King Charles The longest wait ends for heir to the throne. A new chapter begins
And then, yesterday afternoon, it happened: Buckingham Palace announced she had passed away.
Charles, 73, now King Charles III, has been next in line to the throne for seven decades - by a distance the longest wait in the history of the British monarchy. Neither he nor his courtiers have ever wished to speak publicly about the moment it is over.
The prospect of the Queen's death has always been considered a matter of great private sadness. "He never wanted to think about accession because it meant the death of his mother," a former aide said yesterday.
But with the Queen's doctors voicing concern for her health and her other children and grandchildren scrambling to be with her, the role of heir that has defined Charles's life since the age of three, when his mother acceded to the throne in 1952, appeared to be drawing nearer.
A new, inevitably shorter, chapter of Charles's life will begin. Becoming monarch of the UK and 14 Commonwealth realms from Canada to Australia will allow him to answer a question that has followed him for decades: after a lifetime of outspoken interventions in public life, what kind of king will he be? In the immediate days he faces the twin challenges of personal bereavement and leading the nation in mourning.
"He will be focused on the personal and the family, but for the palaces it will be a question of [choosing] the right things to say and do that lead the nation in mourning but also establish the first steps of the new reign," said another former aide.
Charles, they added, had a "deep emotional facility" with bereaved people, which they predicted would serve him and the country well in any period of mourning.
Denne historien er fra September 09, 2022-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9500+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 09, 2022-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9500+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Trump Will Decide on Iran Attack 'Within Two Weeks'
Donald Trump set a two-week deadline yesterday to decide whether the US will join Israel's war with Iran, allowing time for a negotiated end to the conflict, the White House said.
'I forgot everyone' Ukrainian soldier tells of three years in Russian prison
Despite all they have endured, it does not take much to draw shy smiles from Diana Shikot, 24, and Dmytro Chorny, 23.
From Spree to Seine Wild swimmers take the plunge in urban European rivers
The last time there was full-scale river swimming in Berlin's city centre, before access was outlawed a century ago, there were probably fewer inflatable unicorns and fluorescent pool noodles.
They're arch-terrorists' Netanyahu invokes old debts to justify new war
It was in Beersheba, about 1,000km and 2,500 years from Babylon, that Benjamin Netanyahu suggested yesterday that the time had come for the Jews to repay their ancient debt to Cyrus the Great and bring liberation to Iran.
How company quietly took more of your fare and workers' earnings with new algorithm
Drivers described their days as being controlled by sophisticated computer code which left them unclear how much Uber would take
‘We must be smarter’ Stokes calls on England to learn from weaknesses
As India Test series begins, captain reveals his team are working on new approach for when they are 'up against wall
UK 'behind the curve' on assisted dying, says MP
The UK is \"behind the curve\" on assisted dying among progressive nations, the bill's sponsor, Kim Leadbeater, has said before one of the most consequential votes for social change in England and Wales.
'Normal' Palmer in control from No 10
Modest 23-year-old still likes PlayStation and has taken Hazard's old shirt as Chelsea prepare for Flamengo
Maresca Has Not Spoken to Mudryk About Doping Charge
Enzo Maresca has said he has not spoken to Mykhailo Mudryk since the Football Association announced on Wednesday that the Chelsea winger has been charged with doping offences.
New law requires Rio hospitals to display anti-abortion signs
A law has just come into force in Rio de Janeiro requiring all public hospitals and clinics run by the municipal government to display anti-abortion signs with messages such as: \"Did you know that the unborn child is discarded as hospital waste?\"
