Queen Elizabeth II, the monarch that has reigned over the United Kingdom for 70 years, the longest in history, has died at the age of 96, the BBC reports. She was surrounded by her family at the time of her passing. Even the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, was in London for an event and was able to travel to Scotland to be with his family.
Buckingham Palace released an official statement that read, "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon." It continued, "The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."
Following Queen Elizabeth's tragic passing, her son, Charles, will immediately take the throne (via Buzzfeed News). It is the protocol for the next in line for the crown to take it immediately. However, he will not see a formal coronation at this time. He will be leading the memorial services for Queen Elizabeth.
With the changes unfolding at Buckingham Palace, many are wondering what this means for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle. What will their lives look like under the rule of Harry's father?
The United Kingdom's royal family has an order set for who takes the throne. This has been a tradition observed since the monarchy was established in 1066 (via Royal Central). Following the tragic death of Queen Elizabeth II, her son, Prince Charles, was next in line, as he is the Prince of Wales.
It's no secret that Charles is now king. The change in reign has been covered by various media outlets since the queen's health began to go downhill. However, Charles becoming the king of England is not the only change the monarchy will see. There will be a shift in roles for a few members of the royal brood.
According to Cosmopolitan, Prince William will take over the title as the Prince of Wales. When King Charles III dies, William will take over the throne as his eldest son. Following William's death, his three children whom he shares with Kate Middleton will follow suit for the throne.
So, where does that leave Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and will life actually change for him and Meghan Markle now that Charles is the king?
According to Glamour, the Duke of Sussex will be 5th in line for the crown following his father's appointment as king. There's likely no chance he will ever become king himself, and really, nothing will change for the couple now that Charles is king. They will still remain the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, however, King Charles may need their help along the way.
Author Tina Brown told The UK Sun that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could become assets for King Charles as he looks to appeal to a younger crowd now that he is leading the monarchy. This could be their chance to return to the royal family and improve their standing with the British public.
"My guess is Charles is really going to want them back - sort of need them back actually - because Harry and Meghan were huge assets to the whole royal repertoire quite frankly," Brown said. "They had a young appeal that was very, very potent in the country."
However, if King Charles chooses not to accept Harry and Meghan back into the fold, their children could face an interesting consequence, the Daily Mail reports. Allegedly, Charles is considering "slimming down" the monarchy, only giving heirs to the throne and their immediate families full titles, financial support, and police expenses funded by taxpayers (per the Daily Mail). This could mean Harry and Meghan's children, Archie and Lilibet, may not be given titles by their grandfather.
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