King Charles III has made a personal declaration on the death of his beloved mother Queen Elizabeth II today and vowed to uphold ‘constitutional government and to seek the peace, harmony and prosperity of the peoples of these islands, and of the Commonwealth realms and territories throughout the world’ – as Britain’s new monarch was formally announced at St James’s Palace in London today.
Charles automatically became Sovereign on the death of his mother aged 96 at Balmoral Castle on Thursday afternoon, but the Accession Council – an ancient body of advisers that dates back as far as the time of the Norman Conquest – has formally announced his role as Head of State today.
Broadcast cameras were allowed into the historic event giving the world a first glimpse of an ancient ceremony dating back centuries – and one of the first changes to convention instigated by the new King.
At 11am, trumpets then sounded from the balcony of St James’s Palace as the Principal Proclamation announcing the King was read out. Crowds gathered outside the palace as the King was officially proclaimed Sovereign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including Supreme Head of the Church of England and Commander-in-Chief of Britain’s Armed Forces, as well as Head of State of the Commonwealth and British territories around the world.
Gun salutes at Hyde Park, the Tower of London, Edinburgh Castle, Hillsborough Castle and Cardiff Castle were then fired before the National Anthem was performed by The Band of the Coldstream Guards alongside eight State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry. They were accompanied by the St James’s Palace Detachment of The King’s Guard made up of Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards. The crowd of well-wishers joined the King’s Guard gathered outside the palace in three cries of ‘hip hip hooray’ for the King.
On a balcony above Friary Court in St James’s, David White – an official known as the Garter King of Arms – read the proclamation. He ended by saying: ‘Given at St James’s Palace this 10th day of September in year of our Lord 2022.’ In the moments after, ‘God save the King’ was shouted out.
The Prince of Wales, the Queen, King Charles III and Lord President of the Council Penny Mordaunt during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace
King Charles III during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace, London
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
The Accession Council in the throne room at St James’s Palace in London as King Charles III is formally proclaimed
Paying tribute to the Queen at the throne room of St James’s before the assembled Accession Council shortly after 10.20am, the King also approved an order that the day of the Queen’s funeral will be a bank holiday.
Making his declaration, Charles III said: ‘My lords, ladies and gentlemen, it is my most sorrowful duty to announce to you the death of my beloved mother the Queen. I know how deeply you, the entire nation, and I think I may say the whole world, sympathise with me in the irreparable loss we’ve all suffered.
‘It is the greatest consolation to me to know the sympathy expressed by so many to my sister and brothers. And that such overwhelming affection and support should be extended to our whole family in our loss.’
Continuing the declaration, the King said: ‘In taking up these responsibilities, I shall strive to follow the inspiring example I have been set in upholding constitutional government and to seek the peace, harmony and prosperity of the peoples of these islands, and of the Commonwealth realms and territories throughout the world.
‘In this purpose, I know that I shall be upheld by the affection and loyalty of the peoples whose Sovereign I have been called upon to be, and that in the discharge of these duties I will be guided by the counsel of their elected parliaments.
‘In all this, I am profoundly encouraged by the constant support of my beloved wife. I take this opportunity to confirm my willingness and intention to continue the tradition of surrendering the hereditary revenues, including the Crown Estate, to my Government for the benefit of all, in return for the Sovereign Grant, which supports my official duties as Head of State and Head of Nation.
‘And in carrying out the heavy task that has been laid upon me, and to which I now dedicate what remains to me of my life, I pray for the guidance and help of Almighty God.’
Prime Minister Liz Truss joined Camilla, Queen Consort, William, Prince of Wales and 250 other dignitaries including the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, the Prime Minister, the Lord Privy Seal, the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Earl Marshal and the Lord President to sign the proclamation at 10am.
Former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Sir Tony Blair and Sir John Major, Labour former Cabinet minister Harriet Harman, the Mother of the House, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and the high commissioners of the 14 Commonwealth countries where Charles III is Head of State, are also on the body of the Accession Council.
During the event the Lord President – Conservative MP Penny Mordaunt – announced the death of the sovereign and called upon the Clerk of the Council to read aloud the text of the Accession Proclamation before the body signed the document. It includes Charles’s chosen title as King, already known to be King Charles III.
Charles III is expected to then enter for the second part of the council at 10.20am, attended only by privy counsellors and makes a personal declaration about the death of the Queen. He will take an oath to preserve the Church of Scotland and signs two documents to record it, with his wife Camilla and his son Prince William among those witnessing his signature.
At 11am a Principal Proclamation will be read in public for the first time by the Garter King of Arms in the open air from the balcony overlooking Friary Court at St James’s.
