Elizabeth II: Carlos III is already king: this is the succession process of a British monarch | International

Elizabeth II’s son, the former Prince of Wales, who will turn 74 in November, is the first in line to succeed to the British throne after the queen’s death. The monarch has chosen the name of Carlos III for his reign. His mother kept his baptismal name, but, for example, his grandfather Albert preferred the name George VI.

One of the most outstanding elements will be the treatment of Camila, Carlos’s wife. Since her marriage in 2005, she has not used the title of Princess of Wales, which corresponds to her by right as the wife of the heir, presenting herself as the Duchess of Cornwall or the Duchess of Rothesay (in Scotland), two other titles that she has her husband. For many years there has been speculation about what the treatment of the future queen would be, until Elizabeth II settled the matter on February 5, the eve of her 70th anniversary on the throne, by stating that she expected Camilla to adopt the title of corresponding queen consort; she so she has done it, although a survey published seven months ago indicated that only 14% of Britons agreed.

Preparations for the queen’s death have long remained secret, and the British government has been organizing for this moment for decades. The death of the queen mother, in 2000, and the duke of Edinburgh, husband of the queen, last year, served as a guide. These plans have been leaked on occasion (Guardian published them in 2017) and were revised periodically. Having died in Balmoral, Scotland, the British press indicates that the monarch will most likely be veiled as Queen of Scotland. This would be with a funeral chapel in the palace of Holyrood, in Edinburgh, a funeral procession by the famous Royal Mile of the Scottish capital, and a funeral in the cathedral of San Gil. Once this procedure is completed, it is understood that her mortal remains will be transferred to London, where a new tribute will be paid to her with a new state funeral in Westminster Abbey, and later she will be buried in the chapel of Saint George in Windsor Castle, where her husband’s body will also be transferred.

Immediately after the death of a British monarch, an Ascension Council is convened as soon as possible (usually within 24 hours), usually meeting at St James’s Palace, the most traditional of British residences. the royal family in London. The Ascension Council is chaired by the Lord President of the Council of State, who in this case is the newly appointed Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. Traditionally, more than a hundred people (when Elizabeth II came to the throne there were 191) form part of the Council, including, among others, the Prime Minister, the Ministers of the Economy, Foreign Affairs and the Interior, the Mayor of London and the high commissioners (ambassadors) of the 14 countries whose monarch is the King of England, apart from the United Kingdom.

Once the death of the monarch is certified, the second part of the Ascension Council is held, which is, in practice, the first Council of State of the new king. The Council of State (technically, Her Majesty’s Privy Council) is made up of 719 members, almost all of whom are politicians (government and opposition, retired and active), senior members of the Anglican Church and prestigious jurists. In this session, the king swears to uphold the Protestant profession of faith, as mandated by the Establishment Act of 1701. The proclamation is then read, first on the balcony of St James’s, then at the Tower of London, in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. (capitals of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and in the capitals of countries whose king is England.

All of this will take place within the 12-day national mourning period, so there would be no official commemorations. However, by then preparations will have begun for the coronation of the new monarch, which may take place months after his accession to the throne (Elizabeth II’s took place 14 months later). At the coronation, which takes place in London’s Westminster Abbey, the new king will be anointed and crowned, followed by the traditional balcony scene at Buckingham Palace. Probably, designs for banknotes, coins and postage stamps with the image of the new monarch are already prepared. The British press is considering that the new king, Prince of Wales for more than six decades and the first monarch in generations to know Welsh, may want to include a reference to Wales in royal symbols, which he, until now, has not.

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