WATCH: U of C professor remarks on pageantry of queen's funeral
The queen spent 70 years on the throne, Steve Pincus said, but the idea of the monarchy did change in that time.
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He said this is a moment of transition and celebration, as most people alive in the UK right now never knew another monarch.
There's also some uncertainty about how the monarchy will move forward.
"Charles is famously opinionated on a variety of issues," Pincus said, "and now he's gonna have to shift from being the Prince of Wales - somebody who could express opinions on a variety of subjects - to being someone who really keeps his opinions close to his vest, and sees and emerges as an apolitical symbol of British and commonwealth unity, which I think is going to be very challenging at this moment."
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Another big change will be currency, as the queen's face is currently on most coins and bills throughout the UK and the Commonwealth.