Prince Charles plans to claim the government pension he qualifies for when he turns 65 on Thursday, but he still hasn't started the job he was born to do.
The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II has been heir to the throne since his mother became monarch in 1952, when he was 3. He is the longest-waiting heir apparent in Britain's history, overtaking Queen Victoria's son, Edward VII, two years ago.
Charles became a grandfather earlier this year with the birth of Prince George, the first child born to Prince William and his wife, Kate.
Palace officials said Wednesday that Charles will contribute the government pension to a charity that helps elderly people.
The future king is entitled to about 110 pounds ($175) per week because of his service in the Royal Navy and voluntary contributions he has made.
As Prince of Wales, he certainly doesn't need the pension fund. He enjoys control of the lucrative Duchy of Cornwall, a vast holding established in 1337 by King Edward II to provide income for his heir. It brings Charles millions each year.
The prince, who is accompanied by his wife, Camilla, will mark his milestone birthday representing his mother at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Sri Lanka after spending part of the day in India.
For decades, the queen has attended the meeting, and Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said that Charles saw taking her place as "quite a momentous occasion."
Stepping in for the queen has become more common in recent years as Elizabeth, 87, has greatly reduced her international travel. Her husband, Prince Philip, 92, has also reduced his public appearances following a series of medical setbacks.
Over his decades as heir, Charles has become known for his strong opinions on topics such as education, architecture, religion, the environment, organic food and homeopathy.
Little said the prince was enjoying his relative freedom to speak out before he becomes king, a role that will require him to be much more cautious in his pronouncements.
"I think he's very much making use of the time available to him in that he can put forward theories and get things done that he won't be able to do when he becomes king," said Little.
Charles has also celebrated his birthday by serving as guest editor of a special edition of Country Life magazine, which shares his enthusiasm for preserving Britain's rural areas.
Charles used his stint in the editor's chair to upbraid supermarket chains for taking advantage of Britain's small farmers and said Britain's farming heritage is at risk.
In an editorial column, he called the countryside "the unacknowledged backbone of our national identity."
In recent years, Charles has also criticized financial companies which he says focus on short-term gains at the expense of the environment.
据美国哥伦比亚广播公司11月13日报道，英国王储查尔斯11月14日就年满65岁了，已经有资格领取政府退休金了，但是他还没有开始从事与生俱来被赋予的那份工作——国王。
1952年伊丽莎白二世登基，当时年仅3岁的查 尔斯作为女王膝下长子，顺理成章地成为了王储。今年7月，威廉王子和凯特王妃的宝宝乔治王子诞生，查尔斯当上了爷爷。从垂髫稚子到花甲老人，60多年过去 了，已经子孙满堂的查尔斯还是未能继承王位。其实早在两年前，查尔斯就已经“赶超”维多利亚女王的儿子爱德华七世、成为英国史上等待时间最长的王位继承 人。
查尔斯曾在英国皇家海军服役，根据政府相关规 定，他在年满65岁后就可以领取每周110英镑（约合人民币1074元）的退休金了。不过坐拥“康沃尔公爵领地”、每年有数百万英镑进账的查尔斯显然不用 靠这笔钱过活。英国王室发言人13日宣布，查尔斯将把这笔退休金捐赠给帮助老年人的慈善团体。
在度过65岁生日后，查尔斯将代表母亲出席15 日到17日举行的英联邦政府首脑会议。在此前数十年里，伊丽莎白二世从未缺席过此类会议。《王室杂志》主编乔·利特尔说，查尔斯将在一些“相当重要的场 合”代替女王行使职责。已经87岁高龄的女王近年来大大减少了国际行程，查尔斯则越来越多地代替女王出现在公众视野里。
在过去的几十年里，查尔斯曾在教育、建筑、宗教、环境、有机食品等方面表达了自己鲜明的观点。利特尔称，查尔斯很享受能够相对自由的这段时光，一旦当上国王，他将不得不更加谨言慎行。