Prince Charles at 60

December 21 1948: Princess Elizabeth with her one-month-old baby son, Prince Charles, in a crib in Buckingham Palace Photograph: Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis

December 15 1948: The Queen Mother holds Prince Charles, her first grandson, at his christening at Buckingham Palace Photograph: Press Association

August 9 1951: Princess Elizabeth, Princess Anne, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales in the grounds of Clarence House Photograph: Press Association

1952: The prince helps Elizabeth II lift Princess Anne through a window at Balmoral Photograph: Rex Features

1953: A picture on display at Ballater station, Aberdeenshire showing six-year-old Prince Charles arriving at the station with Princess Anne Photograph: David Cheskin/Press Association

June 2 1953: Queen Elizabeth II waves from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, following her Coronation at Westminster Abbey, with Prince Charles to her left Photograph: AP

July 27 1958: Prince of Wales walks to Cheam school in Berkshire Photograph: PA/PA

1959: The queen and her eldest son leave Weymouth after visiting the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle Photograph: Press Association

June 15 1960: Prince Charles wears a kilt at the Braemar Highland Games Photograph: Reginald Davis/Rex Features

May 1 1962: A young Prince Charles arrives for his first term at Gordonstoun school in Moray, Scotland, accompanied by his father, Prince Philip (left), and Captain Iain Tennant of the school's board of governors Photograph: William Vanderson/Fox Photos/Getty

April 1969: Charles, Prince of Wales and Princess Anne riding in the grounds of Windsor Castle, Berkshire Photograph: Central Press/Getty

April 1 1969: Charles, an undergraduate at Cambridge University, walks along a city street Photograph: Fox Photos/Getty

July 1 1969: Queen Elizabeth II formally invests her oldest son as Prince of Wales in a ceremony at Caernafon Castle, Wales Photograph: Press Association

1969: His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales in his investiture regalia Photograph: AP

1975: A chat with Camilla Parker Bowles at a polo match Photograph: Rex Features

October 25 1976: Charles on the minesweeper HMS Bronington Photograph: Rex Features

June 17 1978: In a traditional bearskin hat as a colonel of the Welsh Guards at the trooping the colour Photograph: Tim Graham/Getty

July 1978: Taking the stage with American soul group the Three Degrees during a charity fundraiser for the Prince's Trust at the King's Country Club in Eastbourne Photograph: Doug McKenzie/Hulton Archive/Getty

1979: Prince Charles is kissed by model Jane Priest in the surf, Perth, Australia Photograph: Profile Press/Rex Features

March 9 1981: The Prince of Wales and his fiancee, Lady Diana Spencer, arrive for their first official engagement together - a charity event at the Goldsmith's Hall in London Photograph: Press Association

May 1981: Prince Charles with Lady Diana Spencer at Balmoral Photograph: Bryn Colton/Rex Features

July 29 1981: Marriage vows sealed with a kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis

August 9 1984: Prince Charles combines the traditional islanders' headband and necklace with his Royal Navy uniform during a commonwealth visit to Papua New Guinea Photograph: Tim Graham/Corbis

1985: Taking to the dancefloor during a tour of Australia Photograph: Mauro Carraro/Rex Features

May 6 1985: Princess Diana, Prince Charles and their sons William and Harry on board royal yacht Britannia in Venice Photograph: Mauro Carraro/Rex Features

June 1985: Princess Diana and Prince Charles at a polo match in Windsor Photograph: Richard Young/Rex Features

February 17 1987: The prince and princess with the Duke and Duchess of York on holiday in Klosters Photograph: Tim Graham/Tim Graham/Getty Images

June 4 1988: Prince Charles changes by his car before a polo match at Windsor Photograph: Tim Graham/Tim Graham/Getty Images

October 1991: Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales attend a welcome ceremony in Toronto at the beginning of their Canadian tour Photograph: Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty

July 27 1993: Playing polo Photograph: Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar

1995: Shooting at Sandringham Photograph: Assignments Photographers / Rex

September 6 1997: Prince Charles with William and Harry outside Westminster Abbey after the funeral of the Princess of Wales Photograph: Joel Robine/AP

