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King Charles III during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace, London, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, where he is formally proclaimed monarch.
King Charles III was formally proclaimed sovereign of the United Kingdom on Saturday, as officials unveiled details of the meticulously choreographed ceremonies that will culminate in the state funeral of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Sept. 19.
In this time of sorrow for the House of Windsor, there were hints of a possible family reconciliation. Prince William and his brother Harry, together with Catherine, now Princess of Wales and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, delighted mourners near Windsor Castle with a surprise joint appearance to thank the public for their floral tributes and condolences.
It was the first time that quarrelling younger royal generation had worked together publicly since the Sussexes stepped aside from royal duties in 2020 and moved to California. The thousands who flocked to Windsor on a sunny day were in their thrall, as the couples gratefully accepted flowers, talked to parents and children at length, shook hands and accepted heartfelt condolences.
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Meghan approached a teenager in the crowd, who put her hand over her mouth in shock. The pair spoke briefly then the girl said: “Can I have a hug?” Meghan leaned in to give her a big hug.
Catherine, for her part, focused on young children in the crowd, bending down low to speak to them warmly face-to-face.
The late sovereign’s coffin now rests at Balmoral Castle, the summer retreat in the Scottish Highlands where Elizabeth died on Thursday. Palace officials promised Saturday that the public will have opportunities to see the late monarch’s oak coffin as it journeys from Balmoral Castle to Edinburgh and then to London, where her body will lie in state for four days starting Wednesday.
Edward William Fitzalan-Howard, the official in charge of arrangements, said the ceremonies would be “a fitting farewell to one of the defining figures of our times.”
The queen's eldest son and successor Charles was officially proclaimed Britain’s monarch Saturday in a pomp-filled ceremony steeped in ancient tradition and political symbolism — and, for the first time, broadcast live on television and online.
The 73-year-old Charles, who spent seven decades as heir apparent, automatically became king when his mother died and vowed to follow her example. But the accession ceremony was a key constitutional and ceremonial step that introduced the new monarch to the country, a relic of a time before mass communications.
“I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty which have now passed to me,” Charles said as he took on the duties of monarch.
New British Prime Minister Liz Truss and five of her predecessors were among scores of current and former British politicians who gathered at St. James’s Palace for the meeting of the Accession Council.
Saturday’s accession ceremony ended with a royal official publicly proclaiming King Charles III to be the country's new monarch from a balcony at the palace. In centuries past, this would have been the first official confirmation the public had of their new sovereign.
David White, the Garter King of Arms, made the proclamation, flanked by trumpeters in gold-trimmed robes before leading cheers — “hip, hip, hooray!” — for the new king. Gun salutes rang out in Hyde Park, at the Tower of London and at military sites around the U.K. as he announced the news, and scarlet-robed soldiers in the palace courtyard doffed their bearskin hats in a royal salute.
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From left: David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, Prince William, Prince of Wales, King Charles III, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, Anne, Princess Royal and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex walk behind the coffin during the procession for the Lying-in State of Queen Elizabeth II, Sept. 14, 2022, in London
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King Charles III, Prince William, Prince of Wales and Princess Anne, Princess Royal salute the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, adorned with a Royal Standard and the Imperial State Crown, as it arrives at the Palace of Westminster, Sept. 14, 2022, in London. Next to them is Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Prince Andrew, Duke of York.
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Members of the public line the Queen Victoria Memorial and the Mall as King Charles III and members of the royal family walk with Queen Elizabeth II’s flag-draped coffin as it is taken in procession by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, Sept. 14, 2022 in London.
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The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown placed on top, is carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, during the ceremonial procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, London, Sept. 14, 2022.
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Pallbearers from The Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards prepare to carry the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II into Westminster Hall on Sept. 14, 2022 in London.
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King Charles III, Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Camilla, Queen Consort, Sir Timothy Laurence, Mr. Peter Phillips, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Beatrice and Prince Edward, Duke of Kent seen inside the Palace of Westminster for the Lying-in State of Queen Elizabeth II, Sept. 14, 2022 in London.
