Queen Elizabeth II’s oldest son Charles became king following the death of his mother at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, though the coronation ceremony may not take place for some time.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” the new monarch said in a statement. “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. … During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held.”
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Charles, who will take the name “King Charles III,” became at age 73 the oldest British monarch to become king, surpassing King William IV, who became king at 64 years old in 1830. Charles’s wife, Camilla, is now the “Queen Consort,” Buckingham Palace confirmed.
“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Prince William, Charles’s eldest son, is the new heir apparent. The queen was surrounded by loved ones, including Charles, at the time of her death.
The country will now go into a national period of mourning. No funeral date has been set, but the palace has immediately begun planning Charles’s accession, according to guidelines in the “London Bridge” plan.
While Charles is the rightful heir to the throne and new king, the Act of Settlement from 1701 still gives the British government the responsibility of formally recognizing the change in leadership.
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As such, an Accession Council will be convened at St. James’s Palace to declare Charles the new monarch.
Then, palace officials will begin planning the queen’s funeral, which is expected to take place about 10 days after her death, according to British Heritage. Her body will lie in state at Westminster Hall in the interim, and it’s likely that large lines of people will pay respects.
