To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp, King Charles III visited Auschwitz in January.
The visit came after an October trip of Australia that rekindled the discussion about the monarchy’s place in the nation.
That tour was the King’s largest international excursion since he returned to public life in February 2024 after being diagnosed with cancer.
What does the King do?
Although the King is the head of state of the United Kingdom, most of his authority is ceremonial and symbolic. He has not changed his political stance.
In a crimson leather box, he receives daily dispatches from the administration, such as documents that require his signature or briefings prior to significant meetings.
On Wednesdays, the prime minister and the king typically meet at Buckingham Palace.
No formal records are kept of the contents of these meetings, which are held in a purely private setting.
In addition, the King holds many official parliamentary positions:
For the purpose of forming a government, the leader of the party that wins a general election is typically summoned to Buckingham Palace. Prior to a general election, the King also formally dissolves Parliament.
State Opening and King’s Speech: In a speech from the House of Lords, the King lays forth the plans of the government.
Royal Assent: Before becoming law, a piece of legislation must get the King’s formal approval after passing Parliament. In 1708, the Royal Assent was last denied.
Additionally, he is the leader of the yearly Remembrance ceremony held at London’s Cenotaph in November.
In addition, the King leads the Commonwealth, which is made up of 56 sovereign nations with a combined population of 2.5 billion.
He is in charge of 14 of these, referred to as the Commonwealth countries, as well as the Crown’s dependent territories, which include the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
The King frequently meets with foreign ambassadors and high commissioners and conducts foreign travels in addition to hosting visiting heads of state.
During his October visit to Australia, King Charles was heckled by Aboriginal senator Lidia Thorpe, who accused him of genocide before security pulled him out.
She later told BBC News that he wasn’t “of this land” or her king.
The King declared that it was a “matter for the Australian public to decide” on “whether Australia becomes a republic” before to the trip.
In public acknowledgement of their merit, service, or bravery, Charles also bestows official honors on individuals from many walks of life. The majority of honors are given out on the monarch’s formal birthday in June and at the start of the new year.
The RNLI, the Samaritans, the RAF Museum, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, the Penny Brohn cancer charity, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society, Orchestra, and Choir are just a few of the organizations that the King is patron of.
In addition, the Queen participates in her own public appearances and has other patronages, such as the Royal Literary Fund, the Royal Academy of Dance, the Royal Voluntary Service, and the Army Benevolent Fund.
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In what ways did King Charles’s cancer diagnosis alter his responsibilities?
In February 2024, King Charles received a cancer diagnosis, and treatment soon followed.
In the weeks following his cancer diagnosis, the King continued to fulfill his constitutional duties as head of state by completing paperwork and attending private meetings, notwithstanding his withdrawal from public events.
He also continued to meet with the prime minister once a week.
Following his diagnosis, the King made his first significant public appearance on Easter Sunday, 2024, when he and the Queen welcomed throngs in Windsor following a church service.
At the end of April, Prince returned to his official duties by accompanying Queen Camilla to a cancer treatment facility.
He also quipped that he had been “allowed out of my cage” during a surprise visit to an army barracks in Hampshire.
He went to the Trooping of the Colour ceremony in June, where Catherine, the Princess of Wales, made her eagerly awaited public debut following her own cancer diagnosis.
Who else is in the Royal Family?
- King Charles and his first wife, the late Princess Diana, had an older son named Prince William. He kept his title as Duke of Cambridge but was made Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall after Queen Elizabeth’s death. Catherine, the Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge and Princess of Wales, is his spouse. Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are their three children.
The Queen’s only daughter and second child was Princess Royal, also known as Princess Anne. She has two children with her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, and is married to Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence: Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips - The Queen’s youngest child was Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh. The Duchess of Edinburgh (Sophie Rhys-Jones) is his spouse. They are parents to two kids: James, Earl of Wessex, and Lady Louise
The Queen had a second son, Prince Andrew, who was the Duke of York. Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are his two daughters from his previous marriage to the Duchess of York (played by Sarah Ferguson). Following a contentious BBC Newsnight interview on claims that he had sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew resigned as a “working royal” in 2019. He paid an undisclosed amount in February 2022 to resolve the civil sexual assault lawsuit that Ms. Guiffre had filed against him in the United States. - William’s younger brother is Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex. Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is his spouse. Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet are their two offspring. They declared in 2020 that they were retiring from the royal family and relocating to California.
How does succession work and who is King Charles’s heir?
When the current monarch passes away or abdicates, the order of succession specifies which member of the Royal Family assumes the throne.
The eldest child of the monarch is the heir apparent and first in line. Older sisters are no longer given priority over sons.
William, the Prince of Wales, is the eldest son of King Charles and his heir.
Prince George, William’s eldest child, is second in line for the throne, followed by Princess Charlotte, his daughter. Prince Harry is ranked fifth, and her younger brother Prince Louis is ranked fourth.
Tree of the Royal Family and succession
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