The Era of King Charles III Has Begun

In Britain, the second Elizabethan age ended Thursday, and the era of King Charles III began—a huge change for a country and Commonwealth where most people weren't alive in 1952, the last time there was a change of monarch. At 73, Charles is the oldest person ever to accede to the British throne, and it will be up to him to ensure the institution has a future in changing times. More:

• His first day. Charles, who automatically became king upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II, will travel to London Friday for a busy first full day as king, the Guardian reports. Charles is expected to meet Prime Minister Liz Truss, record an address to the nation to be broadcast Friday evening, and approve plans for a period of national mourning. He will be traveling from Scotland with his wife Camilla, who now has the title Queen Consort.

• A lifetime in preparation. NBC looks at the life of Charles, who became the heir apparent at age 3 when his mother became queen. When he was 21, he told the BBC that he had dreamed of becoming a train driver, a soldier, or even a big-game hunter, "until I realized I was rather stuck." His popularity with the British public dropped after the end of his troubled marriage to Diana and her death in a 1997 car crash, though it steadily recovered in the following decades as he took on a growing share of royal duties.
• The "climate king." While the British monarchy is powerful on paper—Charles is now the head of state of the UK, Canada, Australia, and 12 other countries—in reality the monarch only has "soft power," and some analysts expect him to use it to advocate for environmental causes, Vox reports. He has long embraced such causes and has been warning about climate change since the 1990s.

• Staying out of politics? But while Charles has long been outspoken on on climate change, including architecture and genetically modified crops, Max Foster at CNN says his approach will change now that he is king. "Elizabeth's legendary ability not to offend and alienate was more strategic than many realize, but Charles has always insisted he intends to follow her lead and stop meddling when he takes the throne," Foster writes. He notes that when the BBC asked him in 2018 if the campaigning would continue when he becomes king, Charles said: "I'm not that stupid."
• A "different style." Vernon Bogdanor, a professor of government at King’s College London, says Charles will have a different style than his mother, but not to an extent that could cause a constitutional crisis, the New York Times reports. "He will be an active king and he will probably push his prerogatives to the limits, but he won’t go beyond them." The Times notes that some of the biggest challenges Charles will face as king include healing the rift with his son Prince Harry—and dealing with the fallout from his brother Prince Andrew's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

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• A streamlined monarchy. Charles has long had plans to shake up the monarchy—he has said he plans to cut expenses, reduce the number of working royals, and take steps to ensure the institution better represents modern Britain, the AP reports.
• His first decision as king. The BBC notes that the first big decision of Charles' reign was what name to use—he was christened Charles Philip Arthur George and he could have used any of those names. He will officially be proclaimed king in a ceremony Saturday but because of the level of planning needed, his coronation is probably many months away.

(More King Charles III stories.)