Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales, has finally become king.
The eldest of her four children, Charles, Prince of Wales, who at 73 is the oldest heir apparent in British history.
Royal officials confirmed he is now known as King Charles III — the first king of that name to sit on the throne since 1685.
His mother’s death triggered an outpouring of condolences across the globe as world leaders paid homage to a woman whose reign spanned 70 years, straddling two centuries of seismic social, political and technological upheaval.
In his first words as monarch, Charles called her death “a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family”.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother,” he added in a statement signed “His Majesty the King”.
“I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth and by countless people around the world.”
But at 73, the focus of his reign will be his age — and the declining influence of the British monarchy around the world.
Charles has spent virtually his whole life as heir apparent and has become a familiar figure in his own right, even as he starts a new job at an age when most people have retired.
But in stark contrast to the neutrality his mother observed, he has at times courted controversy with strongly held views that have made him a more outspoken, divisive figure.
While princess Elizabeth became queen aged 25 to huge popular support in a Britain recovering from World War II, the public has had decades to form its opinion — good or bad — of Charles.
According to one YouGov poll in May 2022, he had a 56 percent approval rating — well behind the queen (81 percent), his eldest son Prince William (77 percent), and William’s wife, Catherine (76 percent).
Camilla — Charles’ second wife — trailed him at 48 percent.
Since the death of his father Prince Philip in April 2021 and his mother’s declining health, Charles has been noticeably more visible, tightening an inner circle around him with Camilla, his youngest brother Edward, William and Kate.
“Whatever happens, he’s not going to have a long reign and that’s going to be difficult for him,” said royal author Phil Dampier.
“But he’s known this for a long time, and I think people are now going to start to be looking at William and Kate for the future,” he told AFP.
Born on November 14, 1948, Charles became heir to the throne at the young age of three years and three months.