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Pallbearers from The Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, prepare to place the coffin of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II on a catafalque inside Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster, Sept. 14, 2022, London.
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Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William, Prince of Wales leave after a service for the reception of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin at Westminster Hall, Sept. 14, 2022, London.
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The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II arrives in the Royal Hearse at Buckingham Palace in London on September 13, 2022, where it will rest in the Palace’s Bow Room overnight.
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Seen from the top of the Wellington Arch, the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II is taken in the Royal Hearse to Buckingham Palace in London on September 13, 2022.
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The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II leaves RAF Northolt, west London, from where it will be taken to Buckingham Palace, London, to lie at rest overnight in the Bow Room on September 13, 2022 in London, England.
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Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Edward, Earl of Wessex, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, Camilla, Queen Consort, Princess Anne, Princess Royal and King Charles III attend a Service of Prayer and Reflection for the Life of Queen Elizabeth II at St Giles’ Cathedral, Sept. 12, 2022 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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From left, Prince Andrew, King Charles III, Camilla, the Queen Consort, Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, look on as the Duke of Hamilton places the Crown of Scotland on the coffin during the Service of Prayer and Reflection for the Life of Queen Elizabeth II at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, Sept. 12, 2022.
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Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, King Charles III, Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, stand as the hearse carrying the coffin of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II arrives at St. Giles’ Cathedral after the procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Sept. 12, 2022, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
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King Charles III, Princess Anne, Princess Royal and Prince Andrew, Duke of York, walk behind the procession of Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin, from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral, on the Royal Mile, Sept. 12, 2022, where Queen Elizabeth II will lie at rest. Mourners will get the first opportunity to pay respects before the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it lies in an Edinburgh cathedral where King Charles III will preside over a vigil.
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King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, sits in Westminster Hall Sept. 12, 2022, in London, England, to listen to an address to His Majesty in Westminster Hall following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
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Lord Speaker John McFall, left, and Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle, right, as well as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, take part in an address in Westminster Hall Sept. 12, 2022, in London, England. The Lord Speaker and the Speaker of the House of Commons presented an Address to His Majesty on behalf of their respective House in Westminster Hall following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
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King Charles III inspects the Guard of Honor as he arrives for the Ceremony of the Keys at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Sept. 12, 2022, in Edinburgh, Scotland. The monarch is handed the keys of the city of Edinburgh and welcomed to “your ancient and hereditary kingdom of Scotland” in this ancient ritual. The King then returns them to Edinburgh’s elected officials for safekeeping.
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A corgi lies in front of the flowers at The Long Walk gates in front of Windsor Castle, Sept. 12, 2022, in Windsor, England.
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Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, Britain’s Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Britain’s Prince Andrew, Duke of York look on as Britain’s Princess Anne, Princess Royal, curtseys before the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, Sept. 11, 2022, in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
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People gather on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland, to watch the cortege carrying the coffin of the late Queen Elizabeth II, draped with the Royal Standard of Scotland, as it completes its journey from Balmoral to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Sept. 11, 2022.
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King Charles III speaks during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace, London, Sept. 10, 2022, shortly after he was formally proclaimed monarch.
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King Charles III with the Prince of Wales, the Queen Consort and Lord President of the Council Penny Mordaunt during the Accession Council at St James’s Palace, London, Sept. 10, 2022. King Charles III was formally proclaimed monarch after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
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Members of the Coldstream guards line up ahead of the watching public as the Principal Proclamation is read from the balcony overlooking Friary Court after King Charles III is proclaimed King, at St James’s Palace in London, England, Sept. 10, 2022.
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A 21-gun salute by the 105 Regiment Royal Artillery at Hillsborough Castle, Belfast, marks the Proclamation of Accession of King Charles III, Sept. 10, 2022.
