urging him to come quickly but it wasn't until that second call telling him time was of the essence that he made the dash back to Bal moral it was a Bittersweet moment for Charles although he had lost his mother he had also gained the crown a role he had prepared for his entire life Charles was the longest serving Heir Apparent in British history having spent over 70 years in the shadow of his mother's Reign and while he had known this day would come nothing could have prepared him for the raw emotion of becoming King at such a personal loss history will remember that