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It’s been quite a week in the UK. After Queen Elizabeth II died, the country entered a period of mourning. Tens of thousands travelled to London pay their respects and see the Queen’s body lying in state – with some people waiting in the queue for up to 24 hours.
Yesterday hundreds of millions around the world tune into watch the state funeral and procession. It’s safe to say it’s been pretty weird vibes over the past week or so, and we’ll continue to see major changes in public well into the future. So what happens next?
RECOMMENDED: the Queen’s funeral procession, in pictures
When is the coronation of King Charles III?
Charles has been heir to the throne since he was three years old and automatically became King when the Queen died. But he was officially announced as King at the First Proclamation on Saturday September 10. He was given the title King Charles III at a ceremony at St James’s Palace, but it will be a number of months before his official coronation takes place.
While the date of Charles’s coronation has not officially been announced, we can expect that it will be at least a few months until the event. It’ll likely to take place in 2023 at Westminster Abbey, which has been the setting for coronations for the past 900 years. There’s also a strong possibility that there will be another UK bank holiday to mark the occasion.
Where will King Charles live?
Before the Queen died, Charles and Camilla lived at Clarence House in London and Highgrove in Gloucestershire. But since Queen Elizabeth II had several residences, including Buckingham Palace, Balmoral Castle and Windsor Castle, King Charles has lots of places to choose from. It’s not yet clear where Charles will decide to live, but it’s unlikely to be Balmoral, since Charles apparently wants to turn it into a museum. At Clarence House, meanwhile, 100 employees have apparently been told they could lose their jobs because he will no longer live there permanently.
Buckingham Palace is currently undergoing a £369 million taxpayer-funded refurbishment, which will not be complete until 2027. This means that Charles and Camilla will likely live elsewhere until the work is finished.
What will change under King Charles III?
We’ll see some major changes in public life over the coming months. The lyrics of the national anthem have already changed to ‘God Save the King’. The Royal Mail will cease to produce any stamps of Elizabeth’s face and will create new ones featuring King Charles III, and any new postboxes will be made with the King’s cypher instead of the EIIR mark of Queen Elizabeth II.
At some point, there will be new coins and banknotes made with King Charles III’s face, but in the meantime, the current ones will remain in circulation. The wording in passports on the inside cover will also be changed to ‘His Majesty’, and even ketchup bottles will change.
On the family front, Charles is understood to want a slimmed-down official royal family and there has been speculation that decisions will be taken to reduce their cost to the taxpayer. He is also keen to make more royal residences open to the public.
What will happen to royal warrants under King Charles III?
Royal warrants are a mark of recognition granted to goods and services sold to the public that are also provided to the monarch. The coveted warrants granted by the Queen will become void two years after her passing, giving companies time to remove the coat of arms from their advertising and packaging. Afterwards, it’s up to Charles to decide which businesses get a royal warrant.
Read more: what Elizabeth II’s death means to London.
Plus: five lessons King Charles could learn from his historical namesakes.