13 things that will happen now that Charles is king
The next monarch
As we pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II after the news of her passing at the age of 96, all eyes now inevitably turn to her son, Prince Charles, who has immediately succeeded her place on the throne to become King Charles III.
Unlike his mother, who unexpectedly became queen at just 25 years old when her father, King George VI, died suddenly, 71-year-old Prince Charles has spent his entire life in preparation to wear the crown. He’s the longest waiting heir apparent and will be the oldest British monarch to ever take the throne.
Following Queen Elizabeth's death, Prince Charles immediately became king
At the moment of Queen Elizabeth’s death, Prince Charles became king. An ‘Accession Council’, consisting of the group of advisors to the sovereign known as the Privy Council, will convene at St James’s Palace, London, to formally recognise the transition and to proclaim Charles as the monarch.
The King will then take an oath to, interestingly enough, preserve the Church of Scotland (this is because the sovereign is only the head of the Church of England, not the Presbyterian Church of Scotland). Parliament will then be recalled for its members to take oaths of allegiance.
It wasn't a given that Prince Charles would become King Charles
‘Charles’ was an interesting choice for Queen Elizabeth to name her future heir, because the first two King Charles are associated with the 17th-century English Civil War, when the monarchy was ousted for the first and only time in British history. Charles I was beheaded, although Charles II was eventually restored to the throne and well-liked.
But Elizabeth, who kept her given name as Queen, was actually unusual in doing so: most other British monarchs changed their names upon taking the throne. For example, Queen Victoria’s first name was Alexandrina. That said, given the Prince of Wales was known by the public as Prince Charles his whole life, it makes sense for him to retain Charles as his regnal name as King, making him King Charles III.
Charles may change one of his titles
His first name isn’t the only part of his title Charles has the potential to change now that he is King. Queen Elizabeth II’s full title was “Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.” That’s a mouthful, but there’s one part of it – one little word, actually – Charles has an issue with. “Prince Charles has taken a strong interest in interfaith dialogue, and there has been speculation that he would prefer the title of Defender of Faiths [or Faith] rather than Defender of the Faith,” Harris says.
Charles has since rolled back his initial statements on the wording, though. “I said I would rather be seen as Defender of Faith all those years ago because…I mind about the inclusion of other people’s faiths and their freedom to worship in this country,” he told the BBC. “And it always seems to me that while at the same time being defender of the faith you can also be protector of faiths.” Charles does have a say in the wording, UCL says, so we’ll have to wait until his coronation to see what he finally settles on.
The coronation may be different
Speaking of the coronation, which is a religious ceremony, Prince Charles may adapt this ritual as well. This ceremony is traditionally presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Westminster Abbey and takes place several months after the last monarch’s death to allow for a period of mourning. At the ceremony, the new sovereign takes the coronation oath, which includes a promise to maintain the Church of England, and is ‘anointed, blessed and consecrated’ by the Archbishop,” the royal family’s official website states.
But what about Charles? “The coronation will continue to be an Anglican service, but finding a place for other Christian denominations and other religions, as happened at the recent royal wedding,” UCL’s Constitution Unit says. “Such people may be invited to give readings; and religious leaders other than Anglicans are likely to be seated prominently, as happened at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee service at St Paul’s in 2012.”
All eyes will also be on Prince William
With Charles becoming King, Prince William will take on new titles, including the traditional styling given to the king-in-waiting. William becomes Duke of Cornwall with Charles becoming King, and will be formally named as Prince of Wales. But that’s not the only way William’s role will change: because his father is already 73, it might not be long before Prince William takes the throne himself.
There will likely be a lot of public interest in William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and how William will be preparing to eventually assume the throne.
Charles will likely be a more outspoken monarch
The sovereign is supposed to be above politics, but Charles is actually somewhat of a rebel in his tendency to express his views on social and environmental issues. “Charles is known to hold firm opinions on a variety of subjects including organic farming, architecture and sustainable development,” says Carolyn Harris, PhD, historian and author of Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting.
“Climate change and environmental conservation are key political issues in the 21st century, and Charles will certainly not be seen as an impartial figure on these subjects, as his views are well-known.”
But, he may temper his opinions
Prince Charles noted in a BBC interview, though, that his vocal manner would be toned down when he became king. “The idea somehow that I’m going to go on in exactly the same way, if I have to succeed, is complete nonsense,” he said. “I do realise that it is a separate exercise being sovereign.” But, he also expressed that the line between charitable works and “meddling” in politics isn’t always clear; for example, when he created the Prince’s Trust in 1976 to help underprivileged youth. “I’ve always been intrigued, if it’s meddling to worry about the inner cities as I did 40 years ago,” he said. “If that’s meddling, I’m very proud of it.”
Plus, the Prince’s candidness over the years may only be unusual when compared to his mother’s approach. “Queen Elizabeth II has reigned for such a long time, that her approach to her duties has become synonymous with constitutional monarchy in the popular imagination – her predecessors sometimes expressed open political opinions, but the Queen has been careful to remain above politics in the United Kingdom,” Harris says. Even so, “Charles will likely moderate his own approach to public duties to follow the Queen’s example, as the public expects the monarch to remain above politics.”
The monarchy may shrink
Another change that the new king reportedly will institute has had royal watchers buzzing: he may trim down the monarchy in terms of the number of royals actively carrying out official responsibilities. “Prince Charles favours a more streamlined royal family with fewer people undertaking public duties,” Harris says.
“In the Queen’s reign, her cousins the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alexandra undertake public duties, and the entire extended family gathers for pre-Christmas lunch and at Trooping the Colour in June. In Charles’s reign, there will be a strong focus on the monarch’s immediate family – his sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren – and less of a public role for the extended royal family.”
The sounds and sights of Britain will be different
In accordance with the normal changes that occur when a new British monarch takes the throne, certain differences will be apparent in the United Kingdom – including the wording of the national anthem. Instead of ‘God Save the Queen’, the wording of the national anthem will be ‘God Save the King’. The royal family’s official website states that although there’s no authorised version of the national anthem, “words are a matter of tradition…substituting ‘Queen’ for ‘King’ where appropriate.” In addition, the royal cypher (basically a fancy monogram), which appears on England’s iconic red postal boxes, will change from ‘ER’ for ‘Elizabeth II Regina’ to the new King’s cypher. The Postal Museum notes that this will only happen when new postal boxes are added; old ones won’t change. In addition, new stamps and banknotes will bear the King’s likeness.
Image credits: Getty Images
This article originally appeared on Reader's Digest.