The monarch and their immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial, diplomatic and representational duties. The current monarch is King Charles III, who ascended the throne on 8 September 2022, upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. Royal coats of arms used in Scotland (right) and elsewhere (left)
