Prince Charles of the United Kingdom celebrates his 70th birthday with a family photo

Prince Charles celebrates his 70th birthday on Wednesday by attending public and private parties, while his office has released new photographs of the heir to the British throne with his close family.

Charles, eldest son of the Prince of Wales and son of Queen Elizabeth, was born at Buckingham Palace on November 14, 1948, four years before his 92-year-old mother took over the throne as a result the death of his father, George VI.

On the occasion of his birthday, he will be taking part in a special afternoon tea gathering 70 inspiring people who were also 70 years old this year before heading to a private reception for friends and family led by the Queen.

As the heir to Britain, Charles waited longer than his predecessors to become a monarch and would be the oldest king of a lineage that dates back 1,000 years.

Charles has used his position to campaign on issues such as climate change, architecture and agriculture, often raising pressing environmental concerns, according to his supporters.

"When my mother succeeded and became queen and my grandfather died so young, at the age of 57, I became heir to the throne at the age of four," said Charles in a BBC documentary broadcast last week.

"You have to do what you feel is right: nothing is planned, so that's what makes it so interesting, challenging and of course complicated."

However, critics have accused it of intervening inappropriately, as Britain's unwritten constitution forces British monarchs to stay out of politics.

In last week's documentary, Charles said he would stop "interfering" in campaigns that interested him a lot.

"I'm not so stupid," he says. "I realize it's a separate exercise to be sovereign."

The new photographs show Charles in the garden of his London home, Clarence House, with his second wife, Camilla, his sons William and Harry, their wives Kate and Meghan, and their children, George, Charlotte and Louis.

In the BBC movie, William said he hoped his father, a hard worker, would spend more time with his grandchildren.

"Now that he's 70, it's the perfect time to consolidate, as most families would do, and you're afraid to have them around to make sure their health is in good shape." , did he declare. "He is the most fit man I know but I also want him to be in shape, so he's 95, so having more time with him at home would be nice."

However, William acknowledged that Charles still believed that he had a lot to do.

"He did not even reach the point where his natural progression should be accomplished – that is, to be monarch – so he still has his job to do," he said.

(With the exception of the title, this story was not changed by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)