![Prince Charles follows his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as they leave Westminster Hall in April 2002. The Prince of Wales has spent the past six decades living in his mother's shadow as the heir apparent to the throne. In 2013, he became the oldest "monarch-in-waiting" to the throne in almost 300 years. Here's a visual journey of Charles trailing his mother:](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/131113153635-01-prince-charles.jpg?q=w_1280,h_720,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
Prince Charles follows his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as they leave Westminster Hall in April 2002. The Prince of Wales has spent the past six decades living in his mother's shadow as the heir apparent to the throne. In 2013, he became the oldest "monarch-in-waiting" to the throne in almost 300 years. Here's a visual journey of Charles trailing his mother:
![The prince and Princess Diana are seen behind the Queen during the Braemar Highland Games in Scotland in September 1981.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/131113155039-02-prince-charles-restricted.jpg?q=w_1280,h_720,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
The prince and Princess Diana are seen behind the Queen during the Braemar Highland Games in Scotland in September 1981.
![The Queen with Charles and his sister, Princess Anne, arrive at Windsor Great Park to watch events in the European Horse Trial in 1955.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/131113155046-03-prince-charles-restricted.jpg?q=w_1280,h_720,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
The Queen with Charles and his sister, Princess Anne, arrive at Windsor Great Park to watch events in the European Horse Trial in 1955.
![The Queen waves from the balcony of Buckingham Palace as Charles, stands behind her, during the finale of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations on June 5, 2012, in London.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/131113155052-04-prince-charles.jpg?q=w_2200,h_1527,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
The Queen waves from the balcony of Buckingham Palace as Charles, stands behind her, during the finale of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations on June 5, 2012, in London.
![The Queen Mother, left, Charles and Princess Margaret Rose in the royal box at Westminster Abbey watching the coronation ceremony of his mother, now Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953. The prince was just three years old when his grandfather George VI died.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/131113155100-05-prince-charles-restricted.jpg?q=w_2899,h_2156,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
The Queen Mother, left, Charles and Princess Margaret Rose in the royal box at Westminster Abbey watching the coronation ceremony of his mother, now Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953. The prince was just three years old when his grandfather George VI died.
![Charles strolls behind his mother in a top hat and umbrella on day two of the Royal Ascot Meeting 2013 horse race in Berkshire.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/131113155106-06-prince-charles-restricted.jpg?q=w_1280,h_720,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
Charles strolls behind his mother in a top hat and umbrella on day two of the Royal Ascot Meeting 2013 horse race in Berkshire.
![The Queen and Charles attend the 2006 Braemar Gathering in Scotland.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/131113155112-07-prince-charles-restricted.jpg?q=w_1280,h_720,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
The Queen and Charles attend the 2006 Braemar Gathering in Scotland.
![Charles, out of focus, smiles at the camera while following his mother and his father, Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. for the first day of the royal meeting at the new state-of-the-art course at Ascot in Berkshire in June 2006.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/131113155120-08-prince-charles-restricted.jpg?q=w_1280,h_720,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
Charles, out of focus, smiles at the camera while following his mother and his father, Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. for the first day of the royal meeting at the new state-of-the-art course at Ascot in Berkshire in June 2006.
![Charles looks over at his mother as they attend the 2009 Braemar Highland Games in Scotland.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/131113155127-09-prince-charles-restricted.jpg?q=w_1280,h_720,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
Charles looks over at his mother as they attend the 2009 Braemar Highland Games in Scotland.
![The Queen is followed by her sons, Prince Edward (left) and Prince Charles, with Diana close behind, outside the Clarence House In London in 1989. The estate is the former home of the Queen Mother, Charles' grandmother.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/131113155134-10-prince-charles-restricted.jpg?q=w_1280,h_720,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
The Queen is followed by her sons, Prince Edward (left) and Prince Charles, with Diana close behind, outside the Clarence House In London in 1989. The estate is the former home of the Queen Mother, Charles' grandmother.
![Prince Charles and Princess Anne follow their mother and Princess Margaret in London in 1956.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/131113155141-11-prince-charles-restricted.jpg?q=w_1280,h_720,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
Prince Charles and Princess Anne follow their mother and Princess Margaret in London in 1956.
![Charles and his mother share a laugh at the Smiths Lawn Polo Club in Windsor, Britain, in June 2004.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/131113155155-13-prince-charles-restricted.jpg?q=w_2752,h_1994,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
Charles and his mother share a laugh at the Smiths Lawn Polo Club in Windsor, Britain, in June 2004.