12 Things That Will Happen When Prince Charles Becomes King
Updated: Feb. 23, 2022When our beloved Queen Elizabeth passes, the Prince of Wales will inherit the throne—the first coronation of a British monarch since 1953. But that's not the only change we can expect...
Prince Charles: Our future king
Unlike his mother, who unexpectedly became Queen at just 25 years old when her father, King George VI, died suddenly, 73-year-old Prince Charles has spent his entire life in preparation to wear the crown. He’s the longest-waiting heir apparent, and will be the oldest British monarch to ever take the throne—and it’s still uncertain when that will happen. Although Queen Elizabeth II is 95 years-old and the longest-reigning British monarch ever, longevity runs in her family: Her father may have died young, but her mother lived to the age of 101. But with recent reports asserting Prince Charles is now taking charge of the monarchy more than ever, could he become king sooner than expected? Let’s explore the different scenarios that may play out when the beloved Queen passes—or maybe even before.
The Queen may still be alive when Prince Charles becomes King
Rumours have been swirling in the British press that as the Queen becomes older, she may pass the crown to her son, who’s fully prepared to take on all the responsibilities of the monarchy, while she is still alive. This would be called a “regency.” But, there are many reasons Queen Elizabeth will never give up the throne.
“I think it is unlikely that the Queen will officially retire, or that the Prince of Wales will formally assume the title of regent,” says Carolyn Harris, PhD, historian and author of Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting. “In a radio broadcast on her 21st birthday, she vowed to devote her whole life, whether it was long or short, to the service of her people.”
Although comparison has been made to other older European monarchs who have abdicated in recent years, Harris points out they were sworn into office through secular installation ceremonies rather than the Queen’s religious coronation ceremony in 1953, which contained sacred oaths. Even practically speaking, “the Queen is sovereign of 16 Commonwealth realms, and not all of them have a formal provision for a regency,” Harris says. “A regency might complicate the appointment of new Governors General in some of the Commonwealth realms.”
If the Queen is incapacitated, Prince Charles will become Regent
But in the event that the Queen cannot actually act as queen, such as in the case of severe illness of mind or body, a regency with Prince Charles as Regent would be formed. According to the Constitution Unit of the University of London’s (UCL) School of Public Policy, medical evidence is required, and three people out of the following have to agree to declare the sovereign is incapacitated: the Queen’s consort (which was her husband, Prince Philip, who passed in April 2021), the Lord Chancellor, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Lord Chief Justice, and the Master of the Rolls.
But, this isn’t the most probable scenario. Instead, what will likely happen as the Queen ages? “The Queen will retain her title and certain royal duties, while her son the Prince of Wales assumes a greater number of her public engagements and increased decision-making power behind the scenes,” Harris says. “The Prince of Wales already undertakes overseas travel to the Commonwealth on the Queen’s behalf, and in the coming years, he will assume more of the Queen’s duties in the United Kingdom.”
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Upon Queen Elizabeth’s death, Prince Charles will immediately become King
So in all probability, the Queen will retain the crown until she passes. At the moment of her death, however, Prince Charles will become king. An “Accession Council,” consisting of the group of advisers to the sovereign known as the Privy Council, will convene at St. James’s Palace, London, to formally recognize the transition and to proclaim Charles as the monarch. The King will then take an oath to, interestingly enough, preserve the Church of Scotland (this is because the sovereign is only the head of the Church of England, not the Presbyterian Church of Scotland). Parliament will then be recalled for its members to take oaths of allegiance.
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Prince Charles might not be King Charles
“Charles” was an interesting choice for Queen Elizabeth to name her future heir, because the first two King Charles are associated with the 17th-century English Civil War, when the monarchy was ousted for the first and only time in British history. Charles I was beheaded, although Charles II was eventually restored to the throne and well-liked. But Elizabeth, who kept her given name as Queen, was actually unusual in doing so: Most other British monarchs change their names upon taking the throne. For example, Queen Victoria’s first name was Alexandrina. (Find out more fascinating Queen Victoria facts most people don’t know.) That said, “the Prince of Wales has been known by the public as Prince Charles for his whole life, so it is certainly possible that he will retain Charles as his regnal name as King,” Harris says, making him King Charles III. “Charles also has the option of choosing one of his middle names. If he were to choose George, he would be George VII, with his grandson Prince George of Cambridge likely to eventually become George VIII.”
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Charles may change one of his titles
His first name may not be the only part of his title Prince Charles changes when he becomes King. The full title of the current sovereign is “Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.” That’s a mouthful, but there’s one part of it—one little word, actually—Charles has an issue with. “Prince Charles has taken a strong interest in interfaith dialog, and there has been speculation that he would prefer the title of Defender of Faiths [or Faith] rather than Defender of the Faith,” Harris says.
Charles has since rolled back his initial statements on the wording, though. “I said I would rather be seen as Defender of Faith all those years ago because…I mind about the inclusion of other people’s faiths and their freedom to worship in this country,” he told the BBC. “And it always seems to me that while at the same time being defender of the faith you can also be protector of faiths.” Charles does have a say in the wording, UCL says, so we’ll have to wait until his coronation to see what he finally settles on.
