Prince Charles, the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II who passed on Thursday evening at the age of 96, will now have to steer the near-immutable institution of monarchy in a country that has altered beyond recognition since his mother’s accession.
His kingdom faces potential breakup, as Scotland presses for independence, and an uncertain position in the world after leaving the European Union.
By law, Charles automatically became King the moment his mother died. Formal recognition will come from the so-called Accession Council, usually convened within 24 hours of the death of a sovereign.
At 73, he is the oldest person to accede to the throne in British history.
The newly-proclaimed monarch will be known as King Charles III, according to a statement from his office.
British monarchs are entitled to choose a new name on taking the throne — King Edward VIII chose Edward as his regnal title, although he was known to his family and friends as David. There had been speculation Charles would choose a different name.
A previous King Charles was beheaded in 1649 when England briefly became a republic under Oliver Cromwell.
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Charles’s second wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, has risen in popularity as Britain moved on after the early death of Diana, Princess of Wales in a car crash in 1997.
In 2022, Queen Elizabeth instructed that her daughter-in-law would be known as Queen Camilla, a reward for her support to Charles and her role as a working royal.
Prince Charles III also known as Charles Philip Arthur George was born on 14 November 1948 and was heir and Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay from 1952.
As the oldest and the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, he has since held the title from July 1958.
As the first grandchild of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, he was born in Buckingham Palace and attended Cheam and Gordonstoun schools, just like his father, Prince Phillip before furthering at the Timbertop campus of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia.
He became the Prince of Wales in 1969, among other royal titles, after he had spent a term at the University College of Wales at Aberystwyth, where he learned to speak Welsh. Two years later, Charles took his seat in the House of Lords, the upper house of the parliament of the United Kingdom.
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Upon earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge, Charles served in the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy from 1971 to 1976.
In 1981, Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, who became the Princess of Wales and together, they had two sons, William and Harry, who are second and sixth in line to the throne.
In 1992, the couple agreed to separate in late 1992, and their marriage was dissolved about four years later.
In 2005, Charles married Camilla, who became known as the Duchess of Cornwall and the couple lived together in Clarence House, a British royal residence on The Mall in London. However, they are expected to move into Buckingham Palace now that he is king.
Charles has five grandchildren from both of his sons.
Charles and Camilla, 75, are also expected to be crowned side-by-side, per Elizabeth’s request that Camilla becomes queen consort – the title given to the wife of a reigning king.