Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, becomes king with Queen Elizabeth's death.
The [royal family gathered at her bedside](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/08/queen-elizabeth-health/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2) in Balmoral Castle in Scotland. [has died at age 96](https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2022/09/08/queen-elizabeth-ii-dead/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2).
Elizabeth is under medical supervision over concerns for her health, Buckingham Palace announced Thursday.
Earlier this year, Elizabeth indicated she would like Charles’ second wife, [Camilla](https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/02/05/queen-elizabeth-says-her-sincere-wish-is-for-camilla-to-be-queen/?sh=6e6d549e5dc1), to become queen consort rather than princess consort—a move widely seen as Elizabeth’s [endorsement](https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/02/05/queen-elizabeth-says-her-sincere-wish-is-for-camilla-to-be-queen/?sh=6e6d549e5dc1) of the couple after their many [rocky years](https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/02/05/queen-elizabeth-says-her-sincere-wish-is-for-camilla-to-be-queen/?sh=6e6d549e5dc1) in the public eye. [Cavalier King Charles Spaniels](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/english-toy-spaniel-history-behind-great-britains-king-charles-spaniel/) were reportedly named after him. [official head of state](https://www.royal.uk/role-monarchy), they no longer play a political or executive role in the British government. [placed under medical supervision](https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/09/08/queen-under-medical-supervision-as-doctors-are-concerned-for-her-health/?sh=52ce3550140e) by her doctors out of concern for her health. King Charles I was executed for treason in 1649 amid the English Civil War, and his son Charles II dealt with the both the Great Plague of London and Great Fire of London during his time on the throne. Charles has stepped up to [take over](https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/07/queen-elizabeth-role-reduced-mobility-issues-prince-charles-more-responsibilities) some of his mother’s royal duties over the past few years. The news comes after 96-year-old Elizabeth [suffered from health issues](https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/09/08/covid-sprained-back-mobility-issues-what-we-know-about-the-queens-health-in-recent-months/?sh=2432d0a5484f) over the past year. [Queen Elizabeth, U.K.’s Longest-Reigning Monarch, Dead At 96](https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/09/08/queen-elizabeth-uks-longest-reigning-monarch-dead-at-96/?sh=ef813cf29f3f) (Forbes) [Queen Elizabeth Says Her ‘Sincere Wish’ Is For Camilla To Be Queen](https://www.forbes.com/sites/annakaplan/2022/02/05/queen-elizabeth-says-her-sincere-wish-is-for-camilla-to-be-queen/?sh=6e6d549e5dc1) (Forbes) [‘Operation London Bridge’: Inside Plans For Queen Elizabeth’s Death And Funeral](https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/09/08/operation-london-bridge-inside-plans-for-queen-elizabeths-death-and-funeral/?sh=5923ea5e713f) (Forbes) [Covid, Sprained Back, Mobility Issues: What We Know About The Queen’s Health In Recent Months](https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/09/08/covid-sprained-back-mobility-issues-what-we-know-about-the-queens-health-in-recent-months/?sh=2432d0a5484f) (Forbes) [Queen Under Medical Supervision As Doctors Are ‘Concerned For Her Health’](https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/09/08/queen-under-medical-supervision-as-doctors-are-concerned-for-her-health/?sh=52ce3550140e) (Forbes) Charles’ regnal title comes with some royal baggage. Senior members of the royal family, including William, Andrew and Elizabeth’s third son Edward and his wife Sophie were [photographed arriving in Scotland](https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royals/breaking-william-drives-andrew-sophie-27943404) to be with the queen. [died](https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2022/09/08/queen-elizabeth-uks-longest-reigning-monarch-dead-at-96/) Thursday afternoon, the crown was immediately [passed on](https://www.royal.uk/succession) to her eldest son and heir, now King Charles III, as part of the United Kingdom’s constitutional monarchy system. [stepped down](https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2020/02/19/harry-and-meghan-will-no-longer-be-senior-royals-after-march-31st/) as senior working royals in 2020.
