It’s no news that after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her eldest son and longest-serving heir apparent, Prince of Wales, now His Majesty, King Charles III, has ascended the throne.
King Charles III not only becomes the King of England, he also is the Head of State in over ten countries, including Canada, Australia, Jamaica, the Bahamas, New Zealand, etc at 73.
Following King Charles III ascension, his oldest son, Prince William, is next in line to the throne while his three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, occupy second, third and fourth slots, respectively.
The Ascension Council
As a tradition in the United Kingdom, the ascension council gathered at the St James’s Palace in London after the death of Queen Elizabeth II to formalize the accession of the successor to the throne.
The Ascension council includes Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, the Great Officers of State, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, the Aldermen of the City of London, High Commissioners of Commonwealth realms, Members of the House of Lords and other civil servants.
The Declaration and Oath
After the proclamation of the successor to the throne by the ascension council, King Charles III customarily makes a declaration and swears an oath to preserve the Church of Scotland. The oath known as the accession declaration is an oath to maintain the established Protestant succession.
The public proclamation of King Charles III is first read out at St James’s Palace and then in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
Coronation
Although King Charles III has become the King of England, his coronation would not take place until a couple of months’ time. This is due to the time allocated for mourning and for planning the ceremony. The coronation ceremony has been held for 900 years at Westminster Abbey, and this time might not be any different. The Archbishop of Canterbury would conduct the ceremony while representatives of the House of Parliament, and Commonwealth nations, Prime Ministers, and many more leaders would honour the occasion.