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In his first speech, Charles III of Britain promised his mourning subjects that he would follow in the footsteps of his “darling mama,” Queen Elizabeth II, and he will be formally crowned on Saturday.
After the queen died on Thursday, the 73-year-old became monarch automatically, but a constitutional requirement to recognise his authority is an Accession Council ceremony at St. James’s Palace early on Saturday.
The pomp-filled ceremony, which included trumpets and a balcony declaration, is the most recent event in the royal family’s 10-day official mourning period, which will last far longer for the royal family and is being staged across Britain in preparation for the queen’s funeral.
On Friday, an emotional Charles delivered a broadcast speech in which he praised his mother for her “unwavering dedication” during her record-breaking seven decades in power. This speech laid the groundwork for his reign.
“Queen Elizabeth lived a full life, fulfilling her destiny and leaving behind a legacy that is dearly regretted. I’m reaffirming my commitment to serve you all forever today “he stated.
While expressing love for his younger son Harry and daughter-in-law Meghan, the new king also proclaimed his 40-year-old elder son Prince William the new Prince of Wales.
As a result of the decision, William’s wife Kate now has the title of Princess of Wales, which was formerly held by the late Princess Diana, who was also Charles’ ex-wife.
Flower, cheers, and kisses
People have gathered outside Buckingham Palace to mourn the queen and to wish Charles well. Some of them shouted “God Save the King” when he met them on his return from Scotland on Friday.
After leaving the Balmoral retreat, where his 96-year-old mother passed away quietly, the oldest king to succeed to the British throne was greeted with flowers, shouts, and even kisses.
Earlier, church bells and formal cannon salutes for the late queen sounded out across the United Kingdom as it struggled to accept the loss of the only monarch most people had ever known.
The Accession Council, which includes Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William, Prime Minister Liz Truss, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, will formally crown Charles as king.
His own self’
Dignitaries attended a memorial service for Charles’s mother at St. Paul’s Cathedral, when the new national song “God Save the King” was performed for the first time in public as his pre-recorded speech was being transmitted to the country.
Several hundred mourners had gathered outside the cathedral, and Barbara Lewis, a retired woman from west London, said, “Suddenly you sense that he’s his own person.”
The future monarch has spent his whole adult life living in the shadow of his mother’s record-breaking reign, which was marked by unprecedented change in both Britain and the rest of the world.
Charles and the rest of the royal family will observe a prolonged period of mourning beginning today and lasting for seven days following her funeral, according to information released by Buckingham Palace.
The funeral has not yet been formally announced, but it is anticipated to take place on Monday, September 19. Heads of state and government will attend.
Joe Biden, the vice president of the United States, has committed to going. Russian President Vladimir Putin won’t, according to the Kremlin.
Flowers are stacking up in one of many painful reminders of the sincere devotion felt for her at her London residence, which has drawn thousands of mourners.
With tears streaming down her cheeks, project manager Joan Russell, 55, from northeast London, said, “She has been our monarch all my life.”
“Amazing responsibility”
Truss, who was only chosen by the late monarch on Tuesday, oversaw two days of tributes to the queen in parliament. She gave Charles support as she acknowledged the “great burden” that has been placed upon him.
The government has stated that organisations are under no need to continue operating during the country’s 10-day period of mourning, yet many do so out of respect.
All of this weekend’s Premier League games in England were postponed, and scheduled pay strikes by railway and postal workers were called off in response to Britain’s rising inflation and skyrocketing energy costs.
Since Elizabeth spent an unexpected night in the hospital in October 2021, her public appearances have grown less frequent.
In her final official photos from Tuesday, when she appointed Truss, she was smiling but yet considerably emaciated and hunched over.
During her reign, which began with Winston Churchill in 1952, the new leader was the 15th prime minister.
enduringly well-liked
Elizabeth’s body is anticipated to stay in Balmoral until being transported to Edinburgh’s Palace of Holyroodhouse on Sunday.
Her casket is scheduled to arrive in London from the Scottish capital on Tuesday to lie in state for a few days.
Before the broadcast funeral service at Westminster Abbey across the street, officials anticipate that more than a million people will file past the catafalque in Westminster Hall, the building that houses the oldest part of the UK parliament complex.
As part of a Day of National Mourning, the funeral will be observed as a public holiday.
The elaborate, historically significant rite of Charles’ coronation will take place on a yet-to-be-determined day in the same historic settings.
At the young age of 25, Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in the post-World War II era, which was plagued by political figures such as Churchill, Mao Zedong, and Joseph Stalin.
The last remnants of Britain’s huge empire fell in the decades that followed, and at home, Brexit shook her country to its very foundations.
Diana died in a vehicle accident in Paris in 1997, which was followed by a string of scandals for her family, and at first it appeared that she was not handling Diana’s death well.
She was the head of state of 14 former British colonies, including Australia and Canada, during this time, yet she also maintained her popularity constantly.