It will be followed by a flurry of Proclamations around the country, with the second one at City of London at the Royal Exchange at midday on Saturday, and further Proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales at midday on Sunday.
In recognition of the new Sovereign, union flags will be flown at full-mast from the time of the Principal Proclamation at St James’s Palace until one hour after the Proclamations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, after which flags will return to half-mast in mourning for the death of the late Queen.
The ceremony is being staged a day later for King Charles III then normal practice because the announcement of the Queen’s death did not come until early evening on Thursday, meaning there was not enough time to set the plans in motion for Friday morning.
Opening proceedings at the Accession Council, the Lord President said: ‘My lords, it is my sad duty to inform you that Her Most Gracious Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, has passed away on Thursday the 8th of September 2022, at Balmoral Castle. I propose that, when certain necessary business has been transacted, a deputation consisting of Her Majesty, His Royal Highness, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of York, the Prime Minister, the clerk of the Council, and myself, shall wait on the King and inform him the Council is assembled.’
Reading the text of the proclamation, the clerk of the council said: ‘Whereas it has pleased almighty God to call to his mercy our late Sovereign lady Queen Elizabeth II of blessed and glorious memory, by whose decease the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is solely and rightfully come to the Prince Charles Philip Arthur George.
The gun salute to mark the formal declaration of King Charles III as Britain’s new monarch, at the Tower of London in London
A gun salute is fired for King Charles III in Cardiff, Wales
The National Anthem was performed by The Band of the Coldstream Guards alongside eight State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry. They were accompanied by the St James’s Palace Detachment of The King’s Guard made up of Number 7 Company Coldstream Guards. The crowd of well-wishers joined the King’s Guard gathered outside the palace in three cries of ‘hip hip hooray’ for the King
King Charles III signing the Proclamation at St James’s Palace in London this morning during the historic ceremony
The Prince of Wales, the Queen, and King Charles III during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace, London
The Queen signs and oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace, London, where King Charles III is formally proclaimed monarch
King Charles III walking into the throne room in St James’s Palace this morning. On the podium stand William, Prince of Wales – the heir apparent – and Charles’ wife Camilla, Queen Consort
‘We, therefore, the lords spiritual and temporal of this realm, and members of the House of Commons, together with other members of Her late Majesty’s Privy Council, and representatives of the realms and territories, aldermen, and citizens of London and others, do now hereby, with one voice and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the Prince Charles Philip Arthur George, is now, by the death of our late Sovereign of happy memory, become our only lawful and rightful liege lord, Charles III, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and of his other realms and territories, King, head of the Commonwealth, defender of the faith, to whom we do acknowledge all faith and obedience with humble affection, beseeching God, by whom kings and queens do reign, to bless His Majesty with long and happy years to reign over us.’
He declared to the room ‘God Save the King’ and the packed room repeated the famous phrase.
The historic event comes after Charles gave a landmark address to the nation on Friday and paid a poignant and moving tribute to his ‘darling Mama’ the Queen.
The King pledged his whole life as service as the new sovereign just as the Queen did, saying: ‘That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today’.
And he used his speech to announce that he had created his son William the Prince of Wales, with Kate the Princess of Wales, and expressed his ‘love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas’, a symbol of his bid for reconciliation amid past troubles with the Sussexes.
He also paid tribute to his ‘darling wife’ Camilla, calling her ‘my Queen Consort’, saying he can ‘count on her loving help’ and praising her by saying: ‘I know she will bring to the demands of her new role the steadfast devotion to duty on which I have come to rely so much.’
The King also set out his changing role, as he steps away from his considerable charity work which shaped his life as the heir to the throne.
The Palace said: ‘His Majesty The King will be proclaimed at the Accession Council at 10.00hrs (on Saturday) in the State Apartments of St James’s Palace, London. The Accession Council, attended by Privy Councillors, is divided into two parts. In Part I, the Privy Council, without The King present, will proclaim the Sovereign, and formally approve various consequential Orders, including the arrangements for the Proclamation.
