From the moment of his birth, on a cold and foggy November day in 1948, Prince Charles Philip Arthur George was never going to lead an ordinary life. The first-born child of Princess Elizabeth, who would become Queen in 1952, Prince Charles' ultimate destiny is to be King.

The Prince is one of the hardest working members of the British Royal Family, taking his role as the Prince of Wales into all walks of life and reaching out to sections of society that might otherwise be forgotten. He divides his time between three main areas: undertaking official engagements in support of the Queen in the United Kingdom and overseas; working as a charitable entrepreneur for a wide range of charities; and promoting and protecting the United Kingdom's enduring traditions, virtues and excellence.

The Prince cares deeply about a wide range of issues. He took an early interest in the environmental issues, and as such has worked closely with leading environmentalists to seek sustainable ways of living. Many of his ideas, particularly on organic farming and vernacular architecture, have now gained mainstream acceptance. Through his Duchy of Cornwall estate and Duchy Originals range of products, plus the various environmental projects he supports, the Prince of Wales is a true champion of green issues.

For many youngsters, particularly those with disadvantaged backgrounds, the Prince of Wales is something of an inspiration. In the mid-1970s he could see how deprivation and poverty led to lost opportunities for young people and, by setting up The Prince's Trust, he resolved to do something about it. To date, the charity has helped more than 500,000 young people to seek better lives through education, training and employment.

The Prince of Wales is without doubt a very determined, modern monarch-inwaiting, yet he still embodies the traditional qualities associated with the British Royal Family.

The Prince's sense of determination is captured on the commemorative coin issued by the Royal Mint to celebrate his 60th birthday. The portrait on the reverse is by Ian Rank-Broadley, the well-known sculptor who created the portrait of the Queen on the coin's obverse and more recently the sculpture for the Armed Forces Memorial.

Ian worked from photographs specially taken for the occasion by Alan Shawcross and was granted two sittings at Highgrove House to create the profile of the Prince.

'I think an image in profile gives dignity to a person, and that's certainly true with this portrait of the Prince,' he says. 'As I was working, I was struck by how much I thought he was beginning to look like the Mountbatten side of the family.'

The sculptor is pleased and proud to have his work featured on both sides of the coin. 'It is definitely an honour,'he said. 'Sometimes, when a coin has been designed by two different artists the obverse and the reverse can clash, so it's gratifying to have the continuity of design for this coin.'