November 1 1997: While Prince Harry poses with Spice Girl Victoria, Mel C dabs a bit of lipstick from Charles' cheek before the group's concert in Johannesburg Photograph: Walter Dhladhla/AFP

November 13 1998: Charles re-enacts a scene from The Full Monty on the set of the film in Sheffield Photograph: Dan Chung/Reuters

January 29 1999: Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles step out in public together for the first time, following a 50th birthday dinner-dance for Mrs Parker Bowles' sister, Annabel Elliott, at the Ritz hotel in central London Photograph: Press Association

June 2 1999: The day after stepping into the GM food debate, the prince visits Wiltshire Wildlife Trust's Clattinger farm, which has not been treated with modern fertilisers or herbicides Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA

June 7 1999: Torrential rain in Glasgow dampens a tour of community projects in the city Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Reuters

February 29 2000: Getting down with the rastafari community in Kingston, Jamaica Photograph: John Stillwell/Press Association

August 4, 2001: Princes William and Harry and Prince Charles join the Queen Mother during celebrations to mark her 101st birthday in London Photograph: Sion Touhig/Getty

November 13 2003: Launching a guide to help local food producers at the Royal Academy of Arts in London Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Reuters

November 17 2003: Prince Charles adjusts his tie during a visit to Wymott Prison in Lancashire. The prince visited the prison in his capacity as President of Business in the Community and as president of the Prince's Trust Photograph: Michael Dunlea/Reuters

April 29 2004: A consecration ceremony at Poundbury cemetery, near Dorchester, Dorset, with Trevor Jones of the burial committee and The Bishop of Sherborne Photograph: Press Association

May 29 2004: Prince Charles and Prince William check cattle at Home Farm on the Highgrove estate, Gloucestershire Photograph: Les Wilson/Rex Features

February 11 2005: The Prince of Wales and his fiancee Camilla Parker Bowles at Windsor Castle after announcing they are to be married Photograph: John Stillwell/PA/PA

March 1 2005: Getting to grips with a live lobster for Lobster Australia general manager Peter Fraser in Perth Photograph: Barry Baker/EPA

March 31 2005: With Harry and William the prince grits his teeth during a tense photocall during their annual skiing holiday at Klosters. Charles was heard to mutter a derogatory remark about royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell Photograph: Arno Balzarini/Keystone/AP

March 18 2005: Souvenir tea towel celebrating the marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles is displayed in Windsor Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty

April 9 2005: Happy together after the service of prayer and dedication following their marriage at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

May 8 2005: A gentle good luck punch for Harry at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst at the start of Harry's army career Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty

March 17 2006: On the final day of the Cheltenham Festival Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

June 13 2006: Home from market with two baskets of fresh vegetables presented during a visit to Fentongollan Farm in Truro, Cornwall Photograph: Chris Ison/Press Association

November 28 2006: Children reach out at Kissy Methodist Boys School near Freetown, Sierra Leone Photograph: Chris Jackson/Getty

June 16 2007: The queen tests for rain as she watches the trooping the colour ceremony with Prince Philip and Prince Charles Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty

May 31 2007: At the opening of the new Shetland Museum and Archives, in Lerwick, Shetland Photograph: Tim Rooke/Rex Features

August 31 2007: After the service of thanksgiving for the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, at the guards' chapel, London. William and Harry organised the service on the 10th anniversary of her death Photograph: Lewis Whyld/Pool/AP

March 17 2008: Plants in the Highgrove shop opened by Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall in Tetbury. Profits will be ploughed into the prince's Charities Foundation Photograph: Matt Cardy/Getty

March 8, 2008: Soufrie volcano looms in the background as Camilla and Charles view the devastation caused by eruptions during a one-day tour of Montserrat Photograph: Chris Jackson/Getty

July 3, 2008: Kylie Minogue receives an OBE from the prince for services to music at Buckingham Palace Photograph: Martin Keene/Press Association

August 9, 2008: Charles and Camilla share a laugh at the Mey Highland Games at Queens Park in Caithness Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty

November 2 2008: Nature walk in the Harapan rainforest project on in Jambi, Indonesia Photograph: Chris Jackson/Getty