For most of his life, Charles has been waiting to fulfil his destiny as monarch, knowing that when he did, it would be because he’d lost a beloved parent.
When Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle on September 8 last year, her eldest son instantly became the new sovereign. At 73, Charles had to come to grips with being King and the responsibilities that entailed, while dealing with the immense grief.
The transition was something he achieved with dignity, launching himself into a series of engagements as sovereign, including formally being proclaimed as King in an Accession Council ceremony at St James’s Palace and standing vigil alongside his mother’s coffin. But it was clear that his heart was breaking.
The new King joins his siblings for a 15-minute vigil by their mother’s coffin.
In an emotional televised address the day after Her Majesty passed away, aged 96, Charles paid tribute to an exceptional woman. “I speak to you today with profound sorrow,” a devastated Charles began. “Throughout her life, Her Majesty the Queen – my beloved mother – was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example.
“I pay tribute to my mother’s memory and I honour her life of service. I know her death brings great sadness to so many of you and I share that sense of loss, beyond measure, with you all.”
The King ended his touching speech by saying, “And to my darling Mama, as you begin your last great journey to join my dear late Papa, I want simply to say this: thank you. Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all of these years.”
Viewing floral tributes left for the Queen outside Buckingham Palace.
It had only been 17 months since he’d had to farewell his father, Prince Philip, who died on April 9, 2021. On that occasion, Charles also paid a moving tribute to the 99-year-old, who devoted his life to being a consort to the monarch.
“As you can imagine, my family and I miss my father enormously,” he said. “My dear Papa was a very special person who I think above all else would have been amazed by the reaction and touching things that have been said about him.”
The King had a tricky relationship with his father when he was younger because they were polar opposites. Philip was the archetypal alpha male, known for often being abrasive and outspoken. Charles is much more sensitive and cerebral, and growing up, found his father to be somewhat overbearing.
Prince Philip takes nine-year-old Charles for a spin on the Isle of Wight in 1958.
But as they both matured, the differences between them seemed to matter less and they grew closer. Author Tina Brown says Philip came into his own as grandfather to Charles’ sons, and the then Prince of Wales saw his father in a new light due to the way he bonded with William and Harry after the death of their mother Diana.
“Philip was brilliant with his grandsons, offering them gruff tenderness and outdoor activities to tire them out.”
Mother and son in 1969, the year of his investiture as Prince of Wales.
While he doesn’t have either of his parents to guide him in this new phase, the King had over seven decades to absorb from them and those who know him well say he will put the lessons he learned to good use during his reign.
