in recognition of his interest in London's architecture."

Charles has occasionally intervened in projects that employ architectural styles such as modernism and functionalism. In 2009, Charles wrote to the Qatari royal family – the financier of the redevelopment of the Chelsea Barracks site – labelling Lord Rogers's design for the site "unsuitable". Rogers claimed that Charles had also intervened to block his designs for the Royal Opera House and Paternoster Square. CPC Group, the project developer, took a case against Qatari Diar to the High Court. After the suit was settled, the CPC Group apologised to Charles "for any offence caused... during the course of the proceedings".

Natural environment

Since the 1970s, Charles has promoted environmental awareness. At the age of 21, he delivered his first speech on environmental issues in his capacity as the chairman of the Welsh Countryside Committee. An avid gardener, Charles has also emphasised the importance of talking to plants, stating that "I happily talk to the plants and trees, and listen to them. I think it's absolutely crucial". His interest in gardening began in 1980 when he took over the Highgrove estate. His "healing garden", based on sacred geometry and ancient religious symbolism, went on display at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2002.

Upon moving into Highgrove House, Charles developed an interest in organic farming, which culminated in the 1990 launch of his own organic brand, Duchy Originals, which sells more than 200 different sustainably produced products; the profits (over £6 million by 2010) are donated to the Prince's Charities. Charles became involved with farming and various industries within it, regularly meeting with farmers to discuss their trade. A prominent critic of the practice, Charles has also spoken against the use of GM crops, and in a letter to Tony Blair in 1998, Charles criticised the development of genetically modified foods.

The Sustainable Markets Initiative – a project that encourages putting sustainability at the centre of all activities – was launched by Charles at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos in January 2020. In May of the same year, the initiative and the World Economic Forum initiated the Great Reset project, a five-point plan concerned with enhancing sustainable economic growth following the global recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The holy chrism oil used at Charles's coronation was vegan, made from oils of olive, sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli, and benzoin, along with amber and orange blossom. His mother's chrism oil contained animal-based oils.

Charles delivered a speech at the 2021 G20 Rome summit, describing COP26 as "the last chance saloon" for preventing climate change and asking for actions that would lead to a green-led, sustainable economy. In his speech at the opening ceremony for COP26, he repeated his sentiments from the previous year, stating that "a vast military-style campaign" was needed "to marshal the strength of the global private sector" for tackling climate change. In 2022, the media alleged that Liz Truss had advised Charles against attending COP27, to which advice he agreed. Charles delivered the opening speech at COP28, saying among others he prayed "with all my heart that COP28 will be a critical turning point towards genuine transformational action."

Charles, who is patron of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, introduced the Climate Action Scholarships for students from small island nations in partnership with University of Cambridge, University of Toronto, University of Melbourne, McMaster University, and University of Montreal in March 2022. In 2010 he funded The Prince's Countryside Fund (renamed The Royal Countryside Fund in 2023), a charity which aims for a "confident, robust and sustainable agricultural and rural community".

Alternative medicine
Charles has controversially championed alternative medicine, including homeopathy. He first publicly expressed his interest in the topic in December 1982, in an address to the British Medical Association. This speech was seen as "combative" and "critical" of modern medicine and was met with anger by some medical professionals. Similarly, the Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health (FIH) attracted opposition from the scientific and medical community over its campaign encouraging general practitioners to offer herbal and other alternative treatments to NHS patients.

In April 2008, The Times published a letter from Edzard Ernst, Professor of Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter, which asked the FIH to recall two guides promoting alternative medicine. That year, Ernst published a book with Simon Singh called Trick or Treatment: Alternative Medicine on Trial and mockingly dedicated to "HRH the Prince of Wales". The last chapter is highly critical of Charles's advocacy of complementary and alternative treatments.

Charles's Duchy Originals produced a variety of complementary medicinal products, including a "Detox Tincture" that Ernst denounced as "financially exploiting the vulnerable" and "outright quackery". Charles personally wrote at least seven letters to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency shortly before it relaxed the rules governing labelling of such herbal products, a move that was widely condemned by scientists and medical bodies. It was reported in October 2009 that Charles had lobbied the health secretary, Andy Burnham, regarding greater provision of alternative treatments in the NHS.

