King Charles III Speaks Out On The Queen's Tragic Death
The heartbreaking death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, also marked the first day of King Charles III's reign. The queen reportedly died at her Balmoral estate surrounded by her family members at the age of 96, after 70 years as monarch, per Yahoo! News.
"The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family," Charles said in a statement shortly after the news of his mother's death was announced (via The Royal Family's Twitter). "We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world," his statement continued. "During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held," Charles added.
According to a former royal aide, Charles — whose influence over the royal family continues to grow — never wanted to think in depth about his reign, as it would mean saying goodbye to his beloved mother, per The Guardian. Another former aide tells the outlet that Charles will be focused on his family and mourning his mother during this tough time, as well as serving his country as they also mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
He will likely continue to embrace his royal duties wholeheartedly, as he always has done.
Charles isn't shying away from his royal duties
Reports over the years have suggested that King Charles III, formerly the Prince of Wales, has been "dreading" the day when he would take over as reigning monarch from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II (via the Mirror). Penny Junor, a royal biographer, elaborated on this feeling by saying, "This is a moment that he has been dreading all his life really because his achieving the top job, the job he's been training for and preparing for all these years does inevitably mean the death of his mother and he loves his mother very dearly." This sentiment was echoed in Charles' official statement following the announcement of the queen's death, where he stated that he was deeply saddened by the loss of his mother (per Twitter).
King Charles has developed a reputation for speaking out more ardently about specific topics than Her Majesty, and many were left wondering if this trend would continue when he eventually began his reign. As the BBC highlighted, Charles has discussed, on several occasions, how passionately he feels about environmental issues, even though members of the royal family are meant to remain mum on politically-driven matters. However, in a documentary for the British news station marking his 70th birthday, Charles said he "would have to operate within 'constitutional parameters'" once he became king (per the BBC).
The exact nature of how Charles intends to rule as king is left to be determined. Right now, the 73-year-old is focused on mourning the loss of his beloved mother alongside his family, friends, and the people of the United Kingdom.