Queen Elizabeth II dead, Charles becomes King, what happens to other Royals

Queen Elizabeth II's family, supporters, and admirers are in grief.

When Queen Elizabeth II passed away, thoughts instantly went to her son. The positions of the other royals that circle the British throne are also expected to be dramatically altered by King Charles' accession to the throne.

The problem is not succession.

As Charles becomes King Charles III, everyone in line simply moves up one step. Of course, his eldest son Prince William comes next, followed by Prince George, William's firstborn child, and so forth.

Instead, the big question is what responsibilities and functions will be assumed by royal relatives under a king who has been outspoken about reducing funding from the British taxpayers for the extended royal family.

“We’ll likely be seeing a smaller group representing the crown, and there will be pros and cons to that,” predicts Carolyn Harris, a historian at the University of Toronto and the author of "Raising Royalty: 1,000 Years of Royal Parenting."

The 54 Commonwealth states, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, could debate whether to remove the British queen as head of state as a result of Harris' predicted fewer and shorter visits to those nations.

Barbados, a country in the Caribbean, already does.

Proponent Harris claims that there will be a clearer distinction between those who represent the nation and those who are only tied to the royal family.

“That’s in contrast to Queen Elizabeth, who brought in many cousins to help with tours and events as she oversaw a transition from empire to the commonwealth.”

But in reducing his entourage to a core group, the monarch will be treading carefully, according to experts.

Republicans may prefer to have fewer working royals on staff, but this may naturally lessen the pomp and ceremony that gives this centuries-old institution its allure.