King Charles Is Now Hard At Work Despite Mourning The Queen
The mourning period for the British public may have ended, but it will continue for another week for the royal family. As King Charles III declared following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, members of the royal family, staff, and members of the armed forces on ceremonial duties will continue to mourn the loss of the late monarch until September 26 (via YouTube).
While British life will return to normal, no official duties will be carried out by the royal family, and King Charles's U.K. homes — like Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle — will remain closed, according to the Evening Standard. Flags of the Union Jack will stay at half-mast on these buildings, while those on government, public, and private property can return to full mast.
Despite working royals like the Prince and Princess of Wales not being expected to conduct engagements during this time, that doesn't seem to be the case for the newly ascended monarch.
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla flew to Scotland after Queen Elizabeth II's funeral
Immediately after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III assumed the royal duties of a British sovereign. Throughout the national mourning period, he traveled the country, took part in accession and proclamation ceremonies, and met with the British prime minister and other members of the U.K. government (via the royal family's official site), in addition to the hundreds of world leaders and foreign dignitaries that arrived for the queen's state funeral on September 19.
The day after the funeral, the king and Queen Consort Camilla flew to Scotland to grieve in private (per Sky News) while he continued to carry out his constitutional duties as the new British monarch. His Majesty has likely already received the famous Red Box containing essential government documents and other constitutional duties, made by luxury leather goods brand Barrow Hepburn & Gale, according to Express & Star.
Charles's first order of business was approving new government roles. Prime Minister Liz Truss had just begun forming a new government two days before the queen passed away (via The Guardian).
Charles is taking time to grieve while continuing his royal duties as monarch
A statement (via Sky News) confirmed that King Charles III approved new junior ministerial roles. As of September 21, the U.K. government is back in session, Reuters reported, amidst a cost of living crisis — particularly regarding the exponential cost of energy bills for British consumers. As the king continued his constitutional duties in Scotland, Prime Minister Liz Truss flew to the United States following the state funeral to attend the U.N. General Assembly. One member of the Conservative Party told Reuters that following the queen's funeral, the British people can expect to see "a focused, punchy start" with the government back in session, "showing momentum and [a] direction of travel free of distractions and side dramas."
While Charles may be somewhat distracted by the duties of a reigning monarch, he is still putting aside personal time to grieve the immense loss to him and the royal family. "Alongside the personal grief that all my family are feeling, we also share with so many of you in the United Kingdom, in all the countries where the Queen was head of state, in the Commonwealth and across the world, a deep sense of gratitude for the more than 70 years in which my mother, as Queen, served the people of so many nations," Charles said in his first address as king (per The Guardian).