As the UK enters an official mourning period in light of The Queen’s death, changes to the British Monarchy are already in motion.
Having been heir to the throne since he was three-years-old, former Prince of Wales, Charles has immediately inherited the throne from his mother. The 73-year-old now holds the regal title of King Charles III.
Charles and Camilla will head back to London today from Balmoral. Later on tonight, he will address the nation on TV at 6pm.
Unsurprisingly, Charles is about to face some major changes. But there are certain steps he must take to ‘officially’ be crowned. Charles will formally be proclaimed monarch in a process called the ‘Accession Council’ which will take place on Saturday 10th September (usually within 24 hours of a sovereign dying).
Only 200 members of the Privy Council will be summoned, and will gather without the King at St James’s Place to proclaim the new sovereign. Then, Charles will hold his first Council, which is only attended by Privy Counsellors.
To respect traditions from the 18th Century, Charles will make an oath to preserve the Church of Scotland.
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After the Accession Council, the first proclamation of succession (and first public announcement) will be made from a balcony above Friary Court in St James's Palace, by an official known as the Garter King of Arms.
Later on down the line, the coronation of Charles will be carried out by the Archbishop of Canterbury in Westminster Abbey. Charles will be the 40th monarch formally crowned here. At this point, he will wear the solid gold crown, St Edward's Crown which weighs a hefty 2.23kg.
Charles’s coronation will require lots of planning, so is unlikely to happen soon. Elizabeth II’s coronation took place 16 months after her accession.
The new King isn’t the only one facing a change in title right now. Of course, his wife Camilla becomes the Queen Consort (a term used for the spouse of the monarch). William and Kate are now titled Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge, and for Prince William to become Prince of Wales, Charles will have to grant this name to his son formally.
For the first time since 1952, the national anthem will be changed to "God Save the King". Charles has also become head of the Commonwealth, an association of 56 independent countries and 2.4 billion people. The reign of Charles III will also change things including passports, stamps and coins.
Our thoughts are with the Royal Family – and the British nation – at this emotional time.
Chloe Bowen is Cosmopolitan UK’s former Features Intern. She holds undergraduate and masters degrees in journalism, and ever since joining the Cosmo team, Chloe writes about everything from sex and dating to mental health, culture, body image and books. In her spare time, she’s likely to be cooking up tasty vegan food, in a yoga class, binge-watching crime documentaries or going on long walks with an over-priced oat milk flat white.
