In a broadcast from Buckingham Palace, the King spoke of his feelings of profound sorrow” at the Queen’s death on Thursday at the age of 96 and vowed to continue her tradition of constitutional monarchy.
He announced that he was creating his eldest son and heir William and wife Kate Prince and Princess of Wales and wife Camilla Queen Consort.
And he made clear he wanted to draw a line under rifts within the royal family following younger son Harry and wife Meghan’s withdrawal from official duties, with an affectionate message offering “my love as they continue to build their lives overseas”.
The address came after a poignant journey from the place of Elizabeth II’s death in Balmoral to London, where he and Camilla were given a rapturous reception by a crowd of thousands outside the palace.
As his royal Bentley drew up there were cries of “God save the King” from the crowd of thousands, some of whom had waited hours through sometimes heavy rainfall for a first glimpse of the new monarch.
Charles was given a peck on the cheek by one woman and another clutched his hand with both of hers and kissed it.
In a sign of the great personal loss which accompanies his accession to the throne, the new King told well-wishers: “I have really dreaded this day.”
His address was beamed into St Paul’s Cathedral, where Prime Minister Liz Truss joined 2,000 members of the public in a service of thanksgiving for the Queen’s life.
The service witnessed the first official rendition of the national anthem of Charles’s reign, under its new title “God Save the King”. Wearing a dark suit and black tie, King Charles paid tribute to the Queen’s “love, affection, guidance, understanding and example”.
This story is from the September 10, 2022 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the September 10, 2022 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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