What is the Accession Council?

WHEN a sovereign dies an Accession Council meets to proclaim a new King or Queen.

The Council customarily meets at St James’s Palace, before making a formal proclamation of the Monarch’s death.

Who makes up the Accession Council?

The Accession Council is made up of Privy Counsellors, Great Officers of State, the Lord Mayor and High Sheriffs of the City of London, Realm High Commissioners, some senior civil servants and certain others invited to attend.

Privy Counsellors include current and past Cabinet ministers, political party leaders, the Speaker, archbishops, senior public figures and members of the Royal Family. 

Great Officers of the State include the Lord President of the Council, which is currently Penny Mordaunt.

Separate Great Officers exist for England, Wales and Scotland.

Realm High Commissioners are also part of the Accession Council.

The 14 Commonwealth Realms in which the Queen is the Head of State are Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Tuvalu, Grenada, Solomon Islands, St Lucia and The Bahamas.

The Accession Council is presided over by the Lord President of the Council.

What happens during it?

The council meeting is split into two parts.

In the first part the Accession Council meets without the Sovereign.

There are over 700 members, but because the invitation is sent on such short notice, not all of them manage to attend.

They formally announce the death of the Monarch and proclaim the succession of the new Sovereign.

This traditionally takes place at St James’s Palace.

The Accession Council also makes consequential Orders of Council mainly relating to the Proclamation.

During the second part only the new Sovereign and Privy Counsellors attend. 

The new Sovereign makes a personal declaration about the death of the previous King or Queen. 

Then he or she moves on to take an Oath promising to secure and protect the values held by the Church of Scotland. 

The oath or accession declaration is an oath to maintain the established Protestant succession and is normally made at the next State Opening of Parliament.

Who will be involved when it occurs again?

The next heir is always the firstborn of the King or Queen.

Queen Elizabeth II’s firstborn was Prince Charles of Wales.

On the death of the Queen, Prince Charles immediately becomes the new Sovereign.

His new title is King Charles III.

He will meet with the Accession Council on Saturday, September 10, 2022, two deaths after the sad passing of his mother on Thursday, September 8.

He will make a personal declaration about the death of his mother before making the oath.

With the passing of his father, Prince Philip, Prince Charles - as he was then titled - inherited the name of Duke of Edinburgh.

King Charles’ firstborn is Prince William, who is now heir to the throne.

William's children - George, Charlotte and Louis - are second, third and fourth in line to the throne.