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Watch the unfolding breaking news. “King Charles III” is already in the lexicon. Britain may be beginning 10 days of national mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, but the 24-hour news cycle barrels forward, and Prince Charles just became King Charles.
“God Save the Queen” just became “God Save the King.”
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Charles will be officially proclaimed king tomorrow, Friday, at St. James Palace in London.
Although it was widely expected that Charles would indeed be opting to call himself King Charles III, he was at liberty to choose any other so-called “regnal name” (George VI, famously, was actually an Albert) and Prime Minister Liz Truss’ incidental announcement of the official name on Thursday came as something of a surprise. The regnal name had not been expected to be confirmed until the meeting of the so-called “accession council.”
The new king’s official spokesperson was quick to confirm that the king would indeed be known as King Charles III. Camilla will be known formally as the Queen Consort. This is often abbreviated to “Queen.”
On the death of King George VI, Prime Minister Winston Churchill said, at the conclusion of his consolatory address to the nation, “I, whose youth was passed in the august, unchallenged, and tranquil glories of the Victorian era, may well feel a thrill, in invoking, once more, the prayer, and the anthem, God Save the Queen!”
Rhetorically speaking, Britain’s new prime minister, as even her most ardent fans would agree, is no Churchill.
Although Truss is too young to have ever sung "God Save the King," oddly, it fell to her, one of the last people to see Queen Elizabeth alive when she visited Balmoral on Tuesday to be sworn in as the new prime minister, to invert Churchill’s famous sentiment.
Standing on the steps of Downing Street, she said, “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... God save the King.”
Charles may be 73, and the public might prefer that Prince William be their king, but it will not be. Charles will finally, after so many years of waiting, ascend to the throne, with William as his heir. His coronation—a massive state occasion, like his mother's—will take time to organize, and likely take place in a few months.
He is likely to insist on a slimmed-down monarchy, which will likely mean even more marginalization for scandal-hit Prince Andrew, who enjoyed the queen’s support—and who desires, contrary to Charles and William’s wishes, a return to some kind of public life. The royal balcony will look different under Charles. It remains to be seen how he will deal with any more bombshells from his son Prince Harry and Meghan Markle; what has unfolded so far has pained and “bewildered” him.
While no one knows how Charles will preside in his role, he is famous for getting involved in politics, and making his views known—especially on environmental matters. He will also become head of the Commonwealth, in whose countries there are varying levels of disquiet about royal patronage and rule.
Prince William himself has imagined a royal-free Commonwealth, after a controversial tour he and Kate Middleton took of the Caribbean in March.
“Catherine and I are committed to service. For us, that’s not telling people what to do. It is about serving and supporting them in whatever way they think best, by using the platform we are lucky to have,” William said. "It is why tours such as this reaffirm our desire to serve the people of the Commonwealth and to listen to communities around the world.
“Who the Commonwealth chooses to lead its family in the future isn't what is on my mind,” he added. “What matters to us is the potential the Commonwealth family has to create a better future for the people who form it, and our commitment to serve and support as best we can.”
