One remarkable thing about our system of government is that, in a fast-changing world, we know the identity of our next three Kings: Charles, Prince of Wales, our Queen and Prince Philip’s oldest child; William, Duke of Cambridge, who is Charles and the late Diana’s eldest son and our Queen’s eldest grandson; and George, formally known as Prince George of Cambridge, who is the first child of William and Catherine.

Charles: thoughtful, active and well prepared to become King

Find a biography of the Prince of Wales here .

Charles is respected throughout the world for his active mind and pursuit of many projects to make the earth and its people a better, more sustainable and more tolerant place to live.

As Prince of Wales and heir to the Throne, Charles is in a special position to share his views with Canadians and other Commonwealth citizens on matters affecting us all. They are occasionally controversial, sometimes very much ahead of their time. Once King, the strict neutrality the monarch must maintain, along with his broader responsibilities, may limit the amount of time and advocacy that Charles is now able to undertake.

One area of particular success for the Prince is in what you could call “the green sector” – concern for environment, sustainable development and conservation. Here are links to some of Charles’s special concerns in this area.

The Campaign for Wool is of special interest to Canadians , as Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall made it one focus of their most recent homecoming to Canada in 2014.

Do you or your family members own any woollen clothing or craft objects? Or themselves create clothing or crafts made of wool?

The Prince’s School for Traditional Arts focuses on a variety of crafts reflecting the Aboriginal traditions of painting, ceramics, architecture, geometry and contextual studies.

Supporting rural communities and the family farm is another concern of the Prince of Wales, which you can read about here.

You can read about some the Prince of Wales’ specifically-Canadian interests on his Canadian Charities’ website here.

Here you can read about some of the other interests of our future King.

On this website you can read about the many causes throughout the Commonwealth which are supported by The Prince’s Trust.

Which of the Prince of Wales’ concerns, whether specifically Canadian or Commonwealth-based, particularly interest you?

Here is a link to the life and interests of Charles’ wife, the Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla)

Did you know that Camilla’s great-great-great Grandfather was Prime Minister of Ontario prior to Confederation? He build the famous Dundurn Castle in Hamilton. Charles and Camilla visited this historic house on their first Canadian Homecoming as a couple in 2009.

Charles is not alone in the Canadian Royal Family in feeling a concern for the Environment. His father, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, has long had many involvements in this area, in addition to his other interests and, of course, his main focus on being The Queen’s principal supporter throughout her Reign. A brief overview of some of his causes may be found here and here.

William: rescue helicopter pilot, husband and father, apprentice

Prince William’s biography is here.

A website outline of the activities and interests of William and his wife Catharine (the Duchess of Cambridge) appears here.

Here is a summary of William and Catherine’s memorable first visit to Canada as a married couple – where over a million Canadians greeted them on Parliament Hill and at the Calgary Stampede.

Millions of Canadians got up early and held breakfast parties to watch with family and neighbours the television coverage of William and Catharine’s Wedding on April 29, 2011. As in our own families, a marriage is a time of great happiness, excitement and celebration, this Royal Wedding brought joy to billions of people around the world. You might like to discuss with your teacher and classmates why this was so.

George: baby and heir

At age one, we can simply enjoy watching George confidently take his first steps, and seeing him playing with other toddlers while visiting Australia and New Zealand with his parents in 2014. These are the sort of happy stages of development that every newborn brings to our own families.

However, even if he is way too young to realize it, George is already on the road to making important sacrifices for Canada and the rest of the Commonwealth.

First, his parents will frequently have to travel without him during their Royal tours and duties, just as many of our parents sometimes have to focus on their offices and careers, keep late hours and travel away from home. Second, unlike all of us who can choose what career we wish to pursue, and even change our minds several times, George doesn’t have that choice. His destiny is a life of service as a working member of our Royal Family, and eventually as our King. You might discuss with your teacher and classmates what are the advantages and burdens of such a commitment.