The date of the funeral has not yet been announced, but it is believed it could take place on Monday, September 19, at the end of ten days of mourning. It was previously unclear whether there would be a public holiday for the funeral, which will be the first state funeral to be held in the UK in 50 years. But King Charles ordered one during his first meeting with the privy council on Saturday. The new king confirmed the holiday during the ceremony – the first to be televised – in which he was officially proclaimed the new monarch. A number of former prime ministers were in attendance, as well as former cabinet members, archbishops, judges and senior members of the House of Lords. The 73-year-old king automatically assumed the title when Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday, but Saturday’s proclamation was ceremonial.
