As the plane taxis to a halt, the 100 or so people on the runway start waving their American and British flags frantically. They hope to catch a first glimpse of Charles, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the throne. Dressed in their Sunday best, the crowd pushes against the ropes watching as the band, clad in Revolution-era uniforms, strikes up "God Save the Queen."

When the door to the plane opens, however, silence falls over the crowd. About five people disembark before he steps through the doorway, sporting a double-breasted grey suit and a tan. As the crowd watches in quiet respect, he greets Governor Michael S. Dukakis and his other distinguished hosts. The Prince listens politely to the band perform and walks to the waiting crowd where he stops to chat with a few people. One girl can't stop smiling after she curtseys. Another woman acts casual while in conversation, but after is agog at what has just happened.

There's a story about him, probably apocryphal: While on an official visit to a palace in the Middle East, Charles fell slightly behind the tour group. As he exited a door, a servant entered. Upon catching sight of Charles, the servant assumed the Prince was the butler he was assigned to meet and handed the heir to the British throne a pile of clothes to press.

Such confusion is not surprising. Although, the heir apparent has continued the tradition of a nattily dressed Prince of Wales, he looks like a well-to-do businessman rather than the future King of England. But the 37-year-old Charles is one of the most famous people in the world, sought after wherever he travels. He's known for the post he gained through birth, but respected for his intelligence and dignity, loved for his humor and British good looks. His office carries little political weight, but he has the power to influence subtly British policy.

Indeed, Charles is admired throughout the United Kingdom for his ability as a statesman. "He's an ambassador of Britain in a very real sense. In effect, he's a salesman of Great Britain," says Wallace T. MacCaffrey, Higginson Professor of History. A recent British poll asked citizens whom they would most want to see become president of Great Britain if the country were to become a democracy. Prince Charles was one of the most popular choices, along with his father Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. "He's a very important political symbol," says Peter A. Hall, assistant professor of Government.

If the Prince of Wales's political power seems insubstantial, he has considerable monetary influence. He is believed to be one of the richest men outside the Arab world. Queen Elizabeth II's fortune has been estimated at between $20 and $140 million, and Charles stands to inherit this when he becomes King Charles III. Landlord of the entire Duchy of Cornwall, which includes 131, 744 acres in nine counties, the Prince boasts among his holdings Dartmoor Prison and castles throughout Great Britain. When he becomes king, he will also gain the Duchy of Lancaster which has revenues about twice the size of Cornwall's. Cornwall eventually will go to Charles's eldest son, Prince William.

In addition to all this generosity, Charles has the dubious honor of owning any cetecean that is washed up on Cornish shores and has the rightto enforce a tax of three hundred puffins from theresidents of the Isle of Scilly.

But the Prince is not one to enforce things. Hetends to effect changes with subtle, polishedfinesse. In a recent incident, the Prince foundthe proposed plans for an addition to the NationalGallery in Trafalgar Square a little too modernfor his taste. He reportedly said that if thecommission went through with their plans, the newbuilding would be "something like a carbuncle onthe face of a close friend."

Royal-watchers agree that Charles and hisfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, are the most likelyto issue opinions on many subjects. Thisforthrightness is indicative of the new royalfamily, one which seeks to be less formal and morein touch with the British people.

Some royal-watchers have argued that such achange is necessary to insure that the family atBuckingham Palace remains popular with the Britishsubjects. At a time when most of the Britishpopulation is working class, the royal familystands out as a sore thumb. Yet, the British lovethe royal family, avidly following their everymove. Charles may well be the most popular royalfigure because of his expertise in dealing withthe public and the press.

And his marriage five years ago to Lady DianaSpencer did not hurt this image. Princess Di, asAmericans have affectionately nicknamed her, hasattracted greater media attention to Charles. LikeCharles, Diana handles press and public occasionswith perfect aplomb. In fact, the only members ofCharles' immediate family who have yet to masterthis skill are his three-year-old son, WilliamArthur Philip Louis, and his two-year-old sonHenry Charles Albert David.

Yet, the Prince has a bit of an image of aneccentric in Great Britain, says Thomas Ertman afourth-year graduate student in sociology whospecializes in British politics. A non-smoker,Charles is a vegetarian and drinks only whenprotocol requires it. At times, he has eschewedtea or coffee as well. And unlike previous heirsto the throne, Charles has a decidedlyintellectual image, having gained the distinctionof being the first heir to earn a universitydegree. Says MacCaffrey, "He's the most originalBritish prince since Prince Albert a century ago."

The Child Prince

On November 14, 1948, 22-year-old PrincessElizabeth gave birth to a seven-pound, six-ounceboy. It took more than a month--until the day ofthe christening--for the child's parents toofficially announce his name: Charles PhilipArthur George.

Despite the traditional name, the Princereceived anything but a traditional royaleducation.

Charles of Wales received almost all of hiseducation at schools, not from a palace tutor. Andthis unique style of education might well havecontributed to his becoming the first heirapparent to earn a university degree.

