The man who would be king: Charles hits 60

LONDON - Talk about an apprentice. Prince Charles, who turns 60 today, has spent a lifetime in line to become king.

That has put him in quite a bind. The longest-waiting heir in British history will ascend to the throne only when his beloved mother dies or decides to step down.

Queen Elizabeth II was hosting a birthday party for her son yesterday at Buckingham Palace. The Philharmonia Orchestra played for invited members of the extended royal family and assorted society figures. Charles' wife, Camilla, was throwing a more private bash tomorrow at the prince's rural estate, complete with a performance by sexagenarian rocker Rod Stewart.

But the queen won't be giving Charles the present many believe he craves most: the crown. The queen has indicated informally that she plans to keep the job for life, and some think the 82-year-old monarch intends to live forever, or at least as long as her mother, who died at 101.

"It can't be easy," historian Andrew Roberts said. "Most of us can look forward to our new jobs, but the circumstances under which her reign comes to an end means that he can't, emotionally and psychologically."

If the queen remains in good health, Charles may be nearing 80 - or past it - when he fulfills the unique destiny that was his at birth.

Britain's next-longest monarch-in-waiting was Queen Victoria's eldest son, who became King Edward VII in 1901 at just over age 59 years and two months.

But shed no tears for old Charles and his predicament. He has made being Prince of Wales a pretty good thing. Experts and associates say he realized long ago that he would make his mark as Prince of Wales rather than king, and decided to expand that undefined role and use it to pursue causes dear to him.

"He's made a real job of it," Roberts said. "He's spoken out on what matters most to him, championing organic food, backing architecture that is human in scale, . . . and starting the Prince's Trust, which has helped many young people."

The princely role offers a few advantages over being monarch. The money is better, because the Prince of Wales controls the Duchy of Cornwall, the 136,000-acre estate established in 1337 by King Edward II. Official accounts show the prince's property and investments brought in $24 million last year.

There is no doubt that Charles is less popular than the queen, who commands wide respect throughout Britain. She became queen on the death of her father, George VI, in 1952. Charles, the eldest of her four children, was not yet 4 years old.

Charles' many detractors see him as a slightly potty eccentric who talks to his plants. Some still fault him for the spectacular flame-out of his marriage to Diana and his extramarital affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, now his second wife.

This negative view has led many to support the idea that Charles forgo the chance to become king and pass the crown to Prince William, his elder son.

But that idea will never fly, said Vernon Bogdanor, a professor of government at Oxford University. "That's not possible without legislation in Britain and 15 other Commonwealth monarchies," he said.

Bogdanor concedes Charles' reputation has suffered, and polls show he remains less popular than the queen. The Daily Mirror summed up many Britons' feelings yesterday in an editorial saying: "Happy birthday, Charles, but long may the queen reign over us."