On June 2 , 1953,Queen Elizabeth IIcelebrated herhistory - making coronationwith plentiful gaudery and setting at London’sWestminster Abbey . It was more than a twelvemonth after the death of her father , King George VI , in February 1952 .

But the kingdom had n’t been ruler - less for those 14 months . As the University College Londonexplains , the UK adheres to the old Latin adagerex nunquam moritur , signify “ the king never dies . ” In other words , whoever is next in theline of successionautomatically inherits the part when the sitting monarch dies , precluding even a fleeting gap in leadership . The moment George VI passed away , then - Princess Elizabethbecame queen — no ceremonial necessary . That metaphorical loss of the truncheon is known as the entree ( as inaccede to the throne ) .

So when Queen Elizabeth II herself passed away on September 8 after a record - setting70 - twelvemonth reign , Prince Charlesimmediately became king ( King Charles III , to be precise , though he could have chosen another name ) .

Queen Elizabeth II and company at Buckingham Palace after her coronation in June 1953.

While the deed of admission technically come without any human intercession , the UK unsurprisingly has a very elaborate official physical process of declare the last of the old sovereign and confirming the novel monarch after the fact . TheAccession Council — comprising a cross - surgical incision of important politician and other high - ranking officials , includingthe prime minister and the Archbishop of Canterbury — and theroyal familyconvene at St. James ’s Palace in London within about a day of the milkweed butterfly ’s passing . A proclamation is say loud there , as well as in several other primal spots throughout the UK .

The coronation , on the other hand , is when the UK scar the formal investiture of a Modern monarch . King Charles III will likely donSt . Edward ’s Crownand the otherCoronation Regalia , and the ceremony will almost certainly be contain at Westminster Abbey — as it has been fornearly a millenary .

A date has n’t been announced for Charles ’s coronation , but it probably wo n’t be contain for a identification number of calendar month . This is part so theroyal familycan punctually mourn the departure of Queen Elizabeth II , and also “ as a result of the tremendous amount of readying required to organize the observance , ” per theroyal family ’s web site .