Following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles has become King.
His new title – King Charles III – has already been confirmed by Clarence House.
His taking the throne has been in the planning for decades.
Prince Charles’ siblings – Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – will all kiss his hands in just one part of the process of the succession.
The date of his coronation will be confirmed at a later date.
But here is more information about what happens to Charles now we have sadly lost the Queen.
What happens when Prince Charles become King?
Prince Charles has become King Charles III.
He was expected to take the regnal – meaning of reign – name of King Charles III, and Clarence House has now confirmed it.
Press speculation over the years has pondered whether he may choose to take the name George VII in honour of his grandfather.
The Queen chose her regnal name to be the same as the first name given to her at birth, Elizabeth.
However, there is substantial precedent for the monarch to choose otherwise.
Indeed, within the last 200 years, Queen Victoria’s (first name Alexandrina), King Edward VII (Albert) and the Queen’s father George VI (Albert) all decided on using a middle names as their regnal name.
What is Prince Charles’ role in the days following the Queen’s death?
Tommorow it is expected the Accession Council will meet at St James’ Palace as part of the process to confirm Charles as King.
Over 100 Privy Councillors will attend, with a proclamation read out at St James’ as well as the Royal Exchange in the City of London.
Reports indicate this is where Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, may be introduced as Queen Consort.
King Charles will then tour the country, taking in Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff to attend services of remembrance and meeting leaders of the devolved governments.
Once back from his tour of the home nations, King Charles leads the mourners as the Queen lays in state at Westminster Hall.
Following her funeral, the Queen’s final resting place is the King George VI Memorial Chapel at Windsor.
According to reports, once the lift to the royal vault descends, King Charles drops a handful of red earth from a silver bowl.
When will King Charles’ coronation be?
The coronation of King Charles will be confirmed after all funeral arrangements for the Queen have been fulfilled.
Whether he will have a coronation medal or not has not been confirmed.
However, a commemorative medal to celebrate the Queen’s coronation was awarded to members of the royal family and others.
Her coronation happened in June 1953, over a year after her father’s passing in February 1952.
Press reports have indicated Prince Charles favours a ceremony on a smaller scale than seen previously.
In February 2022, the Daily Mail claimed the service at Westminster Abbey will be streamlined, shorter and “cheaper”.
Furthermore, there will be significantly less guests – and a smaller royal family is expected, too.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see just Prince Charles and Camilla, Kate and William and their children on the Buckingham Palace balcony after Charles becomes King.
A source said: “It will be a slimmed-down monarchy on display throughout.
“I wouldn’t be surprised to see just Charles and Camilla, Kate and William and their children on the Buckingham Palace balcony afterwards.”
However, the ceremony will remain an Anglican service, despite an overhaul of other aspects.
And King Charles is also expected to make use of the 240-year-old, eight horse-drawn Gold Coach carriage for the occasion.
It has not been used since the Queen rode in it to mark her Golden Jubilee in 2002.
Could Charles have refused to be King?
In terms of the succession, Prince Charles is the heir apparent.
Second in line to the throne is his eldest son Prince William, followed by William’s eldest son Prince George.
The succession is law, and if Prince Charles hypothetically had chosen to refuse the crown before his mother’s death – he would have had to request a Parliamentary bill to remove him from the line of succession.
That bill would require passing by Parliament as well as royal assent.
Now Charles is King, what will Camilla’s title be?
The Queen expressed her “sincere wish” that Camilla will be known as Queen Consort in February 2022.
A message marking her reign turning 70 noted the royal roles of her late husband Prince Philip and mother.
It read: “I was blessed that in Prince Philip I had a partner willing to carry out the role of consort and unselfishly make the sacrifices that go with it.
“It is a role I saw my own mother perform during my father’s reign.”
She added: “I would like to express my thanks to you all for your support. I remain eternally grateful for, and humbled by, the loyalty and affection that you continue to give me.
“And when, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me.
“And it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”
Where will Prince Charles live when he is King?
Charles has been the longest-serving heir apparent in British history.
He became heir apparent on the death of his grandfather George VI when his mother became Queen.
In that regard he has had a unique experience in becoming ready to become King.
Furthermore, reports concerning plans for his coronation and a wish for a streamlined modern monarchy indicate he has clear ideas about his future reign.
Nonetheless, Charles – whose residences include Clarence House and Highgrove – is expected to live at Buckingham Palace when he is King.
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Could Charles abdicate the throne?
There has been little appetite for abdication during the course of the history of the British monarchy. There is no evidence to suggest Prince Charles might choose to abdicate.
In some countries and cultures, early abdication has been a process for ensuring timely and smooth succession.
However, there has only been one British monarch to voluntarily abdicate – Edward VIII.
He faced a constitutional crisis in 1936 after less than a year into his reign. This was due to his wish to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson.
That’s because the Church of England objected to the monarch, its Supreme Governor, attempting to marry a divorced person whose former spouse remained alive.
Before Edward VIII, the 14 year reign of Mary as Queen of Scotland ended in forced abdication in 1567.
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