A royal official has publicly proclaimed King Charles III as Britain’s new monarch during a ceremony at St James’s Palace.
David White, the League’s king-in-arms, read the proclamation from a balcony of the royal residence in London, flanked by trumpeters in gold-trimmed robes.
Gun salutes rang out in Hyde Park, the Tower of London and military posts across the UK as the proclamation was made.
Scarlet-robed soldiers in the palace courtyard presented weapons and removed their bearskin hats in a royal salute.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS:
— Prince Charles became king on his mother’s death
—- A unique queen, mourned by her people
— “The Crown” halts production due to Queen’s death
— Will Charles be loved by his subjects, as his mother was?
— ‘A constant in my life’: The world mourns Queen Elizabeth II
— Biden is the 13th and last president of the United States to meet with Queen Elizabeth II
— Find more AP coverage here: https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
LONDON — King Charles III has declared that the day of his mother’s funeral will be a public holiday.
Charles approved the decision during his formal accession ceremony on Saturday.
The date of Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral has not been announced, but is expected to be around September 19.
This will be the second additional public holiday for Britons this year: a holiday was declared at the beginning of June to celebrate Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee, 70 years on the throne.
LONDON — King Charles III was officially announced as Britain’s monarch on Saturday in a ceremony steeped in ancient traditions and political symbolism and, for the first time, broadcast live.
Charles automatically became king when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, died on Thursday, but Saturday’s accession ceremony is a key constitutional and ceremonial step in introducing the new monarch to the country.
The ceremony at the Palau de Sant Jaume, London’s royal residence, is attended by the Council of Membership, made up of senior politicians and civil servants who advise the monarch. They met without Charles, officially confirming his title, King Charles III. The king will then join them in making a series of oaths and declarations.
It is the first time the ceremony has been held since 1952, when Queen Elizabeth II took the throne.
LONDON – Britain’s King Charles III told Prime Minister Liz Truss that losing his mother was the day he dreaded and he had to “try to hold on to everything”.
Their meeting took place at Buckingham Palace on Friday after the king flew from Scotland to London.
Queen Elizabeth II had appointed Truss to the role just two days before her death.
And Truss praised the Queen during the start of a special session of Parliament, calling her “the nation’s greatest diplomat” and saying her devotion to duty was an example to all.
Normal business in Parliament has been suspended and lawmakers will spend two days offering their memories and reflections on the Queen.
Senior lawmakers will also swear in King Charles III, the new monarch.
WASHINGTON – US President Joe Biden told reporters on Friday that he planned to attend Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
Biden was the thirteenth and last president of the United States to meet the woman whose reign lasted seven decades. The Queen had met every American president since Dwight Eisenhower, with the exception of Lyndon Johnson. This is because Johnson did not visit Britain during his presidency.
Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said the Queen’s “legacy will loom large in the pages of British history and the history of our world.”
All living former US presidents — Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump — joined Biden in mourning his death and sending condolences to his family.
ATHENS, Greece – Former King Constantine of Greece has described Queen Elizabeth II as “a beacon of dignity and humility for the whole world.”
Constantine lived in London for years after the abolition of the Greek monarchy and is close to the British royal family.
“We’ve been through a lot together and I’ll never forget the love and support you showed me and my family,” she said in a statement Friday. “To King Charles III. I heartily wish equally successful service to his country.”
LONDON – King Charles III has expressed his love for his son, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan, in his first address to the nation since taking the throne.
Charles, who became king after the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, wishes the couple well “as they build their lives abroad”.
Meghan, 41, and Harry, 37, have had a strained relationship with the British royal family since stepping down from royal duties and leaving the UK in early 2020, citing what they said were intolerable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media.
The comment came during a recorded speech before a memorial service in honor of the late monarch, who died on Thursday.
LONDON – King Charles III says he is “deeply saddened” by the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and has vowed to continue her “lifelong service” to the nation.
Charles makes his first address to Great Britain and the Commonwealth as monarch. He became king on Thursday after the death of the queen.
“This promise of lifelong service I renew to all of you today,” he said.
Her speech was televised and relayed to St Paul’s Cathedral, where around 2,000 people were attending a memorial service for the Queen. Mourners at the service included Prime Minister Liz Truss and members of her government.
Flags flew at half-mast at landmarks across Australia on Friday as people mourned the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
Australian Governor-General David Hurley and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed books of condolence in Canberra.
“There is comfort in Her Majesty’s words: ‘Pain is the price we pay for love,'” the Australian prime minister said.
New Zealanders also mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth II with tributes across the country on Friday. At the Auckland War Memorial, a group of young people performed the Haka, a ceremonial dance of Maori culture. Flags flew at half-mast across the country.
Under New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements, the Queen was also New Zealand’s monarch and head of state.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand had moved into a period of official mourning and would hold a state memorial service after the official funeral in Britain.
ABUJA, Nigeria — The death of Britain’s monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, was front-page news in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, largest economy and former British colony.
Nigeria’s president, Mohammodu Buhari, offered his condolences and expressed his sadness at learning of the queen’s death, according to his spokesman.
This sentiment was echoed by a man, Musa Adamu, at a news kiosk in the capital, Abuja. The official urged the British people to “be patient and bear the pain”, noting that “God will bless you all now”.
The flag flew at half-mast outside the British High Commission.
On a daily morning talk show, host Mohammed Jinadu and pundit Linda Claudia discussed the role Queen Elizabeth II played in keeping Britain together.
