Queen Elizabeth II dies at age 96, King Charles lll Assumes the Throne

LONDON, England, September 8, 2022 - Prince Charles was with the Queen at Balmoral in Scotland upon learning from the doctors that his beloved mother was not doing well, and would shortly pass on.  One of the greatest fears of his life would soon become a reality: his transition from being heir to the throne for some seventy years, to being king of Britain and its Realms.

And then, on Thursday afternoon, it happened: Buckingham Palace announced she had passed away. Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, has died at the age of 96.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

Charles is now king, Buckingham Palace said in a statement announcing Elizabeth’s death, though a coronation—traditionally held at Westminster Abbey—will be planned later to officially crown the new king (Charles’ wife, Camilla, is now the queen consort, according to the palace).

First in line to the throne is now Charles’ eldest son Prince William, who regularly makes public appearances on behalf of the crown along with his wife Kate.

Liz Truss addressed the nation from outside Downing Street. The prime minister paid tribute to the Queen, saying: “It’s an extraordinary achievement to have presided with such dignity and grace for 70 years. Her life of service stretched beyond most of our living memories.

“In return, she was loved and admired by the people in the United Kingdom and all around the world. She has been a personal inspiration to me and to many Britons – her devotion to duty is an example to us all.”

She added: “Today, the crown passes, as it has done for more than a thousand years, to our new monarch, our new head of state, His Majesty King Charles III.”

The royal family’s official website carried the message: “Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022” along with the official statement issued by Buckingham Palace.

In a statement, the new king said: “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.

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.

“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.”

Charles, 73, now King Charles lll has been next in line to the throne for seven decades, the longest wait in the history of the British monarchy. 

The role of heir  has defined Charles’s life since the age of three, when his mother acceded to the throne in 1952, when her father died of a heart attack while she was in Kenya at the age of 25.

Becoming monarch of the United Kingdom and 14 Commonwealth realms from Africa and the Caribbean to Canada and Australia, will allow him to answer a question that has followed him for decades: what kind of king will he be?

At present he faces challenges of personal bereavement and leading the nation in mourning, while at the same time taking up the mantle of managing the family’s response to the Queen’s death.

On Thursday, the Queen’s children and grandchildren gathered around her bed at her beloved Balmoral. William, The Duke of Cambridge, who is in line to become the Prince of Wales and first in line to the throne, rushed from Berkshire to Balmoral, while Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, remained in Windsor to take care of their children, George, Charlotte and Louis, who had their first full day at their new school.

Now his father has become king, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge will also take on the responsibility, and multi million-pound income, of the Duchy of Cornwall estates.

The Queen’s second son, the Duke of York (who remains stripped of royal duties over his links to Jeffrey Epstein), and the Earl and Countess of Wessex flew to Aberdeen on the same RAF plane as the Duke of Cambridge.

They were joined at Balmoral by the Princess Royal, the Duchess of Cornwall, who is in line to become Queen consort, and the Prince of Wales who have been carrying out engagements in Scotland.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan who happen to be on a visit to the UK from their home in California, also travelled to Scotland. 

Senior members of the royal family, including William, Andrew and Elizabeth’s third son Edward and his wife Sophie were photographed arriving in Scotland to be with the queen.

It is said that Buckingham Palace, Charles’s household based at Clarence House and Kensington Palace, which serves as the court of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have been planning for this change at the top of the British state for several years.

The younger members of the family have increasingly taken on royal duties. William and Kate have increased their profile, stepping into formal roles at the request of the Queen. 

While the sovereign of the United Kingdom is the official head of state, they no longer play a political or executive role in the British government. Instead, kings and queens undertake constitutional and representational duties year-round with support from their immediate family, according to Buckingham Palace. 

Charles has stepped up to take over some of his mother’s royal duties over the past few years. Earlier this year, Elizabeth indicated she would like Charles’ second wife, Camilla, to become queen consort rather than princess consort—a move widely seen as Elizabeth’s endorsement of the couple after their many rocky years in the public eye. 

As King, Charles lll will assume a role which was crafted by his mother  to represent stability in times of change, at a time of great political and social unpredictability. 

The new king has met scores of foreign leaders, interacted with numerous British governments and established a network of charities and causes that have plugged him into at least some of the concerns of ordinary British people.

In 2014, one courtier who has known Charles for many years asked by the Guardian to suggest what kind of king he will be, said: “He will be true to his beliefs in his contributions. 

Rather than a complete reinvention to become a monarch in the mold of his mother, the strategy will be to try and continue with his heartfelt interventions, albeit checking each for tone and content to ensure it does not damage the monarchy.”

As recently as June, amid reports Charles had expressed views opposing the UK government’s policy on deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, Clarence House issued a statement saying he would remain “politically neutral” as monarch.

Succession Details

Charles is now king, Buckingham Palace said in a statement announcing Elizabeth’s death, though a coronation—traditionally held at Westminster Abbey—will be planned later to officially crown the new king (Charles’ wife, Camilla, is now the queen consort, according to the palace).

First in line to the throne is now Charles’ eldest son Prince William, who regularly makes public appearances on behalf of the crown along with his wife Kate.

Second in line is William’s 9-year-old son Prince George, who is an elementary school student beginning to take part in more engagements with his parents, having made his debut at the Wimbledon finals this year, a royal tradition (after George, next in the line of succession are his two young siblings, Princess Charlotte, age 7, and Prince Louis, age 4.)

Prince William’s 37-year-old younger brother Prince Harry—Charles and Princess Diana’s second son—is now fifth in line after William’s children.

Next in line are Harry’s son and daughter with his American wife Meghan Markle, Archie and Lillibet Mountbatten-Windsor, who all reside in California after Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals in 2020.

After Charles’ children and grandchildren, the next in line for the throne is Elizabeth’s second son, Prince Andrew, who stepped back from royal duties in 2019 amid public outrage over his friendship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein (in February, he settled a sex abuse lawsuit with one of Epstein’s accusers for an undisclosed sum).