Some people wait 74 years for a moment like this.
On May 6, the United Kingdom will see its first coronation in seven-plus decades as King Charles III is officially crowned the country's reigning monarch. And it will be quite the historic event as he is the oldest-ever person to assume the British throne after Queen Elizabeth II ruled for 70 years before her death at the age of 96 in September. Before his promotion, Charles had cemented himself as both the oldest and the longest-serving heir apparent in British history. (His previous title as Prince of Wales had been held since July 1958, and, after his father, Prince Philip, died in April 2021, Charles had also inherited the title of Duke of Edinburgh.)
"This is going to be one biggest moments of King Charles's reign," royal correspondent Sharon Carpenter told E! News in an exclusive interview. "He was on that Buckingham Palace balcony during the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. And now 70 years later, here he is coming out on that balcony as King."
Charles was just 4 years old during what Carpenter described as that "very significant moment in his life," but it's just one of many milestone events he has attended on his road to the throne.
Ahead of his coronation ceremony, which will be the first ever to be streamed for obvious reasons, we are looking back on Charles' life, from his 1948 birth to his respective weddings to Princess Diana and Queen Camilla, as well as the births of his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Continue reading to see Charles' life in pictures before he is crowned: