George Frederick Lawrence Charles was born on 10^th June 1916. After pursuing his secondary education at the St. Mary's College, George entered the field of business with his uncle J.Q. Charles in 1934. Four years later, after gaining some much needed experience, he migrated to Aruba, where he obtained employment with the Largo Oil and Transport Company. In 1938, he returned to Saint Lucia and one year later, joined the firm of Frank H. Johnson and Sons Ltd. as a Commercial and Shipping Clerk.

However when renovation and extension work commenced on the Vigie Airport he was able to gain employment as Time Keeper on that project from 1944 to 1946. Two years after he commenced work on the project, the workers took strike action and George found himself at the centre of this activity, having joined the ranks of the newly formed Saint Lucia Workers Co-operative Union. Later, that year, he was elected Secretary of the Union branch and a year later rose to the position of General Secretary.

While being an active member of the Trade Union movement, George Charles was elected to the Castries City Council in 1948, which was then known as the Castries Town Board. In 1950, he played a central role in the formation of Saint Lucia’s first political party, the St. Lucia Labour Party (S.L.P.). Following the formation of this party, General Elections were held for the first time in 1951 based on Universal Adult Suffrage. The St. Lucia Labour Party won the elections with George Charles representing South Castries, elected to the Legislative Council, where he campaigned for the legal recognition of the right to paid leave for the working class.

In 1952, he was appointed President of the Workers' Co-operative Union and the following year, a Justice of the Peace.

In order to better serve the Trade Union movement, Mr. Charles proceeded to the University of the West Indies, Jamaica where he attained a Certificate of Merit in a Trade Union Course in 1954. He was, during that same year, re-elected to the Legislative Council after the St. Lucia Labour Party defeated the Peoples' Progressive Party (P.P.P.) a second time. He was appointed the first Minister of Education and Social Affairs, with the partial introduction of the ministerial system in 1956. Following full Ministerial Government in 1960, he rose to become Saint Lucia’s first Chief Minister, serving in that position for approximately four years.

The St. Lucia Labour Party went through a period of intense internal friction with John Compton defecting from the party with some members in tow.

In 1964 the St. Lucia Labour Party lost the General elections to John Compton’s newly formed United Workers Party (U.W.P.) and George Charles found himself as Leader of the Opposition. George Charles went on to lose his seat in the 1974 election and bowed out of active politics. However, his political involvement never dwindled, since he reverted to trade union activities, becoming head of the Agricultural and Workers Trade Union.

Apart from his political activities, Mr. Charles found time to serve in other spheres. He rendered much needed service as a member of the Labour Advisory Board, the Labour Welfare Committee, Central Housing and Planning Authority, Price Control Board and the Saint Lucia Volunteer Force. He was also a member of the Council of International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and represented the West Indies on the Administrative Committee of the Caribbean Area Division.

In recognition of his efforts and achievements, a secondary school at Cul de Sac was named after him and the Vigie Airport where he had laboured during its construction was re-named in his honour.

In June 1998 he was awarded the KCMG - Knight Commander of the most distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, by the Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to politics in Saint Lucia on recommendation by the St. Lucia Labour Party Government of Honourable Kenny Anthony, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia.