Prince Charles Will Now Step Into Prince Philip's Role

Not only is Prince Charles heir to assume the throne after Queen Elizabeth II dies, but he is also the oldest living male member of the royal family following the death of his father, Prince Philip. Like the rest of his family, Charles was left devastated when Philip died at his home at Windsor Castle on April 9, 2021. In photos taken from Philip's funeral, Charles was pictured looking visibly emotional as he said goodbye to his father one final time. The two had reportedly grown close in their later years, and as The Independent reported, Philip's eldest son was "one of the first" to visit him in the hospital when he was admitted for a pre-existing heart condition.

"My dear Papa was a very special person, who I think above all else would have been amazed by the reaction and the touching things that have been said about him," Charles said of his father in a pre-recorded statement (per CNN). "I particularly wanted to say that my father, for I suppose the last 70 years, has given the most remarkable, devoted service to the queen, to my family and to the country, but also to the whole of the Commonwealth." 

As of this writing, Charles is set to honor the late Duke of Edinburgh by taking on many of his responsibilities. So, what does Charles' new role look like? Keep reading to find out.

When Prince Philip retired from royal life in 2017, Prince Charles was there to step up to the plate. However, The Sun reports that Charles will now be assuming an even "more significant and active role," per a royal source, in the wake of his father's death. Charles' new duties will begin with the State Opening of Parliament on May 11, 2021. As a source told the outlet, Charles' presence at the event as the queen's royal consort will signify "that the queen does not want the crown to skip a generation and that Prince Charles will start taking on an even bigger role in royal life." The insider added, "There will be a visible show of support for the queen from senior members of the family at future events."

Queen Elizabeth II recently celebrated her 95th birthday, and The Sun noted that those close to her are scrambling to alleviate some of her workload, given her advancing age. Much of that responsibility falls on Charles, as heir, as well as on Prince William. In April 2021, William visited a royal air cadet squadron in tribute to Prince Philip, who was the Royal Air Force Air Cadets' Air Commodore-in-Chief for 63 years, per a Kensington Palace tweet.

The future of the monarchy is in Charles' hands, and the queen has made it clear that she's in full support of her successor.