How Did Prince Charles Celebrate His Birthday?

A day after his 73rd birthday, Prince Charles left for Jordan on November 15. The heir to the throne and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, departed on a royal tour for the first time in two years because of pandemic restrictions. The Evening Standard reports that the Middle Eastern tour also includes a trip to Egypt after King Abdullah and Queen Rania host them at Al Husseiniya Palace, Amman. The visit takes place during the centenary year of Jordan's founding, per Global Times, and aims to strengthen the "bilateral relations" between the two nations. And if that wasn't enough to entice eco-activist Charles, the trip to Jordan will also focus on addressing global warming and climate change. 

"The prince will focus on environmental issues, inter-faith dialogue, heritage preservation and the creation of jobs and opportunities for young people," Charles' press office at Clarence House wrote in a statement, per Reuters. Apparently, Camilla will also be doing her part on the trip. "The duchess will continue her commitment to supporting women, as well as girls' education," Clarence House continued.

Charles and Camilla's overseas tour comes one day after the annual Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph, according to Sky News. Queen Elizabeth could not attend because of a sprained back — the first time she missed the event in 22 years — so the monarch's dutiful son laid a wreath on her behalf at the service. Of course, Charles' birthday also coincided with Remembrance Day this year.

As the future king, duty comes first. So, it should come as no surprise that Prince Charles attended the Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph in London on his birthday, November 14. Per People, the Duke of Cornwall usually spends the day with his wife, but this year, Charles had a solemn role to play. Since Queen Elizabeth could not attend the National Service of Remembrance, Charles laid a wreath of poppies on her behalf. He then also laid a wreath of his own, that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, helped to create, and waited while other members of the royal family also paid their respects.   

Charles' loved ones reached out to him on social media. Besides the monarch sharing some history about her Charles' birthday history, Prince William and Kate Middleton also showed him some love. "Wishing a very Happy Birthday to the Prince of Wales," tweeted the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Clarence House also released a new pic of a smiling Charles to mark his birthday. According to Sky News, he was sitting on a bench in his garden in Highgrove House, Gloucestershire. The snap had been taken in the summer and showed him wearing a blue pinstripe suit with a pale blue tie. He jazzed his outfit up with a pink pocket square and a purple flower. "Thank you for the kind birthday wishes for The Prince of Wales today," the Clarence House Instagram account said. Happy birthday, Prince Charles!