The queen deliberately strove to provide herson with an education equivalent to that of a sonof upper-class British parents and raised him tobe acquainted with friends of his age group.

Yet, for all the attempts to provide Charleswith a normal childhood, the heir to the Britishthrone never really escaped the royal-watchingBritish press. From the beginning, Charles' everymove was watched carefully. When his two nurseswheeled him through the gardens of BuckinghamPalace, a score of private detectives trailedbehind as the papparazzi struggled to get a shotof the baby prince.

When his sister, Princess Anne, was born,Charles' life became more regimented and lesspublic. He spent more time in the palace, living asheltered life. Everyday the Prince saw hismother, who insisted on bathing her two children.But after King George VI died in February 1952,Charles saw his mother less and less as she turnedher attentions to being Queen.

Yet, she continued to invest much thought intoher children's upbringing. At the age of five,Charles still seemed to young to go to school, sothe Queen hired a private tutor. In addition tolearning the staples of most children's earlyeducation, Charles studied children in historywith his tutor.

When Charles turned eight, the Queen decided totest out her theories of royal education and senthim to Hill House, a short drive from BuckinghamPalace. After two years at that school, QueenElizabeth decided to send her son to Cheam, a prepschool in Headley, a small village near Hampshire.Although Charles' schoolmates treated him like oneof them, even addressing him by his first name, itwas obvious that Charles was not one of them.

At the end of his first year at Cheam, thedistinction became more obvious. One day in thesummer of 1958, Charles was gathered with a few ofhis friends to watch his mother's broadcast at theCommonwealth Games held in Cardiff, Wales. Becauseshe was ill, the Queen sent her husband tointroduce a tape recorded message. At theconclusion, Queen Elizabeth announced that she wascreating her nine-year-old son Charles, Prince ofWales. Charles recalled in later life that he was"acutely embarrassed when it was announced."

But most of Charles' time at Cheam was spent inpursuits normal for a young boy. It was there thathe discovered a love of acting after he performedfor the first time in a synopsis of theShakespeare plays. Charles realized the dream ofevery actor when he stepped in for the boy who wasto play Duke of Gloucester, who later becomesRichard III. In a particularly appropriate scene,Charles delivered the line, "And soon may I ascendthe throne."

When the Prince graduated from Cheam at the ageof 13, it was time once more for his parents tofind an appropriate school. Elizabeth and Philipopted to send him to Philip's alma mater,Gordonstoun. The school aimed to provide youngboys with an education that went far beyondacademics, developing character as well as mindand body. Charles earned the lead role in aproduction of Shakespeare's Macbeth and twoyears in a row won the award for physical fitnesswhich his father had inspired. After spending ayear abroad in Australia (Charles was also thefirst member of the royal family to attend aschool in the Commonwealth), Charles was chosen"Guardian" of the school, a high honor for seniorboys.

After graduating from Gordonstoun, Charlesentered Cambridge University and broke royaltradition by choosing to live in Trinity Collegerather than in off-campus housing. He opted tostudy anthropology and archaelogy, switching in ayear to history. When the Prince was not engagedin royal duties or his studies, he found time toact and play polo, eventually getting Universitycolors, half-blue, for that sport. In 1970, thePrince earned a Bachelor of Arts in History.

After his college graduation, Charles enteredthe Royal Service and took his seat in the Houseof Lords, embarking on his career in what he hasjokingly called "the oldest profession in theworld."

As a member of the Royal Navy, Charles wascertified as a helicopter pilot in 1974. Two yearslater, he left active service in the Navy to takeup full time duties as the heir apparent.

His job as the future King of Great Britainincludes sponsorship of numerous charitableorganizations and visits to nations in the BritishCommonwealth.

Part of his job includes accepting invitationsto events such as Harvard's 350th anniversaryparty. Says Hall, "This is his job, after all. Hetakes it very seriously."

The government professor adds that Harvard'sinvitation to Charles represents a newinternational emphasis in the University. In 1936,Franklin D. Roosevelt '04, then internationalposition does reflect some of the changes in theUniversity itself."

Charles' roots to Cambridge, which spawnedHarvard more than three centuries ago may alsohave contributed to the University's in-Presidentof the United States, addressed the firstconvocation. Says Hall of the choice of the 350thkeynote speaker, "It's a sort of reflection ofHarvard's growing interest in the internationalworld. The choice to seek someone with anvitation. His official connection is as a graduateand official of Cambridge University as well aspresident of the International COuncil of UnitedWorld Colleges, but as MacCaffrey says, "To bequite honest, the connection is a somewhat tenuousone." Whatever his ties, Prince Charles seems tohave quite a following as the convocation--whichapproximately 20,000 people will attend--has beensold out for about a week.

As Hall says of Charles' relation to the entire350th: "It's a mixture of party and paegantry. Hecertainly adds to the pageantry. I don't know ifhe's anything of a party goer."

Some of the information in this story wastaken from Anthony Holden's biography of thePrince.Courtesy of Anthony Holden: "PrinceCharles"Charles at his investiture, 1969 with QueenElizabeth.