What is the Accession Council?

WHEN a sovereign dies, an accession council meets to proclaim a new king or queen.

The council usually meets at St James’s Palace before officially announcing the death of the monarch.

Who forms the Accession Council?

The Accession Council consists of Privy Counselors, Great Officers of State, the Lord Mayor and High Sheriffs of the City of London, Realm High Commissioners, some senior civil servants and certain others who have been invited to attend.

Secret advisers are current and former Cabinet ministers, political party leaders, the Speaker, archbishops, high-ranking public figures and members of the royal family.

Major civil servants include the Lord President of the Council, who is currently Penny Mordaunt, and Viscount Hailsham, who is Lord High Chancellor.

There are separate Great Officers for England and Wales and Scotland.

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Reich High Commissioners are also part of the Accession Council.

The 14 Commonwealth Realms where the Queen is the head of state are Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tuvalu, Grenada, Solomon Islands , St. Lucia and the Bahamas.

The Accession Council is chaired by the Lord President of the Council.

What happens?

The council meeting is divided into two parts.

In the first part, the accession council meets without the sovereign.

There are over 700 members, but because the invitation is sent out at such short notice, not everyone makes it.

They officially announce the death of the monarch and proclaim the succession of the new sovereign.

This traditionally takes place at St. James’s Palace.

The Accession Council also adopts subsequent Council decisions related primarily to the Proclamation.

During the second part, only the new Sovereigns and Secret Advisors participate.

The new sovereign makes a personal declaration of the death of the previous king or queen.

Then he or she takes an oath promising to safeguard and protect the values ​​of the Church of Scotland.

The oath or declaration of accession is an oath to uphold the established Protestant line of succession and is usually taken at the next opening of the state legislature.

Who will be involved if it occurs again?

The next heir is always the firstborn of the king or queen.

Queen Elizabeth II’s firstborn was Prince Charles of Wales.

After the death of the Queen, Prince Charles is declared the new sovereign.

His new title is expected to be King Charles III.

He will meet with the accession council in part two, which doesn’t necessarily have to be on the same day as the monarch’s death.

He will make a personal statement about his mother’s death before taking the oath.

With the death of his father, Prince Philip, Prince Charles also inherited the Duke of Edinburgh’s name.

Prince Charles’ firstborn is Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and his children – George, Charlotte and Louis – are next to succeed him.

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