Charles III has received numerous titles, decorations, and honorary appointments, as a member of the British royal family, as heir apparent to Elizabeth II, and as King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.

Royal and noble titles and styles Charles was originally styled as "His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Edinburgh" per letters patent issued by his grandfather George VI.

Upon the accession of his mother as queen, as the eldest son of the monarch, he automatically became, in England, the Duke of Cornwall and, in Scotland, the Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. As such, he was styled "His Royal Highness The Duke of Cornwall", except in Scotland, where he was known as "His Royal Highness The Duke of Rothesay" instead.

In 1958, letters patent from the then sovereign made Charles the Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester and, on 1 July 1969, he was invested as such during a ceremony in which a coronet and robes were placed on him. In 2021, upon the death of his father, Prince Philip, Charles furthermore inherited the titles Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich. When he became the British sovereign himself on 8 September 2022, these titles merged in the Crown.

+Titles as Prince Charles Title From To Date Reason Date ReasonDuke of Cornwall6 February 1952His mother's accession (automatically)8 September 2022Acceded as Charles III (titles transferred to the new heir apparent)Duke of RothesayEarl of CarrickBaron of RenfrewLord of the IslesPrince and Great Steward of ScotlandPrince of Wales26 July 1958Granted to the heir apparentAcceded as Charles III (titles merged in the Crown)Titles and Heraldry – website of Prince of WalesEarl of ChesterDuke of Edinburgh9 April 2021Death of his father (inherited)Earl of MerionethBaron Greenwich

Regnal name In an announcement following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Liz Truss referred to Charles as King Charles III, the first official usage of that name.Queen Elizabeth II has died, Buckingham Palace announces – BBC Shortly afterwards Clarence House confirmed that he would use the regnal name Charles III.

There had previously been speculation that he might choose a different name, because the previous two monarchs named Charles are both associated with negative events in royal history: Charles I was beheaded in 1649 and Charles II reigned during the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London. The name Charles III is also associated with the Jacobite pretender, Charles Edward Stuart, who claimed the throne under that name in the 18th century. The most discussed alternative regnal name had been George VII, in honour of Charles' maternal grandfather; although, prior to succeeding to the throne, Charles denied discussing a regnal name at all.

Regnal style Each Commonwealth realm acts as an independent monarchy but in a personal union; as such, King Charles has different titles in each realm: CountryDateTitleCharles the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Antigua and Barbuda and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the CommonwealthKing Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of Australia and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the CommonwealthCharles the Third, by the Grace of God King of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and of His other Realms and Territories, Head of the CommonwealthCharles the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Belize and of His other Realms and Territories, Head of the CommonwealthEnglish:Charles the Third, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and His other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith

French:English:Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of Canada and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth

French:

In spring 2023, the Canadian government introduced a bill changing the monarch's title by dropping the reference to the United Kingdom and the phrase Defender of the Faith. The bill received royal assent on 22 June 2023; a proclamation of the new title was issued on 8 January 2024.Charles the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Grenada and of His other Realms and Territories, Head of the CommonwealthCharles the Third, by the Grace of God of Jamaica and of His other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth New ZealandEnglish:King Charles the Third, by the Grace of God King of New Zealand and of His Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith

Māori:King Charles the Third, King of Papua New Guinea and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the CommonwealthKing Charles the Third by the Grace of God, King of Saint Christopher and Nevis and of His other Realms and Territories, Head of the CommonwealthCharles the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Saint Lucia and of His other Realms and Territories, Head of the CommonwealthCharles the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the CommonwealthCharles the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Solomon Islands and His other Realms and Territories, Head of the CommonwealthCharles the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Tuvalu and of His other Realms and Territories, Head of the CommonwealthEnglish:Charles the Third, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of his other Realms and Territories, King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith

Welsh:

The King's full British styles and titles were read out at the state funeral of his mother by David White, Garter Principal King of Arms, as follows:

Let us humbly beseech Almighty God to bless with long life, health and honour, and all worldly happiness the Most High, Most Mighty and Most Excellent Monarch, our Sovereign Lord, Charles III, now, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, and Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

In conversation, the correct etiquette is to address him initially as Your Majesty and thereafter as Sir.

Commonwealth On 20 April 2018, the Commonwealth Heads of Government agreed that Charles would succeed his mother as Head of the Commonwealth, which he did on her death on 8 September 2022.The Commonwealth – About Us, TheCommonwealth.org . Retrieved 10 September 2022

Ecclesiastical titles King Charles has Defender of the Faith as part of his title in both the United Kingdom and New Zealand. The phrase was dropped from his Canadian title in 2024.

He is also Supreme Governor of the Church of England, as the Church of England is the established church in that country.The Monarchy Today, "Queen and Church of England".

