Charles III Will Have All the Perks and Responsibilities of Being a King Except One
King Charles III immediately ascended to the highest rank of the British royal family upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. He assumes all of the late queen’s prior responsibilities and will enjoy many of the position’s perks, except for one. What is the one thing the newly minted King Charles II will have to wait for now that he’s King of the United Kingdom?
Charles has prepared for this role since the age of 3
Charles, 73, has waited decades to become king. He was the longest-serving heir in British history and the eldest of four children born to the queen and her late husband, Prince Philip. When his mother assumed the throne at age 25, he became Britain’s heir apparent at age 3.
Queen Elizabeth reigned for 70 years. Therefore, Charles had decades to prepare for this new role as king. As Britain’s new monarch, Charles could have selected any of his four given names as the one he would reign under, Charles Philip Arthur George. However, he chose to simplify matters and use the name known best by the British people and those around the world: Charles.
Charles III immediately assumes all the responsibilities and perks of being the king of the United Kingdom, except for one
A statement from His Majesty The King: pic.twitter.com/AnBiyZCher
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022
King Charles III is now the head of the British state and the highest representative of the United Kingdom. The monarch is the Head of the Commonwealth, which has at least one member on every continent worldwide. These include North America (Canada), South America (Guyana), and Oceania (Australia). The United Kingdom is part of the Commonwealth, as well as some Asian countries and most southern African nations.
With his accession upon the death of his mother, Charles immediately assumes all the responsibilities and perks of being the King of England, except for one.
He will not be allowed to publicly wear a crown until his coronation, which will likely occur after a period of mourning for the late queen.
“He will be crowned probably in a year,” Kate Williams, a history professor at England’s Reading University and author of Young Elizabeth: The Making of the Queen, explained to People Magazine.
“The coronation ceremony usually takes a year. It’s seen as unseemly to have a coronation ceremony straight after someone’s death. It’s a long period of mourning.”
Who is next in line after King Charles III to reign?
The royal line of succession has changed since a 2013 law allowing the crown to pass on in order of birth regardless of gender.
According to the royal family’s website, the Succession to the Crown Act ended a former rule that a younger son could displace an elder daughter in the line of succession. The act applies to those born after Oct. 28, 2011.
Therefore, immediately following Prince Charles is his son, Prince William, now the heir apparent. Following William are his children with the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton: Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. They are followed by Prince Harry and his children, Archie and Lillibet.
The line continues with Prince Andrew, his daughter Princess Beatrice, her daughter Sienna, Andrew’s daughter Eugenie and her son, August.
Other royals, including Prince Edward, his children, Princess Anne, and her children, follow the aforementioned royals in the succession line.
