Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the country has reached the end of the second Elizabethan era that began when she ascended the throne 70 years ago.
With Her Majesty’s passing on Thursday (September 8), the throne immediately and automatically passed to her son, the former Prince of Wales, King Charles III. With this, Britain enters a new era in its more than 1,000-year royal history.
On Friday (September 9), Prime Minister Liz Truss spoke in the House of Commons to pledge “loyal service” to the new monarch. After paying tribute to the late Queen, who she described as “the rock on which modern Britain was built,” Truss said of the King: "We owe him our loyalty and devotion.
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“The British people, the Commonwealth and all of us in this House will support him as he takes our country forward to a new era of hope and progress. Our new Carolean age.”
But why is this new period in British history known as the Carolean era? In simple terms, Carolean refers to the name Charles, as Elizabethan referred to the name Elizabeth.
This is not the first Carolean era, as King Charles III is not the first King to bear that name. The word Carolean was first used almost 400 years ago to refer to the reign of King Charles II in the 1600’s, during the first Carolean era.
Charles II was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1660 until his death in 1685. He ascended the throne following the execution of his father, King Charles I, in 1649.
Charles I reigned from 1625 to 1649, in what was known as the Caroline era. The name Caroline came from the word Carolus, the Latin for Charles. It is the passing down of this name which is why we now refer to the new era as the Carolean age.
At the age of 73 King Charles III has become the oldest British monarch to ascend the throne after spending 70 years as heir to his mother. The new Carolean age will end when Charles passes the throne to the next in line, who is currently his son and heir, William.
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