Will Charles become King Charles? When Charles succeeds his mother as the monarch, there is a chance that he may not become King Charles III, as it’s not unusual for royals to take another name when they ascend the throne.
He is free to choose his own regnal title and may select another from his full given name — Charles Philip Arthur George — or chose an entirely different name. The queen’s own father, whose given name was Albert, chose to be crowned King George VI in 1936 when he took the throne.
The King Charles moniker also has a charged history. King Charle I ascended the throne in 1625, but his clashes with Parliament eventually led to the English Civil War, and he was ultimately executed by beheading in 1649.
King Charles II was a child when that war began. When his father was executed seven years later, he was declared king by the Scottish before eventually fleeing to France in exile. He was invited back to London in 1660 and restored to his father’s throne, reigning until 1685.
While the spouse of the king automatically becomes queen, there had for years been speculation that Prince Charles’s wife, Camilla, might not assume that title. But this year, Queen Elizabeth, in a letter to mark 70 years since her accession, said that Charles’s wife should become the queen consort when he takes the throne, putting to rest years of speculation about Camilla’s future status.
Royal watchers saw it as an official stamp of approval of their union, as well as an effort to smooth the path for Prince Charles’s own journey to the throne.
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