What You Don't Know About Prince Charles

Would you believe us if we told you that there were things about Prince Charles that you didn't already know? You might not, but it happens to be true. 

Charles is one of the most well-known, most photographed, most recognizable figures in the world. Having been in the public eye pretty much from the moment he was born, Charles has served as the Prince of Wales and direct heir to the British throne for decades. It seems like from his divorce, to his second marriage, to his charity work, and everything in between, there isn't a ton left out there to discover about him. Or is there?

We did some digging and found some surprising tidbits about the Prince. Would you believe that Charles is a massive fan of organic food, so much so that he created his own line of food products? What if we told you that he runs his car not on gasoline, but on red wine instead (via Town & Country)? What's his official title and what kind of films does he like? We did the searching so you don't have to — here's what you don't know about Prince Charles.

If you think that Queen Elizabeth will live forever, you're not alone. She's been on the throne for nearly 70 years, and it doesn't seem like she has any plans of giving up her crown. Because of her reign, the Queen has made her firstborn son, Prince Charles, the longest heir apparent in royal history. As noted by The Guardian, Charles broke the long-standing record of eldest heir apparent when he turned 62 — surpassing Edward VII, his great-great-grandfather, who waited 59 years to take over the throne. 

So how long has Charles been the direct heir to the British throne? Only since he was 3 years old (insert shocked face here). Yes, you read that correctly, his mother became Queen in 1952 when he was just a tiny kid, and she later dubbed him the Prince of Wales at 9 years old. To give him credit where credit is due, Charles has done a lot to help the British public while waiting to ascend the throne, as noted by royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams (via Express). But we can imagine that he's eager to become king.

Numerous members of the British royal family have served in the armed forces. Even Queen Elizabeth served as a mechanic during World War II. Not dissimilar to his royal heritage, Prince Charles spent a period of time in the military; according to his official royal biography, Charles started his training while attending university. 

While a second year student at Cambridge, Charles began taking flying lessons, and by 1971 he flew himself to Royal Air Force Cranwell to continue his education as a jet pilot. Later that same year, Charles started his career in the navy, a decision reminiscent of his father, grandfather, and his great-grandfathers on both his maternal and paternal sides. He then embarked on a six-week long course at the Royal Naval College before serving on the HMS Norfolk. 

Three years later, Charles joined the 845 Naval Air Squadron as a helicopter pilot (yes, we were surprised too). He spent his last leg in the service in command of the HMS Bronington.

Prince Charles is an interesting man. On one hand, he's lived his entire life with splendors, and on the other, he's an environmental advocate who goes out of his way to make his cars efficient. According to Town & Country, Queen Elizabeth gifted Charles an Aston Martin car for his 21st birthday. The car burned a lot of fuel, which became a point of concern for Charles — he didn't want his vintage mode of transportation to be such a polluter. 

So what did Charles do? He went to the engineers at Aston Martin and discovered that his car could run on a white wine/whey blend. While Charles was encouraged by said engineers not to use it in his vintage car, he marched to the beat of his own drum. "I said, 'Well I won't drive it then,' so they got on with it and now they admit that it runs better and is more powerful on that fuel than it is on petrol," Charles explained. "And also, it smells delicious as you're driving along." Charles drives a vintage Aston Martin that literally runs on wine, you really can't make this stuff up.

As far as most people are concerned, there are two British institutions that are worth noting: the British royal family, and the "Harry Potter" franchise. It seems like just about every British actor made it into the wizarding films, and along with a brilliant story line and amazing visuals, the movies became international hits. So if you're a Potterhead, you'll be pleased to know that Prince Charles is a big fan of the series, and he told this coveted information to none other than the actress who brought Molly Weasley to life on screen: Julie Walters. 

As noted by the Daily Mail, Walters was named a CBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) and was presented her honor from Charles during a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. He told the actress that he "loved" the films, which honestly makes us pretty pleased. "The Prince said he loved the Potters and said what great films they were and what great fun they were," Walters said. We wonder what Hogwarts house the sorting hat would put Charles in.

Here's a fact about Prince Charles that's unexpected: he's a member of the exclusive magician's club, the Magic Circle. As noted by Yahoo! News, Charles was invited to join the Magic Circle in 1975 after he successfully executed a magic trick. He was made aware of the club by Earl Mountbatten, his great uncle, who'd been a member for over two decades himself. 

Magic is certainly a love affair that's lasted throughout Charles' life, because for his 70th birthday, he went all out and included a televised magic show in his celebrations. The show took place at the London Palladium and featured some big name magicians, including street magician Dynamo. This is a little bit of a heartwarming story, too. Dynamo's career was in-part supported by funds from Charles' trust, and he said that the support was life changing. "When I said I wanted to be a magician they didn't laugh in my face as so many others had done, they gave me the help I needed," he said, which is really lovely, honestly. So Charles the Magician, wonder if he'll ever perform a trick for us.

Prince Charles might be known for his dapper suits and coordinated ties, but it might come as a surprise to learn that he's behind a Net-a-Porter clothing collection. Yes, you read that correctly, the heir to the British throne is partially responsible for a clothing line. As noted by Marie Claire, Charles partnered with the Modern Artisan project through his foundation to support design students, located in Italy, in their fashion pursuits. The goal was to create a sustainable clothing line that utilized the latest technology — digital work, AI, and data from Net-a-Porter's consumers. 

Charles said in a statement that he was "enormously impressed" by the work produced, and was hopeful about the "vision shown" by the designers. "Hopefully they will take away a great deal of skill and understanding of sustainable approaches to design and manufacturing that they can apply to their own businesses or future careers," he shared, before doubling down on his commitment to environmentalism. "The key for me is to rediscover the importance that nature plays, understand where natural materials come from and how they can be used in exciting and innovative ways," he said.

It's no secret that Prince Charles is a snappy dresser. It's probably pretty easy for him to be, given that he has a net worth of about $400 million (via Marie Claire). And it looked as though Charles' coordinated suits and great winter coats caught the eye of the Esquire, because the international magazine named him Best Dressed Man in 2009. Esquire's United Kingdom-based edition took the opportunity to comment on the decision, with its fashion director, Nick Sullivan, saying that he "applaud[ed]" the call. "[Charles] may not have quite the same look as more predictable list toppers like David Beckham or Justin Timberlake, but as British Esquire's editor-in-chief, Jeremy Langmead, put it, 'It's the men who dress like grown-ups who really caught the judges' eyes.' Hurrah for that," Sullivan wrote. 

So who else made the list that year? You might not be surprised by this one, given that he was arguably the swaggiest president to ever exist, but former-President Barack Obama came in fourth. Honestly we love to see it.