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He is the man who would be king, still.

Prince Charles, who turns 60 today, has been waiting a long time for the job he has trained his whole life to have. He is now the oldest Prince of Wales in history. Earlier this year, he overtook Edward VII, the son of the longest-reigning British monarch, Victoria, to claim that place in royal trivia.

But for a man who has had to wait for the top job, Charles has never been one to twiddle his thumbs. With his variety of interests, many of which have turned out to be prescient, and his extensive charitable work, he has been engaged in a way that his great-great-grandfather, Edward VII, never was when he was waiting his turn for the throne. In fact, the years Charles has spent on the sidelines have given him time to come into his own.

Far from being frustrated, he is full of plans and ideas. Reportedly proud that he can still fit into his RAF mess dress, first worn at 23, Charles is a poster boomer, an exemplar of his generation who is redefining what it means to be 60.

“I was surprised by how energetic he is,” says Robert Hardman, author of a book on the royals and a columnist with The Daily Mail, who spent a year following Charles for a 90-minute documentary, Charles at 60: The Passionate Prince, which aired this week on the BBC. “You almost get the sense that he is coming into his stride … There is no sense that he is slowing down or mellowing,” he says in an interview.

There was a time when Charles was considered eccentric for his interests. In 1986, well before it was a trend, the Prince began the process of converting part of his Duchy Home Farm in Gloucestershire to organic production. Today, there are jams and beauty products sold under the organic label, yielding an annual profit of £1-million ($1.8-million) – all of it donated to charity.

“People used to be a bit skeptical of his endeavours … It was often said that he had a butterfly mind, flitting from one issue to the next, but what you see now is that it has coalesced,” Mr. Hardman says. “His charities have an extraordinary range, from introducing inner city children to Shakespeare to Islamic architecture to preserving rare cattle breeds to Afghan crafts to saving the planet, and through it all runs this theme that's all about remembering the humanity at the heart of everything.” His charities raise more than £119-million annually.

He has also endured years of turmoil in his private life to find a happy stability in his marriage to Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. Camillagate, the scandal unleashed by the publication in 1993 of a transcript of a telephone conversation in which the Prince fantasized about being one of Camilla's tampons, is distant memory to many. Some will never forgive Camilla for being the mistress of the Prince, while he was married to Diana, Princess of Wales. But public acceptance of Camilla has grown considerably. That Charles is seen as a good father has also improved his image.

It's time, more than anything, that has made the difference. “I don't see him as someone who thinks about rehabilitating his image,” Mr. Hardman says. “He hasn't changed. He is still the same old Charles. It is the rest of us who have come around to him.”

As Charles marks his big birthday, there are years ahead for him to continue his work, as heir or as king. Long life runs in his family, after all. And 60 is the new 40.

SIXTY CANDLES

The landmark birthday for Prince Charles is being celebrated with a series of events in Britain:

WE ARE MOST AMUSED: On Wednesday night, with his wife, Camilla, and son, Harry, he attended a comedy gala, We Are Most Amused, starring Robin Williams, John Cleese, Rowan Atkinson and Joan Rivers, held in honour of his birthday. And yesterday, the Queen hosted a recital and reception for him at Buckingham Palace.

ANOINTED BY ROD: On Saturday night, at Highgrove, Camilla is throwing a lavish dinner for hundreds of his friends and family. Rod Stewart, who is said to be performing for free, will sing Happy Birthday.

ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES: Not all celebrations have gone smoothly, however. Italian conductor Riccardo Muti was to lead the London-based Philharmonia Orchestra at the Queen's party at Buckingham Palace, but he backed out, after reportedly being angry that he was asked to shorten his program. The orchestra performed a set of chamber music instead. C IS FOR COOKIE, AND CHARLES: As part of the birthday events, Duchy Originals, the Prince's line of organic foods and beauty products, is giving a box of its biscuits and a cookbook to people who share the same birth date. But the cost of £2.49 for a pack of biscuits has caused some people to put their noses in the air. It seemed a little miserly for a Prince and future king, whose annual income is £14-million ($25-million).