5 Surprising Things That Will Change When Prince Charles Becomes King
Technically speaking, Prince Charles has been waiting for more than 70 years to become the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Thanks to his mother Queen Elizabeth retaining the title of longest-reigning monarch in history, he subsequently became the longest-serving heir apparent. And the Prince of Wales is so ready for the next step.
Most citizens can’t imagine a world without Her Majesty serving as the queen. But it’s inevitable that the torch will pass to Charles because the rumors of skipping him in favor of Prince William are very, very unlikely.
Quite a few things will change when Prince Charles becomes the king, including these little known details.
Money will look different in the United Kingdom
The queen’s face on coins and stamp is so common most people don’t even notice it anymore. But once Prince Charles becomes the reigning monarch, it’ll be his profile people see instead. However, because of an ancient tradition, he’ll be facing the other way, MyLondon reported.
Each monarch flips positions on which direction they face in keeping with a royal tradition that dates back to the 1600s.
Citizens will start singing ‘God save the king’ instead
The national anthem for now includes the phrasing “God save the Queen.” But naturally, once the queen dies or retires and Prince Charles takes over, that wording will change to match the person sitting on the throne. For Charles it will be, “God save the king.”
The song is played at sporting events and at other official royal engagements.
Names and titles of senior royals will change
There’s a good chance Prince Charles will become King Charles, especially since he’s had that name for so long. But it’s also possible the Prince of Wales will choose a new moniker once he ascends the throne. No matter what his name becomes, his family members will also get new titles.
Prince William will become the heir apparent and Prince of Wales. He’ll also gain some new titles from his father, including Duke of Cornwall. Meanwhile, Prince Charles’ wife Camilla will most likely become Queen Consort.
He might not become ‘defender of the faith’
When Prince Charles becomes King Charles — or whatever name he chooses — he’ll also get a lengthy official title describing his role in the monarchy. But according to what he’s said in the past, he may remove the “defender of the faith” descriptor from that title in an effort to be more inclusive to other religions, Express reported.
The reigning monarch automatically becomes head of the Church of England. However, the new wording might be a more generic, “defender of faith” instead.
The monarch might become more political
Queen Elizabeth has been remarkably adept at remaining politically neutral during her record-breaking reign. Meanwhile, Charles isn’t afraid to delve into partisan issues, such as how to handle climate change. It’s logical to assume that the Prince of Wales will continue down this same path once he becomes king.
Reigning monarchs don’t publicly endorse political candidates or vote in elections. They meet with members of both parties and are friendly to everyone. However, the line is a bit blurred when it comes to social issues, and royal experts Prince Charles will be much more outspoken politically than Queen Elizabeth ever was.
