Following Queen Elizabeth’s death, Prince Charles officially becomes King.

Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Prince Charles came to the throne. Following his mother’s death, the Queen’s eldest son, 73, was acknowledged as the new reigning British monarch.

The King’s succession comes only hours after Buckingham Palace confirmed that his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died on Sept. 8 at the age of 96.

The royal family announced her death in a statement uploaded to social media, adding, “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.” Prior to his elevation, Charles had established himself as the oldest and longest-serving heir apparent in British history (his title as Prince of Wales had been held since July 1958), owing to his mother being the longest-serving queen for more than 70 years.

Charles received the title of Duke of Edinburgh after his father, Prince Philip, died in April 2021, and in recent years he’d earned added experience, attending events such as the Remembrance Sunday Service in November 2021 and the Royal Maundy Service in April 2022 on behalf of the Queen.

The shift in the monarchy also implies that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Charles’ wife, becomes “Queen Consort,” a title conferred upon her by the Queen herself in February 2022. (Previously, she was recognized as HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, rather than the Princess of Wales title, which was connected with Charles’ first wife, the late Princess Diana.)

“When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me,” Queen Elizabeth II said in a Feb. 5 statement. “And it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.” In a statement released the next day, Charles and Camilla were given the “honor” on the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Accession Day, also known as her Platinum Jubilee.

Following Charles’s accession to the throne as King of the United Kingdom, his eldest son, Prince William, 40, is now officially the next heir in line for the British throne.