Explained: The Process Of Choosing Successor To The Throne In England

Queen Elizabeth II took her last breath on 8 September 2022 at the age of 96. She ruled the United Kingdom for long 70 years and was also the longest reigning monarch in the history of Britain.

Buckingham Palace said in a statement, "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."

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She was the mother of three sons, Princes Charles, Andrew and Edward; one daughter, Princess Anne and has eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. In 2022, she became the first British monarch to reach a Platinum Jubilee, 7 decades on the throne.

Who was Queen Elizabeth II?

Born in London on April 21, 1926, Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was a granddaughter of King George V and the first child of Prince Albert, the Duke of York, and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

On her 21st birthday, she pledged to her future subjects: "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether long or short, shall be devoted to your service."

King George V died in 1936 and his eldest son became King Edward VIII who gave up his title because he wanted to marry his love, an American woman. Then, Albert, the father of Elizabeth ascended to the throne.

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After him, the throne came to George's elder daughter, Elizabeth, as the family had no son.

Elizabeth II married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in 1947, Philip renounced his Greek and Danish titles and adopted the anglicised surname of his mother's family, Lt. Philip Mountbatten.

In 1952, Queen Elizabeth II took the reign at the age of 25 and her coronation took place on June 2, 1953.

During her reign, she visited more than 271 states and visited nearly every country in the Commonwealth except Cameroon and Rwanda. As per the royal family's official website, she has links as ¡°a royal patron or president, to over 600 charities, military associations, professional bodies and public service organisations.¡±

Who will succeed Queen Elizabeth II?

The eldest son of the queen, Charles, the Prince of Wales will succeed her as king and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, is most likely to become queen consort. However, if he decides not to take the throne, he can pass the title to his son, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.

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Significantly, Charles inherited the sovereign title and post of commonwealth head including assets like land and property.

In February 2022, Queen Elizabeth II announced ¡°it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort.¡±

73-year-old Charles was made Prince of Wales at the age of 10 and his titles included Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay and Earl of Carrick.

In January 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, renounced their royal status.

What is the rule of ascending to the throne?

As customs suggest, the firstborn, Charles, Prince of Wales, and then his firstborn Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, followed by his firstborn, Prince George can access the throne.

However, it is not mandatory to follow the order to become King as Edward VIII ruled without being crowned as King. The Accession council made it possible as it is a formal advisory body or Privy counsellors to the sovereign.

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The Accession council will be summoned after the death of the queen for a two-part ceremony. The first part includes the meeting of the council with Prince Charles and with Commonwealth High Commissioners from the countries where the Queen was the head of state including Malta, Mauritius, Jamaica, and Canada.

After that, the preference of Prince Charles will be received and the new sovereign¡¯s accession to the throne will be declared. The title King will attend part two of the ceremony and this will be only followed by the Privy counsellors. He will declare his ¡°commitment to support the constitution and swears the statutory oath in support of the Church of Scotland¡±, as reported by arabianbusiness.com.

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