The death of Queen Elizabeth II opened the door to a new stage in the country’s history, as her eldest son Charles, 73, spontaneously succeeded her, in accordance with centuries-old protocol.
On Friday, King Charles III and his wife Camilla returned to London following spending the night at Balmoral Palace, which witnessed the Queen’s death.
King Charles is scheduled to meet the new Prime Minister, Liz Terrace, who will have met two monarchs within four days, and this is a precedent. On Tuesday, the Queen received her and asked her to form a new government.
An “improvised” religious ceremony will also be held at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, in the presence of the Prime Minister and members of the government.
Today, Friday, King Charles will make his first speech to the British, according to what his spokesman announced following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Buckingham Palace had announced that the former heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, 73, had become king of the country, succeeding his mother.
Earlier, Clarence House, the royal rapporteur in London, announced that the new king would be known as King Charles III.
During the day, the Royal Artillery fires 96 artillery rounds in a number of areas and the bells of St Paul’s Church, Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle will ring.
According to royal protocol, the succession council will later announce at a meeting inside St James’s Palace that Charles III will be officially crowned King of Britain. A period of national mourning will be announced for the Queen’s departure, which will continue until her funeral ten days later.
The Queen died yesterday, Thursday, in her Scottish palace in Balmoral, following the Queen ascended the throne for a record period of 70 years, to start a new stage in the history of the royal throne surrounded by many questions.
The funeral service is scheduled to take place on September 18, and her body will be laid in Westminster Cathedral so that those wishing to see her farewell will be buried in Windsor Castle next to her husband, Prince Philip, who passed away last year.
The British flag was flown at half-mast over Buckingham Palace in London, where large crowds gathered in the evening, and the mournful and praising reactions of her long march began to trickle in from all over the world.
Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen died “peacefully this followingnoon” Thursday.
Immediately following the announcement was issued, the crowd in front of the palace burst into tears amid complete silence over the place.
The new king called Charles “a dear queen and a beloved mother”. “The passing of my beloved mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a very sad moment for me and all of my family,” he said in his first statement as King.
The late queen had been suffering from movement and standing problems since last year, and had resorted to using a walking stick on various occasions. Her health deteriorated regarding a year ago, following spending one night in the hospital. Since then, her appearance on public occasions has become increasingly rare, in a situation which the palace attributed to the difficulties she sometimes suffers in standing and walking, and compelling her to delegate an increasing amount of her duties to her immediate heirs; Her son, Prince Charles, and his eldest son, Prince William.
Anticipation and sympathy prevailed in Britain yesterday morning, following the Queen’s doctors expressed their “concern” regarding her health, and her family members rushed to rally around her at Balmoral Palace. Charles arrived with his wife Camilla in Balmoral, where the Queen spends annually at the end of summer, as did her daughter Princess Anne. Prince William also arrived at the palace, along with several other family members. Prince Harry, brother of Prince William, who lives with his wife Meghan Markle in California, USA, also arrived later.
