THEPrince Charles waited a lifetime to become king, so much so that he was the world’s oldest heir to the throne at the age of 73. But no one wants to find themselves in the position of having to wait for the death of their parent, even a monarch, to succeed him.
Instead that incredible day – as the newspapers around the world headline – has arrived: Charles is the new king of England: he has waited over half a century to live. The title of his, provisional, which belongs to him is that of Charles III. But royal watchers say he may decide to change it in the future.
He has been waiting for the crown since July 1, 1969, when he was invested with the title of Prince of Wales (the same as Elizabeth’s uncle, Edward VIII, who abdicated for the love of Wallis Simpson).
In a public statement, the new king said: “The death of my beloved mother, her Majesty, the queen, is a time of great sadness for me and all the members of my family. I know my mother’s disappearance is a loss for everyone, but we are comforted by the world’s love for her ”.
Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth at the opening of Parliament in 2014 (Photo by Suzanne Plunkett – WPA Pool / Getty Images)
The line of succession of Queen Elizabeth
The line of succession to the throne primarily involves Prince William, he will now become Prince of Wales. With Charles the king, William is the heir to the direct throne, William’s eldest son, George, is second, William Charlotte’s daughter is third, little Louis is fourth. The whole peeking ordere, the royal hierarchy also changes: Harry as Carlo’s second son ranks fifth in the succession. Immediately behind Harry are his children, he had with Meghan Markle: Archie is sixth and Lilibet is seventh.
It will take at least a year for Prince William to invest. Before the coronation of Charles and the ceremony for the new Prince of Wales, a period of mourning for the death of Elizabeth must be observed, as happened when King George VI died. Her father, George VI, died on February 6, 1952 and Elizabeth’s coronation took place on June 3, 1953.
What will Charles III do now?
The funeral home will be in Holyroodhouse and the coffin will then be taken to the cathedral following the route of the ancient Royal Mile in the heart of Edinburgh. The coffin of the sovereign will then be transported to London aboard the Royal Train. Overnight the new rulers will stay in Balmoral, Scotland, and then leave for London on Friday.
When he was heir to the throne, Charles III never hid the idea of a lean monarchy and the reduction of Buckingham Palace to a museum. The new ruler has also always been an avid environmentalist. He opted for organic farming on his estate in Highgrove. On July 29, 1981, he married Lady Diana Spencer which was followed by an eventful divorce. And in 2005 her long-time lover, Camilla Parker Bowles, became Camilla of Cornwall.
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