On Saturday, the Council of Ascension to the Throne officially proclaimed Charles III the King of Britain. In a speech to the council, Britain’s new king confirmed that he pledged to respect the constitution, support the government and the work of Parliament.
Charles III, during his official proclamation as King of Britain in a historic ceremony, said that he was “well aware of the great duties and responsibilities” of the king.
The 73-year-old monarch told the Ascension Council of senior political and religious advisers that he would do everything in his power to be an “inspiring example” to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died Thursday at the age of 96.
“Prince Charles Philip Arthur George is now, on the death of Her Majesty…our King Charles III…God save the King,” the council reported in a historic televised session at St James’s Palace in London.
The Ascension Council is made up of a special advisory body that now numbers about 670 senior politicians, including Prime Minister Liz Terrace. The board advises kings since the Norman era.
The King took an oath to perform his duties before the Council of Ascension to the Throne, and then signed his inauguration document. Then Prince William, the Crown Prince, signed the document, and Camilla, the king’s wife, signed the document.
After the session ended, the members of the Ascension Council continued to sign documents of their approval for the installation of Charles III as King of Britain.
Then the second proclamation of Charles III’s enthronement took place from the balcony of St James’s Palace and the proclamation of the enthronement was read. Artillery shots sounded to celebrate the inauguration. It also fired 41 artillery rounds in Hydepark as part of the ceremony.
Later, the inauguration was announced in a number of London streets, and the crowds cheered and sang in celebration of the new king. It was also announced in various regions of the United Kingdom by different means, including traditional, such as loudspeakers, and electronic, such as Twitter.
In front of the palace, ceremonies and celebrations continued in the presence of a public, along with members of the Council of Ascension to the Throne, various elites and dignitaries, the Royal Guard and security teams and military music.
And on Friday evening, for the first time in 70 years, the British national anthem was played in the form of “God Save the King” at St Paul’s Cathedral at the conclusion of a religious ceremony in honor of Elizabeth II. This anthem replaced the “God Save the Queen”, adopted since the late queen’s accession to the throne in 1952.
On Saturday, it was decided to declare the days of the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II as national mourning days.
Charles III promised to be in the service of the British throughout his life, as did his mother, who made this vow at the age of twenty-one. “Like the Queen, who has done so with steadfast dedication, I also solemnly pledge now for as long as the Lord gives me, to defend the constitutional principles which are at the heart of our nation,” he asserted, confidently.
King Charles III and British Prime Minister Liz Terrace at Buckingham Palace
Prior to that, Charles III went from Buckingham Palace for the first time to his countrymen as king in a recorded televised speech, praising his “beloved” mother, who died at the age of 96 after a reign of 70 years and seven months. He described Elizabeth II as “an inspiration and an example” to him and his family.
Charles III ascends the throne as the country is going through a difficult period with the worst economic crisis in the United Kingdom in 40 years. Four prime ministers took over the presidency in six years.
Charles, 73, became the oldest monarch upon his accession to the throne of the United Kingdom.
Crowds gathered outside Buckingham Palace on Friday afternoon gave the new king a warm welcome upon his return from Scotland. He and his wife, Camilla, shook hands with dozens of people who gathered behind iron barriers in front of the palace. Thousands of people have flocked to the venue since the Queen’s death was announced to lay bouquets and messages of condolence.
Elizabeth II died Thursday “quietly” at Balmoral Palace in Scotland, surrounded by her son Charles and daughter Anne. Her two other sons, Andrew Edwards, heir-to-the-throne Prince William, and then Prince Harry, arrived after her death.
The king announced that the royal mourning period, which includes the royal family and its workers, will continue for seven days after the funeral, the date of which has not yet been set. The royal circuits will remain closed until the funeral, while the flags are lowered. The national mourning announced by the government will continue until the day of the funeral. The Queen will be buried in a private ceremony in the chapel of Windsor Castle.