King Charles plays an important constitutional role in the appointment of a new prime minister.
And even though he is just six weeks into his reign, he will be welcoming his second PM next week following the resignation of Liz Truss today. Whoever replaces Ms Truss will have to go to Buckingham Palace, where they will be asked to form a government - and their appointment as PM will be sealed with an unusual gesture. As head of state, it is the monarch's duty to appoint the prime minister who leads His Majesty’s Government. The Royal Encyclopedia states that the appointment of a prime minister is "one of the few remaining personal prerogatives of the sovereign".