Her son, Charles, formerly known as the Prince of Wales, has now ascended to the throne and will be known as King Charles III. At 73, he will be the oldest person to become King in British history
The United Kingdom (UK), along with the rest of the world, are in mourning after it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II died late last night. While her death certainly came as a shock to many considering how active the Queen was in her duties up till this week, preparations for her death were always in place.
Procedures, funeral arrangements and succession plans have been prepared years in advance and were also signed off by the monarch herself. These plans, formally dubbed Operation London Bridge, would immediately kick off the moment the monarch dies.
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Among the first things that happened was Prince Charles automatically becoming the King. He is now head of state in the UK and 14 other Commonwealth realms including Australia and Canada. Other members of the royal family have also seen changes to their royal titles.
Over time, we will see more significant differences such as changes to the national anthem in the UK, modifications to the country’s banknotes as well as estate changes within the royal family itself. Below, we take a look at what happens now that the Queen has died.
King Charles III begins his reign
The first thing that happened upon the death of Queen Elizabeth was that Prince Charles became King. He is now known as King Charles III and rules as head of state in the UK as well as 14 other Commonwealth realms.
He was proclaimed the new sovereign upon his mother’s death in a closed meeting that was attended by hundreds of dignitaries and members of the Privy Council, which is a panel of royal advisors.
The Garter King of Arms will read the Proclamation from the palace balcony and gun salutes will then echo across the capital. The proclamations will again be announced at the Royal Exchange in the financial district and in the capitals of the nations. This is expected to take place this Saturday.
He is also now the head of the British Armed Forces, the judiciary and the civil service, and he is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
The second part of the Accession Council will be attended by the king and other senior royals. King Charles III will take a series of oaths and swear his allegiance to the Church of Scotland.