Please skip Charles, please skip Charles.
What will happen when the Queen dies?
When the Queen dies, Prince Charles will become King almost immediately by default and Camilla will become Queen Consort, it has been confirmed. This is the rule under common law, experts at University College London's Constitution Unit (opens in new tab) explain, and it's unlikely that Prince Charles would give the throne to his son, Prince William. "It would be natural for Prince Charles to want to assume the throne and perform the royal duties for which he has spent so long preparing," they say.
In early February 2022, the Queen confirmed that when the title changes hands she would like Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, to be known as the "Queen Consort" (opens in new tab). It's a title that Prince Charles himself described as a true honour for both him and his "darling wife".
According to professor Nicoletta Gullace (opens in new tab), who specialises in modern British history at the University of New Hampshire, the code name for Charles’s taking the throne is "Operation Spring Tide".
"Once the flags have been lowered and the cannons fired, marking the queen’s death, the prime minister will hold his first audience with the new king,†she adds. After meeting with the Prime Minister, the new King will address the nation.
If Prince Charles opts to keep his own name (a choice every royal makes when they ascend the throne), he will be known as King Charles III. While Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge and second in the line to the throne, will become the Prince of Wales - like his father was.
The first official to deal with the news of the Queen’s death will be her private secretary. This is currently Edward Young (opens in new tab), who gained the position when Sir Christopher Geidt retired in 2017. He will inform the prime minister, the cabinet secretary, the most senior ministers and the Privy Council Office (opens in new tab), which coordinates government work, of Her Majesty’s death.
The Foreign Office’s Global Response Centre, which sits at a secret location in London, will send out the news to 15 governments where the Queen is also the head of state. They will also inform other nations of the Commonwealth (opens in new tab), where she is the symbolic figurehead.
This will all happen before us, the general public, find out that she has died. Another announcement will go out to the Press Association and the rest of the world’s media at the same time. This is when we’ll likely find out the news.
https://www.goodto.com/royal-news/what-will-happen-when-the-queen-dies-626656