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The coronation may be different
Speaking of the coronation, which as Harris says is a religious ceremony, Prince Charles may adapt this ritual as well. This ceremony is traditionally presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Westminster Abbey and takes place several months after the last monarch’s death to allow for a period of mourning. At the ceremony, the new sovereign takes the coronation oath, which includes a promise to maintain the Church of England, and is “anointed, blessed and consecrated’ by the Archbishop,” the royal family’s official website says. But what about Charles’s? “The coronation will continue to be an Anglican service, but finding a place for other Christian denominations and other religions, as happened at the recent royal wedding,” UCL’s Constitution Unit says. “Such people may be invited to give readings; and religious leaders other than Anglicans are likely to be seated prominently, as happened at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee service at St. Paul’s in 2012.”
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Camilla may be Queen
Although it didn’t always seem likely, right now the feeling among royal watchers is that Camilla will be named Queen Consort—a title recently endorsed by Queen Elizabeth herself. “The longer the couple are married before Charles’s accession to the throne, and the greater Camilla’s public profile, the more likely she is to be formally styled Queen when Charles becomes King,” Harris says. Why wasn’t it thought previously that she’d be Queen? It had to do with her choice of current title. “Camilla is entitled to be Princess of Wales, as the wife of the Prince of Wales, but she instead uses another one of her titles, Duchess of Cornwall, as the title of Princess of Wales was closely associated with Prince Charles’s first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales,” Harris says. “Camilla’s use of a secondary title prompted speculation at the time of her marriage to Charles that she might be styled Princess Consort instead of Queen when Charles becomes King.” But particularly as her popularity increases, this seems less likely now.
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All eyes will be on Prince William
When Charles becomes King, Prince William will take on new titles, including the traditional styling given to the king-in-waiting. “William becomes Duke of Cornwall when Charles becomes King, and will be invested [formally named] as Prince of Wales,” Harris says. But that’s not the only way William’s role will change: Because his father is already at an advanced age, it might not be long before Prince William takes the throne himself. “As the Prince of Wales will be in his 70s when he succeeds to the throne, there will be a lot of public interest in William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and how William will be preparing to eventually assume the throne,” Harris says.
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Charles will likely be a more outspoken monarch
Here’s one of the things Queen Elizabeth would prefer we not know about Prince Charles: The sovereign is supposed to be above politics, but Prince Charles is actually somewhat of a rebel in his tendency to express his views on social and environmental issues. “In contrast to the Queen, who is careful to avoid expressing strong opinions in public—and instead encourages the people she meets at garden parties, receptions, and walkabouts to speak about their own experiences—Charles is known to hold firm opinions on a variety of subjects including organic farming, architecture, and sustainable development,” Harris says. “Climate change and environmental conservation are key political issues in the 21st century, and Charles will certainly not be seen as an impartial figure on these subjects, as his views are well-known.”
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But, he may temper his opinions
Prince Charles noted in a recent BBC interview, though, that his vocal manner will be toned down when he becomes king. “The idea somehow that I’m going to go on in exactly the same way, if I have to succeed, is complete nonsense,” he said. “I do realize that it is a separate exercise being sovereign.” But, he also expressed that the line between charitable works and “meddling” in politics isn’t always clear; for example, when he created the Prince’s Trust in 1976 to help underprivileged youth. “I’ve always been intrigued, if it’s meddling to worry about the inner cities as I did 40 years ago,” he said. “If that’s meddling, I’m very proud of it.”
Plus, the Prince’s candidness may only be unusual when compared to the current monarch. “Queen Elizabeth II has reigned for such a long time, that her approach to her duties has become synonymous with constitutional monarchy in the popular imagination—her predecessors sometimes expressed open political opinions, but the Queen has been careful to remain above politics in the United Kingdom,” Harris says. Even so, “Charles will likely moderate his own approach to public duties to follow the Queen’s example, as the public expects the monarch to remain above politics.”‘
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The monarchy may shrink
Another change the Prince of Wales reportedly will institute that has had royal watchers buzzing: He may trim down the monarchy in terms of the number of royals actively carrying out official responsibilities. “Prince Charles favours a more streamlined royal family with fewer people undertaking public duties,” Harris says. “In the Queen’s reign, her cousins the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Alexandra undertake public duties, and the entire extended family gathers for pre-Christmas lunch and at Trooping the Colour in June. In Charles’s reign, there will be a strong focus on the monarch’s immediate family—his sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren—and less of a public role for the extended royal family.”
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The sounds and sights of Britain will be different
In accordance with the normal changes that occur when a new British monarch takes the throne, certain differences will be apparent in the United Kingdom—including the wording of the national anthem. Instead of “God Save the Queen,” the wording of the national anthem will be “God Save the King.” The royal family’s official website states that although there’s no authorized version of the national anthem, “words are a matter of tradition…substituting ‘Queen’ for ‘King’ where appropriate.” In addition, the royal cypher (basically a fancy monogram), which appears on England’s iconic red postal boxes, will change from “ER” for “Elizabeth II Regina” to the new King’s cypher. The Postal Museum notes that this will only happen when new postal boxes are added; old ones won’t change. In addition, new stamps and banknotes will bear the King’s likeness.
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