Queen Elizabeth II has reigned over the United Kingdom and its commonwealths since February
1952, making her the longest-reigning monarch in the nation's history.
Because she's ruled so long, her status as the nation's figurehead has been ingrained
into the minds of its people for generations; it's hard to imagine that she one day won't
preside over the U.K.
Despite this, it is well-known that there is a plan in place for Queen Elizabeth's death
— one that has made headlines recently as the monarch's health has continued to decline.
"We're just getting in from Britain tonight, we're actually learning that Queen Elizabeth
spent the night in a hospital."
The 95-year-old queen recently was said to have suffered a back sprain, which forced
her to miss making an appearance at events on Remembrance Sunday.
She did, however, appear in an official meeting on Wednesday, November 17th, with Buckingham
Palace releasing a clip to prove that the queen is on the up.
It was her first public engagement since October 19th.
Queen Elizabeth is now nearing 100 years old, sparking speculation about what may happen
-- and who may replace her -- upon her death.
Some have even suggested that Queen Elizabeth might retire before that, but she herself
has never given any indication that this would be the case.
More likely, when she dies, the established line of succession will be upheld.
British royal succession as we know it today was ultimately determined around the seventeenth
century through the Bill of Rights in 1689 and the Act of Settlement in 1701.
The title of king is the highest title in the United Kingdom, and the question on everyone's
lips is who will succeed Queen Elizabeth II on the throne when she dies.
And the answer, of course, is Prince Charles.
Arguably, Prince William is the far more popular figure with the British people, but who the
British really want as their king doesn't matter in this case, since the line of succession
for the British throne has been established for centuries.
Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's late husband who died in April 2021, wasn't in the line
of succession at all, despite being at her side for her entire reign.
Instead, the next in line is Charles, the Prince of Wales.
Charles is the 73-year-old son of Elizabeth and the former husband of the late Princess
Diana, though he's been married to the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker-Bowles, since
2005.
Even at 73, he continues his royal duties, having recently embarked on his first overseas
trip since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
After Charles in the succession is William, the Duke of Cambridge; Prince George of Cambridge;
Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, and Prince Louis of Cambridge.
Harry, the Duke of Sussex, falls into line at number six, with his children, Archie and
Lilibet, respectively following him.
But while Prince Charles is next in line for the throne, Camilla's future title might not
be what you may think.
Camilla was granted the title of Duchess of Cornwall and not Princess of Wales presumably
out of respect for the late Princess Diana, who died in a tragic car accident in 1997.
Charles then married Camilla in 2005 -- a union which divided the British public.
Royal blogger Marlene Koenig explains:
"Camilla was not popular or well-liked, [though] this has changed a lot since the marriage
as Camilla has taken on a lot of patronages and Charles is a lot happier."
Koenig continues:
"Still, [there was] a lot of tension and anger among a certain element of the population
— so it was decided that Camilla would be styled as the Duchess of Cornwall, even though,
of course, she is the Princess of Wales."
Her not gaining the Princess of Wales title delineated Camilla from other women who have
married into the royal family, with Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton each gaining their
husband's title.
Camilla is also known in Scotland as the Duchess of Rothesay.
Camilla's title will also be out of the norm when Charles ascends to the throne.
The wives of men who become king are typically given the title queen consort, but Charles
and Camilla's Clarence House revealed in 2020 that her title will be princess consort — if
and when they become the United Kingdom's reigning couple.
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