Nearly five years before Queen Elizabeth II assumed the British throne, she and husband Prince Philip welcomed their first child, son King Charles III.

The late queen, who died in 2022 after 70 years as England’s monarch, gave birth to Charles when she was still Princess Elizabeth. Her Majesty assumed the throne in February 1952 following the death of her father, King George VI. Elizabeth’s coronation was held the following June — with the former Duke of Edinburgh, who died in 2021, Charles and daughter Princess Anne, born in 1950, by her side.

“I shall never forget when we were small, having a bath, and she came in practicing wearing the crown before the coronation,” Charles recalled of his mother during a 2022 interview for the BBC, which aired after her death that September. “All those sorts of marvelous moments, I shall never forget. … She was always there, I could talk to her about this, that, or the other. I think that’s always going to be something that will be very difficult not to have.”

Charles, then 3, became his mother’s heir apparent after she assumed the throne. As His Majesty grew up, he received a number of new titles including Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. Charles, as first in line for the crown, also took on the mantle of Prince of Wales following his 1969 investiture ceremony, in which the queen presided.

“Speaking for myself, as a result of my two-month stay in this country, I have come to see far more in the title I hold than hitherto,” Charles gushed of Wales, a member of the United Kingdom, during his ceremony speech. “I am more than grateful to the people of this Principality for making my brief stay so immensely worthwhile and for giving me such encouragement in the learning of the language.”

Elizabeth — who also shared sons Prince Andrew, born in 1960, and Prince Edward, born in 1964, with Philip — later witnessed Charles start his own family following his 1981 nuptials to Princess Diana. The Trinity College alum and Diana, who died in 1997 after a fatal car crash, went on to welcome sons Prince William and Prince Harry in 1982 and 1984, respectively.

Nearly five years before Queen Elizabeth II assumed the British throne, she and husband Prince Philip welcomed their first child, son King Charles III.

The late queen, who died in 2022 after 70 years as England’s monarch, gave birth to Charles when she was still Princess Elizabeth. Her Majesty assumed the throne in February 1952 following the death of her father, King George VI. Elizabeth’s coronation was held the following June — with the former Duke of Edinburgh, who died in 2021, Charles and daughter Princess Anne, born in 1950, by her side.

“I shall never forget when we were small, having a bath, and she came in practicing wearing the crown before the coronation,” Charles recalled of his mother during a 2022 interview for the BBC, which aired after her death that September. “All those sorts of marvelous moments, I shall never forget. … She was always there, I could talk to her about this, that, or the other. I think that’s always going to be something that will be very difficult not to have.”

Charles, then 3, became his mother’s heir apparent after she assumed the throne. As His Majesty grew up, he received a number of new titles including Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. Charles, as first in line for the crown, also took on the mantle of Prince of Wales following his 1969 investiture ceremony, in which the queen presided.

“Speaking for myself, as a result of my two-month stay in this country, I have come to see far more in the title I hold than hitherto,” Charles gushed of Wales, a member of the United Kingdom, during his ceremony speech. “I am more than grateful to the people of this Principality for making my brief stay so immensely worthwhile and for giving me such encouragement in the learning of the language.”

Elizabeth — who also shared sons Prince Andrew, born in 1960, and Prince Edward, born in 1964, with Philip — later witnessed Charles start his own family following his 1981 nuptials to Princess Diana. The Trinity College alum and Diana, who died in 1997 after a fatal car crash, went on to welcome sons Prince William and Prince Harry in 1982 and 1984, respectively.

Charles and the late People’s Princess, who died at the age of 36, separated in 1992. Their divorce, which was finalized four years later, ultimately had to be granted by Elizabeth due to royal protocol. Following his divorce, Charles — who went on to marry Queen Consort Camilla in April 2005 — continued to focus on supporting his mother’s reign through the years, which became a source of great pride for Elizabeth.

“It is a privilege for any mother to be able to propose a toast to her son on his 70th birthday,” the long-reigning sovereign said in a November 2018 birthday speech on Charles’ behalf. “It means that you have lived long enough to see your child grow up. It is rather like — to use an analogy I am certain will find favor — planting a tree and being able to watch it grow.”

