Ritika
Succession In British Monarchy: After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles has become King Charles III of Britain, but this story of succession is not so much. It has a long history behind it and is associated with the traditions of Catholic and Protestant churches. The monarchy of Britain and who governs it is also decided by these two branches of Christianity. It rests on how the monarchy is achieved and how it goes. As Confucius-esque philosopher Lee Tin Wheeler said in Terry Pratchett’s “Discworld” novel, “the only thing that goes faster than normal light is a monarchy.” Because tradition demands that when an emperor dies, the succession passes immediately to his successor. Here, knowing about the tradition of this succession of Britain, we reach the moment of the coronation of King Charles.
The tradition of succession dates from the 17th century
As soon as Queen Elizabeth II died, her eldest son, Charles, became the head of state of four countries of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth countries, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica and Tuvalu. With this, the status of every person below him in the hierarchy in the royal family has gone up by one position. An Accession Council made up of politicians, members of the Privy Council and other dignitaries confirmed his succession. But all this is as easy as it seems now, in the 17th century, there was a struggle for it.
The legal basis of succession dates back to the 17th century and the last Roman Catholic king of England, James II. Protestant bishops panicked under the autocratic Catholic rule of James II. He called William III to attack in England. William III was popularly known as William of Orange. During the attack of William III, King James II fled to France after the army of England joined him.
William III also had a relationship with the royal family of England. William III was born on 4 November 1650 in The Hague, Dutch Republic. He was the only son of Mary, Princess Royal and Stadholder William II Prince of Orange. His mother was the eldest daughter of King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland and sister of King Charles II and King James II and VII. Actually William III was the son of James II’s sister.
After the escape of James II, the succession to the crown went to his daughter Mary. She was a Protestant and married William III. After this, the Parliament there passed two laws. The Bill of Rights of 1689 and the Act of Settlement of 1701.
This allowed the emperor to rule with the approval of the Parliament. Along with this, many conditions were also laid for a successor. What was necessary for him to fulfill. Succession to the British throne is determined by race, gender, legitimacy and religion. For example, a British monarch must be a descendant of Princess Sophia. Princess Sophia was in communion with the Church of England. At that time, the Protestant successor of William of Orange, William III, got this right.
Along with this, a British monarch should be in communication with the Church of England. That is, the exchange of views of a British monarch with the Church of England was made necessary. This law lasted till the year 2013. Parliament then passed a new succession law for the Crown Act.
With the passing of this law, younger men in the age of the royal family were entitled to inherit the throne before their elder sisters. Meaning even if the son is small in age then he will become the emperor. The royal families of Spain and Monaco are still using this male lineage law. The law also banned members of the royal family from marrying Catholics.
This is how Prince Charles became King Charles III
Prince Charles is also a descendant of Princess Sophia by his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. For this reason, after his death, all the rights and properties that he received went to King Charles III. As a result, on top of his mother’s titles, he also received the Duchy of Lancaster, a portfolio of estates, lands and assets. These are approximately 650 million pounds and 750 million dollars. With this, King Charles III inherited the nominal leadership of the Commonwealth countries.
Although it cannot be said that his successor William, the eldest son of King Charles III, will also get this inheritance. Commonwealth leaders agreed in 2018 with the Queen saying that the position would go to her son, but that it would not be hereditary. It seems that Prince William was already sitting on the throne with his father. At the beginning of this reign, the oldest British monarch was William IV. He became emperor in 1830 at the age of 64. King Charles III is 73 years old. If seen, he is not famous.
In May 2022 this year, YouGov conducted a survey with 1,692 Britons. In this survey, 81 percent of people thought positively about Queen Elizabeth II, while 75 percent liked Prince William as a monarch. The people who liked Prince Charles remained only 54 percent. The royal family may see Prince William as a suitable heiress to share the duties of governing Britain, filling the monarchy with youth and energy.
What does the King of Britain do?
King is the head of state of Britain. Although his powers are symbolic and ceremonial, he remains politically neutral.
Documents are sent daily from the government in red leather boxes to King. These are briefings before important meetings and require the King’s signature.
The prime minister will normally meet the king on Wednesday at Buckingham Palace to brief him on government affairs.
These meetings are completely private and there is no official record of what is said.
King also has many parliamentary assignments.
Government appointment – The leader of the party that wins the general election is usually called to Buckingham Palace, where he is formally invited to form the government. The king formally dissolves the government before the general election.
State Inauguration and King’s Speech – The King will begin the parliamentary year with the State Opening Ceremony. He would set out the plans of the government in a speech delivered from the throne in the House of Lords.
Royal Assent – When a bill is passed through Parliament in Britain, it must be formally approved by the King before it can become law. In the year 1708, the royal consent was refused.
In addition, the King will host other heads of state, and will meet with the UK’s foreign ambassadors and high commissioners. He will usually lead the annual remembrance program at the Cenotaph in London in November.
The new king is the head of the Commonwealth of 56 independent countries and 2.4 billion people. For 14 of these countries, known as the Commonwealth. He also has the King Head of the State of Britain.
How does succession work?
The order of succession determines which member of the royal family serves as the monarch. When the current ruler dies or abdicates the throne. So the heir to the throne in the first line is the eldest child of the emperor or empress.
Because of this, as the first child of Queen Elizabeth, Charles became king upon the death of his mother and his wife Camilla became Queen Consort.
In 2013, the royal succession rules were amended to ensure that younger sons could no longer become monarchs before their older sisters. He also has the right of succession when the sister is older.
King Charles’s successor is his eldest son, Prince William. The King has awarded him the title of Prince of Wales, and he has also inherited his father’s former Duke of Cornwall title.
Prince William’s eldest child Prince George is second in line to the throne, and his daughter Princess Charlotte is third.
What happens at the coronation?
A coronation is the ceremony at which the emperor is formally crowned. This ceremony takes place after the time of mourning for the death of the first emperor or empress.
Elizabeth II became Queen on 6 February 1952 following the death of her father, King George VI, but was not crowned until 2 June 1953.
When will the coronation of King Charles III take place? There is no information about this yet.
The coronation was first televised live on Queen Elizabeth II. It was viewed by over 20 million people.
The coronation ceremony has been taking place at Westminster Abbey for the last 900 years. Emperor William the Conqueror was first crowned here. King Charles III to be crowned here will be the 40th monarch.
It is an Anglican Religious Service, performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The emperor is anointed with “holy oil”. He is given symbols of royalty such as the orb and the scepter . At the culmination of the ceremony, the Archbishop would place the St Edward’s Crown on Charles’s head. This is a solid gold crown made in 1661.
It is the centerpiece of the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. The emperor wears it only at the time of coronation.
Unlike royal weddings, coronations are a state event, so the government pays for it and decides on the guest list.
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