Crowds gather outside St James’s Palace in London, during the Accession Council ceremony at St James’s Palace, London
The King’s Guard gathered outside St James’s Palace in London shortly before the Principal Proclamation
William, Prince of Wales signing the Proclamation formally announcing King Charles III at St James’s Palace today
The Accession Council in the throne room in St James’s Palace where they await King Charles III
Camilla, Queen Consort and William, Prince of Wales arrive at St James’s Palace for the proclamation of the King
Prime Minister Liz Truss signs the Accession Proclamation formally announcing King Charles III
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, former prime ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Theresa May and John Major ahead of the Accession Council ceremony at St James’s Palace
The throne room in St James’s Palace in London, where the Accession Council awaits King Charles III
Conservative Prime Minister Penny Mordaunt, the Lord President, with William, Prince of Wales
Left to right: Labour leader Keir Starmer, Gordon Brown, Boris Johnson, David Cameron and Theresa May at St James’s Palace, just before the meeting of the Accession Council to formally proclaim King Charles III this morning
The Accession Council gathers at St James’s Palace in London. The body is made up of advisers including former prime ministers, who formally pronounce the Queen’s death before proclaiming Charles’ accession to the throne
Left to right: William, Prince of Wales, Camilla, Queen Consort and Prime Minister Liz Truss
Prime Minister Liz Truss and the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby at St James’s Palace in London at 10am
A gun salute is fired for King Charles, following the passing of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, in Cardiff
The Royal Salute is fired at Edinburgh Castle by 105th Regiment Royal Artillery
Prime Minister Liz Truss leaves Number 10 Downing Street this early morning via the side door
Police officers on guard at St James’s Palace in London this morning ahead of the proclamation
From left front row, Former British Prime Ministers Theresa May and John Major; Baroness Scotland, second row, Former British Prime Ministers Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, third row, Former British Prime Ministers David Cameron and Boris Johnson, arriving for the Accession Council ceremony at St James’s Palace
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown ahead of the Accession Council ceremony at St James’s Palace
Guards of the Buckingham Palace leaving the palace in London
Dignitaries arrive at St James’s Palace in London for the formal proclamation of King Charles III
Police officers stand on duty in Friary Court at St James’s Palace in London
People gather outside Buckingham Palace following the death of Queen Elizabeth II today
‘Part II, is the holding by The King of His Majesty’s first Privy Council. The King will make his Declaration and read and sign an oath to uphold the security of the Church in Scotland and approve Orders in Council which facilitate continuity of government.’
Mid-afternoon, members of Ms Truss’ Cabinet will have their first meeting with the King just days after the Prime Minister formed her new Government.
Senior ministers attending the Accession Council at St James’s will travel to Buckingham Palace for an audience with the monarch.
Ms Truss, who was invited to form a Government by the late Queen on Tuesday, had her initial audience with the King on Friday.
The Prime Minister curtsied as she was ushered in by a Palace aide for the first of what will be their regular weekly encounters. As she offered her condolences, the King shook her hand and thanked her, saying: ‘You are very kind for coming – I know how busy you are.’
He added: ‘But it’s been so touching this afternoon when we arrived here, all those people come to give their condolences.’
Ms Truss again repeated: ‘Your Majesty, my very greatest sympathies.’ He replied: ‘You are very kind. It was the moment I have been dreading, as I know a lot of people have. We’ll try to keep everything going. Come, come have a seat.’
Earlier, the Prime Minister had led tributes in the House of Commons to the Queen as she urged the country to support their new monarch.
Those tributes will continue during rare Saturday sittings of both the Commons and the House of Lords.
Proceedings in the lower chamber will begin at 1pm with a small number of senior MPs taking an oath of allegiance to the King, and are expect to continue to around 10pm.
By 8am on Saturday, thousands had gathered outside Buckingham Palace to pay their respects to the Queen.
Gun salutes rang out from stations including the Tower of London and Hyde Park both home and abroad on Saturday to mark the accession of the King. Sixty-two rounds were fired near Tower Bridge beside the River Thames by the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), and 41 rounds beside Park Lane by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery (RHA).
The HAC, in ceremonial dress, were seen driving in liveried Pinzgauer vehicles through the City of London past a thousands-strong crowd of watchers. They travelled with police escort to the Thames riverbank, where guns were positioned facing HMS Belfast.
At the Tower of London, a royal salute comprises the traditional 21 rounds, another 21 rounds signifies the loyalty of the City of London to the Crown, and a final 20 rounds were fired as the tower is a royal palace and fortress.
Shouts of ‘Long live the King’ were heard as spectators lined up across Tower Bridge and along the Causeway inside the tower to watch the display.
Salutes were also fired from Cardiff Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Gibraltar, Colchester, York, Larkhill near Stonehenge, naval bases in Devonport and Portsmouth and a number of stations at sea.
Reservists from 206 Battery 105 Regiment Royal Artillery fired the salute at Hillsborough Castle in Co Down watched by Steve Baker, minister of state for Northern Ireland.
The salutes were timed to coincide with the Principal Proclamation of the King, which was read by Garter King of Arms at 11am from the balcony above Friary Court, St James’ Palace.
