Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8, 2022, marking the end of a 70-year reign spanning from 1952. She ruled through decolonization movements around the world, the collapse of the marriage of her eldest son, Charles, and the late Princess Diana, the harrowing COVID-19 pandemic and so much more.
Queen Elizabeth II, longest-reigning monarch in British history, dead at 96 Her death means Charles is now the reigning monarch, and he will be known as King Charles III.But he has not yet been crowned, and there’s a process to what happens next.
Here’s how it works.According to the Royal Family website, the heir succeeds to the throne “as soon as his or her predecessor dies.” Their right to inherit the throne kicks in automatically, effectively — but a few things still have to happen as part of the process of formalizing their taking on the powers of that role.First, a body known as the Accession Council gathers at St.
James’s Palace, typically within 24 hours of the death of the monarch.This council is made up of all the members of the Privy Council, as well as Great Officers of State, the Lord Mayor and aldermen of the City of London, high commissioners and some senior civil servants, according to the U.K.’s Privy Council Office.Canada’s current high commissioner is former Liberal cabinet minister and longtime MP Ralph Goodale, who was appointed to the role in April 2021.Once those people are gathered and a proclamation has been issued that declares Charles as the King, he will read out a declaration and also take an oath known as the “accession declaration.”This is the oath in which British monarchs swear that they are Protestant — a key requirement for the throne of the British royals since the Act of Settlement in 1701.