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Former British Prime Ministers David Cameron, Boris Johnson, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, Theresa May and John Major, joined by Baroness Scotland, arrive for a meeting of the Accession Council inside St James’s Palace in London, Sept. 10, 2022, to proclaim King Charles III as the new King.
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The car carrying King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, arrives at Buckingham Palace with the Union Flag at half mast, Sept. 9, 2022, in London.
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Britain’s King Charles III, left, and Camilla, the Queen Consort, look at floral tributes left outside Buckingham Palace on Sept. 9, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, in London. King Charles III, who spent much of his 73 years preparing for the role, planned to meet with the prime minister and address a nation grieving the only British monarch most of the world had known.
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The Death Gun Salute is fired at the Tower of London by the Honourable Artillery Company, British Army, to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II, in London on Sept. 9, 2022. Ninety-six rounds were fired for each year of the Queen’s life.
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The lights of the Eiffel tower are turned off in memory of Queen Elizabeth II, Sept. 8, 2022 in Paris, France.
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A photo of Queen Elizabeth II is projected onto the sails of the Sydney Opera House, Sept. 9, 2022, in Sydney, Australia.
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European flags fly at half-mast during a meeting of EU energy ministers at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Sept. 9, 2022, a day after the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.
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A rainbow is seen outside of Buckingham Palace on Sept. 8, 2022, in London, England. Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-serving monarch, has died at 96 following months of health concerns.
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The official Royal announcement of the death of Queen Elizabeth II is placed on the gates of Buckingham Palace on Sept. 8, 2022, in London, England.
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Mourners lay flowers on the gate of Buckingham Palace in London after it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II has died, Sept. 8, 2022.
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The Union flag flies half mast as people gather at Buckingham Palace on Sept. 8, 2022 in London, England following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
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Mourners gather laying flowers outside Windsor Castle in Berkshire following the announcement of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Picture date: Thursday September 8, 2022.
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A man lowers the White House U.S. flag to half-mast in Washington, D.C, Sept. 8, 2022, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
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A Nasdaq billboard pay tribute to the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II in Times Square on Sept. 8, 2022 in New York, New York.
The proclamation was read at other locations across the U.K., including in the medieval City of London.
The new king formally approved a series of orders, including one declaring the day of his mother’s funeral as a public holiday.
Charles was accompanied at the ceremony by wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, and eldest son Prince William, who is now heir to the throne and known by the title that Charles long held, the Prince of Wales. In his first statement since his grandmother’s death, William said the queen “was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life” — a clear reference to the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.
“I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real,” William said.
People came by the thousands to pay their respects outside Buckingham Palace in London. The scene was repeated at other royal residences across the U.K. and at British embassies around the world.
The country has also just seen a change of leader. Truss was appointed prime minister by the queen on Tuesday, just two days before the monarch died. On Saturday, Truss and other senior U.K. lawmakers lined up in the House of Commons to take an oath of loyalty to the new king.
Normal parliamentary business has been suspended during a period of mourning for the queen. The House of Commons held a rare Saturday session so lawmakers could pay tribute to the late monarch.
Charles has struck a note of continuity, vowing in a televised address Friday to carry on the queen’s “lifelong service,” with his own modernizing stamp.
The new monarch looked both to the past — noting his mother’s unwavering “dedication and devotion as sovereign” — and the future, seeking to strike a reassuring note of constancy while signaling that his will be a 21st-century monarchy.
He reflected on how the country had changed dramatically during the queen’s reign into a society “of many cultures and many faiths,” and pledged to serve people in Britain and the 14 other countries where he is king “whatever may be your background or beliefs.”
For a second day on Saturday, Charles waded into the crowds to meet his subjects and shake hands. Trying to overcome a reputation for aloofness, he is signaling a more relaxed approach to the monarchy than that of his mother.
“It just felt like a really special moment in history,'' said Beverly Nash from Kent. “And it was lovely actually seeing him. I didn’t think I would feel as emotional as I did.''