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Prince William could only become King if Prince Charles chose to abdicate. “That would require legislation, as happened with the Declaration of Abdication Act 1936. Who will succeed Queen Elizabeth II? Prince Charles will automatically become King after the Queen dies. Prince Charles will automatically become king after The Queen passes. Will Prince Charles be King - can Queen decide who will take the throne
Queen Elizabeth II dead: King Charles, previously the Prince of Wales, takes to the throne aged 73.
[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). ‘We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. [here](https://metro.co.uk/how-to-subscribe-to-metro-news-notifications/). [ news page](https://metro.co.uk/news/). [Charles, Camilla and William travel to Balmoral to be with the Queen](https://metro.co.uk/2022/09/08/charles-camilla-and-william-travel-to-balmoral-to-be-with-the-queen-17324817/?ico=more_text_links) [Find out more »](https://metro.co.uk/news-updates-newsletter/) [ Charles, the Prince of Wales](https://metro.co.uk/tag/prince-charles/), and her grandsons, the Duke Of Cambridge, [Prince William](https://metro.co.uk/tag/prince-william/) and the Duke of Sussex, [Prince Harry.](https://metro.co.uk/tag/prince-harry/) [ live blog](https://metro.co.uk/2022/09/08/queens-health-latest-concerns-royal-family-gather-head-to-balmoral-16453313/) for the latest updates. Or you can submit your videos and pictures [here](https://metro.co.uk/submit-stuff/). [Buckingham Palace](https://metro.co.uk/tag/buckingham-palace/?ico=auto_link_news_P3_LNK1). [King Charles said in a statement](https://metro.co.uk/2022/09/08/king-charles-makes-his-first-statement-after-death-of-his-mother-the-queen-17329422/): ‘The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. [Prince Charles](https://metro.co.uk/tag/prince-charles/?ico=auto_link_news_P1_LNK1) is the new King and head of state of the United Kingdom and 15 commonwealth nations following the death of his mother.
Following the sad death of the Queen at the age of 96 today at Balmoral, Prince Charles has now become the monarch at the age of 73 with his wife Camilla ...
Throughout history those in the role have held considerable influence - most famously Prince Albert when he served as Prince Consort to Queen Victoria. "We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. It is formed of two parts. His statement came just under an hour after it was confirmed: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. He will also probably take on the title Prince of Wales at some point - although it is not a given that William will get the title, as it has to be bestowed upon the heir by the monarch. Charles will make a personal declaration about the Queen and then take the oath to preserve the Church of Scotland – because in Scotland there is a division of powers between Church and State. He is now head of the armed forces and head of the Church of England, and also monarch of numerous Commonwealth realms. A royal consort is the spouse of a serving monarch, whose main duty is to provide support and companionship. First, the Privy Council – to which 200 of the 700-plus privy counsellors will be summoned – meets without the sovereign to proclaim the new monarch and arrange business relating to the proclamation. Despite his grief, duty calls for the new King at the start of this new royal era, demanding that he immediately turns his hand to matters of state as sovereign and leads the nation in mourning. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.” In a statement this evening, he said: "The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.
Within days the new monarch will tour the UK, which would include a trip to Cardiff for a service at Llandaff Cathedral. The tour will begin in Scotland, ...
The day of the funeral will be a national day of mourning but it's understood it would not be a bank holiday. Ahead of the funeral the Queen's coffin will lie in state at the Palace of Westminster for three days. Her body will be taken to Holyrood Palace before her coffin is taken to St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh to lie in state. The tour will begin in Scotland, visiting the Scottish Parliament, before the new King travels to Scotland to receive a motion of condolence at Hillsborough Castle. The funeral is expected to take place at Westminster Abbey on D+10 – a total of 10 days after her death. The day after the death of the Queen the Accession Council will gather to officially crown him at a black-tie event in front of hundreds of people at St James' Palace.
PRINCE CHARLES'S world has just been turned upside down following the death of his mother, the Queen, which automatically makes him the King.
Charles, His Majesty the King, issued a statement following the announcement, which said: "The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. [Prince Charles](/latest/prince-charles) is automatically the new monarch. "The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."
Courtiers say Charles, 73, never wanted to think of accession as it meant death of beloved mother.
