Rishi Sunak to take over as UK Prime Minister after meeting King Charles III on Tuesday

Newly-crowned King Charles III is scheduled to travel to London on Monday as former UK Treasury chief Rishi Sunak is set to become Britain’s first prime minister of colour after being chosen to lead the governing Conservative Party. According to media reports, the monarch will travel to the national capital this afternoon in a private plane. Earlier, it was expected that outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss will meet King Charles III in order to tender her resignation from the prestigious post. However, later, it was confirmed that the Truss will make a statement outside No 10 on Tuesday and then move to Buckingham Palace for her final audience (meeting) with King Charles III. 

Subsequently, the new Conservative Party leader will travel to Buckingham Palace for his first audience with the 73-year-old monarch where he will be invited to form a government. The appointment of the PM will be then authored in the official record of the royal engagement. According to tradition, new party leaders arrive at the London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch in their own car but leave in PM's official vehicle. It is worth mentioning that, unlike UK tradition, last time, both Johnson and the Truss had travelled to Scotland as the 96-year-old monarch stayed there till her death due to mobility problems. As per the traditions, a meeting of the queen and Prime Minister takes place in London’s Buckingham Palace.

From the dramatic ouster of Johnson to Sunak taking over

Notably, UK's shortest-serving PM Liz Truss resigned from office on October 20, only 45 days after taking charge. Following her tumultuous tenure, her predecessor Boris Johson, who was unceremoniously 'ousted' as PM, had tried his best to become the next PM but failed in getting the support of 100 MPs-- which is considered as the threshold. Subsequently, Sunak has been declared the next PM to lead the country. He will be the first British prime minister with South Asian roots and its first Hindu leader — a milestone for a country with an extensive colonial past, and one that is still contested. In his first public statement, Sunak said “the United Kingdom is a great country, but there is no doubt we face a profound economic challenge.” “We now need stability and unity, and I will make it my utmost priority to bring our party and our country together,” said Sunak, who at 42 is Britain’s youngest prime minister in 200 years.