This Saturday, September 10, Prince Charles was proclaimed officially king. Prince William thus becomes the Prince of Wales when his father Charles is now King Charles III. His proclamation will be read later from the balcony of St. James’s Palace in London, two days after the death of Elizabeth II which opened a period of national mourning in the United Kingdom, which will continue until her funeral. Step by step, with the greatest solemnity and respect to the millimeter of protocol and tradition, Charles III installed himself as head of state this Saturday morning (10 a.m. local time). For this historic occasion, he was able to count on the presence of his family, Queen Consort Camilla, very dignified and elegant in blackhis son William, with an extremely serious face, at his side.
The usher of the council read the text of the proclamation. “Almighty God has called to him Queen Elizabeth II of glorious memory, who had the crown of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and who passes it on to King Charles“, he shouts. “We understand with one voice and publish and proclaim that Prince Charles is now, by the death of the late Sovereign, becomes Charles III by the grace of God, King of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith“, ensued. He concludes: “We wish his Majesty many years, may God save the king“The whole congregation then follows with in unison, “god save the king“, among which Boris Johnson, appeased. Prince William is the first to sign it, followed by Camilla, and Prime Minister Liz Truss. Everything is millimeter.
Then, King Charles III arrives on the sublime throne, still bearing the initials of his late mother. He intoned his statement:Ladies and gentlemen, it is my saddest duty to announce the death of my beloved beloved mother the Queen, I know how much the whole nation and I dare say the whole world stands with me in this loss irreparable that we have suffered. It is a consolation to me to know all the affections expressed for me, my brother and my sister, and this support extends to all my family in the face of this loss..” He continued: “For all of our family and for this kingdom and the family of nations that belong to it, my mother has set an example of reigning service that has no equal. We have to be grateful for his whole royal life and I’m aware of this heritage and of the duties and responsibilities of sovereignty which have now been transmitted to me.“King Charles III assured that he would do his best to follow the example that inspired him.”I know that I will be accompanied by the affection and loyalty of the people who brought me here“, he confided. Finally, he concluded: “To carry out this heavy task incumbent on me, I will dedicate what remains of my life to this task and I pray that God Almighty will guide me in these functions..” Charles III signs the proclamation followed by his witnesses William and Camilla.
The King’s (First) Speech
The day before, Friday evening, for the first time in 70 years, the British anthem “God save the King“(May God Save the King) was sung in its male version at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, concluding a religious service in homage to Elizabeth II. Earlier in the evening, Charles III gave his first speech televised as sovereign. A recorded address in which he paid a moving tribute to Elizabeth II, his “Dear Mum“, who died at 96 after 70 years and 7 months of reign, an “inspiration” for the entire royal family. The one who promised to serve the British all his life, as his mother Elizabeth II had done on her 21st birthday , also subtly evoked Diana. gave the title of Prince and Princess of Wales to William and Kate but didn’t forget Meghan and Harry either.
This Saturday, the proclamation will be relayed by the King of Arms of the Order of the Garter and half a dozen heralds in carriages who will also go to read it in Trafalgar Square, then at the Royal Exchange. Then Parliament will take a pledge of allegiance and express its condolences. In the afternoon, the new king will receive the Prime Minister and the main ministers. Remember that Charles III acceded to the throne in a difficult period, the United Kingdom being faced with the worst economic crisis of the last 40 years, while four Prime Ministers have succeeded in six years. At 73, he is the oldest British monarch at the start of his reign. If he enjoys a much lower popularity rating than that of the late monarch, on his arrival in Buckingham on Friday afternoon, on his return from Scotland, he was nevertheless given a standing ovation.