In 2014, one courtier who has known Charles for many years asked by the Guardian to suggest what kind of king he will be, said: “He will be true to his beliefs in his contributions. But with decades of active duty as the Prince of Wales behind him he will hope to rise to that task. They were joined at Balmoral by the Princess Royal, the Duchess of Cornwall, who is in line to become Queen consort, and the Prince of Wales. Charles will take over a role meant to represent stability in times of change, at a time of great political and social flux. In June he gave a very personal address to his “mummy” at a celebration of her platinum jubilee outside Buckingham Palace. Charles, 73, now King Charles, has been next in line to the throne for seven decades – by a distance the longest wait in the history of the British monarchy.
Charles is likely to be the "climate king." But he faces plenty of other challenges in the United Kingdom and abroad.
But as Newman said, a lot of this notion of the Commonwealth came from the queen herself: “Once she’s gone, I think this could unravel.” That could be destabilizing, at least in how Britain thinks of itself and its place in the world. [Global Britain](https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2021/11/britannia-chained-why-the-legacy-of-brexit-threatens-boris-johnsons-global-britain)” in the post-Brexit world, one where the UK reasserts its power and influence apart from the European Union. As experts said, Queen Elizabeth invested in this role as leader of the Commonwealth, and in passing it on to Charles, indicated she wanted it to continue. But there is also a lot of historical reckoning that hasn’t really been done, especially when it comes to Britain’s imperial history and its involvement in the slave trade. “And therefore, yes, there is a duty to the nation and to the British people.” [is trying to establish its position in the world](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/global-britain-an-american-review/) in the aftermath of Brexit. Charles is also taking over as the head of the Commonwealth, a disparate group of nations that are only connected through very loose ties to Britain. The so-called “Spider Memos” include everything from a passionate demand [to end the illegal fishing of the Patagonian toothfish](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/may/13/prince-charles-black-spider-memos-lobbying-ministers-tony-blair) to a call for more equipment for troops in Iraq. And of course, by reorienting the monarchy around this global issue, it is a way for the institution to stay relevant and maybe even necessary. In 2018, the queen also named Charles [the head of the Commonwealth of Nations](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/apr/20/prince-charles-next-head-commonwealth-queen), which is the United Kingdom plus a group of 53 countries that have cultural or political ties to it, including as part of its former empire. “There’s another role that he’s carefully carving out for himself at the moment, and that is as this environmentalist king-in-waiting,” Owens said. “The reason the monarchy has survived is by constantly searching out new roles for itself,” said Ed Owens, a historian of the modern British monarchy.
King Charles III ascended to the throne upon his mother Queen Elizabeth's death this afternoon.
[Emily Burack](https://www.emilyburack.com/) (she/her) is the news writer for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Follow her @emburack on [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/emburack)and [Charles will have to decide what he wants his regnal name to be](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a10021776/prince-charles-name-change-king/). It's as yet unclear when [Charles's coronation](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/a22500180/prince-charles-coronation/) will take place. Just as Queen Elizabeth [became monarch the moment her father, King George VI, died](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a40153143/queen-elizabeth-became-monarch-moment-queen/), King Charles, too, takes on the role as British monarch immediately. [Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/g40197892/royal-family-platinum-jubilee-pageant-photos/), a royal fan told Kate, "You’re going to make a brilliant Princess of Wales."
With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, her eldest son Charles, has ascended to the throne.
In 2015, Charles met with then-President Barack Obama for the second time during a three-day visit to the U.S. and I'm not just saying that," crediting Charles for having got "the whole thing going." "I suppose I have spent most of my life trying to propose and initiate things that very few people could see the point of or, frankly, thought were plain bonkers," he said in 2016. Biden praised the prince for his leadership on environmental matters and reportedly told him: "We need you badly… During former President Donald Trump's state visit to the U.K. "What moved me is his passion for future generations," said Trump. From early on, the boy-who-would-be-king's most essential duty was to find a wife and produce future heirs. He has continued to be a passionate advocate through his charity work for everything from environmental conservation, to community empowerment. But it became obvious to the world that the royal couple wasn't happy together. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. [passing of Queen Elizabeth II](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/queen-elizabeth-ii-dies-age-96-britains-longest-reigning-monarch/), her first son Charles has ascended the throne. "We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother.
