Prince Charles at 70: royal’s key moments, in photos

Prince Charles will turn 70 on Wednesday, with a host of commemorations planned to mark the Royal’s milestone birthday.

The Prince of Wales will celebrate his birthday with a lavish party. “Kings, queens, princes and princesses from across the Continent are expected to travel to Buckingham Palace for a glittering banquet held in Charles’ honour,” the Daily Mail  reports.

But if your invitation to the royal soiree got lost in the post, there are other ways to mark the occasion.

The Royal Mail has issued a special set of souvenir stamps featuring several images of the Prince of Wales, including a new photo portrait of Charles alongside his sons, William and Harry, taken by photographer Chris Jackson.

Last week, the BBC aired their own tribute to Prince Charles, entitled Prince, Son, and Heir: Charles at 70. The documentary was made over a year, with reporters allowed unprecedented insight into the heir’s packed schedule.

The UK’s longest-serving heir apparent, Prince Charles has dedicated the majority of his adult life to his royal duties. He regularly tops the annual list of busiest royals, carrying out 546 engagements in the UK and abroad last year, according to annual figures compiled by veteran royal watcher Tim O’Donovan.

Click on the gallery above to see some key moments from Prince Charles’s 70 years in the public eye.