Henry Nicholls | Reuters King Charles was officially named Britain’s new monarch on Saturday in a ceremony at St James’s Palace where former prime ministers, bishops and a host of politicians chanted “God save the king”. The death of 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth on Thursday after 70 years on the throne prompted long and highly choreographed plans for days of national mourning and a state funeral to be held in just over a week. Charles, 73, succeeded his mother immediately on Thursday, but the Accession Council met on Saturday to declare his succession, with his son and heir William, wife Camilla and Britain’s new prime minister Liz Truss among them. those who sign the declaration. Making his personal statement, Charles said: “In carrying out the heavy task that has been entrusted to me, and to which I am now devoting the remainder of my life, I pray for the guidance and assistance of Almighty God.” The proclamation was also to be read publicly in other UK capitals – Edinburgh in Scotland, Belfast in Northern Ireland and Cardiff in Wales – and other locations. The death of Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, has prompted an outpouring of tributes from home and around the world. Landmarks have been used to celebrate her life, with buildings in Europe, the Americas and Africa lit up in UK red, white and blue. In Britain, people began gathering outside the royal palaces in the early hours of Saturday morning, with thousands flocking to Buckingham Palace to pay their respects to the Queen and Charles – who was crowned king at nearby St James’s Palace. “It’s a painful moment in our country’s history,” said planning director Ian Bilboe, 54. “(We’re) here to be a part of this and to pay respect to the late queen and also to the new king.” Charles is king and head of state of the United Kingdom and 14 other kingdoms, including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
“The Grandmother of the Nation”
Britain has declared a period of mourning until a state funeral for Elizabeth, who was once described by her grandson Harry as the “grandmother of the nation”. The date for this has not been announced, but is expected in just over a week. World leaders are expected in London for the funeral, including US President Joe Biden, who said on Friday he would attend. Charles’ coronation as king will take place at a later date – and the timetable for this is not yet clear. There was a gap of 16 months between Elizabeth becoming Queen in 1952 and her coronation in 1953. The new king vowed on Friday to serve the nation with “faith, respect and love” in his first address to the nation as king. Earlier on Friday, returning to London from Scotland where his mother died, he was greeted with cheers, applause and a crowd singing “God Save The King” as he made his first public appearance outside Buckingham Palace. Charles also said in his speech that he had made his eldest son William, 40, the new Prince of Wales, the title that has been his for more than 50 years and is traditionally held by the heir to the throne. William’s wife Kate becomes Princess of Wales, a role last held by the late Princess Diana. Thousands gathered at the royal palaces from Thursday to pay their respects to the late queen, with some in tears as they laid flowers and others wanting to celebrate the life of a monarch who for most Britons was the only one they had ever known. Elizabeth, who was the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state, ascended the throne after the death of her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952, when she was just 25. Over the decades it has seen a seismic shift in the social, political and economic structure of its nation. She won praise for guiding the monarchy into the 21st century and modernizing it in the process, despite intense media scrutiny and her family’s often highly public travails. Charles, who polls show is less popular than his mother, now has the task of securing the institution’s future.
