Charles Becomes King Now That Queen Elizabeth II Has Died & Here's What Happens Next

Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96, which means her son Prince Charles is set to become the new king.

In fact, Buckingham Palace already referred to Charles as "the King" in the announcement of his mother's death on Thursday.

The next two weeks are going to be very busy for the royal family and everyone around them as one monarch is buried and a new one takes the throne.

The U.K. has been planning for this for years, and they've even got a code name for it: Operation London Bridge.

London Bridge fell on Thursday, and we're now in the early stages of that plan, which includes everything from the queen's funeral arrangements to the exact way in which Charles will become king.

Here's what you need to know.

A new king

Charles becomes the new king at age 73, and his eldest son, Prince William, will be the new heir apparent.

Charles is due to be proclaimed king on the morning after his mom's death, according to the plan.

The royal family says he will remain at Balmoral on Thursday evening and "will return to London tomorrow."

He can simply add "King" to his name and become King Charles III, or he can pick another name that fits with British royal tradition. His middle names are Philip, Arthur and George, so he's got a few options there — although "King Arthur I" would be a bold choice.

His wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, will become the queen consort, although there is some controversy surrounding that title. Camilla had reportedly agreed long ago to go by the title of princess consort, rather than using the queen title that had been planned for Diana Spencer, Charles' late ex-wife.

But Queen Elizabeth changed the plan at her Platinum Jubilee, where she declared that Charles' wife would be known as Queen Camilla when he takes the throne.

Charles will meet with U.K. lawmakers after he becomes king. Then he'll set out on a tour of the United Kingdom, beginning with a visit to Scotland followed by Northern Ireland and Wales.

He'll wrap up the tour in time for his mom's funeral.

The queen's funeral

Queen Elizabeth's coffin will be transported to Buckingham Palace. Tributes will pour in over the next few days, and she'll eventually lie in state at the Palace of Westminster for three days before her funeral, according to a copy of the plan obtained by Politico a few years ago.

That funeral will likely happen 10 days after her death, possibly on September 18 or 19 at Westminster Abbey, according to the long-established plan. That date will be declared a national day of mourning.

Charles and the rest of the royal family will be at the funeral along with many others, and security will be super tight for one of the biggest state funerals the country has ever seen.

The queen will be buried at Windsor Castle in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, which is named after her father.

The new heir

With his dad now the king, Prince William will be next in line to the throne.

However, that doesn't mean he'll immediately become the Prince of Wales. Charles will have to make that happen at a later date, although there's no rush.

Queen Elizabeth II was six years into her reign before she made Charles the Prince of Wales, though she was also much younger at the time than Charles is now.

Expect it to happen sooner for Prince William.

Kate Middleton will also get a new title to match William's, and it'll be the same one that Princess Diana once held.

How does "Catherine, Princess of Wales" sound?