Following accounting irregularities, the FIH announced its closure in April 2010. The FIH was re-branded and re-launched later in the year as the College of Medicine, of which Charles became a patron in 2019.

Sports

From his youth until 2005, Charles was an avid player of competitive polo. Charles also frequently took part in fox hunting until the sport was banned in the United Kingdom, also in 2005. By the late 1990s, opposition to the activity was growing when Charles's participation was viewed as a "political statement" by those who were opposed to it. Charles suffered several polo and hunting-related injuries throughout the years, including a two-inch scar on his left cheek in 1980, a broken arm in 1990, a torn cartilage in his left knee in 1992, a broken rib in 1998, and a fractured shoulder in 2001.

Charles has been a keen salmon angler since youth and supported Orri Vigfússon's efforts to protect the North Atlantic salmon. He frequently fishes the River Dee in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and claims his most special angling memories are from his time spent in Vopnafjörður, Iceland. Charles is a supporter of Burnley F.C.

Apart from hunting, Charles has also participated in target rifle competitions, representing the House of Lords in the Vizianagram Match (Lords vs. Commons) at Bisley. He became President of the British National Rifle Association in 1977.

Visual, performing, and literary arts
Charles has been involved in performance since his youth, and appeared in sketches and revues while studying at Cambridge.

Charles is president or patron of more than 20 performing arts organisations, including the Royal College of Music, Royal Opera, English Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Welsh National Opera, Royal Shakespeare Company (attending performances in Stratford-Upon-Avon, supporting fundraising events, and attending the company's annual general meeting), British Film Institute, and Purcell School. In 2000, he revived the tradition of appointing an official harpist to the Prince of Wales, in order to foster Welsh talent at playing the national instrument of Wales.

Charles is a keen watercolourist, having published books on the subject and exhibited and sold a number of his works to raise money for charity; in 2016, it was estimated that he had sold lithographs of his watercolours for a total of £2 million from a shop at his Highgrove House residence. For his 50th birthday, 50 of his watercolours were exhibited at Hampton Court Palace and, for his 70th birthday, his works were exhibited at the National Gallery of Australia. In 2001, 20 lithographs of his watercolour paintings illustrating his country estates were exhibited at the Florence International Biennale of Contemporary Art and 79 of his paintings were put on display in London in 2022. To mark the 25th anniversary of his investiture as Prince of Wales in 1994, the Royal Mail issued a series of postage stamps that featured his paintings. Charles is Honorary President of the Royal Academy of Arts Development Trust and, in 2015, 2022, and 2023, commissioned paintings of 12 D-Day veterans, seven Holocaust survivors, and ten members of the Windrush generation, respectively, which went on display at the Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace.

Charles is the author of several books and has contributed a foreword or preface to numerous books by others. He has also been featured in a variety of documentary films.

Religion and philosophy
Shortly after his accession to the throne, Charles publicly described himself as "a committed Anglican Christian"; at age 16, during Easter 1965, he had been confirmed into the Anglican communion by Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The King is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and a member of the Church of Scotland; he swore an oath to uphold that church immediately after he was proclaimed king. He attends services at various Anglican churches close to Highgrove and attends the Church of Scotland's Crathie Kirk with the rest of the royal family when staying at Balmoral Castle.

Laurens van der Post became a friend of Charles in 1977; he was dubbed the prince's "spiritual guru" and was godfather to Prince William. From van der Post, Charles developed a focus on philosophy and an interest in other religions. Charles expressed his philosophical views in his 2010 book, Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World, which won a Nautilus Book Award. He has also visited Eastern Orthodox monasteries on Mount Athos, in Romania, and in Serbia, and met with Eastern Church leaders in Jerusalem in 2020, during a visit that culminated in an ecumenical service in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and a walk through the city accompanied by Christian and Muslim dignitaries. Charles also attended the consecration of Britain's first Syriac Orthodox cathedral, St Thomas Cathedral, Acton. Charles is patron of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford and attended the inauguration of the Markfield Institute of Higher Education, which is dedicated to Islamic studies in a multicultural context.

