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King Charles III was set to address his new subjects on Friday, as Britain mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth II, bringing an end to a historic 70-year reign.
Charles, 73, ascended to the throne immediately following his mother’s death at her Scottish Highland retreat on Thursday, prompting tributes both at home and abroad.
He is scheduled to return to London from Balmoral, where the 96-year-old queen died “peacefully” after a year of declining health.
The palace did not immediately release details of his inaugural address, which is scheduled to be pre-recorded, but it is part of a 10-day plan that has been honed over decades.
On Friday, the new king is expected to meet Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was only appointed on Tuesday as part of the queen’s final ceremonial act before her death.
He was also scheduled to meet with officials in charge of his accession and the elaborate plans for his mother’s elaborate funeral.
He will determine the length of the royal household’s period of mourning, which is expected to last a month, while the UK government will observe 10 days of official remembrance during which no business will be conducted.
Gun salutes, one for each year of the queen’s reign, will be fired across central London’s Hyde Park and from the Tower of London, the ancient royal fortress on the River Thames.
Muffled church bells will ring at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, and Windsor Castle, among other locations, and Union flags will be flown at half-mast.
Truss and other senior ministers are expected to attend a public remembrance service at St Paul’s, while the UK parliament will begin two days of special tributes.
The queen’s death and its ceremonial aftermath come as the government rushes through emergency legislation to address the kind of war-fueled economic privation that marked the start of Elizabeth’s reign in 1952.
Tributes
The queen’s death dominated British newspapers, which printed special editions to commemorate the occasion.
The popular tabloid the Daily Mail headlined, “Our hearts are broken.” “We adored you, Ma’am,” The Sun said. The Mirror simply stated, “Thank you.”
Elizabeth, whose public appearances had become increasingly rare, died after months of ill-health that became public after she spent an unscheduled night in hospital in October 2021 for undisclosed health tests.
Truss praised the “second Elizabethan age” on the steps of Downing Street shortly after her death was announced, five centuries after the celebrated first.
Crowds gathered late Thursday night outside Buckingham Palace in London and Windsor Castle west of the capital, braving the rain, with the number of well-wishers expected to grow in the coming days.
Londoner Joshua Ellis, 24, fought back tears as he mourned the “nation’s grandmother” at the palace.
‘Beloved sovereign’
Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne at the age of 25 in the exhausted aftermath of World War II, joining a world stage dominated by political figures ranging from Winston Churchill to Mao Zedong and Joseph Stalin.
Her unprecedented reign spanned two centuries of seismic social, political, and technological change.
Throughout, she remained popular and served as head of state not only of the United Kingdom, but also of 14 former British colonies, including Australia and Canada.
Charles was crowned King of New Zealand. But, even as it mourns the queen, Australia’s new government appears to be reviving calls to abolish the monarchy.
The mourning in the United Kingdom will culminate in a final public farewell at Westminster Abbey in London. The funeral will be a national day of mourning.
Charles’ coronation, an elaborate ritual steeped in tradition and history, will take place on a date to be determined in the same historic surroundings that it has for centuries.
The Accession Council, made up of senior politicians, bishops, City of London dignitaries, and Commonwealth ambassadors, will formally proclaim his reign on Saturday.
The new king described his mother as a “cherished sovereign” whose death would be “deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms, and the Commonwealth, as well as by countless people around the world,” according to a statement.
“My family and I will be comforted and sustained during this time of mourning and change by our knowledge of the queen’s widespread respect and deep affection,” Charles said.