Coldstream Guards and the King’s Guard will be present alongside eight state trumpeters of the Household Cavalry.
The RHA is a British Army mounted ceremonial unit that fires royal salutes on royal anniversaries and state occasions, such as state visits and royal birthdays. The HAC dates its origins back to 1537, making it the oldest regiment in the British Army. It took over the role of firing gun salutes from the Tower of London in 1924.
Gun salutes are customarily fired, both on land and at sea, as a sign of respect or welcome. They are now used to mark special occasions on certain days of the year, many of them with royal associations.
Gun salutes occur on royal anniversaries including Accession Day, the monarch’s birthday, Coronation Day, the monarch’s official birthday, the State Opening of Parliament, royal births and when a visiting head of state meets the monarch in London, Windsor or Edinburgh.
The Ministry of Defence said there are historical records of salutes taking place as early as the 14th century when guns and ammunition began to be adopted widely. Similar gun salutes were fired to mark the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 and Winston Churchill in 1965.
Mourners continued to bring bouquets of flowers, candles, notes, and other tributes to lay at the palace gates.
The mood at the central London royal residence was sombre, and despite the large number of mourners present, the area was quiet with people walking slowly and speaking in hushed tones.
A stream of people have crossed a bridge over the River Dee to lay flowers for the Queen at Balmoral Castle.
Thousands of bouquets have now been left at the gates of her beloved Scottish home, starting soon after her death was announced on Thursday.
One card left with the flowers said: ‘Ma’am thank you for your dedication and years of service.
‘There will always be a special place in heaven for you.’
Another featured a child’s drawing of the late monarch, with the message: ‘I miss you Queen.’
Melanie Knight, 54, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent was struggling to hold back tears as she paid her respects to the Queen outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday morning.
She said: ‘I’m really emotional. We just needed to be here. She’s the one constant that’s always been and it’s really strange.
‘I went up in my attic yesterday specifically to find Brownie memorabilia from when I was a Brownie because I remembered I pledged my allegiance to serve the Queen and God and I’ve never ever thought about it until yesterday, but I went and photocopied the Brownie prayer and a photo of when I saw the Queen at the Essex country fair and posted it on Instagram.’
She added: ‘It’s so surreal. This just seems such a big thing.’
Ms Knight said she was concerned about the future of the royal family, saying: ‘It’s scary because you’re worried about what will happen to the monarchy. Fundamentally this is what the United Kingdom is – the monarchy – and there are people who want to destroy it.
‘This is our history and it should be our future.’
Louise, 63, and Andrew Falconer, 62, have travelled from Watford to Windsor Castle to pay their respects to the late Queen.
Mrs Falconer said: ‘You realise it has actually happened when you see all this.’
Mr Falconer added: ‘Initially I was shocked with how sudden it was. She was on her feet and two days later, she’s gone.’
They said they were proud of the King after his first televised address on Friday evening.
Mrs Falconer said: ‘I think he did very well. I’m very proud of him, with how he must be feeling.’
Mr Falconer added: ‘Considering he hasn’t got time to grieve or mourn at the moment, the poor man, busy as he is, sorting things out, he did well.’
Police officers march past Friary Court at St James’s Palace in London
Guards are seen at Buckingham Palace, following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II
Members off the public lay floral tributes for Queen Elizabeth II, as others look on, outside the gates of Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire
Floral tributes are laid outside the gates of Windsor Castle, where the Queen spent much of the last years of her life
Well-wishers mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II as they lay floral tributes outside Windsor Castle
Mourners including children leave tributes including illustrates cards and Union flags and hats outside Buckingham Palace
King Charles III shakes hands with Prime Minister Liz Truss during their first audience at Buckingham Palace yesterday
Andy Bow, 57, from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, went to Buckingham Palace on Saturday.
The armed forces veteran said: ‘I’m just completely bereft really. I served the Queen while I was in the Army for 14 years. She just means so much to me, she’s everything.
‘She’s the mother of our nation I think. I, along with the vast majority of everybody here, are a little bit lost and not sure what’s going to happen so I just felt I had to come down and pay my respects for the last time.’
Mina Parmar-shah, 34, from Harrow, north west London, brought flowers to lay outside the palace gates.
She said: ‘I’ve followed the royal family my whole life so when the Queen died it was quite upsetting really, so I needed to come down and pay my respects.
‘As a woman, she ruled for 70 years and that’s a huge thing to have, especially because when she became Queen it was more of a man’s world so that’s a huge part of what she represents to me.
‘I have always respected the Queen and had a love for the royal family.’
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