What happens after the Queen’s death? What to know about the line to the British throne
The Queen of England has died after being placed under medical supervision at Balmoral Castle in Scotland due to health concerns, Buckingham Palace announced at 1:30 p.m. ET.
The former Prince of Wales, Charles, is the new King of the United Kingdom, BBC reported.
The announcement came after the 96-year-old monarch’s morning health evaluation on Thursday, Sept. 8, BBC reported.
The Palace did not provide further commentary on the Queen’s health as senior members of the royal family made their way to Balmoral Castle, BBC said.
Her failing health and eventual passing brought questions about who steps up to fill the Queen’s duties — and when.
When the Queen was too sick to carry out her duties, so-called “Counsellors of State” acted in her place, according to the Royal Household’s website.
What are Counsellors of State?
Counsellors of State can do some, but not all, of the Queen’s official duties. They can attend Privy Council meetings of the monarchy’s advisors and sign documents, the royal household said. They cannot dissolve parliament or appoint a prime minister, among other things.
The Counsellors of State include the Queen’s spouse and the next four people in line for the throne and over 21 years old, the Palace said, citing the 1937 Regency Act.
The current Counsellors of State include:
Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, who is the Queen’s eldest son and 73 years-old.
Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, who is the oldest son of Prince Charles and the Queen’s grandson. He is 40 years old.
The Duke of Sussex, a title still attributed to Prince Harry even though he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped down as senior members of the royal family in 2020, who is the second son of Prince Charles and the Queen’s grandson.
The Duke of York, a title still attributed to Prince Andrew, who is the Queen’s second son. It is unclear if he still holds the Counsellors position.
All four Counsellors of State traveledto Balmoral Castle when the Queen was initially placed under medical supervision, BBC reported.
As of yet, the Counsellors of State have not been officially called to act for the Queen. However, Prince Charles has already been acting on behalf of the Queen in recent months, BBC reported.
What is the line of succession?
Connected to the Counsellors of State, the line of succession is the order in which the British throne will pass through royal family members, the royal household’s website says.
The line of succession includes 24 people, according to Buckingham Palace. The Prince of Wales, Charles, is the first in line and the heir apparent. Following the Queen’s death, he is now King and his wife, Camilla, is now Queen.
The other Counsellors of State are further down the line of succession: Prince William was second; Prince Harry was sixth, and Prince Andrew was ninth. This order has not been updated since the Queen’s death.
Prince Andrew, however, was stripped of his military titles and “was forced to quit royal duties” in January 2022 due to his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender, Reuters reported. In February, he settled a lawsuit in which he was accused of sexually abusing a woman and denied any wrongdoing, Reuters reported.
This story was originally published September 8, 2022 at 9:52 AM with the headline "What happens after the Queen’s death? What to know about the line to the British throne."
