Royal News Roundup: Honoring the Queen, a New Line of Succession & a Fab Four Reunion

• On September 8, 2022, the Second Elizabethan age came to a close when Queen Elizabeth II passed away at the age of 96.
• The royal family shared the news on social media, with a message that said, “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
• Only hours before the news of the queen's passing, royal family members had arrived at Balmoral castle to be with the monarch during her final hours. However, Kate Middleton did not join because she stayed back to care for her three children.
• King Charles III, who had already been named as the queen's successor, made his first statement as king, saying, “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...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.”

• With Charles becoming king, Prince William became first in the line of succession to the throne, with his 9-year-old son, Prince George, moving into the second position.
• Not only did the line of succession change, but a number of royals received new titles as well. Prince William and Middleton immediately became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwall. Then, King Charles bestowed upon them the titles of Prince and Princess of Wales (and they changed their social media handles accordingly).
• Meanwhile, with the passing of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children also became eligible to be called Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
• Among other changes, Camilla Parker Bowles (who is now Queen consort) no longer has to curtsey to other members of the royal family. Meanwhile, whenever greeting the new king, Prince William and Prince Harry will have to bow, while Middleton and Markle will be required to curtsey.

• Soon following the announcement of the queen's death, King Charles made his first speech as monarch, where he promised to carry on her legacy, saying “Our values have remained and must remain constant.”
• The Fab Four had a rare reunion as they greeted royal mourners outside of Windsor Castle.
• Prince William shared a heartfelt message to Instagram (seen below), where he said, “I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real. I thank her for the kindness she showed my family and me.”
• Prince Harry shared his own message on the Archewell site (following his and Markle's initial tribute), saying, “Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings...I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between.”

• In the wake of the queen's passing, many celebrities honored the late monarch on social media, like Dolly Parton, who dug up a photo from when she met Queen Elizabeth in 1977.
• Princess Diana's younger brother, Charles Spencer, used their childhood home to pay tribute to the queen, noting that he will keep the flag at half-mast until after Her Royal Majesty's funeral.
• The creators of The Crown paused production on the show's fifth season for a week out of respect for the monarch, and then resumed production in Spain.
• Markle also paused production on her new podcast, Archetypes, sharing a message that said, “New episodes of Archetypes will be paused during the official mourning period for Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II.”
• For those wishing to send a message of condolence to the royal family, a form was made available on the official British monarchy site.

• The royal family joined together in Scotland for a Service of Thanksgiving at St Giles’ Cathedral, where the queen's life was honored. King Charles and Parker Bowles were in attendance, as well as the queen's other children—Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Princess Anne.
• Prince William and Middleton had their first solo outing as Prince and Princess of Wales when they greeted mourners outside of Sandringham.
• The day before, Middleton honored the late monarch by wearing a diamond and pearl leaf brooch that once belonged to the queen.
• Prince Harry marked his 38th birthday in the U.K., where he and Markle have been staying until the queen's funeral.

• Following the news of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's reunion with the royal family, Oprah Winfrey spoke out, saying, “I think in all families—you know, my father passed recently, this summer—and when all families come together for a common ceremony, the ritual of burying your dead, there’s an opportunity for peacemaking…and hopefully, there will be that.”
• Queen Elizabeth's corgis found a new home, with the late monarch's son, Prince Andrew, and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson taking over care of the pups. They will reportedly live at the Royal Lodge in Windsor.
• Princess Beatrice is rumored to have an important new role, with People reporting that she will become one of King Charles’s Counsellors of State (meaning she will attend Privy Council meetings, sign routine documents and receive the credentials of new ambassadors to the U.K.).

• Right before the news of the queen's death, a rainbow appeared outside of Buckingham Palace, and a crowd of royal admirers gathered and even started singing the tune “God Save the Queen.”
• According to “Operation London Bridge,” which was put in place decades ago, the queen's funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey, and the Archbishop of Canterbury will lead the ceremony. The day of her funeral will be treated as a day of national mourning, and a two minute silence will take place at midday. Meanwhile, the late monarch will be buried in a tomb at the King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, where her husband, Prince Philip, will be laid beside her.
• As The Daily Mail noted, Queen Elizabeth left a secret piece of herself behind, as there is a sealed letter currently housed in the Queen Victoria Building in Australia, which was addressed to the citizens of Sydney and cannot be opened until 2085.

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