Following the demise of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, her eldest son, will now automatically become King. Charles has been next in line to the throne for seven decades -- the longest wait in the history of the British monarchy. King Charles called his mother's death "a moment of the greatest sadness", AFP reported.
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest serving monarch, passed away at 96 on Thursday at Balmoral Castle, her estate in the Scottish Highlands. She reigned for 70 years.
Charles will be known as King Charles III. That was the first decision of the new king's reign. He could have chosen from any of his four names -- Charles, Philip, Arthur, George.
There will also be a new title for Charles' wife, whose full title will be Queen Consort -- consort is the term used for the spouse of the monarch, BBC reported.
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"The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family," a statement by King Charles said.
"We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world," King Charles said.
"During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held," the statement further said.
However, it may be months or even longer before his formal coronation. In Elizabeth's case, her coronation happened on June 2, 1953 -- 16 months after her accession on February 6, 1952, when her father, King George VI, died, AP reported.