King Charles III poignantly concluded his deeply personal and touching first address as monarch by quoting from Shakespeare’s immortal play Hamlet.
But some viewers instead admitted that the line: ‘May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest’ reminded them not of the great Bard – but of silly Blackadder instead.
The quotation appears at the end of Hamlet, when – after the death of the titular character in the final scene’s bloodbath – his friend Horatio opines: ‘Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest’.
Closing his address on Friday evening after the death of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96, the King – paying tribute to his ‘darling mama’ – tearfully said: ‘I want simply to say this: thank you. Thank you for your love and devotion to our family and to the family of nations you have served so diligently all these year. May ‘flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest’.’
Instead, some of those who watched the King’s speech said it reminded them of a scene from Blackadder II, the second series of the beloved Rowan Atkinson historical sitcom, when Lady Farrow – played by Holly De Jong – tries to save her husband before his execution.
After Queenie – a spoof of England’s Queen Elizabeth I played by Miranda Richardson – gives her the go-ahead to stop the death sentence, Lady Farrow thanks the monarch, curtsies and says: ‘May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest’ – to which a squealing Queenie responds: ‘Yes I’m sure they will!’.
It comes as the King delivered a historic televised address to the nation, paying a poignant and moving tribute to his ‘darling mama’.
Charles said of his ‘beloved mother’ the late Elizabeth II: ‘We owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example’.
King Charles III poignantly concluded his deeply personal and touching first address as monarch by quoting from Shakespeare’s immortal play Hamlet
Some of those who watched the King’s speech said it reminded them of a scene from Blackadder II, the second series of the beloved Rowan Atkinson historical sitcom, when Lady Farrow – played by Holly De Jong (left) – tries to save her husband before his execution. After Queenie – a spoof of England’s Queen Elizabeth I played by Miranda Richardson – gives her the go-ahead to stop the death sentence, Lady Farrow thanks the monarch, curtsies and says: ‘May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest’ – to which a squealing Queenie responds: ‘Yes I’m sure they will!’
But some viewers instead admitted that the line: ‘May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest’ reminded them not of the great Bard – but of silly Blackadder instead
Members of the public attend a Service of Prayer and Reflection, following the passing of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, at St Paul’s Cathedral
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.
‘My life will of course change as I take up my new responsibilities. It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply. But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others,’ he said.
The monarch pre-recorded the lengthy speech, which was just under 1,000 words and lasted around nine-and-a-half minutes in the Blue Drawing Room of the royal residence in central London, and it was played out at 6pm on Friday.
Onlookers shouted three cheers for Charles as he spoke to countless onlookers who had gathered to mourn his mother
The King, dressed in a sombre black suit, black tie and with a black and white checked handkerchief in his breast pocket, said: ‘I speak to you today with feelings of profound sorrow.
‘Throughout her life, Her Majesty The Queen – my beloved Mother – was an inspiration and example to me and to all my family, and we owe her the most heartfelt debt any family can owe to their mother; for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example.
‘Queen Elizabeth was a life well lived; a promise with destiny kept and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today.’
MPs applauded the King’s address after they watched it in silence in the Commons chamber. Some could be seen wiping away tears during the speech. The Commons had been suspended for a short period to allow MPs to watch the speech on televisions in the chamber.
This evening’s service at St Paul’s is being attended by 2,000 members of the public who were handed tickets on a first-come-first-served basis.
Members of the congregation were tearful through the service as the choir sang. One woman was seen using a handkerchief to wipe her eyes as she sat in the pews at St Paul’s.
Prime Minister Liz Truss looked solemn as she gave her Bible reading from Romans 14. 7-12.
She said: ‘We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
‘For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
‘Why do you pass judgement on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God.
‘For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’ So then, each of us will be accountable to God.’
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly were seen listening intently to her reading before standing for the hymn O Thou Who Camest From Above.
In a separate area, the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Lord Speaker are sat together while Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Nadhim Zahawi is sat with Lord High Chancellor Brandon Lewis.
Deputy Prime Minister Therese Coffey, Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt and Welsh Secretary Robert Buckland were seen all standing together and singing along to a hymn during the service.
Earlier today, huge crowds cheered the new monarch as he arrived at Buckingham Palace in a vintage Rolls-Royce alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort, before he got out and began shaking hands with countless well-wishers.
In moving scenes, shouts of God Save the King broke out before an impromptu rendition of the National Anthem, with the words changed to reflect the new monarch.
As the sun shone on an otherwise dull, damp day, the Royal Standard was raised above Buckingham Palace for the first time of his reign.
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