His mother once promised to devote “her whole life, short or long,” to the service of her subjects. She kept that promise and now he wants to renew it, Charles said.
Charles also reached out directly to his late mother. “Dear Mom, as you begin your final great journey to meet my dear late dad, I just want to say one thing: thank you,” he said in a pre-recorded speech Friday night. “Thank you for your love and dedication to our family and to all the nations you have so diligently served over the years.”
With the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, 73-year-old Charles became the British king. He knows that his mother’s death causes great sadness in his country and around the world and he shares it, he said. “Affection, admiration and respect” had become the “trademark” of her reign. Any member of his family can testify that the Queen has combined this with “warmth, humor and an unerring ability to see the best in people,” the monarch said.
It was a privilege to bear the title “Prince of Wales” himself, Charles said in his first televised address to the nation on Friday evening. He was confident that William, 40, and his wife Kate, 40, would continue to inspire British society and lead national debates as the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Kate has never been a princess, just a duchess. The fact that she is now becoming a princess is unusual – in the past this title was reserved for women who were born into the royal family. The last one to be different was William’s mother, Diana. She too was a Princess of Wales.
Charles” wife Camilla – now “Queen Consort” – bore the title Duchess of Wales. He is happy that Camilla is also at his side as queen.
Charles also addressed conciliatory words to his younger son Harry (37) and his wife Meghan (40). “I also want to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build lives overseas,” the king said.
Harry and Meghan had broken away from the inner circle of the royal family more than two years ago and now live with their children Archie (3) and Lilibet (1) in the US state of California. Harry had fallen out with his father Charles and his older brother William.
Charles III will be officially proclaimed as British King this Saturday. Proclamation is carried out by members of the Privy Council, which is composed primarily of current and former members of the government, church officials, judges and other public figures. The Council meets at 10:00 a.m. (11:00 a.m. CEST). Charles is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Liz Truss and the cabinet on Saturday.
The king replaces his mother as head of the Privy Council. The members are to advise the monarch on matters of state. The Queen died Thursday at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, aged 96.