The BBC has cut into its regular broadcasting to cover the monarch’s death and members of the royal family are gathered at Balmoral Castle, where the queen died peacefully. The queen lost her late husband, Prince Philip, on April 9, 2021. He was 99. The reign of Queen Elizabeth II has come to end. Here’s what will happen next in the immediate minutes, days and months following her passing?
1. Will Prince Charles become king when the queen dies?
Yes. Charles will immediately become king. His coronation ceremony, during which he will take the coronation oath and be anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, won’t take place until at least a year later, but new currency with his portrait replacing the queen’s will immediately start being printed. Apparently, Charles has already sat for the portrait that will appear on British banknotes and coins.
2. Will he be King Charles III?
If Charles chooses to keep his name, he’ll be King Charles III. But he might choose another name altogether. His full name is Charles Philip Arthur George, so it’s more than possible he’ll use one of his other names. Whatever his decision, his new name will be announced immediately. On the evening following the queen’s death, Charles will make his first-ever address as Britain’s head of state.
3. Will Camilla be queen?
In the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Message in early February 2022, Queen Elizabeth announced that Camilla will be Future Queen Consort. In her message the queen said, “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; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”
4. How will we find out that the queen has died?
We certainly won’t be the first to find out. The queen’s death will trigger a complex set of procedures with the codename ‘London Bridge.’ These plans encompass everything from breaking the news of the queen’s death to the public to the funeral itself 10 days later. ‘London Bridge is down,’ the British prime minister will be told on a secure phone line, and at that moment he or she will know that the age of Queen Elizabeth II is over and a new reign about to begin. Shortly afterwards, the Press Association will be informed and a black-bordered notice will be pinned to the gates of Buckingham Palace by a footman dressed all in black. Staff at the BBC already receive regular training in the event of being faced with the death of a major royal figure, and a cold-war era alarm known as Rats (radio alert transmission system) will alert them to the fact that something serious is unfolding. Meanwhile, at British radio stations flashing blue lights on their boards will tell DJs and presenters that either a major catastrophe is unfolding or that someone hugely important in British society has died. Most likely, they will guess what has happened. Pilots will also announce the news to passengers on planes.
5. Will the queen lie in state?
Yes, in the throne room at Buckingham Palace at first and later in Westminster Hall. Her coffin will be piled with the glittering crown jewels. On the day of her funeral, ten pallbearers will be entrusted with the immense weight of the queen’s coffin, lead-lined in the royal tradition (Princess Diana’s coffin weighed half a ton) for her funeral service in Westminster Abbey. While she lies in state, it’s expected that more than a million people will line up to pass her coffin and pay their respects, although because of COVID there may be restrictions. (Sidenote: if the queen happens to die at Balmoral in Scotland, she will lie in state at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh before a funeral service in St. Giles Cathedral. Her coffin will then be put on the Royal Train to be conveyed back to London for burial.)
6. What will Charles do in the 10 days between the queen’s death and her funeral?
The new king will embark on a tour of the four nations of the United Kingdom—England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland—to receive pledges of allegiance from members of their respective governments, to meet members of the public, and to attend memorial services for the queen.
7. Will the queen’s funeral be televised?
Yes, but it is forbidden to film royal family members during the service.
8. Where will the queen be buried?
Prince Philip is currently buried in the royal vault below St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. It’s been suggested that his coffin will later be moved when his wife dies so that their coffins can be interred together in a special tomb in the chapel itself, where the queen’s father King George VI, the Queen Mother, and Princess Margaret are all at rest. However, other reports say that Philip is likely to someday be buried in the grounds of Frogmore Castle on the Windsor Estate in keeping with his wishes. If this is the case, it’s possible that the queen and Philip’s ultimate resting place will be similar to that of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, a 13th-century-Italian-style mausoleum in Frogmore Gardens.
9. Will Prince William become Prince of Wales?
Prince William will take on his father’s former title following a ceremony called the Investiture of the Prince of Wales. Meanwhile, the line of succession will change. William’s son Prince George will become second in line to the throne, followed by Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Prince Harry will be fifth in line to the throne, and his son Archie and daughter Lili will be sixth and seventh respectively.
10. Will Duchess Kate become the Princess of Wales?
It will be up to Kate as to whether she drops her Duchess of Cambridge title and inherits Princess Diana’s former title, the Princess of Wales. Camilla has the right to go by that title, but goes by the Duchess of Cornwall instead because the Princess of Wales title is still inherently associated with Diana. Next up, Here’s Why the Royal Women—the Queen, Kate, and Camilla—Wore Colorless Jewels to Prince Philip’s Funeral
