With his mother and sister Charles Edward moved to Germany. Following an education plan by Wilhelm II, he attended the "Preußische Hauptkadettenanstalt" (Prussian Central Cadet Institute) at Lichterfelde, studied at Bonn University and became a member of Corps Borussia Bonn. He also joined the 1st "Garderegiment zu Fuß" at Potsdam and spent some time at the German court in Berlin. His uncle, Edward VII, made him a Knight of the Garter on 15 July 1902, just prior to his 18th birthday. He was unable to speak German at the time. Kaiser Wilhelm sent him to the Bavarian equivalent of Sandhurst for training.