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Who will be Britain's next King 

    Most people in Britain have never known life without "the Queen".  She's been Britain's head of state since 1952, and in 2026, if she is still alive, she will reach the age of 100. People who know her say that she will not abdicate; but whether she does or not, she cannot continue for ever. In a few years' time, Britain will have a new head of state, and it will be a king. But which king? 

   

Prince Charles often accompanies or replaces the Queen on official duties, some formal, others less formal

Very few people alive in Britain today remember the time when Britain last had a king. Elizabeth II has been Queen of England since 1952, so only the very oldest people remember the last king, her father George VI.

    Queen Elizabeth has marked life and times in Britain for the past seven decades, and when she dies, Britain will change. It will be like losing the nation's  grandmother, since the Queen is part of national life, part of the national family, and a very popular figure. Opinion polls in 2020 showed that over 80% of people in Britain appreciate the Queen.
    There will be a moment of national trauma when she dies; it will probably not be as massive as the national trauma that came with the death of Princess Diana, but who knows? At the time of her death, Diana was popular more as a celebrity than as "a royal". The Queen is not just "a royal", she is the Queen, part of national life, a British institution,  a person whose image people see every day, on coins, on banknotes, on stamps, in magazines, in public places. All that will change ..................................