A look at the British monarchy accession rules

Charles is now king, with much to follow

The British monarchy’s rules state that “a new sovereign succeeds to the throne as soon as his or her predecessor dies.”

That means Queen Elizabeth II’S eldest son, Prince Charles, became king immediately upon her death. He was officially proclaimed King Charles III on Saturday during a ceremony at St. James’s Palace in London.

However, it may be months or even longer before Charles’ formal coronation. In Elizabeth’s case, her coronation came on June 2, 1953 — 16 months after her accession on Feb. 6, 1952, when her father, King George VI, died.

A look at the formalities taking place after Charles accedes to the throne:

■ Within 24 hours of a monarch’s death, a new sovereign is proclaimed formally as soon as possible at St. James’s Palace in London by the “Accession Council.” This is made up of officials from the Privy Council, which includes senior Cabinet ministers, judges and leaders of the Church of England, who are summoned to the palace for the meeting.

■ Parliament is then recalled for lawmakers to take their oaths of allegiance to the new monarch.

■ The new monarch swears an oath before the Privy Council in St. James’s Palace to maintain the Church of Scotland, per the Act of Union of 1707.

■ The proclamation of the new sovereign is then publicly read out at St. James’s Palace, as well as in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast — the capital cities of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom.

■ Charles must declare to Parliament on the first day of its session following the accession, or at the coronation, whichever is first, that he is a faithful Protestant. The oath is mandated by the Accession Declaration Act of 1910.

■ He must also take a coronation oath as prescribed by the Coronation Oath Act of 1689, the Act of Settlement of 1701 and the Accession Declaration Act.

■ He must be in communion with the Church of England, a flexible rule which allowed King George I and King George II to reign even though they were Lutherans.

With Charles becoming Britain’s king, his sons and grandchildren are next in succession for the monarchy. Here are the first 15 people in order of succession:

1. Prince William, the elder son of Charles and the late Princess Diana. He is married to Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. Their three children follow him in the line of succession.

2. Prince George of Cambridge, born in July 2013.

3. Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, born in May 2015.

4. Prince Louis of Cambridge, born in April 2018.

5. Prince Harry, the younger son of Charles and Diana.

6. Archie Mountbatten-windsor, born to Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in May 2019.

7. Lilibet Mountbatten-windsor, born in June 2021.

8. Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s 2nd-eldest son.

9. Princess Beatrice, elder daughter of Andrew and his former wife, Sarah Ferguson.

10. Sienna Elizabeth, daughter of Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, born in September 2021.

11. Princess Eugenie, Andrew and Sarah’s younger daughter.

12. August Brooksbank, born to Eugenie and James Brooksbank in February 2021.

13. Prince Edward, the queen and Philip’s youngest child.

14. James, Viscount Severn, the younger child of Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

15. Lady Louise Mountbatten-windsor, Edward and Sophie’s daughter.

Frank Augstein The Associated Press People gather outside Buckingham Palace in London as a double rainbow appears in the sky on Thursday.