In his 1994 documentary with Dimbleby, Charles said that, when king, he wished to be seen as a "defender of faith", rather than the British monarch's traditional title of Defender of the Faith, "preferr[ing] to embrace all religious traditions and 'the pattern of the divine, which I think is in all of us. This attracted controversy at the time, as well as speculation that the coronation oath might be altered. He stated in 2015 that he would retain the title of Defender of the Faith, whilst "ensuring that other people's faiths can also be practised", which he sees as a duty of the Church of England. Charles reaffirmed this theme shortly after his accession and declared that his duties as sovereign included "the duty to protect the diversity of our country, including by protecting the space for faith itself and its practice through the religions, cultures, traditions, and beliefs to which our hearts and minds direct us as individuals." His inclusive, multi-faith approach and his own Christian beliefs were expressed in his first Christmas message as king.

Media image and public opinion
Since his birth, Charles has received close media attention, which increased as he matured. It has been an ambivalent relationship, largely impacted by his marriages to Diana and Camilla and their aftermath, but also centred on his future conduct as king.

Described as the "world's most eligible bachelor" in the late 1970s, Charles was subsequently overshadowed by Diana. After her death, the media regularly breached Charles's privacy and printed exposés. Known for expressing his opinions, when asked during an interview to mark his 70th birthday whether this would continue in the same way once he is king, he responded "No. It won't. I'm not that stupid. I do realise that it is a separate exercise being sovereign. So, of course, you know, I understand entirely how that should operate." In 2009 Charles was named the world's best-dressed man by Esquire magazine. In 2023 the New Statesman named Charles as the fourth most powerful right-wing figure of the year, describing him as a "romantic traditionalist" and "the very last reactionary in public life" for his support of various traditionalist think-tanks and previous writings.

A 2018 BMG Research poll found that 46 per cent of Britons wanted Charles to abdicate immediately on his mother's death, in favour of William. However, a 2021 opinion poll reported that 60 per cent of the British public had a favourable opinion of him. On his accession to the throne, The Statesman reported an opinion poll that put Charles's popularity with the British people at 42 per cent. More recent polling suggested that his popularity increased sharply after he became king. As of May 2024, Charles had an approval rating of 58 per cent, according to statistics and polling company YouGov.

Reaction to press treatment
In 1994 German tabloid Bild published nude photos of Charles that were taken while he was vacationing in Le Barroux; they had reportedly been put up for sale for £30,000. Buckingham Palace reacted by stating that it was "unjustifiable for anybody to suffer this sort of intrusion".

Charles, "so often a target of the press, got his chance to return fire" in 2002, when addressing "scores of editors, publishers, and other media executives" gathered at St Bride's Fleet Street to celebrate 300 years of journalism. Defending public servants from "the corrosive drip of constant criticism", he noted that the press had been "awkward, cantankerous, cynical, bloody-minded, at times intrusive, at times inaccurate, and at times deeply unfair and harmful to individuals and to institutions." But, he concluded, regarding his own relations with the press, "from time to time we are probably both a bit hard on each other, exaggerating the downsides and ignoring the good points in each."

In 2006 Charles filed a court case against The Mail on Sunday, after excerpts of his personal journals were published, revealing his opinions on matters such as the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong to China in 1997, in which Charles described the Chinese government officials as "appalling old waxworks". Charles and Camilla were named in 2011 as individuals whose confidential information was reportedly targeted or actually acquired in conjunction with the news media phone hacking scandal.

The Independent noted in 2015 that Charles would only speak to broadcasters "on the condition they have signed a 15-page contract, demanding that Clarence House attends both the 'rough cut' and 'fine cut' edits of films and, if it is unhappy with the final product, can 'remove the contribution in its entirety from the programme'." This contract stipulated that all questions directed at Charles must be pre-approved and vetted by his representatives.

Residences and finance
In 2023, The Guardian estimated Charles's personal wealth at £1.8 billion. This estimate includes the assets of the Duchy of Lancaster worth £653 million (and paying Charles an annual income of £20 million), jewels worth £533 million, real estate worth £330 million, shares and investments worth £142 million, a stamp collection worth at least £100 million, racehorses worth £27 million, artworks worth £24 million, and cars worth £6.3 million. Most of this wealth which he inherited from his mother is exempt from inheritance tax.

