Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales, has finally become king. He has inherited the sovereign title and job as head of the Commonwealth, along with other assets such as property and land.
In a statement, His Majesty described the passing of his mother, the Queen, as “a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.”
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held,” he wrote.
Who is Prince Charles?
Charles Philip Arthur George was born on 14 November 1948, in Buckingham Palace, London. He is the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
He was also the first grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. His mother became queen when he was only three after the death of his grandfather King George VI in 1952.
He founded The Prince’s Trust in 1976 and is a patron, president, and member of over 400 other charities and organisations.
In 1992 he founded the Prince of Wales’s Institute of Architecture, which later evolved into the BRE Trust, an organization involved with urban regeneration and development projects.
Charles married Diana Spencer in 1981, and the couple became known as the Prince and Princess of Wales. They had two children, Prince William and Prince Harry. Charles and Princess Diana separated in 1992. Following Diana’s death in 1997, Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles, now known as the Duchess of Cornwall, in 2005.
Does that mean Camilla will be the new queen?
Usually, the wife of a king assumes the title of queen. However, in Camilla’s case, she has not yet been given the green light.
According to the Washington Post, an agreement was made in 2005, at the time of Charles and Camilla’s wedding, that she would not be known as the queen but as “princess consort.” Although, Charles could change her title to the queen if he wishes now that he is king.
In February 2022, Queen Elizabeth II said she wanted Camilla to be known as “queen consort” when Charles became king. Camilla took on her new title immediately following the death of her mother-in-law.
Who will succeed Prince Charles?
The heir apparent to the throne is now Charles’s eldest son, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge. Next in line is William’s eldest child, Prince George, followed by Princess Charlotte and then Prince Louis.
Now referred to as King Charles III, the UK’s newest monarch will officially be acceded to the throne in the days to come.