Following the news of Queen Elizabeth's demise, Prince William and Kate Middleton added new titles to their Twitter and Instagram accounts.
The official @KensingtonRoyal Twitter and Instagram accounts were updated as belonging to the "Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge" shortly after Buckingham Palace on Thursday reported that the Queen, at 96, passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
The titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been used to refer to Prince William and Kate. The Queen, William's grandmother, bestowed the titles upon them on their wedding day in April 2011.
After Buckingham Palace issued a medical bulletin that said the 96-year-old Queen was under medical supervision, her family rushed to be by her side at her Scottish residence, Balmoral Castle.
Since October last year, Queen Elizabeth II has been struggling with health problems. According to a statement released by Buckingham Palace, the Queen was experiencing "episodic mobility problems." In consultation with her doctors, it was decided that she would not be attending the State Opening of Parliament.
After the Queen's passing on Thursday, Charles III, who held the title of Prince of Wales and the Scottish titles of Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay, now automatically ascends to the throne of the United Kingdom and 14 other nations, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
Camilla, his wife, becomes the Queen Consort (Consort is the term used for the monarch's spouse). The titles of Prince and Princess of Wales are also anticipated to pass on to the couple.
When will William become the Prince of Wales?
The title of Prince of Wales, however, will not pass immediately to William after the Queen's death. According to tradition, it must be given to him by the sovereign. His father will have to bestow that upon him.
When he was 9, King Charles himself was given the title of Prince of Wales by his mother. In 1969, in an Investiture at Caernarvon Castle, Queen Elizabeth formally crowned Charles as the Prince of Wales.
Princess Diana, the late mother of Prince William, had previously held the title of Princess of Wales after getting married to the current King Charles in 1981. The two divorced in 1996, and Princess Diana died in a car accident the following year.
Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall before becoming the King's wife of 17 years, will now serve as Queen Consort.
Charles is said to be scheduled to be formally crowned King. This will take place in front of the Accession Council, a ceremonial council, in St. James' Palace in London.
William and the former Kate Middleton have not yet shared their statement. However, they did retweet King Charles' statement.
“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family, his statement began. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother"
He continued,
"I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which The Queen was so widely held,”
At Buckingham Palace, the Union Flag is currently flying at half-mast. A notice of the Queen's passing was also nailed to the palace gates. Britain is said to enter 12 days of mourning for its longest-serving monarch.