Prince Charles, accompanied by his wife Camilla Parker Bowles, the Duchess of Wales, made history by becoming the first future king of Great Britain, to pay a formal visit to Cuba.  One of the reasons for Prince Charles visit to Cuba was to establish economic ties with Great Britain.  Among many other social functions, Prince Charles visit to Cuba included a ceremony to honor Cuba’s patriot, Jose Marti.  As a Cuban patriotic figure and renowned writer, Marti was killed in the battle of Dos Rios, against the Spanish army, on May 19, 1895.

Prince Charles visit to Cuba was not the only one that made news headlines.  In 1995, Charles became the first royal to formally travel to the Republic of Ireland.  With all of his visits to foreign lands, that other blue bloods have never traveled to, it seems that Prince Charles will be more involved in international politics that his mom Queen Elizabeth II, when he becomes king.

Even before becoming the future king of England, he is involved in forging a campaign to change the world.  As an environmentalist, Prince Charles wants to conserve our fragile planet.  He is a staunch supporter of organic farming.  At his Highgrove House, he developed an interest in organic farming.  Now Prince Charles has his own organic brand, Duchy Originals that sells food, garden furniture and many other friendly environmental products.  All the profits from Duchy Originals go to Prince Charles’ charities.

In addition to writing many other books, Charles co-authored, An Experiment in Organic Gardening and farming.  This popular work for gardeners was published in 1993 and shows that Prince Charles is a true environmentalist.  Prince Charles Village of Poundbury, which was built on land owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, is a fine example of environmental sustainability.  For his contributions to the environment, Prince Charles has won many awards including the 2007 10th Annual Global Environmental Citizen Award from the Harvard Medical School and Center for Health and the Global Environment.  Since Prince Charles believes that businesses should be green, The Prince’s May Day Network motivates businesses to be environmentally responsible.

As well as being concerned about global warming, Prince Charles has shown his humanitarian side through his charities and good deeds.  There is no doubt that his two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, from his first marriage to Princess Diana, have both inherited their altruism from their parents.

Always giving back to others, Prince Charles founded The Prince’s Trust in 1976, which includes more than 16 charitable organizations.  All of his charities are part of a coalition called, The Prince’s Charities which helps education, youth and the environment among many other good causes.

In order to foster humanitarian spirit in his sons, he took Prince William and Prince Harry to the 1998 International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Canada.  Giving back to others is certainly part of the royal family tradition.

Across the world, Prince Charles has aided the most vulnerable.  In 2013, he made a donation to the British Red Cross to help victims of the Syrian civil war.  After Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, he visited Louisiana to view the damage and support the victims.  When he received the National Building Museum’s Vincent Scully Prize in 2005 for architecture, he gave $25,000 to help victims rebuild in storm ravaged areas.

Believing that children are our future, he donated five million measles-rubella vaccinations for youngsters in the Philippines in March 2013.  He also remembered those in their golden years.  After he turned 65 years old in 2013, Prince Charles donated his state pension to a foundation that supports the aged.

Through his love of art and architecture, Prince Charles unites the world.  He believes in conserving historic buildings in order to pass on that legacy to future generations.  In the documentary, A Vision of Britain (1987), Prince Charles explains why is important to preserve England’s architectural past and gives us his advice for building modern edifices.  He has received many awards for his architecture including the Driehaus Architectural Prize for his patronage.

Prince Charles understands and appreciates Islamic art and architecture.  Creating a liaison between the East and West, he has been participating in building an edifice and garden, at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, that blends Islamic and Oxford architectural designs.

Even though he is not yet a king, Prince Charles is already showing that he is ready to rule and take more chances than his royal predecessors.  Prince Charles visit to Cuba demonstrates that he is not afraid to take on new challenges or face controversy.  With his open mind, diplomatic skills and strong character, it is very likely that he will be a great king.