King Charles III ascended the throne of Britain, on Thursday, after the sad demise of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, at the age of 96. Just as the late Queen was the longest reigning monarch of the nation, as she was celebrating her Platinum Jubilee, before her death, her son Charles had been getting ready to ascend to the throne for decades. The Prince of Wales became the King of Britain, at the age of 73.
Charles became the oldest person to become a British monarch. He became the king after his mother’s death but no coronation date has been set, as yet. Earlier on Thursday, Queen Elizabeth II had died peacefully in Balmoral Castle, in Scotland. All her children and many of her grandchildren had reached the Scottish castle, after her health had taken a turn for the worse.
King Charles is not only the oldest to assume the throne but also has other firsts to his credit. He was the first heir to the British throne who was not home schooled. He also continued his education and received a University degree.
Charles also faced extended scrutiny from the media, as the times changed. He faced a lot of criticism after his wife Princess Diane publicly spoke about the problems that their marriage faced. He married his longtime sweetheart Camilla Parker Bowles, a few years after the death of Princess Diana. He has two children: Prince William and Prince Harry with Princess Diana.
Despite the early scrutiny by the British public after Charles married Camilla, she has managed to win over many hearts and minds with her down-to-earth attitude and more. She has been credited for bringing a smile to Charles face when he has attended official ceremonies. Queen Elizabeth II wished for her to be known as the Queen consort.
Charles, when he was the Prince of Wales, had strong opinions about certain issues such as climate change as well as sending refugees to Rwanda. As the new King of England, despite his wish to modernize the monarchy, he might have to follow different rules and protocols as the monarchy does not interfere with the actual running of the nation.
Queen Elizabeth II, 96, an epitome of elegance, and a sense of humour, dies at Balmoral Castle, Scotland
