As the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles has spent a lifetime preparing to reign, but now the 73-year-old is taking on his greatest role to date at a moment of enormous personal loss. As the world mourns Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III and his family are grieving for their beloved “Mummy”, "Granny" and "Gan Gan".
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"The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,' he said soon after the announcement of her death on 8 September. But amid the flurry of his proclamation as King, his first meetings with the Privy Council, Commonwealth leaders and senior clergy, and a whirlwind tour of the UK, he will have little time to reflect on his bereavement so he will be grateful to have his "darling" wife and new Queen Consort Camilla at his side to support him, along with his wider family, as –emulating his mother’s extraordinary dedication to duty – the new King gets straight to work.
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King Charles III will be the 13th British monarch since the Act of Union and 41st English ruler since William the Conqueror, but His Majesty’s accession comes at a time of seismic change for the UK, the vast majority of whose citizens have only ever known one monarch - and the change may sit uncomfortably with some.
The breakdown of his marriage to Princess Diana still casts a shadow for some of his critics and accusations of “meddling” in politics have been levelled against him. Unlike the Queen, who was inscrutable to the end, we know a great deal about what drives her son.
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As heir to the throne, he was criticised for being outspoken on topics such as GM crops, architecture and alternative medicine, although he has argued that he always tried to avoid partisan politics. But on many issues, he has proven to be ahead of his time.
More than 50 years of campaigning on climate change and sustainability positioned him as a respected authority on both topics. Those who know him paint a picture of a man who cares deeply about people and the issues they are facing, and about his own impact on the world.
Charles will now be known as King Charles III
Among the causes close to his heart have been youth opportunity, religious tolerance, diversity and the plight of refugees. His Prince’s Trust has helped more than a million people into employment and education, while his Sustainable Markets Initiative has brought together more than 500 global companies to work on developing sustainable business practices.
But all that will change now the destiny mapped out for him at birth has come to pass, and he has long understood that his new role is vastly different. As he said himself in 2018: "If you become the sovereign then you play the role in the way that it is expected… Clearly I won’t be able to do the same things I’ve done as heir."
While the Queen’s passing has come as a shock for many, despite her remarkable age, for King Charles, the transition has been more gradual. In her final years, he increasingly took on greater state and ceremonial duties to support her, as well as deftly deploying the royal family’s valuable soft power on the global stage.
In recent years he took responsibility for voicing the royal family’s regret over “abhorrent” slavery and continued to “listen and learn” from indigenous and marginalised communities. This approach is now more important than ever as he succeeds his mother as Head of the Commonwealth.
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He will be supported by his Queen Consort
It may not be enough to deter some of the 14 overseas realms of which he is now head of state from severing ties with the British monarchy, as some have been planning. But the King firmly believes it to be “purely a matter for each member country to decide” and, as he told Commonwealth leaders in June 2022: "The benefit of long life brings me the experience that arrangements such as these can change calmly and without rancour."
Indeed, the Commonwealth has never had more members than it does now: 56 compared to just eight when the Queen was crowned.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are now arguably the UK’s most important ambassadors, and will continue to fly the flag on overseas visits. Developing technology has also allowed the new monarch to forge strong relationships with world leaders over the past few years in preparation for his role.
At home, he is determined to modernise the monarchy and will begin by basing himself in an apartment at Buckingham Palace as he prepares to make the historic landmark and other royal residences more accessible to the public. He has vowed to be a “defender of faith” as monarch, acknowledging the diverse cultural makeup of his Kingdom.
And his coronation, which will take place within months, will be a scaled-back affair compared to the last one, but witnessed by people representing all corners of the UK and its realms.
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Charles will also lean on the Prince and Princess of Wales
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s move to the US and the Duke of York’s departure from public life means the pool of senior working royals supporting him is depleted, but King Charles has always planned to work within a slimmed-down institution.
Despite the many challenges he faces, he will be hoping the public will be inspired to back him by the words of his mother, who prepared the way for his reign in February 2022, saying: "When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me."
His reign can never compare in length to the extraordinary second Elizabethan era, but it will constitute an important chapter in our country’s history and those many years of preparation make him more than ready to take on the most important role of his life.
