Heir apparent Charles is now the new King of England Photo: dpa/picture-alliance
From the BZ editorial team
After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the new British King Charles and his wife Camilla are staying at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday evening.
As the palace announced, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully on Thursday at the age of 96 at her Scottish country estate, Balmoral Castle.
Elizabeth II is succeeded by her son Charles (73). He will initially remain on Balmoral and return to London on Friday. Queen’s grandson Prince William (40) is the heir to the throne. Second in line to the throne is now 9-year-old Prince George.
His siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have overtaken their uncle Harry in the line of succession. Princes no longer precede princesses in the line of succession to the Windsors. This puts William’s younger brother in fifth place. Prince Harry’s son Archie is sixth, daughter Lilibet is number seven.
Elizabeth II reigned longer than any other British monarch before her. She was head of state of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and more than a dozen other countries including Canada, New Zealand and Australia. With her death, an era comes to an end.
Although the British monarch had no political power, she was considered one of the most important personalities of our time. With an unconditional sense of duty and perseverance, she led the country through major changes.
Years ago, meticulous plans were made for what would happen after the Queen’s death. According to the UK Foreign Press Association, a state funeral is expected to take place ten days after the death.
With dpa