Charles marks 74th with new role as Ranger of Great Windsor Park
463-YEAR-OLD JOB
LONDON • Britain’s King Charles celebrated his 74th birthday on Monday, with the occasion marked by him replacing his late father as The Ranger of Great Windsor Park, a position which dates back more than four centuries.
Charles, who became the oldest monarch in British history when he succeeded his mother on the throne in September, will enjoy his first birthday as king in private with no public engagements planned.
However, Buckingham Palace announced that he had officially taken up his new role as ranger, a job which dates back to 1559 when Queen Elizabeth I appointed Henry Neville, and released a new photograph of Charles next to an old oak tree in the park.
His father Prince Philip held the title from 1952 when his wife became Queen Elizabeth II, succeeding her father George VI in the job.
Queen Victoria is among other royals to have held the role which involves providing oversight and guidance to the deputy ranger and his team in the daily running of one of the country’s oldest landed estates, the palace said.
Also Monday, Charles asked the British parliament on Monday to amend the law to allow two more of his siblings to act on his behalf in his absence, adding them to a group which currently includes his disgraced brother Prince Andrew.
In a statement read out on his behalf in the House of Lords, the upper chamber of parliament, Charles asked for the number of Counsellors of State to be increased to include his sister Princess Anne and youngest brother Prince Edward.
The counsellors, who can act on behalf of the monarch in his absence to carry out all but his most key roles, such as appointing a new prime minister, are selected from his spouse and the four adults next in line to the throne.
In addition to Charles’s wife Camilla and eldest son and heir Prince William, the grouping comprises the King’s younger son Prince Harry, younger brother Prince Andrew, and Andrew’s eldest daughter Princess Beatrice. That has led to criticism from some because neither Andrew nor Harry carry out official royal roles any more.