As the King turns 76 today, BRIAN HOEY looks at some of his previous birthdays when celebrations were definitely NOT in order

As the king celebrates his birthday on November 14, he and his wife, Queen Camilla, may also reflect on what could have been. It might as well have been Diana as his queen if his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, had had her way.

As heir apparent at the time, Charles had to ask Her Majesty’s permission to marry, as everyone in the line of succession had to do. He may have followed the earlier example of his sister, Princess Anne, who, when asked how difficult it was, replied: “Not half as difficult as asking permission to get a divorce.” Which they both had to do at some point.

Nowadays, Anne has reached the point where she no longer has to ask anyone’s permission.

A royal birthday still attracts a lot of publicity, from newspapers and television, which is then lapped up by the public. It seems like almost everyone wants to know every detail of the royal family’s life.

And if there’s some spice to the story, all the better. When Charles was still Prince of Wales and serving the longest ever apprenticeship to an heir to the throne (he was over 70 before he became monarch), he was given the relative freedom he lost the day he took the crown.

Prince Charles was considered the most eligible and famous bachelor before he married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981

There were problems on both sides. Five years after they married, Diana resumed a relationship with a former longtime boyfriend, James Hewit, in 1986 when this family photo was taken

The couple undertook a royal tour of Korea in November 1992 and shortly after John Major announced in the House of Commons that the couple would separate

Charles was considered the most eligible and famous bachelor in the world and when he married Lady Diana Spencer in July 1981, she became the Princess of Wales, making her the most famous woman in the world.

But as we now know, this wouldn’t last. Charles continued to talk about Camilla Parker Bowles and his friendship with her even when he finally married Diana. She accepted this, knowing that to object would put her at odds with the Royal Family, as well as the most powerful family in the world.

The day Charles and Diana got married, they became the most photographed couple ever.

However, there were problems almost from the start. And, contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t all Charles’ fault. There were problems on both sides. Five years after they married, Diana resumed a relationship with a former longtime boyfriend, James Hewit, in 1986.

Much later, Charles admitted that the love of his life had always been Camilla, and they began a new affair. It would never end. For many people around the world, it remains one of the greatest love stories ever.

He said at the time that his relationship with Ms Parker Powles was ‘non-negotiable’.

If there was ever a year that Charles would describe as the worst of his life, it might be 1992. His birthday that year was no time for celebration. Maybe relief was all he felt now that it was finally all over. This was when he and Diana finally broke up.

When the divorce was finalized, the financial settlement was never disclosed, as with all royal affairs. But it was believed to be around £15 million.

There was always a lot of speculation about what went wrong with the Waleses. Had Charles never really loved her? The huge age difference between them – he was 13 years older than Diana. Or maybe the difference in upbringing.

Charles had grown up accustomed to the strict discipline of palace life and all that came with it. With Diana, even though she came from an aristocratic background, there was a degree of informality in the Spencer family that was lacking in the House of Windsor. She was a tactile, affectionate woman, while Charles never really forgets who and what he is or was.

The only bright light was that the way was now clear for him to finally marry Camilla, which he did on April 9, 2005, in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall, followed by a blessing by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Windsor Castle. His mother, the Queen, did not attend the civil ceremony because she believed it would be inappropriate as head of the Church of England.

A few years earlier, another tragedy occurred that left Charles trying to forget the past. Diana was involved in a car accident in Paris in 1997 and died immediately.

Prince Charles and Prince Harry following the devastating news that Diana had died in an accident in Paris the night before

There was international mourning for Diana after the crash and the same amount of ridicule and contempt directed at Charles, who was wrongly blamed

There was happiness for Prince Charles after he married Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at the Guildhall in Windsor

Charles recently completed a tough but wonderful tour of Australia and Samoa while still recovering from his cancer diagnosis

There was international mourning for her and the same amount of ridicule and contempt was directed at Charles, who was unfairly blamed by many millions of men and women. All viewed by a global audience.

If there was one thing that both Charles and Diana would be proud of together, it would be the fact that they produced two beautiful sons, William and Harry, although Harry, as a typical younger son, is causing certain problems at the moment.

They both love their father and understand the difficulties both parents faced in their early days.

William works with his father, helping as much as he can and preparing for his own future role.

Either way, it looks like things have finally settled for the royal family. Charles conducts himself impeccably as a monarch and recently completed an arduous tour of Australia while still recovering from his cancer diagnosis.

He deserves to enjoy this birthday more than we know. He works hard. He never stops. Now it’s time for him to relax, with his wife and Queen next to him. And may we, along with many more people, all over the world, respectfully wish him a happy birthday.