King Charles III has now been formally proclaimed monarch during an Accession Council ceremony which was televised for the first time. It began at 9pm NZ time (Saturday morning in the UK).
Victoria Jones/AP
King Charles III during the Accession Council where he is formally proclaimed monarch.
Charles automatically became King on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, but senior officials known as the Accession Council have now confirmed his role.
The new King did not attend the first part of the ceremony, held at the State Apartments of St James’s Palace in London, but joined after he had been proclaimed monarch, to hold his first Privy Council meeting.
Kirsty O’Connor
From left, Former British Prime Ministers Gordon Brown, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, and Theresa May during the Accession Council ceremony.
READ MORE:
* In a remarkably personal first ‘King’s speech’, Charles wears his heart on his sleeve
* The journey the late Queen will make to her final resting place at Windsor Castle
* London in its first days of mourning
Scores of senior politicians past and present, including Boris Johnson, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair. Britain’s new Prime Minister Liz Truss was also gathered in the ornate state apartments.
ROYALFAMILY/SCREENGRAB
King Charles III is formally announced as the new King.
The King then joined them to make a personal declaration, vowing to follow his mother’s “inspiring example” as he took on the duties of monarch.
Victoria Jones
King Charles III signs an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace, London, where he is formally proclaimed monarch.
“I know how deeply you and the entire nation, and I think I may say the whole world, sympathise with me in this irreparable loss we have all suffered,” he said.
The new King formally approved a series of orders – including one declaring the day of his mother’s funeral a public holiday. The date of the state funeral has not been announced, but it is expected to be around September 19.
Kirsty Wigglesworth
Members of the public gather at St James’s Palace in London, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022 after King Charles III was proclaimed at the Accession Council.
It’s the first time the ceremony has been held since 1952, when the Queen took the throne.
King Charles was accompanied by his wife, Camilla, and the heir to the throne, William who is now known by the title Charles long held, Prince of Wales.
Kirsty Wigglesworth
Garter Principle King of Arms, David Vines White reads the proclamation of new King, King Charles III at St James’s Palace in London.
The ceremony ended with a royal official publicly proclaiming King Charles III the monarch from a balcony at the palace – a relic of centuries past, when this would have been the first official confirmation the public had of their new sovereign.
David White, the Garter King of Arms, made the proclamation flanked by trumpeters in gold-trimmed robes before leading cheers – “hip, hip, hooray!” – for the new King.
Gun salutes rang out in Hyde Park, at the Tower of London and at military sites around the UK as he announced the news, and scarlet-robed soldiers in the palace courtyard doffed their bearskin hats in a royal salute.
The event comes after King Charles gave a landmark address and paid a poignant and moving tribute to his “darling Mama” the Queen, who died at Balmoral in Scotland.
Yui Mok/AP
King Charles III, left, and Camilla, the Queen Consort, look at floral tributes outside Buckingham Palace following the death of the Queen.
It was one of the most remarkably personal speeches to have ever been delivered by a reigning monarch.
Britain is holding a period of mourning for the Queen, with days of carefully choreographed ceremonies marking the death of the only monarch most people have ever known.
Here is what is happening on Saturday night NZ time:
– From 9pm – Charles meets at St. James’s Palace with senior officials known as the Accession Council and is officially proclaimed King.
– From 10pm – An official reads the proclamation aloud from a balcony at St. James’s Palace. It is also read out in other locations across the UK.
– From midnight – Parliament holds a second day of tributes to the Queen.
– Stuff and AP
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