It's ‘God save the King’ now: King Charles III is UK's reigning monarch

As heir to the crown, Charles automatically became king but a series of formal ceremonies will follow

Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla greeted enthusiastically by a crowd in Mdina during the 2015 CHOGM meeting in Malta. Charles is now king, succeeding his mother Queen Elizabeth who died on 8 September 2022
Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla greeted enthusiastically by a crowd in Mdina during the 2015 CHOGM meeting in Malta. Charles is now king, succeeding his mother Queen Elizabeth who died on 8 September 2022

The Queen’s first born, Charles, the heir to the throne, became king the moment his mother died and without ceremony.

Formerly known as the Prince of Wales, he will be called King Charles III.

That was the first decision of the new king's reign. He could have chosen from any of his four names - Charles Philip Arthur George.

He is not the only one who faces a change of title.

Although he is heir to the throne, Prince William will not automatically become Prince of Wales. However, he immediately inherits his father's other title, Duke of Cornwall. His wife Catherine will be known as the Duchess of Cornwall.

There will also be a new title for Charles' wife, whose full title will be Queen Consort - consort is the term used for the spouse of the monarch.

And as expected, the UK’s national anthem will have to change after 70 long years to reflect the reigning monarch’s gender. It will be ‘God save the King’ from now on.

Formal ceremonies

In the first 24 hours after his mother's death, Charles will be officially proclaimed King. This happens at St James's Palace in London, in front of a ceremonial body known as the Accession Council.

According to Buckingham Palace, Charles will be returning to London from Balmoral on Friday.

The Accession Council is made up of members of the Privy Council - a group of senior MPs, past and present, and peers - as well as some senior civil servants, Commonwealth high commissioners, and the Lord Mayor of London.

More than 700 people are entitled in theory to attend, but given the short notice, the actual number is likely to be far fewer. At Queen Elizabeth’s Accession Council in 1952, about 200 attended. The King does not traditionally attend.

At the meeting, the death of Queen Elizabeth will be announced and a proclamation will be read aloud. This proclamation is then signed by a number of senior figures including the prime minister, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Lord Chancellor.

God save the King

The Accession Council meets again - usually a day later - and this time, the King will attend, along with the Privy Council.

There is no "swearing in" but the new King makes a declaration.

After a fanfare of trumpeters, a public proclamation will be made declaring Charles as the new King. This will be made from a balcony above Friary Court in St James's Palace, by an official known as the Garter King of Arms.

He will call: "God save the King", and for the first time since 1952, when the national anthem is played the words will be "God Save the King".

Gun salutes will be fired in Hyde Park, the Tower of London and from naval ships, and the proclamation announcing Charles as the King will be read in in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.

The coronation

The coronation ceremony, when Charles is formally crowned, is not likely to happen very soon after his accession. Queen Elizabeth succeeded to the throne in February 1952, but was not crowned until June 1953.

The coronation is an Anglican religious service, carried out by the Archbishop of Canterbury. At the climax of the ceremony, he will place St Edward's Crown on Charles's head - a solid gold crown, dating from 1661, which is the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London. It is only worn by the monarch at the moment of coronation itself.

Unlike royal weddings, the coronation is a state occasion - the government pays for it, and ultimately decides the guest list.