How UK royal family titles have changed since Queen Elizabeth II died

The death of the long-serving monarch has seen various titular changes in the line of succession

Prince William and Prince George, who have both seen their titles adjusted following Queen Elizabeth II's death, at the late monarch's funeral on Monday. AFP
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The changes to the UK's line of succession following the death of Queen Elizabeth II have been reflected in various changes of titles and responsibilities for royal family members.

With King Charles III in Scotland for a week of private mourning, the newly titled royals will not carry out official duties until after Monday, September 26.

But while the precise nature of their new responsibilities remains unknown, the titles have already been conferred.

Here, The National lists the titular and circumstantial changes in the UK's sovereign family,

King Charles III

The king is now the head of state for the UK as well as numerous Commonwealth realms. He is also head of the armed forces and the Church of England.

He will now undertake constitutional and representational duties which have developed over 1,000 years of history.

As head of state, King Charles is a non-political figurehead and must remain strictly neutral. He will not be able to air his opinions or try to meddle in politics, as he was known to do when he was Prince of Wales.

His focus will also pivot away from his work with his charities, but he said this work "will go on in the trusted hands of others".

It is not yet known how this work will be delegated.

The queen's patronage of charities will also not necessarily be adopted by the king but may be allocated to other senior royals.

King Charles III through the years – in pictures

In terms of his official residence, the king will use Clarence House as his home for the time being, with major building work at Buckingham Palace ― considered the monarchy's headquarters ― yet to be completed.

King Charles is expected to inherit his late mother's beloved private estates of Balmoral and Sandringham.

He will also inherit the crown estate — land owned by the sovereign and not the private possession of the king.

In exchange for the sovereign grant, the king will surrender the annual revenue from the crown estate to the UK government.

A date has not yet been set for his coronation but it likely will not be for months. However, it has been reported that King Charles does not want it to be as grandiose and thus expensive as his mother's, in recognition of the UK's cost of living crisis.

The Queen Consort

As wife to the king, Camilla automatically became queen consort and is no longer the Duchess of Cornwall.

There had been much controversy over whether she would use the title queen consort.

But Elizabeth II delivered a masterstroke in February, before her platinum jubilee, when she endorsed the Duchess of Cornwall to be known as queen when the time came.

Camilla will be crowned at King Charles's side at his coronation, just as the last queen consort, the Queen Mother, was.

Queen Consort fashion - in pictures

Prince of Wales

Prince William has become the heir apparent, to be known as the Prince of Wales.

He also immediately inherited the title Duke of Cornwall and is now the Duke of Cornwall and Cambridge.

Now first in line to the throne, Prince William's role within the royal family will change significantly.

As a king-in-waiting, he is a step closer to becoming sovereign himself and preparations for this duty will intensify.

He will be required to carry out more official engagements at home and abroad in reflection of his seniority and to support the new monarch.

His financial situation has also changed substantially.

As the 25th Duke of Cornwall, he is entitled to the annual net surplus from the Duchy of Cornwall landed estate — which amounts to £23 million ($26m) a year.

The income will cover the cost of both his public and private life.

He already received money from the duchy through his father but now, as heir to the throne, he is entitled to take over its management.

The landed estate is valued at more than £1 billion and is one of the largest and oldest in Britain.

Prince William and the Princess of Wales moved only days ago to the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage in Windsor's Home Park, to offer their children more freedom away from central London, amid a start at a new school.

It has been reported they will move to Windsor Castle or another larger property in Windsor in the future, but a source insisted: "Right now, the focus is the mourning of Her Majesty the Queen."

The Princess of Wales

Prince William's wife Kate is now the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge.

She is a queen in waiting and will play a vital role as one of the most senior women.

Catherine Duchess of Cambridge through the years - in pictures

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis

After the death of his great-grandmother, Prince George is now second in line to the throne, Princess Charlotte third, and Prince Louis fourth.

As their parents inherit the title of Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, the three young royals also become "of Cornwall and Cambridge".

Duke and Duchess of Sussex

The Duke and Duchess of Sussexes's titles have not changed. Although the duke has moved up from sixth to fifth in line to the throne, he is still too far down the line of succession to ever be expected to be king.

Harry and Meghan appeared to have invested their time developing their bond with the queen after they quit as working royals in 2020.

But their relationship with King Charles and Prince William has been greatly troubled.

As the new head of the Windsors, King Charles could, if he sees fit, offer to welcome Harry and Meghan back as part-time working royals.

However, this could conflict with their Netflix and Spotify commercial deals and a new life away from the monarchy.

Meghan Duchess of Sussex through the years - in pictures

Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor:

The Sussexes' children, Archie and Lili, are now, as the grandchildren of a monarch, a prince and a princess.

But it is not known whether they will use the titles, which they were not entitled to when they were born.

The rules set out by King George V in 1917 mean Archie and Lili — as the children of a son of a sovereign ― also now have an HRH style if they choose to use it.

Duke of York

The Duke of York will likely remain out of the public eye after he stepped down as a working royal over allegations of sexual assault and his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Prince Andrew and his former wife Sarah, Duchess of York, will look after the queen's beloved corgis following her death.

Earl of Wessex

The Duke of Edinburgh always wanted his youngest son, the Earl of Wessex, to inherit his title. However, the decision now lies with Prince Edward's older brother, King Charles,

But, despite agreeing to his father's wishes in 1999, King Charles's thinking was said to have shifted over the years as he reassessed his plans for the future.

He is known to be in favour of a slimmed-down monarchy.

If Prince Edward becomes the Duke of Edinburgh, his wife, the Countess of Wessex, will become the Duchess of Edinburgh ― a courtesy title which was held by the queen following her marriage

Updated: September 21, 2022, 9:24 AM