Clarence House, previously the residence of the Queen Mother, was Charles's official London residence from 2003, after being renovated at a cost of £6.1 million. He previously shared apartments eight and nine at Kensington Palace with Diana before moving to York House at St James's Palace, which remained his principal residence until 2003. Highgrove House in Gloucestershire is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, having been purchased for Charles's use in 1980, and which he rented for £336,000 per annum. Since William became Duke of Cornwall, Charles is expected to pay £700,000 per annum for use of the property. Charles also owns a property near the village of Viscri in Romania.

As Prince of Wales, Charles's primary source of income was generated from the Duchy of Cornwall, which owns 133,658 acres of land (around 54,090 hectares), including farming, residential, and commercial properties, as well as an investment portfolio. Since 1993, he has paid tax voluntarily under the Memorandum of Understanding on Royal Taxation, updated in 2013. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs were asked in December 2012 to investigate alleged tax avoidance by the Duchy of Cornwall. The Duchy is named in the Paradise Papers, a set of confidential electronic documents relating to offshore investment that were leaked to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Titles and styles
Charles has held many titles and honorary military positions throughout the Commonwealth, is sovereign of many orders in his own countries and has received honours and awards from around the world. In each of his realms, he has a distinct title that follows a similar formula: King of Saint Lucia and of His other Realms and Territories in Saint Lucia, King of Australia and His other Realms and Territories in Australia, etc. In the Isle of Man, which is a Crown Dependency rather than a separate realm, he is known as Lord of Mann. Charles is also styled Defender of the Faith.

There had been speculation throughout Elizabeth II's reign as to what regnal name Charles would choose upon his accession; instead of Charles III, he could have chosen to reign as George VII or used one of his other given names. It was reported that he might use George in honour of his grandfather George VI and to avoid associations with previous controversial kings named Charles. Charles's office asserted in 2005 that no decision had yet been made. Speculation continued for a few hours following his mother's death, until Liz Truss announced and Clarence House confirmed that Charles had chosen the regnal name Charles III.

Charles, who left active military service in 1976, was awarded the highest rank in all three armed services in 2012 by his mother: Admiral of the Fleet, Field Marshal, and Marshal of the Royal Air Force.

Arms
As Prince of Wales, Charles's coat of arms was based on the arms of the United Kingdom, differenced with a white label and an inescutcheon of the Principality of Wales, surmounted by the heir apparent's crown, and with the motto Ich dien (, "I serve") instead of Dieu et mon droit.

When Charles became king, he inherited the royal coats of arms of the United Kingdom and of Canada. The design of his royal cypher, featuring a depiction of the Tudor crown instead of St Edward's Crown, was revealed on 27 September 2022. The College of Arms envisages that the Tudor crown will be used in new arms, uniforms and crown badges as they are replaced. In 2024 the crown logo for GOV.UK changed to a depiction of the Tudor Crown.

As heir apparent
The banners used by Charles as Prince of Wales varied depending upon location. His personal standard for the United Kingdom was the Royal Standard of the United Kingdom differenced as in his arms, with a label of three points argent and the escutcheon of the arms of the Principality of Wales in the centre. It was used outside Wales, Scotland, Cornwall, and Canada, and throughout the entire United Kingdom when Charles was acting in an official capacity associated with the British Armed Forces.

The personal flag for use in Wales was based upon the Royal Badge of Wales. In Scotland, the personal banner used between 1974 and 2022 was based upon three ancient Scottish titles: Duke of Rothesay (heir apparent to the King of Scots), High Steward of Scotland, and Lord of the Isles. In Cornwall, the banner was the arms of the Duke of Cornwall.

In 2011, the Canadian Heraldic Authority introduced a personal heraldic banner for the Prince of Wales for Canada, consisting of the shield of the Royal Coat of Arms of Canada defaced with both a blue roundel of the Prince of Wales's feathers surrounded by a wreath of gold maple leaves and a white label of three points.

As sovereign
The royal standard of the United Kingdom is used to represent the King in the United Kingdom and on official visits overseas, except in Canada. It is the royal arms in banner form undifferentiated, having been used by successive British monarchs since 1702. The royal standard of Canada is used by the King in Canada and while acting on behalf of Canada overseas. It is the escutcheon of the Royal Coat of Arms of Canada in banner form undifferentiated.

title: Charles III