Charles, Queen Elizabeth’s eldest son, ascended the throne as king immediately after his mother’s death. Does that make Camilla the queen? And where does Harry stand after stepping back from royal duties?

It’s the end of an era. Queen Elizabeth II died on 8 September in Balmoral, her retreat in the Scottish Highland. She was 96. The Queen served as the United Kingdom’s monarch for 70 years, making her the second-longest serving sovereign in history.

Announcing the death on Thursday, Buckingham Palace said, “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

Also read: Queen Elizabeth II death live updates

What changes for the British family after the death? We take a look at the order of succession.

So did Charles become king immediately?

 

Yes. Heir to the throne since he was three, Queen Elizabeth’s son Charles became king immediately. At the age of 73, he is the oldest monarch to ever take the British throne.

Royal officials confirmed he is now known as King Charles III; the first king of that name to sit on the throne since 1685.

Today, the new king will address his subjects as the country mourns the death of his mother. He is also expected to hold his first audience with new Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was only appointed on Tuesday in one of the Queen’s last ceremonial acts before her death.

Does that make Camilla the queen?

With Charles’ ascension to the throne, his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, is now the queen consort. The title came with Queen Elizabeth II’s blessing after years of contention, dating back to the days before she even married Prince Charles. But she enjoys no sovereign powers.

Yet it wasn’t always a given that the 75-year-old Camilla would be called queen consort. While the wife of a king is traditionally crowned queen, the question of what title Camilla would hold when Charles became king had been a tricky one for many years. This was because of the sensitivity about her status as Charles’ second wife — and the wave of grief that washed over Britain following the death of his former wife, Princess Diana, in a car crash in 1997.

What about Prince William and Kate?

Prince William is now heir apparent, which means he is next in line to the throne.

The 40-year-old is likely to become the Prince of Wales/Duke of Cornwall following the death of Queen Elizabeth. William held the title of Duke of Cambridge before the Queen’s death.

The eldest son of Prince Charles and Diana, his modern and socially conscious outlook – a legacy of his mother – is seen to represent the family’s future. He is a vocal campaigner on environmental issues and is credited with bringing a more relaxed and personal approach to royal duties and hands-on philosophy to raising children, reports AFP.

His wife, Kate Middleton will become Princess of Wales. The title “Prince of Wales” is reserved for the heir apparent and was held by Charles, now king. The title of “Princess of Wales” was last held by Princess Diana. Camilla chose not to use it out of respect.

Kate has so far proved a model royal, raising three children – George, Charlotte and Louis – and making poised public appearances. She stepped up appearances at her husband’s side as his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II retreated from the public eye, underlining her willingness to take on royal duties.

Also read: Royal drama: The biggest scandals during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign

The family comes with its share of scandals. Kate was also dragged into the William and Harry row, with the latter’s wife Meghan accusing her of making her cry on her wedding day. But it has done little to harm her public popularity, with Kate and her husband now the most popular royals, according to the YouGov polling group.