King of all he surveys
Charles marks birthday by taking over role held by father
THE King marked his 74th birthday yesterday by taking on an historic role held by his father for 69 years.
Charles III became Ranger of Windsor Great Park, overseeing operations of the 5,000-acre royal park, which was once a vast Norman hunting forest.
Buckingham Palace issued a picture of the King against an ancient oak tree to mark his birthday and the announcement.
The King, who has previously signalled his intention to follow his predecessors in spending part of his week at Windsor Castle, is already nominal custodian of the adjacent Great Park.
Celebrated
It is owned and run by the Crown Estate, in practice an arms-length government property empire which belongs to the monarch in name, at least for the duration of the reign.
Prince Philip, however, took a hands-on approach to the role of Ranger after taking it on in 1952 until his death in 2021 and made it much more than an honorary appointment.
He was the longest serving holder of the post. His eldest son’s appointment comes 70 years on.
The King, who had no public engagements yesterday, celebrated his birthday privately while spending part of the day going through
state papers from his red boxes. His birthday was marked by the Band of the Household Cavalry performing Happy Birthday at the Changing of the Guard ceremony.
Birthday messages were sent on the Royal Family’s social media accounts, while royal gun salutes were fired in the capital and across the UK in York, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Hillsborough, Northern Ireland.
As the new Ranger, the King – a passionate gardener and environmentalist –- will offer oversight and guidance to the deputy ranger and his team in the day-to-day stewardship of the land.
Paul Sedgwick, the Crown Estate’s managing director, rural and deputy ranger of Windsor Great Park, said:
“We are honoured to have His Majesty as Ranger of Windsor Great Park, continuing a long tradition of the sovereign and members of the Royal Family holding this role.
“Windsor has a wonderful heritage with many precious natural habitats. His Majesty’s commitment to the natural world will be invaluable as we seek to become a centre of excellence for environmental best practice, preserving the Great Park for generations to come.”
More than five million people visit Windsor Great Park, which is free to enter, annually. The post of Ranger goes back to 1559 when Sir Henry Neville, a courtier under Henry VIII, was brought back into the fold and given the role by Queen Elizabeth I.