Other (United Kingdom, Crown dependencies and British Overseas Territories) Region Date Ref.+From 8 September 2022United KingdomSeigneur of the Swans Duchy of LancasterDuke of LancasterKing of Scots Braemar, ScotlandChieftain of the Braemar Gathering Caithness, ScotlandChieftain of the Mey Highland GamesCrown dependenciesDuke of Normandy and King in right of the Bailiwick of GuernseyLord of MannDuke of Normandy and King in right of the Bailiwick of JerseyBritish Overseas TerritoriesKing of Gibraltar

Other Region TitleRefs., CanadaIn Blackfoot: In English: Chief Red Crow, CanadaLeading Star , Canada, CanadaIn Inuktitut: In English: The Son of the Big Boss (loosely translates to heir apparent) In Samoan: In English: King of Taumeasina In Samoan: In English: Paramount chiefIn Maasai: In English: The Helper of the Cows (literally he whom the cows love so much they call for him when they are in times of distress)In Tok Pisin: In English: Number One Child of Mrs. QueenHigh Chief Mal Menaringmanu

Military and police ranks and titles

Military ranks FlagDateRankBranchRef19 October 2024 – presentAdmiral of the FleetRoyal Australian NavyField MarshalAustralian ArmyMarshal of the Royal Australian Air Force11 November 2009 – 8 September 2022Vice-AdmiralRoyal Canadian NavyLieutenant-GeneralCanadian ArmyLieutenant-GeneralRoyal Canadian Air Force2015 – presentAdmiral of the FleetRoyal New Zealand NavyNew Zealand: Quick Facts, princeofwales.gov.ukField MarshalNew Zealand ArmyMarshal of the Royal New Zealand Air Force8 March 1971 – 1 January 1977Flight LieutenantRoyal Air Force Commissioned directly as a Flt Lt.15 September 1971 – 1 September 1972Acting Sub-LieutenantRoyal Navy27 July 1973 – 1 January 1977Lieutenant1 January 1977 – 14 November 1988Commander Promoted directly to Cdr from Lt.Wing CommanderRoyal Air Force Promoted directly to Wg Cdr from Flt Lt.14 November 1988 – 14 November 1998CaptainRoyal NavyGroup CaptainRoyal Air Force14 November 1998 – 14 November 2002Rear-AdmiralRoyal NavyMajor-GeneralBritish ArmyAir Vice-MarshalRoyal Air Force14 November 2002 – 14 November 2006Vice-AdmiralRoyal NavyLieutenant-GeneralBritish ArmyAir MarshalRoyal Air Force14 November 2006 – 16 June 2012AdmiralRoyal NavyGeneralBritish ArmyAir Chief MarshalRoyal Air Force16 June 2012 – presentAdmiral of the FleetRoyal NavyField MarshalBritish ArmyMarshal of the Royal Air Force

Military titles CountryDateAppointmentRef8 September 2022 – presentCommander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed ForcesHead of the Armed ForcesHead of the Armed Forces

Police appointments ServiceDateAppointmentRef Royal Canadian Mounted Police23 May 2012 – 28 April 2023Honorary Commissioner28 April 2023 – presentCommissioner-in-Chief

Honorary military appointments

1977 – present: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps 2023 – present: Captain-General of the Royal Australian Artillery

1977 – present: Colonel-in-Chief of Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) With effect from 11 June 1977. 1977 – present: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles 1977 – present: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Canada 1985 – present: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Dragoons With effect from 17 September 1985. 2004 – present: Colonel-in-Chief of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada 2005 – present: Colonel-in-Chief of the Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own) 2009 – present: Head of the Canadian Rangers 2022 – present: Colonel-in-Chief of the Governor General's Horse Guards 2023 – present: Captain General of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery 1977 – present: Colonel-in-Chief of the Air Reserve Group 2015 – present: Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Canadian Navy (Fleet Atlantic)

1977–2015: Air Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal New Zealand Air Force With effect from 11 June 1977. 2023 – present: Captain-General of the Royal New Zealand Artillery

1984 – present: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Pacific Islands Regiment

1969–2006: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Regiment of Wales With effect from 11 June 1969. 1975–2022: Colonel, Welsh Guards With effect from 1 March 1975. 1977–2007: Colonel-in-Chief of the Cheshire Regiment With effect from 11 June 1977. Appointment ceased with effect from 1 September 2007 upon the regiment's merger into the Merceican Regiment. 1977–1994: Colonel-in-Chief of the Gordon Highlanders Appointment ceased with effect from the raising of the successor, merged regiments (ultimately this occurred in 1994 – effectively the appointment was transferred to the new units). 1977–1994: Colonel-in-Chief of the 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles) 1977 – present: Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment 1985–1992: Colonel-in-Chief of the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards With effect from 9 April 1985. 1992–2023: Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Dragoon Guards With effect from 14 February 1992 less Royal Gurkha Rifles and the Highlanders where the new appointment was upon the raising of the new regiments (ultimately this occurred in 1994).