Can King Charles kick Liz Truss out?

The longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has today died, aged 96. The Queen was surrounded by her family in Balmoral after concerns about her health were raised on Thursday (8 September).

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."

Heartfelt tributesflooded in, with the new King, Charles III, saying: "The death of my beloved mother Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.

"We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world."

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Prime minister Liz Truss also delivered an emotional message to the nation.

Describing the Queen as the "rock on which modern Britain was built", she told people gathered outside Downing street: "We are all devastated,

"It is a day of great loss, but Queen Elizabeth II leaves a great legacy."

AP

Following Truss' statement, the Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir Starmer also paid his own tribute to Her Majesty.

He said: "Today, we mourn the passing of a remarkable sovereign.

"It is a deep, private loss for the Royal Family and all our thoughts are with them at this time. The nation shares in their grief.

"We will always treasure Queen Elizabeth II’s life of service and devotion to our nation and the Commonwealth; our longest-serving and greatest monarch.

"Above the clashes of politics, she stood not for what the nation fought over, but what it agreed upon. As Britain changed rapidly around her, this dedication became the still point of our turning world.

"So as our great Elizabethan era comes to an end, we will honour the late Queen’s memory by keeping alive the values of public service she embodied.

"For seventy years, Queen Elizabeth II stood as the head of our country. But, in spirit, she stood amongst us."

Reuters

As the period of mourning sets in and Charles ascends as King, people are wondering whether he has any power over the newly-appointed prime minister.

While a monarch can technically fire a prime minister, it's incredibly unlikely to happen, as they are expected to remain politically neutral.

The last time a prime minister was removed by a monarch was in 1834 when King William IV dismissed Lord Melbourne of the Whig administration in 1834 and asked Sir Robert Peel to form a government.

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