Queen Elizabeth II died at 96 at Balmoral Castle. We look back when Prince Charles, Princess Diana and the royal family visited Palm Beach County.
He was released the next day, flew to Eleuthera in the Bahamas and returned to Wellington a few days later. In 1989, the Prince of Wales visited Florida to inaugurate the Windsor Polo and Beach Club. He had spent a rigorous afternoon on horseback on the polo fields of Wellington in 90-degree heat. Geoffrey Kent and the prince had been playing polo together for years and founded the Windsor Park Polo Team in England in 1987. [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). There also was a flap over Patricia Kluge, the ball's co-chair, who resigned after it was revealed that, years earlier, she had posed nude for a British magazine. The polo club, 10 miles north of Vero Beach in Indian River County, was the brainchild of Geoffrey and Jorie Kent. Contact Lordi at 561-542-6249 or The prince returned to Palm Beach County in 1988. Following the inauguration of the new club in Vero Beach, Kent and the Prince of Wales played for the Windsor Park Polo Team at the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club in Wellington. [ Prince Harry, the younger son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, visited Palm Beach County](https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/2016/08/13/between-prince-charles-harry-visits/7055670007/) to play a charity polo match at Valiente Polo Farm in [Wellington](https://www.palmbeachpost.com/neighborhoods/wellington/). In 1980, the Prince of Wales was admitted to Good Samaritan Hospital in
At the moment the Queen died, the throne passed immediately and without ceremony to the heir, Charles, the former Prince of Wales. But there are a number of ...
The new King will take the coronation oath in front of the watching world. Charles has become head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent countries and 2.4 billion people. This will be made from a balcony above Friary Court in St James's Palace, by an official known as the Garter King of Arms. Because of the preparation needed, the coronation is not likely to happen very soon after Charles's accession - Queen Elizabeth succeeded to the throne in February 1952, but was not crowned until June 1953. The King attends a second meeting of the Accession Council, along with the Privy Council. Although he is heir to the throne, Prince William will not automatically become Prince of Wales - that will have to be conferred on him by his father.
Almost certainly, King Charles III will be a different monarch from his long-serving mother Queen Elizabeth II. And, at 73, his reign will be shorter.
[Christopher Andersen](https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Christopher-Andersen/8541), author of multiple royal biographies (including his latest, [ "Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry and Meghan"](https://www.amazon.com/Brothers-Inside-Private-Worlds-William/dp/1982159723)), thinks Charles could still enjoy a longish reign given his parents' longevity. ["I'm not that stupid," he snapped in the interview.](https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/11/13/prince-charles-prince-wales-celebrates-his-70th-birthday/1929854002/) "I do realize that it is a separate exercise being sovereign, so of course I understand entirely how that should operate." [Carolyn Harris](https://learn.utoronto.ca/why-continuing-studies/about-our-instructors/instructors/carolyn-harris-ma-phd), an historian and teacher at the University of Toronto and author of ["Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting." "Given his mother's immense popularity and his lackluster standing in the polls, Charles would be wise to go slow, but he won't. "When there is a long reign, the monarchy and the person as the monarch come to be seen as the same," Harris says. (Charles' charities, his vast Duchy of Cornwall, and a host of other Prince of Wales duties and activities, will be taken over by his heir, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and other members of the family.) [has been mostly resolved by his mother](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2022/02/05/queen-elizabeth-ii-says-camilla-should-queen-consort-when-charles-king/6679279001/): On the eve of her Accession Day, Feb. It's incredibly difficult to step into the shoes of (the queen's) kind of monarch." "He will be less reserved in his meetings than his mother was but he won’t try in any way to directly influence government policy because the (unwritten British) constitution prohibits that." "There will be a lot of people in media and on social media who want to undermine him," she says. But [there's little puzzlement in the royal palaces](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/16/what-happens-when-queen-elizabeth-dies-london-bridge), in Parliament or the British government, and almost certainly none in Charles' mind. Founded by Edward III in 1348, the prestigious Order of the Garter is the oldest and most senior British order of chivalry; the appointment was an unmistakable sign of the top royal's approval.