The King is celebrating his 77th birthday with a trip to Wales, where he will meet homegrown stars from the worlds of art, heritage and culture.

On Friday, Charles and Camilla will visit South Wales, where his birthday will be marked with a reception at Cyfarthfa Castle near Merthyr Tydfil.

Actress Ruth Jones, TikTok creator Lewis Leigh, fashion designer Julien Macdonald and representatives from the Laura Ashley Foundation will be among the guests.

The King was married twice in his lifetime. His first wedding took place in 1981, when he married the late Diana, Princess of Wales. The couple divorced in 1996, with Diana dying a year later during a car crash in Paris. Charles married Camilla eight years later, in 2005, during a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall. Charles and Camilla’s relationship has been labelled by many as the most scandalous in British royal history. What started as an innocent relationship after a meeting in 1970, when then-Prince Charles met the then Camilla Shand, became one of the most documented royal affairs, with the now-Queen taking much of the blame for Charles and Diana’s divorce.

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Representatives from the couple’s patronages, including The King’s Trust and the Royal Osteoporosis Society, and local businesses including Cocos Coffee and Candles, and Enaid Wellness, will also attend the community reception.

The King says goodbye to Pope Leo XIV (Aaron Chown/PA)

Cyfarthfa Castle, built  as the residence of ironmaster William Crawshay II,  is also celebrating its 200th anniversary.

The King’s birthday this year comes after a number of high-profile personal and public events that were both difficult and historic.

Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer early last year and is continuing his regular treatment programme, believed to be a weekly session.

There has been the scandal over his disgraced brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York.

The King has welcomed two sons and his only children from his first marriage with Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry. The now-Prince of Wales was born on June 21, 1982, and the Duke of Sussex was born on September 14, 1984. Charles’s relationship with William remains strong, while his relationship with his younger son has turned frosty after his bombshell royal exit in 2020. Despite this, the King recently met up with Harry during the duke’s last trip to the UK in September.

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Andrew’s links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein eventually led to Charles stripping him of his titles, putting an end to his public life.

Charles also paid a historic visit to the Vatican, where he became the first monarch since the Reformation to pray alongside the Pope in a public service.

Charles and Pope Leo XIV made history in what was seen as a symbolic moment of unity for Anglicans and Roman Catholics across the globe.

He also hosted US President Donald Trump at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, for a second state visit in September.