Queen Elizabeth’s oldest son, Prince Charles takes the throne as king
TIMOTHY AGBOR
The 73-year-old eldest son of late Queen Elizabeth II and heir, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, has immediately become king upon her mother’s death.
The longest-ever reign of Queen Elizabeth II, the only monarch most of her subjects have ever known, came to an end on Thursday. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor died at Balmoral Castle, her estate in Scotland. She was 96.
“The queen is dead, long live the king!” Bells will toll and gun salutes will soon be firing throughout the United Kingdom as broadcasters, proclaiming heralds and Twitter mark the passing of one sovereign and the ascension of the new one.
As the 41st monarch since William the Conqueror in 1066, Elizabeth was the symbol of stability as Britain and its 1,000-year-old monarchy sailed through roiling storms of the modern age, including a deadly pandemic.
Elizabeth enjoyed robust health most of her life, but lingering “mobility issues” affected her in recent months. She increasingly handed over duties to Charles, from the recreational to the constitutional. Last week, she couldn’t attend the annual Highland Games, the Braemar Gathering, which she never missed throughout her reign.
Prince Charles in a statement he issued on Thursday evening from Buckingham Palace and entitled: “A Statement From His Majesty The King At The Time Of The Queen’s Death,” said this was a moment of greatest sadness for him and members of his family.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.
“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held,” the statement concluded.
