End Of An Era! Changes That Will Happen After Longest-Reigning Monarch Queen Elizabeth II's Demise

The longest-reigning female sovereign monarch in the world, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away on September 8 after an illustrious reign of 70 years and 214 days. She was crowned as Britain's Queen in 1952 at the age of 25, following the death of her father, King George VI. In her time, the 96-year-old witnessed several historical and modern events, from the first man landing on the moon to the Covid-19 pandemic.

News about her demise came after reports of her deteriorating health condition, due to which she cut down several travels, including the appointment of the new Prime Minister Liz Truss earlier this week. She passed away at her Balmoral Castle in Scotland, Buckingham Palace and will now be succeeded immediately by her eldest son Charles (73).

Handing Over The Throne From The Queen To The King

King Charles, formerly referred to as Prince of Wales, will take over the throne as the immediate heir and is expected to fill in the monarch's position on September 10 officially. The ceremony would be conducted at St James's Palace in London, amidst a ceremonial body known as the Accession Council, consisting of a group of senior parliament members, civil servants, Lord Mayor of London, and so on.

King Charles also becomes the head of the Commonwealth, which consists of 56 independent countries and over two billion people. Among the many other changes that are going to set the pace with the demise of the Queen are the currency, national anthem, and passport.

With the accession of Charles to the throne, the king's effigy and cypher would replace the Queen on the currency and insignia. The king would appear on the United Kingdom (UK) currencies, East Caribbean dollar coins, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. As per reports cited by News18, there are currently £4.5 billion in banknotes in circulation with the Queen's face on them, totalling to an amount of £80 billion. Replacing all these with the new monarch's image is expected to take about a couple of years.

In fact, even when the Queen ascended the throne in 1952, she was not depicted on the banknotes until the 1960s, after banknote designer Robert Austin designed them. So as per procedure, Buckingham Palace would first agree on a portrait of the new monarch, after which measures would be adopted to replace the Queen's image.

The British national anthem would also switch from "God Save the Queen" to "God Save the King", and would be practised around other countries as well, such as New Zealand, where it is the national anthem, and Australia and Canada, where it is the royal anthem.

Similarly, the wordings on the British passports will be updated, as they are issued under the name of the crown. Earlier it read, "Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State Requests and requires in the Name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely…". This would be revised to address the new king. These texts also appear inside the Australian, Canadian and New Zealand passports.

In formal gatherings, the loyal toast to the head of state would simply change from "The Queen" to "The King", and in the Channel Islands, the unofficial toast of "La reine, notre duc" — said in French — changes to "le roi, notre duc". Names of Her Majesty's government, Treasury and Customs and Excise will undergo similar changes, and the state opening of the parliament will feature the king's speech instead, outlining the government's agenda.

The change will also be observed in other sectors, such as the military, which earlier deployed new recruits by metaphorically taking the queen's shilling to sign up and abide by the queen's regulations once in the ranks or board one of Her Majesty's ships. The Queen's Guard, posted at Buckingham Palace, would also change its name and the police would no longer be preserving the "queen's peace". In the legal arena, the senior lawyers would switch from being a Queen's Counsel (QC) to a King's Counsel (KC).

"A Cherished Sovereign And A Much-Loved Mother"

In the loving memory of the Queen, her son King Charles remembered her as a "cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother" who would be missed around the world. The statement issued by Buckingham Palace mourned her death as a moment of the greatest sadness and said that they are comforted by the knowledge that the world held immense respect and affection for the Queen.

A statement from His Majesty The King: pic.twitter.com/AnBiyZCher

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 8, 2022

Several global leaders, including American President Joe Biden, former president Obama, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paid their tribute to the "stateswoman of unmatched dignity". The Indian Prime Minister tweeted the shared grief the country felt over her demise and called her a "stalwart of our times".

I had memorable meetings with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during my UK visits in 2015 and 2018. I will never forget her warmth and kindness. During one of the meetings she showed me the handkerchief Mahatma Gandhi gifted her on her wedding. I will always cherish that gesture. pic.twitter.com/3aACbxhLgC

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 8, 2022

Biden referred to her as the first British monarch with whom people across the world felt a deep connection and honoured her years of service. He added that the thoughts and prayers of everyone across the US are with the people of the UK and the Commonwealth. Mourning her death, the White House in the USA and other federal buildings lowered their flag to half-staff.

Former US Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump also followed up with their statements and respects to the Queen.

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