She continued at the time:  “Over his 70 years, Philip and I have seen Charles become a champion of conservation and the arts, a great charitable leader — a dedicated and respected heir to the throne to stand comparison with any in history — and a wonderful father. Most of all, sustained by his wife Camilla, he is his own man, passionate and creative.”

Elizabeth died at the age of 96, more than one year after Philip passed away at the age of 99. Charles, who immediately assumed the throne following his mother’s death, paid tribute to her enduring legacy in his first statement as monarch.

“The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” his message read at the time. “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”

Charles and the rest of the royal family — including his siblings, sons and daughters-in-law Princess Kate and Meghan Markle — came together for Elizabeth’s state funeral later that month. He was officially crowned king in May 2023, eight months after his mother’s memorial.

Scroll below to revisit Elizabeth and Charles’ sweetest mother-son memories together:

November 1948

Elizabeth and Philip, who wed in 1947, welcomed their first child one year later. Their son was christened Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor.

June 1953

Charles and his sister, the Princess Royal, joined their mother on the Buckingham Palace balcony to celebrate her coronation as queen.

July 1969

Elizabeth declared her firstborn the Prince of Wales using the ancestral girdle, sword, coronet, ring, rod and kingly mantle.

“I, Charles, Prince of Wales, do become your liege man of life and limb and of earthly worship and faith and truth I will bear unto thee to live and die against all manner of folks,” he proclaimed in his speech.

July 1981

The former regent looked on with pride after Charles’ royal wedding to Diana when she and Philip joined the then-newlyweds on the palace balcony.

May 1995

Charles joined his parents — and aunt Princess Margaret, who died in 2002 — at the 50th anniversary VE Day Celebrations. The foursome sat in matching thrones in Westminster Hall.

July 2000

Elizabeth and Charles celebrated the late queen’s mother during her 100th birthday celebration. (The Queen Mother ultimately died two years later.)

July 2004

Charles, the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex applauded Elizabeth’s meaningful speech after she opened the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London’s Hyde Park.

June 2016

Charles and Camilla watched the military flypast from the Buckingham Palace balcony during 2016’s Trooping the Colour, which celebrated the queen’s birthday. The married couple were joined by Elizabeth, Philip, William and the Duchess of Cambridge, as well as their eldest two children: Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

March 2019

Elizabeth celebrated her son’s 50th anniversary of his investiture as the Prince of Wales with a March 5 reception at the palace.

October 2019

The mother-son pair donned their ceremonial uniforms — including the queen’s official state crown — for the state opening of the country’s parliament on October 14.

January 2020

To mark the new decade, the royal family released a new portrait of Elizabeth, Charles, William and George. Their official portrait marked the second time that the monarch and her three heirs posed together. (A photo of the group was previously released in 2016 to celebrate Elizabeth’s 90th birthday.)

October 2021

Charles joined his mother at her beloved Balmoral Estate in Scotland in advance of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations. They met with local schoolchildren and planted a tree on behalf of her Jubilee’s Green Canopy initiative.

June 2022

While Elizabeth skipped several Platinum Jubilee events after experiencing “discomfort,” she made a surprise appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony to close out the four-day festivities. The queen wore a bright green dress and coordinating hat as she waved to well-wishers alongside Charles, Camilla, William and Kate. The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall’s three children — George, Charlotte and Prince Louis — also joined the group.

September 2022

The queen died on September 8 at the age of 96. Part of the country’s 12-day mourning period, her casket laid in state until her public funeral. Nearly one week later, Charles and his three siblings held a solemn vigil around her coffin inside Westminster Hall.

September 2022

After Elizabeth’s Westminster Abbey state funeral on September 19, the royals traveled to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle for the committal service.

At the conclusion of the service, Charles placed a scarlet banner — known as the queen’s company colour of the grenadier guards — onto her casket before Lord Chamberlain Andrew Parker completed the “breaking the wand” tradition, signifying the end of her reign. The new king was spotted bowing to his mother one final time before her coffin was lowered into the royal vault.

The new monarch also paid tribute to his late father at Westminster Abbey with his music selection. “At the request of His Majesty, in tribute to his late father His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Greek Orthodox music will also feature in the service performed by the Byzantine Chant Ensemble,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement ahead of the coronation.