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Inside King Charles III's Next Steps Following Queen Elizabeth II's Funeral

After Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, King Charles III and his wife Queen Consort Camilla will fully step into their new roles. Royal expert Jonathan Sacerdoti explains what’s in store.

By Tierney Bricker Sep 19, 2022 7:00 PMTags
Watch: What's Next for King Charles III & Queen Consort Camilla?

The royal family's new era is here and King Charles III is leading the way.

Following the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, her eldest son officially became the King of the United Kingdom. Prior to the promotion, King Charles had been the oldest and the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, with the new ruling monarch ascending the throne at 73 years old. His mother, meanwhile, was 25 years old when she became queen, and that contrast could inform what comes next for Charles.

"This is definitely a new chapter for him as much as it's a new chapter for the whole of the country," royal expert Jonathan Sacerdoti told E! News. "He's going to need to decide exactly what type of monarch he's going to be because he can't just reproduce what his mother did, much as she did a brilliant job of it. He's going to have to find his own way to do this."

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Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Funeral

"He's coming to the throne much older than her," Sacerdoti continued, "and, also, he's facing some challenges that she saw towards the end of her reign, not least the issues to do with the family and maybe slimming down the royal family as result of some of the controversies."

HANNAH MCKAY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Charles, a staunch environmentalist, will also have to take a step back from some of the issues he is passionate about, including climate change. In his first public address as king on Sept. 9, Charles acknowledged that his life "will of course change" as he takes on his new responsibilities. 

"It will no longer be possible to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I cared so deeply," Charles said. "I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others."

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The Order of Succession to the British Throne

King Charles isn't the only member of the royal family stepping into a new role: His wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, has been given the title Queen Consort, a decision the Queen shared back in February and one Sacerdoti called the "final seal of approval" from her majesty.

"It showed a transformation for her from how people once saw her to how people see her now," Sacerdoti said of Camilla. "She is the Queen Consort. She is Charles' wife. She is someone who has taken on a lot of duty and carries out the roles of somebody in her position. That's going to continue."

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