King Charles Appoints His Third Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer
The Labour Party leader won the UK general election in a landslide victory.
In his constitutional role as the UK's head of state, King Charles meets with and appoints new prime ministers. Charles, like his mother Queen Elizabeth before him, invites the prime minister to form a government in his name.
In September 2022, King Charles ascended to the throne immediately upon the death of his mother, who had appointed Liz Truss as prime minister just days before she passed away. Truss, therefore, became the first prime minister since Winston Churchill to serve under two different monarchs; she was also the shortest-serving PM in British history.
When Truss resigned just 44 days into her tenure, the King appointed Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor of the Exchequer, as the new prime minister of Britain. And now, after a landslide general election victory, Charles has appointed his third Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer
Here, see King Charles with prime ministers he's worked with:
Sir Keir Starmer
In July 2023, Sir Keir Starmer became the third Prime Minister of the King’s reign and the first to be appointed by Charles following a general election.
Rishi Sunak
In October 2022, Rishi Sunak became the UK's 57th prime minister—he is the first person of color to hold the role. Sunak is also the first prime minister appointed by King Charles.
Liz Truss
Queen Elizabeth appointed her 15th prime minister, Liz Truss, shortly before she passed away. Days later, Truss became the first prime minister of King Charles III's reign.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
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