Prince Charles celebrates 50 years since investiture as Prince of Wales

Prince Charles is longest-serving Prince of Wales

Today, Prince Charles is celebrating 50 years since he was formally invested as the Prince of Wales by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The royal heir apparent was first named the Prince of Wales in July 1958 when he was nine years old.

More than a decade later, Prince Charles took part in his investiture ceremony on Tuesday 1 July 1969, during which he had ceremonial robes and a coronet placed on him.

Prince Charles' investiture ceremony took place at Caenarfon Castle in Gwynedd, north-west Wales.

During the proceedings, the then-20-year-old pledged his allegiance to the Queen by stating: "I, Charles, Prince of Wales do become your liege man of life and limb."

Three weeks prior to the investiture ceremony, Prince Charles' Standard for Wales was flown at Castle Green in Cardiff for the first time.

The design of the Standard of the Prince of Wales banner is based on the arms of the last native Prince of Wales, Llywelyn the Great, who died in 1240.

The Prince of Wales' coronet is placed at the centre of the design.

As part of his role as the Prince of Wales, every year Prince Charles visits Wales during summer as part of Wales Week.

Today, the Prince of Wales is due to visit The Prince's Trust's call centre in Nantgarw, near Cardiff.

This week the royal will also visit the South Wales Police Headquarters in Bridgend, White Rose Primary School in New Tredegar and Mallwyd Church in Machynlleth, among several other engagements.

Last month, it was revealed that Prince Charles had become a patron of the Faculty of Homeopathy, an organisation which encourages medical professionals to incorporate homeopathy into their practice.

The royal has been criticised for endorsing homeopathic medicine and for supporting an organisation which has been discarded by the NHS.

Last week, it was reported that the assets of Prince Charles' private estate are worth more than £1bn.