With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the second Elizabethan age came to an end. The royals must now gather around King Charles III for the next era in Britain's history. regroup and prepare for their new tasks, as reported by CNN, among others. For the individual royals there are some massive changes.
Charles
The moment Elizabeth II closed her eyes forever, her eldest son Charles automatically became king. He has decided to use the name King Charles III. to accept All rights and obligations of the crown are with him from now on.
The 73-year-old is not only head of state in Great Britain, but also in 14 other Commonwealth countries, including Australia and Canada. King Charles III is head of the 56-strong Commonwealth, though not a hereditary position. Rather, his successor was agreed back in 2018 at a meeting of Commonwealth leaders in London.
He is the new Chief of the British Armed Forces, Justice and Civil Service, and he is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. In addition, all honors, such as knighthood, will be awarded in his name in the future.
The UK does not have a constitution enshrined in law, so the role of the monarchy is defined more by convention. The King has a duty to remain politically impartial, which means he will come under even more scrutiny if he continues to express the views for which he is known.
Charles has previously championed alternative medicine and organic farming techniques. In 1984 he criticized the "glass stumps and concrete towers" of modern architecture. He has been warning of the dangers of climate change for decades. In the so-called "Black Spider" memos, he addressed the issues close to his heart directly to ministers. In a BBC documentary on the occasion of his 70th birthday, he admitted that his interventions often caused unrest. But he promised not to get involved in controversial matters once he was king. He will operate within "constitutional parameters".
His mother always stayed out of politics and never commented publicly on any subject. This is how she managed to maintain popular support and parliament, which is the only body that had the power to dethrone her. It is not known, however, what she discussed behind closed doors during her regular audiences with prime ministers - beginning with Churchill - and female prime ministers.
These audiences are one of several constitutional duties that King Charles III. must comply. You will put him in regular contact with policy makers. It appoints the prime minister, opens parliamentary sessions, approves laws and official appointments, accepts the credentials of foreign ambassadors and receives heads of state on state visits.
Charles has also assumed the position of head of nation, meaning he becomes a symbol of national identity, unity and pride. He stands for continuity. Therefore, the monarch will open national events and preside over commemorations.
All of the official royal residences, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, are now under his control. There are other residences such as Balmoral in Scotland and Sandringham in Norfolk that were privately owned by the Queen. It is still unclear to whom she leaves this in her will.
In any case, Charles' fortune has increased enormously with the death of his mother. He is now receiving the Sovereign Grant, which will cover the costs of his duties and amounted to £86.3m - around €100m - for the 2021/2022 financial year. He will take charge of the Royal Collection, which includes one of the most valuable art collections in the world. And he takes over the Duchy of Lancaster, a vast estate of more than 10,000 hectares of land, prime real estate in London and a portfolio of investments. King Charles III has become one of the richest men in England overnight.
Camilla
For years it was unclear what title Camilla, Charles' wife, would one day hold. When their marriage was announced in February 2005, the official statement said: "It is intended that Mrs Parker Bowles should use the title HRH The Princess Consort when the Prince of Wales ascends the throne." This was a clear signal that she would not hold the title of queen.
Then, in February 2022, at the start of her Platinum Jubilee year, Elizabeth II expressed in a message a wish that her daughter-in-law should become Queen Consort when Charles becomes king. Something the couple welcomed very much. That same weekend, a statement released by a spokesman said the two were "touched and honored by Her Majesty's words."
Traditionally, the residence of the king and his wife would be Buckingham Palace, but back in 2011 the BBC reported that Charles was considering moving his entire court to Windsor and converting Buckingham Palace into an events centre. That would be a dramatic and controversial change, but could have been done by King Charles III. actually be enforced as the new boss.
William and Kate
Until now, Charles has been responsible for paying for his eldest son, Prince William. He has now inherited his father's title of Duke of Cornwall, which comes with an estate that brought in income of £23million - around €26million - last year. This money now goes directly to William.
His new title is HRH The Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge, and tradition dictates that he will also become Prince of Wales, first in line to the throne. But that's something the king needs to make a separate announcement about. If he does, Catherine will become HRH the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge.
It is believed that William and Kate have no plans to move. The couple remain at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor while their three children are at school. As a result, the King's former residences, including Clarence House and Birkhall in the Scottish Highlands, are likely to stand empty until Charles offers them to other family members or finds an alternative use for them.
Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are now Their Royal Highnesses Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis of Cornwall and Cambridge. Colloquially they are probably named George, Charlotte and Louis Wales.
Harry and Megan
Charles' second son Harry is unlikely to be offered royal office unless he and his wife Meghan return to their royal duties. The king has also yet to confirm that they can continue to use Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate as it is part of the royal estate. Harry and Megan currently live in California with son Archie and daughter Lilibet, but have continued to call Frogmore their official residence during the Queen's reign.
When Harry and Meghan announced their intention to step down from royal duties in early 2020, they said they were "working towards becoming financially independent". The terms of the separation stipulated that while the couple would always remain part of the family, they would no longer use their HRH titles.
As the monarch's grandson, Archie now automatically becomes HRH Prince Archie of Sussex, while Lilibet is HRH Princess Lilibet of Sussex. Whether they use these titles will only be known when their parents mention them publicly for the first time.
Andrew and the rest of the family
King Charles III also takes responsibility for allocating roles, responsibilities and resources to other members of the royal family.
He wasn't very close to his brother Andrew before he stepped down from royal duties over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. In January 2022, he was stripped of his HRH and other titles associated with military and charity roles. So the question now is whether the new king will continue to allow him to use his Buckingham Palace flat and offer him financial support.
Then there are Charles' other siblings, Princess Anne and Prince Edward, and more distant relatives like the Gloucesters and Kents. He must decide how much family support he needs to carry out his duties and to whom he offers it. Many of these decisions are said to have already been made. The first indications of where their allegiance lies will be seen in who gets to keep which Residences and, most importantly, who gets an upgrade.
Anne and Edward, and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, are expected to continue their public duties after decades of dedicated service. The new king definitely wants to reduce the number of active members of the royal family, as previously reported in the media.
