<p>Just days before his eldest son Prince William marries his university sweetheart Kate Middleton, Charles has overtaken the record set by his great-great grandfather king Edward VII.<br /><br />The prince became heir apparent when his mother, the then princess Elizabeth, acceded to the throne to become queen on February 6, 1952.<br /><br />Edward VII was born the heir apparent on November 9, 1841 when his mother, queen Victoria, was already on the throne.<br /><br />By the time he took over as king when she died on January 22, 1901, he had been heir apparent for 59 years, two months and 13 days -- the milestone that Charles passed on Wednesday.<br /><br />Charles, 62, was just three years old when he became the heir to the throne.<br />He could well wait a while yet to become monarch. Queen Elizabeth celebrates her 85th birthday on Thursday, while her mother lived to the age of 101.<br /><br />The heir apparent, the eldest son of a sovereign, is the next in line to the throne whose right to succeed cannot be altered by the birth of another.<br /><br />As Charles' eldest son, William, who marries on April 29, is second in line to the throne.<br />Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who is responsible for constitutional reform, said on Saturday he was looking at the possibility of changing the rules of succession.<br />He said he wanted any daughters born to William and his new bride would not be superseded by their younger brothers.<br /><br />Changing the laws would require agreement across all 16 realms where the British monarch is the head of state, such as Canada, Australia and Jamaica. Negotiations are under way.</p>
<p>Just days before his eldest son Prince William marries his university sweetheart Kate Middleton, Charles has overtaken the record set by his great-great grandfather king Edward VII.<br /><br />The prince became heir apparent when his mother, the then princess Elizabeth, acceded to the throne to become queen on February 6, 1952.<br /><br />Edward VII was born the heir apparent on November 9, 1841 when his mother, queen Victoria, was already on the throne.<br /><br />By the time he took over as king when she died on January 22, 1901, he had been heir apparent for 59 years, two months and 13 days -- the milestone that Charles passed on Wednesday.<br /><br />Charles, 62, was just three years old when he became the heir to the throne.<br />He could well wait a while yet to become monarch. Queen Elizabeth celebrates her 85th birthday on Thursday, while her mother lived to the age of 101.<br /><br />The heir apparent, the eldest son of a sovereign, is the next in line to the throne whose right to succeed cannot be altered by the birth of another.<br /><br />As Charles' eldest son, William, who marries on April 29, is second in line to the throne.<br />Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who is responsible for constitutional reform, said on Saturday he was looking at the possibility of changing the rules of succession.<br />He said he wanted any daughters born to William and his new bride would not be superseded by their younger brothers.<br /><br />Changing the laws would require agreement across all 16 realms where the British monarch is the head of state, such as Canada, Australia and Jamaica. Negotiations are under way.</p>